The 5 Best Water Flossers, Following Weeks Of Testing (2024)

A water flosser is a bathroom countertop appliance that shoots a concentrated stream of water at your teeth and gums to remove food remnants and plaque. Also known as an oral irrigator or a Waterpik (which is actually a brand name), this handheld tool can improve your dental hygiene by eliminating build-up that can lead to inflammation and gum disease. After testing 15 models between 2023 and 2024, we found that the best water flosser overall is the Waterpik Aquarius, thanks to its ease of use, abundance of features and effectiveness. We also recommend the Philips Sonicare Power Flosser 3000, which offers fewer modes and tips but is quieter to use than the Waterpik models we tested.

Here are the five best water flossers we found after several weeks of testing:

In our experience, water flossers are easier to use than traditional floss and can be especially useful for folks with orthodontics who want to get in between all the nooks and crannies of their braces, and people with limited grip strength who may struggle with small pieces of floss. To find the top models, we considered options for every lifestyle and budget, taking into consideration factors such as noise, capacity and price. Below, find our favorites, as well as 10 tested models that didn’t make the cut. (You can also read our in-depth reviews on the Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser and Philips Sonicare Power Flosser 3000.)

Intuitive And Easy To Use

The Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser stood out as the best water flosser for most people based on its capable and customizable flossing action. It offers two modes plus 10 pressure settings and comes with seven tips—the most of any water flosser we tested. This translates into a flossing experience that can be tailored to just about any scenario, including a gentle touch if you’re new to flossing or a deeper clean if you’re looking to dislodge food debris—a task this model excelled at.

Using the Waterpik Aquarius is intuitive and simple, thanks to a rotary knob for adjusting the pressure settings and a simple button to toggle between Floss and Massage settings. We especially appreciate the convenience of the built-in timer with a 30-second pacer that guides you to floss all areas of your mouth.

Impressive Tank Size

The 650mL reservoir is the largest water tank we tested (tied with the Waterpik Ultra) and the wide opening makes for fast and convenient filling. About the only downside to the design of the Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser is the lack of storage for the abundance of included tips. We also wish that the Aquarius functioned more quietly, but that’s a shortcoming we noticed across all of the Waterpik models we tested.

Waterpik has a Seal of Acceptance from the American Dental Association on many of its products—including this one—and backs up the Aquarius with a three-year warranty, the longest we found in this category after weeks of research and testing.

Ultra-Quiet Flossing

Most water flossers do a comparable job of cleaning your mouth, with similar pressure levels, ergonomics and general usability, but the Philips Sonicare Power Flosser 3000 is notably quieter than other water flossers we tested, especially on the lower pressure settings. And that matters when you’re holding something next to your head once a day for the foreseeable future. It’s also easy to use, has a large reservoir and has 10 pressure settings to choose from. Those factors initially made it our top pick for a water flosser, but after additional testing in 2024, we think the Waterpik Aquarius has a slight advantage since it includes a wider assortment of tips and features a larger water tank.

But hands down, the Sonicare Power Flosser 3000 is your best bet if you want the quietest flossing experience. One reason we gravitated towards the Power Flosser 3000: Being stuck in a small, echoey bathroom with a machine that sounds like a tiny jackhammer is not ideal.

Effective And Nimble Cleaning

When using the “Clean” mode, the Philips Sonicare water flossers have a pacer that indicates when you’re supposed to move to a different area of your mouth by pausing waterflow. We found it to be the most useful pacing feature of any water flosser we tested. For those that don’t want this feature, you can use the other “Deep clean” mode, or turn the pacer off by holding the power button and the mode button together for five seconds.

The tool excelled at clearing food remnants that were wedged into tight spaces, particularly when using the included Quad Stream nozzle with a four-way stream pattern. Although more tips would increase the versatility of this model, we found the Quad Stream nozzle to be an effective enhancement to the flosser’s cleaning ability. Unlike many Waterpik models we tested, however, the Power Flosser 3000 doesn’t allow you to rotate the tip in place to get the perfect angle of approach. This can be handy if you like having the tip angled a specific way from your grip, say for getting behind your molars. However, the handle was small and nimble enough that this didn’t significantly affect our tester’s experience.

What To Keep In Mind

There are some reports in user reviews of units breaking down or of hoses leaking but we didn’t encounter these issues during our initial tests or during additional testing in 2024. Such reports are common across many, if not all, water flossers—and are found in most things that pump water. The Power Flosser 3000 comes with a two-year warranty, which should cover these issues. Note that Philips Sonicare does not have the ADA seal on its products, unlike the Waterpik.

A Pricey But Versatile Model

The Philips Sonicare Power Flosser 7000 costs more than just about every water flosser we tested, but justifies its expense by offering the most cleaning modes, smooth, quiet operation and a versatile set of tips with a case to store them in. The build quality and attention to detail add to the convenience of using the Power Flosser 7000. It has a 600 mL water tank, which is just slightly less than the Waterpik Aquarius but still offers plenty of water for a cleaning session. We also liked its attached, hinged lid that made refilling the tank easy.

