Our choice: Oral-B Smart 1500
The Smart 1500 has a more user-friendly pressure sensor and is the more affordable option. It cleaned my teeth just as well as the iO2.
iO2 brush heads are almost twice the price of those for the 1500. This makes a notable difference over the space of several years.
In my opinion, the minor advantages of the iO2, most notably the battery life, don’t outweigh the higher ownership costs.
When to choose the iO2
The main reasons to choose the iO2 over the Smart 1500 would be if you prefer the design of the iO range, or if you would benefit from a brush with a long battery life.
The iO2 has the best battery life of any Oral-B brush I've used. In testing it lasted 37 days, whereas the Smart 1500 lasted 20 days, which still isn't bad overall. Unless you don't have the means to charge your brush frequently, it's not worth paying too much attention to.
Key Differences: Smart 1500 vs iO2
| Find out more |
| Electric Teeth Rating |
| Retail price |
| Approximate 3 year cost |
| Cleaning Action |
| Number of cleaning modes |
| Brushing intensities |
| Timer |
| Pacer |
| Pressure Sensor |
| Battery life |
| Battery type |
| Number of heads included |
| Travel case included |
| Bluetooth connectivity |
| Position tracking |
| Noise |
| Warranty |
|
Our Choice
|
|
|---|---|
| Review | Review |
(4.7)
|
(4.4)
|
| $80 | $64.99 |
| $120 | $169 |
| Oscillating-rotating & pulsating (3D) | - |
| 3 | 3 |
| - | - |
|
|
| 30 second quadpacer | 30 second quadpacer |
|
|
|
| 14+ (plus) days | - |
| Rechargeable Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) | Rechargeable Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) |
| 1 | 2 |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| - | - |
| 73dB | 72dB |
| 2 years | 2 years |
- Cleaning/brushing action
- The iO2 uses a different type of brush motor than the Smart 1500, but they clean equally well.
- Handle design/colors
- The iO2 has a matte finish to the handle vs the gloss finish on the Smart.
- The 1500 has a dimpled texture to the back of the handle that the iO2 does not have.
- The iO2 has a larger concave power button than the Smart 1500.
- The iO2 has an LED for the battery charge status and pressure sensor built into the power button. The 1500’s LED is located towards the bottom of the handle.
- The Smart is available in 4 colors (white, black, blue & pink) vs the 3 colors (white, black & green) of the iO2.
- Marginal weight and handle size differences.
- Cleaning modes
- Both models have a Daily Clean and Sensitive mode. However, the Smart 1500 has a Whitening mode whereas the iO2 has Super Sensitive.
- The default cleaning mode on the iO2 can be changed. It can’t on the 1500.
- Brush heads
- The iO2 uses a different style of brush head exclusive to the iO Series.
- The iO2 comes with 1 x Ultimate Clean brush head compared to the 1 x CrossAction supplied with the Smart 1500.
- Pressure sensor
- The iO2 illuminates an LED in the power button with a red light when the pressure sensor is activated whereas the 1500’s light ring around the neck of the brush handle is lit red.
- Battery
- The iO2 has a 37 day battery life compared to the 20 of the 1500.
- The 1500 takes 12 hours to charge vs up to 24 of the iO2.
- Price
- The Smart 1500 is more expensive with a retail price of $80 compared to the $60 of the iO2.
- The cost of replacement brush heads for the Smart 1500 is half that of the iO2.
- The 1500 is the cheaper brush to own overall.
Please note. Every effort is made to ensure the key differences listed are correct, but these differences are subject to change without notice. Products and the box contents can be changed without notice and different variants can exist.
How we scored them: iO2 vs Smart 1500
I found little to differentiate these two brushes in terms of overall performance. The starkest differences are in the overall cost and the battery life.
| Overall Score |
| How well it cleans |
| How it feels |
| Recommended features |
| Additional items & features |
| Battery performance |
| Smart features |
| Price |
| Support & reputation |
| Buying options |
Does one clean better than the other?
The short answer is no, there isn’t any meaningful difference in the cleaning results offered between the iO2 and the Smart 1500.
This is confirmed by our testing results in the category of ‘How well it cleans’, both score a commendable 100%. This score is based on our testing of the brushes using plaque disclosing solution.
The motors inside each handle are different in their design and how they work. Both brushes use technology that oscillates and rotates the brush head. The 1500 also pulsates. I am under the impression that the iO2 offers similar movements, but I have a lack of detail to confirm this. Ultimately, what this means to me is they do the same job.
