Oral-B Vitality Plus

Our verdict

The Vitality Plus does the essential job, and a working one is worth keeping. But do not pay more for it than for a Vitality Pro, which was £25 at Argos on 29 October 2026 and adds Sensitive modes. If you press hard when you brush or want a longer-lasting battery, spend a little more on a Pro 1 or an iO2.

Is it still sold?

Yes, though mostly through smaller retailers. On 29 October 2026, Next listed it at £40, one online pharmacy at £25 with only two left, and an OnBuy seller at £37.99. Morrisons listed a Vitality Plus at £50, but its description mixes in Vitality Pro text, so check which model you are getting. Argos sells the Vitality Pro instead.

What it does, and what it leaves out

From Oral-B's manual for the Vitality handle (type 3710) and UK retail listings:

• One cleaning mode. The manual covers versions with one or two modes; listings for the Plus describe one.
• Two-minute timer. A short stutter every 30 seconds prompts you to move to the next quarter of your mouth, and a longer one marks two minutes.
• Round oscillating-rotating head. It moves in two dimensions, without the extra pulsing that Oral-B's Pro brushes add.

Here is what the missing features mean in practice.

• No pressure sensor. Nothing warns you if you scrub. The manual tells you to guide the brush slowly from tooth to tooth and let it do the work. If you know you press hard, or your dentist has mentioned gum recession or worn enamel near the gum, a brush that reacts to pressure is worth the extra money.
• No sensitive mode. There is only one speed. A softer head, such as Oral-B Sensitive Clean, is the only way to make it gentler.
• No battery indicator. The parts list in the manual shows no charge display, so you find out the battery is flat when the brush slows or stops. Leaving it on the charger avoids this.
• No travel case in the standard box.

Whether these features change how well a brush cleans hasn't been tested in the trials we found.

The Cochrane review that pooled 51 trials found powered brushes removed more plaque than manual ones, with most evidence for oscillating-rotating designs; it did not test modes or sensors. The NHS says a manual brush is just as good if you clean every surface properly, and some people find an electric one makes that easier.

Charging and battery

The type 3710 manual says a full charge takes about 16 hours and gives up to 8 days of brushing twice a day for two minutes. Oral-B's general charging guidance gives a lower figure of up to 5 days for the Vitality, so expect somewhere between the two, falling as the battery ages.

It uses a nickel-metal hydride battery. The manual says you can keep it on the charger, but should unplug the charger and run the battery down through normal use at least every 6 months to keep its capacity. The battery cannot be replaced.

The charger has a two-pin plug for a bathroom shaver socket, so you need a shaver adaptor for an ordinary three-pin socket.

Brush heads and running costs

The Vitality Plus takes Oral-B's Pro heads, such as CrossAction, Precision Clean, Sensitive Clean and 3D White, and comes with two CrossAction heads. It does not take iO heads. The manual says children under 12 should not use the 3D White head. Oral-B advises a new head every 3 months.

On 29 October 2026 a 4-pack of Pro CrossAction heads was £10.49 at Superdrug for collection in store and £19.50 at Argos. Over three years you need 12 heads. The two in the box cover the first six months, leaving 10 to buy, which still means three 4-packs (two spare): about £31 to £59. With the brush at £25 to £40, that is roughly £56 to £99 in cash over three years, before delivery charges.

What a modest upgrade adds

Prices are sale prices on the date shown and change often. Argos's Pro 1 listing says it charges in 22 hours and lasts about 10 days, similar to the Vitality, so the iO2 is the step up if battery life matters.

For a brush with a visible pressure light and Pro heads, see our Oral-B Pro 2 review, although that model is now hard to find new.

Who should choose what

• Keep your Vitality Plus if it works. It cleans with the same type of head as Oral-B's dearer Pro brushes.
• Buy a Vitality Pro instead if you are choosing between the two and the Pro is the same price or cheaper.
• Buy a Pro 1 if you tend to press hard or want a travel case, and want to keep cheap Pro heads.
• Buy an iO2 if you want a pressure sensor and better battery life, and accept dearer heads.

During aligner treatment

A basic brush is enough to clean your teeth before your aligners go back in.

If you brush at work or away from home, remember there is no travel case or battery indicator, so charge it before you go.

Keep the brush for your teeth, and clean your trays separately as described in our guide to cleaning aligners.

How this review was put together

This review first appeared on Aligners.co in September 2020, and the photo is from that review. This update is based on Oral-B's Vitality manual and charging guidance, published research and UK retailer listings checked on 29 October 2026. We did not retest the brush for this update. See more electric toothbrush reviews.