Ideal For Sensitive Teeth

The Power Flosser 7000 shares many similarities to the Philips Sonicare Power Flosser 3000, our pick for the best quiet water flosser. But this model has four cleaning modes to choose from, compared to just two for the more basic Power Flosser 3000. Notably, the Power Flosser 7000 includes a Sensitive mode that we didn’t find on other water flossers. When paired with the 10 intensity settings, you have 40 possible cleaning combinations to choose from on the Power Flosser 7000. It makes it easy to find the perfect balance—we found the Power Flosser 7000 was never too intense or too weak to be effective.

Sleek, Pared Down Design

If you’re hitting the road, the best portable water flosser to throw into your bag is the Quip Rechargeable Cordless Water Flosser. The design is a simple, easy-to-use cylinder, half of which is the reservoir. With fewer buttons, knobs, protrusions or switches than almost any other water flosser we tested, the whole thing is compact and packable. You just pop off the tip, stash it in the (empty) reservoir and you’re ready to go. It charges using a proprietary USB cable, but at least it plugs into the same charging brick as most other gadgets you likely own. We tested the metal version, but this flosser also comes in a more affordable plastic version.

Quip claims that this water flosser will last up to eight weeks on a single charge if you use it on the gentler setting. On the downside, the Quip has only two pressure modes, which is common for travel and portable flossers—most of the ones we tested either have two or three pressure settings. The difference between the two levels is indicated by a single LED light that’s either blue or white. Without numerals or letters, we found it was easy to forget if it was set to high or low before flossing. (For the record, white is low and blue is high).

The smooth, cylindrical body also lacks any ridges or ergonomic concessions, so it could be tricky to hold when wet or if you have issues with grip strength. And though it’s water-resistant, it’s not waterproof, so don’t take it into the shower.

Frequent Refilling Required

Although this Quip model is still our top recommendation for a portable water flosser after conducting testing in 2024, its small water tank is its Achilles heel. Every time we used the Quip Rechargeable Cordless Water Flosser, we had to refill the tank at least once in the middle of flossing. Fortunately, it’s super simple to do and only takes a moment, but that makes it less convenient to use this flosser on a nightly basis. Given the small tank size, we think it’s the best travel water flosser.

The Quip doesn’t have the ADA Seal of Acceptance, which is a mark of safety from the American Dental Association, but the brand said it’s seeking it at time of publication.

Ample Storage For An Affordable Price

For around $60, the Waterpik Ultra offers a great combination of features, plus a large 22-ounce reservoir and large, easy-to-use controls. It has one feature that’s not even found on higher-end Waterpiks, and that’s a compartment above the reservoir that can store four extra tips. However, like most Waterpiks, it’s loud. We found that the hose that connects the handle to the base often didn’t want to coil back neatly, requiring a bit of attention to get it to sit nicely in its caddy.

Simple Yet Reliable

Despite its more affordable price, the Waterpik Ultra doesn’t compromise on cleaning ability (like our top pick, it’s on the list as an ADA-approved product, too). However, it does lack the multiple cleaning modes found on the Waterpik Aquarius. Its abundance of shiny plastic parts, including its knobs and switches, makes it feel a bit dated but it’s a shortcoming that can be easily overlooked for a budget water flosser to encourage healthy oral hygiene habits.

Other Water Flossers We Tested

In addition to the five winning models above, we tested out 10 other water flossers that didn’t make our final list. The first three models below are ones we would still recommend, despite not quite matching the performance of our top picks; the rest didn’t stand out in terms of performance.

Waterpik Cordless Revive: This flosser (along with its sibling models, the Cordless Express and Cordless Freedom, which are almost identical) is a decent, affordable cordless option. Our tester’s primary complaint was that these water flossers have only a single small port to fill their reservoirs, making them hard to fill.

Waterpik Cordless Advanced: This flosser has a fascinating magnetic charger, like a MagSafe for your bathroom. While it still feels strong enough to clean your teeth, its maximum setting was lower than the highest on most other versions—something to keep in mind if you want the highest possible pressure. The water reservoir is held in place by a sliding lock that was a bit fiddly and annoying to take on and off.

Philips Sonicare Cordless Power Flosser 3000: We like that this flosser has three power levels and a clear reservoir that’s easy to fill. However, it’s loud, and we wish it had some material for extra grip, like you see on other higher-end cordless water flossers.

Waterpik Ion Professional: This flosser was so overwhelmingly loud that we were astonished such a small machine could create such a racket.

Waterpik Nano Plus: You can invert the reservoir and use it as a cover for the base, which is an intriguing design feature. But when you use it normally, there’s no cover for the top of the reservoir, which raised some concerns about hygiene.

Panasonic Water Flosser EWDJ10A: This portable flosser collapses into its own reservoir for easy transportation. But it’s difficult to open and close, and it’s challenging to stow the flosser’s tip in the designated cavity. The controls are too stiff considering they’re damp a lot of the time.