I do feel different after using each brush. Both leave my teeth clean, but there is an intensity to using the Smart that isn’t matched by the iO2. The iO Series feels softer and less aggressive in how it delivers the clean.
My preference is for the deeper clean feeling the 1500 offers. The slightly weaker sensation of the iO2’s motor is not a reason to pick the 1500 instead, though. In fact, new electric brush users, or those with sensitive teeth and gums, will arguably find the iO2 to be the better option.
Is one priced better than the other?
Yes, the Oral-B Smart 1500 is the more affordable option when factoring in the cost of replacement brush heads.
Based on the retail price alone the $60 of the iO2 is more attractive than the $80 of the 1500.
Average selling prices do tend to be a bit less. $65 for the 1500, $60 for the iO2 and best of all $55 for the iO2 Starter Kit, which comes with an extra brush head.
At approximately $12, a single iO brush head costs double that of the heads that are compatible with the 1500, which can be as little as $5. Having used both, I have no explanation as to why. Material costs might be higher with the iO heads, but this must be pennies rather than dollars.
Over the space of 3 years you can save $50 or more by going for the Smart 1500 and its cheaper heads. Your brush should last longer than 3 years, but just as an example.
Where the 1500 scores a perfect 100 in our ‘What it costs’ scoring model, the iO2 scores a low 43 as a consequence of its more expensive heads.
Detailed features comparison
In terms of the features they offer, there is very little to set these two brushes apart. The Smart 1500 is our first choice recommendation in our best electric toothbrush article because of its overall value and feature set.
Given the strong recommendation for the Smart 1500, the iO2 follows fairly closely. In the following sections I look more closely at my experience of testing the two brushes side by side.
All things considered, I prefer the design of the iO2
You might feel different, but to me the gloss coating on the body of the 1500 doesn’t look as sophisticated as the matte finish of the iO2.
Whilst there is little to differentiate them, the iO2 feels slightly better in hand. Something gives it that extra premium feeling.
In the ‘how it feels’ section of our rating system, the iO2 scores 88 compared to the 76 of the Smart 1500. Whilst this may seem like quite a difference, overall it has little impact on the user experience. Both brushes feel very comfortable to use.
It is very slight, but despite the dimpled texture that runs the length of the back of the handle on the Smart 1500, the iO2 feels marginally more grippy to me, even when wet.
There isn’t much between them, but I prefer the iO2’s slightly larger power button. There are 2 almost complete circles of raised dots that help the button stand out to the fingertip.
I also like how the LED within the iO2’s button is more obvious than that of the Smart 1500.
Located in the lower third of the handle on the 1500, I found it easier to miss a low battery warning because the LED is smaller and not quite in the eyeline like the iO2’s.
There are marginal size and weight differences between the 2 handles as shown in the following table:
| Toothbrush height with head |
| Width |
| Depth/thickness |
| Weight with head |
|
|
|---|---|
| 24cm / 9.5 inches | 23.2cm / 9.1 inches |
| 2.8cm / 1.1 inches | 2.5cm / 1 inches |
| 2.8cm / 1.1 inches | 2.9cm / 1.1 inches |
| 124g / 4.4oz | 124g / 4.4oz |
The iO2 is available in 3 colors, black, white and green. There are 4 choices with the 1500, white, black, pink, and blue.
The Smart 1500’s pressure sensor is more user-friendly
I am thankful that both brushes have a pressure sensor built into the handle. This automatically reduces the number of bristle movements should I brush with too much force. In turn, it reduces the chances of the brush damaging my teeth and gums.
When activated, neither brush changes the sound or the vibration pattern in the handle, meaning it isn’t always immediately obvious when it is active.
Both do illuminate an LED, though.
On the iO2, the LED built into the power button illuminates red when the sensor is activated. During testing this was almost impossible to see unless I was holding the brush at a particularly unusual angle. When held normally the power button faces my body and my eyes simply cannot see the LED.
In contrast, the light ring around the neck of the 1500’s brush handle stands out. It is much more obvious. It can still be missed if I’m not paying attention. But, I do tend to notice it out of the corner of my eye, or more commonly in my reflection, as I have a mirror in front of my sink.
I think both brushes would benefit from changing the vibration pattern felt in the handle to give an additional alert. Visually impaired users in particular would benefit from this. It’s a feature included by other brands such as Sonicare.
