Sound Advice
By Don Lindich
Week 13, 2021
Terrific Techno Toothbrush from TLOVII: I have owned a Sonicare toothbrush for years and love the sonic cleaning action that leaves your teeth feeling like they were just cleaned at the dentist. Though happy with the end results, I’ve never been 100% satisfied with the product itself. The most full-featured Sonicare models sell for $150 to $300, and I have a hard time parting with that much money for a toothbrush. Given this I have always gotten by with a basic Sonicare model with one cleaning mode. The dedicated charger has a bulky AC cord and a cradle that stands the toothbrush straight up so if you bump it, it falls over. The toothbrush is also kind of heavy relative to the size. As a result I don’t use it 100% of the time, though I really should given the superior cleaning it provides.
Over the years I tried a few other electric toothbrushes and never found anything else I liked. What I really wanted was a sonic toothbrush that was affordable, full-featured, and did not use a dedicated charger. I recently discovered one that checks all the boxes, and I’m delighted to share it with readers who may not have experienced how wonderful a sonic toothbrush can be.
I found the TLOVII (tlovii) sonic toothbrush on Amazon after a recent price reduction from $39.99 to $29.99. I bought one and it was some of the best $30 I’ve ever spent. The five different modes (normal, soft, massage, whitening and gum care) allow you to set the toothbrush according to your personal needs and the condition of your teeth and gums. It charges via a supplied USB cable with a magnetic connection. The toothbrush is effective, attractive, feels good in the hand, and is fun and easy to own and use.
Here are a few tips to get you started off right. After you put toothpaste on the brush head, put the brush in position and close your lips before you turn on the toothbrush. Otherwise you may send toothpaste and froth flying out of your mouth, propelled by the sonic action. The sensations of the pulsing brush head will feel a little odd at first, but you will quickly adapt and enjoy it. It is recommend you divide your mouth into four quadrants and brush each quadrant for 30 seconds, for a total of two minutes. The toothbrush briefly pauses every 30 seconds to tell you to change quadrant, and it shuts off completely after the two-minute cycle.
Sometimes I listen to audio products while I am writing about them. In this case I brushed my teeth just before I sat down to write this column, and ran my tongue over my teeth to feel how smooth and clean they are. They look whiter in the mirror, too. For less than $30 TLOVII will let you experience this for yourself, and with regular use you may even get a better report the next time you go to the dentist, too!
The TLOVII Sonic Electric Toothbrush is currently $29.99 on amazon.com. The warranty is one year and brush head refills are $7.99 per two-pack.
Q. With the coupon code the ZVOX rechargeable VB25 hearing aids are $299 and the battery-powered VB20s, $199. Why wouldn’t I just get the VB25?
-T.K., Oakland, CA
A. The VB20 has more features and app control. For many this makes it worth changing batteries, which cost about $60 per year. I suggest visiting the website and comparing both models closely before deciding. The $200 off code HEAR200 has been extended until April 30th. zvox.com