Panasonic Water Flosser EW1511W: We were impressed that this held enough water for more than a minute of use (more than most portable models), even on high power, but the opaque reservoir means you never know quite how much water is left until you run out.

Waterpik Sonic-Fusion 2.0: This model takes a complete approach to oral care, combining a water flosser with an electric toothbrush. But the sum of the parts isn’t enough to override the shortcomings of each component. The toothbrush didn’t compare to the cleaning experience achieved with other electric toothbrushes and the water flosser wasn’t outstanding, either.

How We Tested The Best Water Flossers

To test these devices, we focused on features that most directly affect how you’re going to use a water flosser from day to day, including how much space each model takes up, how loud they are, whether they require frequent refilling and more.

Ease Of Use

Beyond trying out all the water flossers individually, we performed a series of lab-inspired tests in 2023. We timed how long cordless and portable ones took to empty their reservoirs. Most sources suggest using a flosser for a minute, so if you have to refill halfway through, that’s a major drawback. We also considered how many pressure settings they had—as well as how strong the highest setting was, and how gentle the lowest. Having more settings allows you to dial in the correct amount of pressure for your teeth and gums.

Effectiveness

To see how effective a water flosser would be at cleaning teeth schmutz, we used the stickiest, hardest-to-clean material we could find: peanut butter powder. When this stuff dries, it’s like concrete. This test showed how well the water flossers could get into the crags and crannies of a set of artificial teeth.

Extra Features

There were several nice-to-have features we also considered. These included swiveling tips, which are handy if you want to angle the water stream a specific way based on how you hold the flosser. We also gave bonus points to flossers that came with extra tips (for family members, to address specific flossing needs or for replacement down the line), though you can always buy those after the fact.

Most companies sell tips in a myriad of different shapes that are specifically designed for different tasks, like the Philips Sonicare Quad Stream or the Waterpik Tongue Cleaner. Most of the tips were identical to each other, and we tested all the flossers using the standard tip.

Additional Testing

In 2024, we retested our winners, as well as several new contenders. Similar to our initial testing, we focused on criteria that reflect how easy and effective each water flosser is in real-world conditions. We compared all options based on ease of use (including the ergonomics of the handle, simplicity of controls and the noise factor), range of features (like how many cleaning modes and intensity settings are available, plus the number of included tips), reservoir design (factoring in capacity and ease of filling) and overall effectiveness. Additionally, we considered the cost of the water flosser in relation to its feature set and included accessories to determine its overall value.

How To Pick A Water Flosser

When you’re browsing online for a water flosser, there are a few factors you should keep in mind to ensure you pick a model that matches your lifestyle. Here’s what to consider.

Size

Water flossers range in size; some are large enough to take up significant space in your bathroom, while others are more compact for easy storage. Generally, there are two categories of water flossers:

• Full-size water flossers: These models take up a larger amount of space on your bathroom counter and have a long cord that attaches to a handle. They tend to have more (and more granular) pressure settings, plus a large reservoir that you’ll need to refill less often, sometimes only every several days.
• Portable flossers: These flossers will be smaller, and some are as small as an electric toothbrush. These will also have a much smaller reservoir, which means that they will need to be refilled between every use. They also have fewer pressure settings, often only two or three. Since they’re cordless, you’ll need to remember to charge them. Some use AA or AAA batteries, some USB and some proprietary chargers.

ADA Acceptance

Dr. Flavia Pirih, the UCLA chair of periodontics, and Dr. Sally Cram, an ADA spokesperson at time of publication in 2023, both pointed out the importance of looking for devices that carry the American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance. As Cram noted, the ADA Seal of Acceptance was “put in place to basically evaluate the safety and efficacy of over-the-counter dental products.” Pirih echoed that this was a good mark of knowing a device has been tested and is safe to use. However, at the time of publication, the only company that has this seal is Waterpik. Quip has other products that have the seal and told us it’s in the process of seeking the seal for its water flosser, although the brand didn’t have a specific timeline for getting it at time of publication.

Warranty

A water flosser is more of a monetary investment than a toothbrush or pack of dental floss, so it should last you a couple of years at the very minimum. You should seek out a water flosser from a brand that offers a warranty of at least a year. All of the winners on our list have a warranty of one year or more. Our best overall pick, the Waterpik Aquarius, is protected against material and manufacturing defects for three years.

Our Expertise

Tim Barribeau is a service journalist with 15 years of experience writing and editing product reviews. Barribeau has written for Wirecutter, the Wall Street Journal and Consumer Reports, among other outlets. He has covered everything from cameras to fashion to beauty to pets. To gain further insight into this topic, Barribeau interviewed periodontist Dr. Sally Cram and Dr. Flavia Pirih, the UCLA chair of periodontics. Both Cram and Pirih shared their advice on picking the right water flosser for your needs.

In 2024, Erica Puisis updated this article with additional testing and notes about the performance of the best water flossers. She has six years of experience as a writer and specializes in researching and testing home products and appliances. For Forbes Vetted, she recently tested electric toothbrushes, and her work has also appeared on The Spruce, MyDomaine and U.S. News and World Report.