Customer reviews from philips.com
Philips - Sonicare 3100 Electric Toothbrush with Pressure Sensor, HX3681/03 - White
Average customer rating
4.4
(3,053 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 3,053 reviews
5 Stars
2,071
4 Stars
524
3 Stars
203
2 Stars
123
1 Star
132
88%of customers recommend this product.
(
2,200 out of
2,511)
Customer Reviews for Philips - Sonicare 3100 Electric Toothbrush with Pressure Sensor, HX3681/03 - White
Posted by: JayNads
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I've tried them all. For years I used a Rotodent. I tried Oral-B. Both worked great, but I always found myself brushing with a manual toothbrush after using them. Kinda defeated the purpose when my toothbrush didn't leave my teeth feeling clean.
Recently, I noticed a lot of yellowing, especially in those spaces between the teeth. I floss irregularly, but it wasn't a buildup of gunk. I drink coffee and wine, and both are notorious stainers. I did some research and watched hours of videos into which electric brushes are best. Oral-B and Sonicare were usually tied, with Oral-B in a slight lead. The general gist is that most of the studies saying Oral-B is better were funded by Oral-B. The same with Sonicare. In independent studies--of which there aren't many--Oral B was better at cleaning the tooth surface and Sonicare was better at cleaning at the gumline and between teeth.
Since I had experience with Oral-B and didn't love it (the shape of the head makes it feel large and you need to keep your mouth open as you brush to avoid pressing too hard which can cause splatter on the mirror), and since the best advice I was able to find was "buy the one you'll use", I went with the Sonicare.
I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a new toothbrush. Afterall, they're in the business of selling replacement heads! It's like Gillette giving out free razors so you'll buy the replacement cartridges. So I found a few recommendations of what features are necessary. The 4100 had them all:
1. Zone timer: 30 seconds a zone (upper right, upper left, lower right, lower left) is a little more time than I'd typically spend, so the zone timer forces me to linger 5-10 seconds longer.
2. Pressure sensor: I'm a hard brusher. I destroy my toothbrushes. At the end of 3 months they're frazzled and needing therapy. Having my brush warn when I'm pressing too hard is huge.
3. Charge notice: An electric toothbrush with a dead battery isn't as good as a manual toothbrush, so getting notified that I have 1-2 more cleanings left reminds me to charge it up so it never dies on me.
Recently, I noticed a lot of yellowing, especially in those spaces between the teeth. I floss irregularly, but it wasn't a buildup of gunk. I drink coffee and wine, and both are notorious stainers. I did some research and watched hours of videos into which electric brushes are best. Oral-B and Sonicare were usually tied, with Oral-B in a slight lead. The general gist is that most of the studies saying Oral-B is better were funded by Oral-B. The same with Sonicare. In independent studies--of which there aren't many--Oral B was better at cleaning the tooth surface and Sonicare was better at cleaning at the gumline and between teeth.
Since I had experience with Oral-B and didn't love it (the shape of the head makes it feel large and you need to keep your mouth open as you brush to avoid pressing too hard which can cause splatter on the mirror), and since the best advice I was able to find was "buy the one you'll use", I went with the Sonicare.
I didn't want to spend a lot of money on a new toothbrush. Afterall, they're in the business of selling replacement heads! It's like Gillette giving out free razors so you'll buy the replacement cartridges. So I found a few recommendations of what features are necessary. The 4100 had them all:
1. Zone timer: 30 seconds a zone (upper right, upper left, lower right, lower left) is a little more time than I'd typically spend, so the zone timer forces me to linger 5-10 seconds longer.
2. Pressure sensor: I'm a hard brusher. I destroy my toothbrushes. At the end of 3 months they're frazzled and needing therapy. Having my brush warn when I'm pressing too hard is huge.
3. Charge notice: An electric toothbrush with a dead battery isn't as good as a manual toothbrush, so getting notified that I have 1-2 more cleanings left reminds me to charge it up so it never dies on me.
