8 best kids’ toothbrushes they’ll actually want to use

My house is full of Squishmallow toys so it made sense to try one of Ordo’s adorable toothbrushes, too. The excitement levels when my tester opened the box were high. We tested out the Zozo the Bigfoot brush, which is a gorgeous pastel colour and comes with a character travel topper. The brush has been designed with dentist-approval and it really is child-friendly.

There are three brushing modes to choose from depending on the age of the user and progress lights, vibrations and sounds to help children make sure they’re brushing properly. The two-minute progress tracker on the back of the brush is such an excellent idea and was so effective with our tester. The box contains two brush heads; an oval one which is ideal for most kids as it’s gentle on teeth and gums, and a round brush head which is more suitable for smaller mouths and younger children.

I was a bit worried about how hygienic the antimicrobial travel cap was but Ordo reassuringly guarantees that it ensures 99.5 per cent less bacteria build-up. Although it’s recommended that you rinse and dry the brush head before putting the topper on. Other characters to choose from include Cam, Patty and Samir.

If your budget doesn’t stretch to the electric toothbrush, Ordo also sell a battery toothbrush featuring Squishmallow characters for the cheaper price of £12.50, (Ordolife.com).

This is a colourful and fun toothbrush that will help children from age three upwards start to feel more confident and independent when brushing their teeth. We tested out the blue and red rocket design which comes with some fun features. At the press of a simple ON/OFF button the toothbrush starts flashing with green, blue and red lights as a two-minute timer begins. It was like a disco in the bathroom when we turned the lights out.

The brush is very lightweight and the head is small but doesn’t have a silicone head so you would want to make sure your child doesn’t bite down on it. I liked the fact that there’s a mixture of long and short, soft bristles to really get into the crevasses between teeth. The sucker base was handy as we have a lot of toothbrushes on our sink and one of them is always being knocked to the floor.

This a good quality brush at an appealing price which also comes in three other themes; unicorn, flamingo and dinosaur. Each brush also comes with one spare head.

Whether you’re team Elphaba or team Glinda, Ordo have got you, and your little one’s teeth, covered with two limited-edition Wicked brushes. Choose between the green and pink version of their lightweight sonic edge toothbrush, which comes with cute Wicked-themed decor. You can also purchase a black witch’s hat (£7.99, Ordolife.com) to use as a brush protector when it’s not being used or when travelling. If you choose the Glinda brush you can opt for Glinda’s shimmering bubble as a topper (£7.99, Ordolife.com).

The brush itself is smaller and more compact than others on this list but still has all of the features grown-ups want to see such as easy charging, a battery life which lasts more than six weeks and powerful, yet sensitive bristles. The USB charger point is easy to access at the base of the brush and a wire is included in the package. A round and oval head are included with the brush and both are designed to fit smaller mouths.

My nine-year-old tester gets easily distracted when brushing his teeth but the sonic edge has a “quad pacer” feature which pulses every 30 seconds to tell children to move to a different part of their mouth, which has been really effective. The only downside for me was that you can’t store this brush upright due to the rounded bottom and the heavy topper. But this is a small negative on a brush that’s otherwise a great choice for children.

If you’re not a fan of Wicked, the sonic edge also comes in seven other colours and these toothbrushes are priced at a cheaper £14.99, (Ordolife.com).

This isn’t the most exciting-looking toothbrush on the list. It doesn’t come with cute characters or flashing lights but it’s from one of the most well-respected brands for dental care, which means it has some excellent features. It has the two-minute timer other products on this list have, but the round brush head has some distinctive features. The bristles oscillate, rotate and pulse, and there’s also a really handy light which shows if the user is applying too much pressure. All of these functions mean grown-ups are able to relax when their child is using it, because the brush does so much of the leg work.

This brush would make the perfect first electric toothbrush for a child six or older. The couple of issues I experienced were that the charge doesn’t last as long as others on this list. The brush can also get quite mucky, with some grey residue around the head if you don’t keep it clean. And once the boys had used the ones with sounds and lights, they weren’t as enamoured with this on,e but we were pleased with how shiny and clean their teeth were. I also like the price of it, but would prefer a USB cable rather than the more chunky charging stand and two-pin plug it comes with.

The Foreo toothbrush is definitely on the expensive side but it comes with some features we didn’t see on other toothbrushes we tested. It’s made from medical-grade silicone, right down to its bristles, and it boasts a charge that lasts more than six months (265 days). The brush head is a 4-in-1 and has been designed to not only brush teeth but also clean the cheeks, gums and tongue. The testers loved the fact that the brush shows a smiley face when you’ve brushed for two minutes and a sad face if it’s been more than 12 hours since you last brushed.

I love the vibrant pink, blue, yellow and purple colours you can choose from and the fact that each has its own cute animal character. This is an expensive toothbrush but as it’s suitable from age five to 12, it’s one that will stay with your child as they grow up.

This is another cute design from Brush-baby which comes with all the bells and whistles to help your child learn to brush their teeth effectively. Instead of batteries, this design comes with a USB charger but it has the same flashing lights and a two-minute automatic timer, with 30-second reminders.

Despite the slightly awkward shape of the Bernie bear toothbrush, it still fits nicely into small hands and, again, I loved the fact it has a sucker bottom. The toothbrush head is a great size for little mouths and the brush has the brand’s trademarked long and short bristles.

The wild ones brush takes four hours to charge and the charge lasts for more than a month. It comes with two spare heads and there are eight different animals to choose from, including Percy penguin, Toby tiger and Kylie koala.

Kids love stickers and being able to have some fun with one of your family’s most used household appliances is a really nice feature. As well as keeping your children’s teeth pearly white, it also allows them to design and stick their own pet on the handle of the device.

When it comes to the important part, the Sonicare has two brushing intensity settings (gentle and extra gentle) and a timer to keep children aged three and over brushing for the all-important two minutes. I loved the fact that it has a rubberised head which feels safe for sensitive gums and tooth gaps. However, I did find that it made the testers more inclined to chew it which was frustrating as the replacement heads are not super cheap (£16.99 for four).

The stickers are really cute, but did look a bit messy after a little while. However, they’re easy to peel off and there are enough to start again. The travel case is also a really useful addition for when you’re on the go.

As I said above, every baby will get their first teeth at a different time but it is usually around six-months-old. Matchstick Monkey, who also make adorable baby teethers, have created a toothbrush for this precious first milestone. The brush has super sensitive bristles to protect your baby’s gums and any newly budding teeth.

While the brush is small enough for tiny hands, the reality is that at this age, you’re probably going to be brushing your baby’s teeth for them, although they may want to give it a suck and a chew themselves. If they do want to do this, you can be reassured that the integrated antimicrobial protection will keep the toothbrush clean and fresh.

The toothbrush comes with a cover to protect it from dirt or germs which parents of young babies will appreciate and it’s an excellent price.