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Ultim8 by Supermouth: One minute review
The Ultim8 by Supermouth toothbrush makes a lot of bold claims. For example, it says it’s the “first reinvention of the toothbrush in nearly a century”, with its unique ‘8’ shape and patented bristles designed to conform to the contours of your teeth.
The SmartHub, which is sold separately, is designed to house, charge and clean the brush with UV light, drying the bristles, and preventing bacteria from adhering to it by keeping it in a sealed environment. A travel case is also sold separately.
It all sounds very innovative, and the brush itself is inordinately pretty and well-designed. The battery lasts ages, the unit itself looks a lot better than most electric toothbrushes, with its swooping curves reminiscent of a spacecraft, and the magnetic charger is a really neat touch, although it’s USB-A rather than USB-C.
However, redesigned brush heads, SmartHubs, and Supermouth’s bold claims aside, what we have here is essentially a sonic toothbrush with two modes, a pressure sensor, and a two-minute timer, priced at $99.99 (around £75 / AU$160) It’s perfectly functional, but it’s hardly breaking the mold when it comes to toothbrush design.
Perhaps my expectations are too high; after all, how much more advanced can toothbrushes get? At least this one isn’t trying to foist an AI app on me. It cleans well, and while I could stand to have the motor a bit stronger, the pressure sensor is nicely designed, flashing from blue to green to red depending on how hard you’re pressing, and the brush is comfortable to use day-to-day. Battery life isn’t given, but it still held charge after a full week of testing.
One of the issues I do have with the brush is that all the accessories don’t come as standard. To buy the SmartHub with the brush from Supermouth costs an extra $70 (around £55 / AU$110), and once you buy the toothbrush, you’re then locked into the proprietary 8-shape brush heads, costing $19.99 (around £15 / AU$30) for a pack of two.
The Ultim8 is also missing a few features we’re used to, such as more than two intensities, but as a standalone $100 sonic brush, I’d be more than happy with it. In the grand scheme of overpriced toothbrushes, $170 for a brush with a cool-looking cleaning and housing case also isn’t too bad, although it’s far from budget, and what initially looks like a good mid-range offering ends up feeling rather premium. Get the travel case and spare brush heads too, and you’re pushing top-end prices.
However, during my testing, the brush cleaned well, held its charge and was extremely comfortable to use.
Ultim8 by Supermouth: Specifications
|
Component |
Ultim8 by Supermouth |
|
Price |
$99.99 (around £75 / AU$160) |
|
Dock |
None, magnetic charger |
|
Battery |
Rechargeable, unspecified capacity |
|
Settings |
2 |
|
Brushing action |
Sonic |
|
Companion app |
None |
|
Timer? |
Yes, 2 minutes |
|
Connection |
None |
|
Water resistant |
Yes, waterproof |
Ultim8 by Supermouth: Price and availability
- $99.99 (around £75 / AU$160)
- Extras drive up cost
- Available from third-party sellers for inflated cost
The Ultim8 by Supermouth brush costs $99.99 (around £75 / AU$160) from the Ultim8 website, which is a perfectly reasonable price for a decent sonic brush. However, as previously mentioned above, the brush is part of the overall Supermouth ecosystem, which will loop you into buying the hub and proprietary brush heads for an additional premium.
Supermouth does ship internationally, but unlike many toothbrushes which can be found at third-party retailers for discounted prices, the system is the same price on Amazon US, and inflated to a hefty £345 on Amazon UK, at the time of writing.
Scorecard
|
Category |
Comment |
Score |
|
Value |
The brush on its own is good value, but the cost jumps if you also want the UV case. |
3/5 |
|
Design |
Looks great and easy to use. Same for the SmartHub |
5/5 |
|
Features |
Limited to two modes, a timer, and a pressure sensor, although the SmartHub adds UV cleaning and drying. |
4/5 |
|
Performance |
Held its charge well, ergonomic and comfortable during tests |
4.5/5 |
Ultim8 by Supermouth: Should I buy?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Ultim8 by Supermouth: Also consider
How I tested the Ultim8 by Supermouth
I used the Ultim8 Supermouth brush for a week of testing, stress-testing the pressure sensor and two-minute timer functions, and using the SmartHub for storage and cleaning.
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/U4vfzjayLd78JLmq7ahw6d.jpg
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matt.evans@futurenet.com (Matt Evans)