I used the Sonicare for about a week and noticed a significant difference in the staining. As mentioned, I floss irregularly, and I've noticed that when I do floss (2-3x/week) there's significantly less buildup now as compared to before. I've had the Sonicare for over a month and I use it exclusively. I haven't touched my manual brush. Yes, it takes about 30-40 seconds longer to brush than I would have spent (because of the zone timer--I am loyal to it!) but it's two whole minutes. That's not a lot of time. Probably took you longer to read this review.
I'm really happy with it. As opposed to my experience with the Oral-B, the brush head is small, so I can brush closed-lipped, so there's no foam splatter on the mirror. I just brush like I used to, but in super-slow motion. I make sure I get all the tooth surface, and there's enough time to go over each multiple times to ensure I get the gumline all the way up to the chewing surface before the timer tells me to move to the next section.
The vibration takes a little getting used to, but it's really not bad at all. It can sound loud in your head, but it's fairly quiet to other people.
I think my only complaint is that after the 4th quadrant, the toothbrush shuts off. At this point, I've brushed each section well, but there's part of me that wants to do a final sweep. It's total overkill, but because the brush is off, I end there and don't. I'd just like if the brush ran 15 seconds more after the final notice before shutting off.
I'm really happy with it. As opposed to my experience with the Oral-B, the brush head is small, so I can brush closed-lipped, so there's no foam splatter on the mirror. I just brush like I used to, but in super-slow motion. I make sure I get all the tooth surface, and there's enough time to go over each multiple times to ensure I get the gumline all the way up to the chewing surface before the timer tells me to move to the next section.
The vibration takes a little getting used to, but it's really not bad at all. It can sound loud in your head, but it's fairly quiet to other people.
I think my only complaint is that after the 4th quadrant, the toothbrush shuts off. At this point, I've brushed each section well, but there's part of me that wants to do a final sweep. It's total overkill, but because the brush is off, I end there and don't. I'd just like if the brush ran 15 seconds more after the final notice before shutting off.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting philips.com
Posted by: NaeW
Gender:Female
Verified Purchase:Yes
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Takes a bit to get use too because I had my older ones for many years. I like it but the case is very bulky!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting philips.com
Posted by: GJones
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Seems to be working very well. I need to order replacement brushes. They should've come with at least one extra.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting philips.com
Posted by: Dutchey
Verified Purchase:Yes
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Awsome product does a great job and keeps a charge for a long time.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting philips.com
Posted by: Jack John
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] It does make my teeth clean and it is making my gums feel better
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting philips.com
Posted by: MSMTX4
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] We were so delighted with the 4100 that we bought them for our entire household. Our teeth feel marvelous and we are completely satisfied with our purchase Highly recommend this tooth brush to all those who are interested in high quality and effective dental care.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting philips.com
Posted by: Maximum25
Gender:Male
Verified Purchase:Yes
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I wish I could change the “program” to lengthen the 4 cycles. I never finish my brushing within the 4 cycles, so I have to start another session. I wish I could adjust the timer to be ~25% longer per cycles.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting philips.com
Customer Rating
2
Don’t waste your money
on May 13, 2023
Posted by: Ckni
Gender:Female
I had a top level Sonicare for 14 years, it just died I assumed this one would be adequate and its junk. I also bought the travel one which is even worse, this one is what I would expect the quality of a travel one. I won’t make that mistake again going back to buy the better one. I will say I know its important to have a good Sonicare, I have received nothing but perfectly clean reports from my dentist over years of having a real Sonicare, it can’t be beat!
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from philips.comBy Shriya Sawant, Philips Consumer Care, May 14, 2023
Hi there,
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. Could you please elaborate you concern via Social Media? We’re available on Facebook (@Philips) and Twitter (@PhilipsCare). Don’t worry, if you don’t use Social Media, you can also reach out to us via the contact page: www.Philips.com/contact.
Hope to speak to you soon!
Kind regards,
Philips Consumer Care
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. Could you please elaborate you concern via Social Media? We’re available on Facebook (@Philips) and Twitter (@PhilipsCare). Don’t worry, if you don’t use Social Media, you can also reach out to us via the contact page: www.Philips.com/contact.
Hope to speak to you soon!
Kind regards,
Philips Consumer Care
Written by a customer while visiting philips.com