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Making the switch to an electric toothbrush is one of the easiest ways to improve your oral hygiene but you may find regular flossing a tricky habit to keep up. Traditional dental floss can also be hard to use correctly, especially if you wear braces or have crowns, and it’s non-biodegradable, so, it’s not a great choice for the environment. That’s where water flossers come in.
Also known as oral irrigators, water flossers spray a high-pressure jet of water between your teeth to clean the spaces that brushing misses, and remove food and bacteria. This helps to keep plaque at bay, reduce the risk of cavities, help prevent gum disease, fight bad breath and, in some cases, whiten teeth.
“Water flossers can be a great option for people who have trouble flossing by hand,” says dentist Dr Rhona Eskander, co-founder of Parla and owner of Chelsea Dental Clinic. “People who have had dental work that makes flossing difficult – like braces or permanent or fixed bridges – might also like to try water flossers.”
Although they can take a little getting used to initially, it’s best to only switch on the device once the tip is inside your mouth, then keep it at a 90-degree angle to the gum line as you go, and always lean over the sink, as it can be messy.
They come with a refillable water tank, so you can spray as you work from the back teeth to the front, and may include extra features such as a massage feature for healthy gums; variable pressure settings; and even a tongue scraper. It’s worth looking for a flosser that comes with an orthodontic tip, too, if you wear a brace, or gentler settings or dedicated heads if you have implants, crowns or sensitive teeth.
How we tested
We used these water flossers, one at a time, over several weeks, using each once a day on consecutive days. We considered how easy each was to use, how clean our teeth looked and felt and any extra features the water flosser offered. We also flossed our teeth with ordinary tape floss afterwards, to check how effective the water flosser had been. These are the ones that came out on top.
The best water flossers for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Philips sonicare cordless power flosser 3000: £71.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best budget buy – Fairywill electric toothbrush + cordless oral irrigator water flosser: £43.59, Onbuy.com
- Best for travelling – Spotlight oral care water flosser: £61.79, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for whitening teeth – Waterpik whitening water flosser: £59.99, Amazon.co.uk
- Best for healthy gums – Panasonic rechargeable oral irrigator with ultrasonic technology, EW1511: £119.99, Very.co.uk