AENO DB2S Smart Sonic toothbrush review: My favourite sonic brush to buy on a budget

Our AENO DB2S Smart Sonic Toothbrush review takes you through the essentials of this budget-friendly brush to reveal why it's sometimes worth spending a little less on this essential appliance.

Looking for one of the best electric toothbrushes? Many people think you have to spend more to get a better brushing experience, and while we love our pricey Oral-B toothbrushes, that's not always the case. The Aeno toothbrush is excellent value for money, with its sleek design and impressive 90-day battery life.

While it's far from fancy, it gets the job done. Here, our expert tester Caramel Quin reveals why this oscillating electric toothbrush almost got five stars.

AENO DB2S Smart Sonic Toothbrush review

Specifications

• Modes: 4 (12 including in-app modes)
• Colours: Black, white (DB1S)
• Timer function: Yes
• Pressure sensor: No
• Tongue cleaner: Yes
• Battery life: 90 days
• Charging: USB
• Travel case: No

First impressions of the AENO DB2S Smart Sonic Toothbrush

Having tested pricier toothbrushes, I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the AENO DB2S Smart Sonic box and found a toothbrush that felt just as nice in my hand as the more premium options.

A single button falls under your thumb to turn it on and cycle through its four modes (soft, clean, massage, white). Lights on the toothbrush handle indicate which mode you’re using - but the writing is too small for this fifty-something to read.

It has a simple timer and pauses every 30 seconds to remind you to switch to another quadrant of your mouth - something that most toothbrushes have these days.

If you have a preference for bright and bold brushes, this one won't be for you. The Aeno model comes in a choice of two colourways - black or white - but is does have a wireless recharging platform that you can keep in the bathroom to make sure your brush is always ready to use. This is another premium feature, one I've seen most recently on the Oral-B iO10.

What is the AENO DB2S Smart Sonic Toothbrush like to use?

Brushing, most importantly, was good with the AENO DB2S Smart Sonic toothbrush. There are four modes to choose from - soft, clean, massage, and white - and the brush works sonically by vibrating 46,000 times a minute, which is more than my other favourite, the SURI electric toothbrush. I certainly didn't feel like I was using a budget-friendly toothbrush.

When I say budget-friendly, I'm talking about the price of this brush relative to others out there. While £75 is still a lot to spend on a brush, especially when some great Oral-B options sell for about £20 in the sale these days, the price tag is much lower than premium toothbrushes you can buy, which cost up to £600. Yes, really. Some of the features of the AENO DB2S Smart Sonic toothbrush, on first impressions, match up to these pricier models. So, I was very impressed.

The brushing experience was where my feelings of being impressed ended though. The AENO DB2S Smart Sonic toothbrush has a companion app, which I found quite hard to figure out. I eventually discovered there are five modes in total on this brush, with the fifth being a 'smart' mode that connects to the app.

In the app, I found extra modes. The app also recommends modes based on your gender, age, and how yellow your teeth are - provided you give the app this data and don't find it too intrusive...

Personally, I don't think you need to download the app to make the most out of this toy. Unlike the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart, the app doesn’t sense where you’re brushing - or whether you're brushing at all. Frankly, you could not even put the toothbrush in your mouth and the app would still register you as brushing the right bits. This feels like when a teacher sets you homework but doesn’t bother to mark it. I’d eventually stop trying: this app would not improve my adherence to the two-minute rule.

How does this toothbrush compare?

I've tested a lot of toothbrushes over the years and I feel confident in saying that I genuinely liked this one. There are plenty of others I wouldn't have in my bathroom cabinet. It's easy to use, charge, and store. It's also waterproof, which you'd think was a necessity for a toothbrush, but you'd be surprised. I liked brushing my teeth with it.

Sure, it can't compare to the fancy features of high-end models like the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart but it’s well-featured for the money and I preferred it to the similarly priced Lucent Prism Sonic Electronic Toothbrush.

While I've been raving about its value for money, there are cheaper options (of course). If you're looking to spend under £50, woman&home's Digital Health Editor Grace Walsh can recommend the Oral-B iO3 toothbrush and for under £30, the Oral-B Vitality Pro is a good option. You can also find the Waken Sustainable Electric toothbrush, which scored four stars in our review, for under £20.

Should you buy the AENO DB2S Smart Sonic Toothbrush?

If you're looking for a an electric toothbrush at under £80 that ticks all the essentials boxes and offers something a little bit more, this is a great buy. It's my favourite budget sonic electric toothbrush I've tried - and I've tested a few.

I love the three-month battery life as another stand-out feature. There's nothing worse than picking up your toothbrush when you're tired to find it's not working - and I'd happily spend to avoid this happening too often.

The only downside of the AENO DB2S Smart Sonic toothbrush is the app, which luckily doesn't play much of a role in how the brush works. You can still use the four key modes without touching it. It also doesn't come with a travel case to keep it clean on the move, which is something to consider if you're taking your brush away with you a lot.