Different brush heads with very different prices
With the introduction of the iO Series in 2020 came a new range of brush heads specific to the iO brush handles.
The existing range of Oral-B heads that are used by the 1500 do not fit nor are they compatible with iO handles. The iO2 compatible heads do not fit any other non-iO handles either.
iO2 heads are twice the price of the older style heads. There is no logically explainable reason as to why.
The experience differs slightly, but both styles of head can do a perfectly good job of cleaning your teeth if used correctly.
The iO brush head can feel a little gentler and cups a larger surface area of the tooth. They are a little larger at the back though, which can make it harder to move the head into some of the tightest spots in the mouth.
Both head styles push on and pull off the handle, but the attachment mechanism is different.
In a positive move, Oral-B has reduced the number of brush head choices within the iO range to just 4. This helps picking between them easier. My pick is Ultimate Clean or the softer bristled Gentle Care head.
I have no qualms in recommending the smaller and more affordable non-iO heads over those for the iO. It’s just a shame they don’t fit iO handles.
Something I have picked up from the extended use of both models is that the heads for the Smart 1500 are easier to keep clean.
Holes in both the non-iO and iO Series brush heads allow for moisture to escape, but they also allow for moisture to get in. As this video shows, there is a tendency for the iO head to accumulate mold. I only became aware of this as a result of the more stagnant taste as I brushed.
This is something that doesn’t seem to pose an issue on most other sonic toothbrushes, as it’s only Oral-B that has holes in the head itself.
Needless to say it is something that is accounted for in the overall scores in my full Oral-B iO2 review. I must stress, I don’t think it is a reason to avoid the iO2, but it is something to be aware of.
The iO2 typically comes supplied with 1 x Ultimate Clean head. But there the starter kit variant comes with Gentle Care too.
The 1500 on the other hand comes with a single, firmer bristled CrossAction head, in most instances.
My preferred cleaning modes are included
Three cleaning modes are available on both handles, including my preferred Daily Clean and Sensitive brushing modes.
The third mode is where they differ; the 1500 has a whitening mode whilst the iO2 has a super sensitive mode.
Of the two, I think super sensitive is the most useful. It’s well suited to new electric toothbrush users and those with very sensitive teeth and gums.
The whitening mode is the one our readers ask about the most. The name implies that it has a stronger effect than it really does. I’ve found that it’s no different to other modes when it comes to lifting stains from the teeth. If used correctly, an electric toothbrush will at best remove light staining, it won’t ‘whiten’ your teeth.
Neither model has any cleaning mode icons or labels to show which mode is active. This can be infuriating. The iO2’s power button LED flashes a different number of times based on the mode chosen, but this still doesn’t make it particularly easy to tell at a glance.
Thankfully, a slight redemption for the iO2 is that you can change the default cleaning mode to any of the 3 available. Changing the default cleaning mode isn’t an option with the Smart 1500.
In my testing, the iO2 registered at 72 decibels, which was 1 dB quieter than the Smart 1500. However, because the motors work differently the noise the iO2 produces is less mechanical sounding than the Smart 1500. It’s less harsh on the ear.
The iO2’s battery life is almost double that of the 1500
Based on their performance, the iO2 does score better overall in our ‘Battery’ category with a total of 67 compared to the 57 of the Smart 1500.
Both brushes have a Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery sealed inside the handle.
However, the iO2 outperforms the 1500 by quite some margin. In my testing it achieved 37 days from a single charge. That’s almost double the 20 days usage time I got from the 1500.
The iO2 has the best battery life of any Oral-B brush I’ve tested.
That being said, the iO2 does take twice as long to fully charge, requiring 24 hours compared to 12 for the Smart 1500. Overall, the battery life and charging time isn’t worth worrying about too much unless it’s very inconvenient for you to put your brush on charge.
I don’t travel frequently, so I don’t typically need extra battery life, but both exceed the minimum 2 weeks I think a decent toothbrush should achieve.
Both brushes give feedback on the charge status via the LED in the brush handle and both use the same charging stand.
Conclusion
Both brushes are nice to use and will do a very good job of cleaning your teeth.
But if you’re on a budget, the extra ongoing cost of the iO2 brush heads is a big factor.
The minor perks of the iO2, don’t outweigh this unjustifiable premium.
If there were to be more parity between the costs of the brush head, my feelings might be different.
