Review: Oral-B iO10 Gold Special Edition

I must admit I was a bit skeptical when the latest flagship model from Oral-B, the iO10 Gold Special Edition (Ultimate!), arrived at the editorial office for testing. Gold-colored toiletries with flashy titles can easily feel tacky and ostentatious, giving off slight dictator-in-a-banana-republic vibes. Fortunately, this model is very tastefully made, and it is the Special Edition aspect one should really focus on and what extras you get there.

Right from the moment you unbox the Oral-B iO10 Gold Special Edition, it is clear that this is the manufacturer’s absolute flagship. The design exudes premium quality, and the build quality feels robust. But with a price tag ranging between 3,000 and just over 4,000 kronor, the question inevitably arises: can it be worth the money?

Performance and comparison with sibling models

When it comes to the actual cleaning, the iO10 is hard to beat. In Testfakta’s independent laboratory test from October 2024, the model was named “Best in test” and removed as much as 61 percent of plaque, which was significantly better than the sonic competitors on the market. The linear magnetic motor and high-frequency micro-vibrations make brushing not only very effective but also surprisingly quiet compared to older generations of mechanical electric toothbrushes, which are known to sound like small jet engines.

But if we are to be completely objective and look at value for money, the actual core technology (the drive mechanism and the brush heads) is identical to the significantly cheaper models in the series. An iO5 or iO6 delivers practically the exact same mechanical cleaning power, but at a fraction of the price. What you pay a premium for with the iO10 is the interactive OLED color screen, the extra cleaning modes, and above all, the charging station. The model just below, the iO9, has the exact same handle and features but lacks the new smart charging puck. The iO 10 Special Edition also features an AI mode (shocker!) which is supposed to adapt smartly to how you brush and your teeth’s needs. It feels great, but whether it actually makes any tangible difference to the result is not something I can know for sure without a real lab test (and we aren’t going to have that much fun).

Smart features and the iO Sense puck

The charging puck – called iO Sense – is the product’s primary selling point. Instead of being forced to stare at an app on your phone while brushing, the puck shows in real-time via LED lights which zones of your mouth you have finished brushing and warns immediately if you press too hard. A big plus is that the display on the front of the puck also functions as a discreet bathroom clock when not in use. Style points for that!

Unfortunately, this central innovation has an obvious physical weakness. The magnet intended to hold the rather heavy handle in place on the puck is far too weak. At the slightest bump, for example when cleaning or wiping the sink, the toothbrush easily tumbles onto the bathroom tiles. For a product in the highest price bracket, I would have expected a significantly more stable docking solution. The fact that the toothbrush falls is also bad for its long-term lifecycle as it risks damaging the motor and the electronics inside. The iO10 cannot be charged via Oral-B’s old, white bases with a pin.

Total cost of ownership

Buying the iO10 is a substantial initial investment, and the ongoing costs over time will be high. The proprietary iO brush heads – for which there are no third-party versions – are expensive; a 4-pack often costs nearly 300–400 kronor. The biggest question mark regarding long-term value, however, is the battery. The unit is hermetically sealed to be waterproof, which means you cannot replace the battery yourself. When the lithium-ion battery inevitably starts losing its ability to hold a charge after a few years of daily use, the product becomes practically useless (something that actually happened to our old reference, the Oral-B Genius X).

Summary

The Oral-B iO10 Gold SE is an incredibly luxurious, quiet, and capable electric toothbrush that feels like it leaves your teeth clinically clean. But it is hard to justify from a purely economic standpoint. If you are a dedicated tech enthusiast who wants the absolute latest and smartest in the bathroom – and have the budget for it – you will undoubtedly be satisfied. If, on the other hand, you are just looking for the cleanest possible teeth per krona spent, you would be better off looking at the brand’s cheaper iO models, or the Oral-B Pro 3 series, which offers the absolute most electric toothbrush for the money.

Oral-B sent review units for this review. Senders of material have no editorial influence on our tests.