SURI Toothbrush Review: How Good Is It?

This review of Suri toothbrush contains affiliate links.

My toothbrush has increasingly been giving me the ‘ick’.

While I appreciate it’s a non-negotiable part of my life, I’ve begun to notice small things about it that annoy and disgust me.

From its bulkiness and lack of battery life, to the fact it becomes a portable Petri dish each time I travel, my trusty toothbrush is no longer fit for purpose (and that’s without even mentioning the mysterious pool of mouth sewage that haunts the bottom of my toothbrush holder).

However, and most importantly, my current electric toothbrush is neither sustainable nor plastic free. In fact, if it stops working, the only thing I can do is throw it into landfill.

As a result of this growing resentment, I’ve recently found myself on the hunt for a new sort of toothbrush; one developed with a sustainable, plastic free future in mind. One that recognises the need for portability, cleanliness and durability.

One that doesn’t leave a trail of slime in its wake.

After a few days spent researching the best sustainable electric toothbrush, I came across the SURI toothbrush.

A slick newcomer to the oral care scene, the SURI toothbrush has been turning heads with its demure size (it’s just one third the size of a standard electric toothbrush) and innovative design. It also happens to be entirely plastic free and recyclable, and – if it happens to break – SURI will repair it.

It is, dear reader, the entire package – a toothbrush for life.

Already the winner of multiple awards, the SURI toothbrush is taking the oral hygiene world by storm. Fully B-Corp accredited and a partner of ClimatePartner, SURI is not only an inherently sustainable brand, but it does the job – and brilliantly so.

Designed by dentists, this svelte toothbrush packs a punch – delivering 33,000 sonic vibrations per minute. The result? A sparkling smile and the reassurance that this toothbrush won’t end its life polluting our oceans.

After resisting its charms for a few weeks, the clamor surrounding this new plastic free toothbrush got to me. I caved and bought my own SURI toothbrush.

Below is my SURI toothbrush review, written after two months of trialling it.

Who are SURI?

SURI (short for ‘sustainable rituals’) is a London-based company founded by Mark Rushmore and Gyve Safavi. This innovative duo decided to buck the trend when it came to toothbrush design, launching the SURI toothbrush in September 2022.

Shocked to learn that nearly every single plastic toothbrush owned in the world still exists (with around four billion ending up in landfill each year), they set their minds to producing a new kind of toothbrush – a sustainable sonic toothbrush.

Determined to marry green design with great performance, these oral care pioneers didn’t just want to address the sustainability issues surrounding toothbrushes. They were determined to rectify their many other design flaws and annoyances, too (e.g. short battery life, bulkiness, hygiene issues and the dreaded gunk that drips from regular toothbrushes).

It was quite the ambition, but somehow, they pulled it off.

Not only entirely plastic free, the SURI toothbrush is a revelation in terms of its battery life, lightweight feel and state-of-the-art cleaning feature (more on this later).

Are SURI Toothbrushes Sustainable?

SURI’s biggest selling point is its inherently green design –  something to definitely celebrate in this SURI toothbrush review.

Rather than being made of plastic, the main body of the SURI toothbrush is made from aluminium. Unlike traditional electric toothbrushes, it’s also modular – meaning it can be taken apart and repaired, rather than thrown away (unlike the sealed units you’ll find on your traditional electric brush).

Indeed, SURI are advocates of the right-to-repair and if your brush breaks, you can send it to the company to be fixed. Alternatively if it’s the batteries causing the problem (Li-ion batteries), these will be replaced by the company and a replacement brush will be sent to you while you wait.

It also comes with a lifetime warranty (if you take our their subscription plan), something that demonstrates the company’s commitment to a product life-cycle approach to manufacturing.

The SURI brush heads are made from plant based ingredients, specifically corn starch and castor oil. Traditional brush heads are made from nylon, which usually end up on our oceans or in landfill, so these recyclable heads are a game-changer.

To recycle the SURI brush heads, you’ll need to send them back to SURI via the FREEPOST compostable paper bags that come with your initial order. The fact it’s free to send them back is a real win and makes recycling the heads pretty straight forward.

You can compost them locally, but you’ll need to follow some strict instructions in terms of removing the bristles and the like. As such, I think it’s probably far easier just to send them back to the experts and let them break them down.

Overall, the SURI toothbrush really does seem the real deal. Compared to other electric toothbrushes on the market, this seems the most sustainable and real efforts have been made to ensure this is a piece of kit that will last.

Perhaps the only question mark hanging over SURI’s dedication to responsible manufacturing is the fact that their toothbrushes are made in China. When I saw this, I did feel like it undermined their messaging somewhat and I was briefly worried about greenwashing.

However, and after some research, it seems that as soon as SURI is better established, the company aims to move production back to UK shores – something to definitely keep an eye on.

Is the SURI Sustainable Toothbrush Expensive?

Given how forward-thinking and innovative the SURI toothbrush is, I was actually pleasantly surprised by its price.

In fact, it’s significantly cheaper than some of the market leaders, including Oral B and Phillips (their higher end models, particularly).

The SURI toothbrush costs £75, which is half the price of some of its competitors. If you want to also buy the UV cleaning case (something I’d highly recommend), then you’ll pay £95.

SURI recommend you take out their brush head subscription, which will automatically enrol you into their lifetime guarantee scheme. This also means you not only get an extra two brush heads with your purchase, but every six months, 2 replacement heads will be posted to you.

A SURI subscription costs £9.60 per month, plus shipping (£1.99).

If you don’t fancy a subscription, then you’ll instead get a 1 year limited warranty on your brush and you’ll need to buy replacement heads separately (online or in Boots).

While I appreciate £95 for a toothbrush (plus magical UV case, which I’ll talk about later) seems expensive compared to your humble handheld toothbrush – I think this is a brilliant price for such a premium piece of innovation (something I want to definitely stress in this review of the SURI toothbrush).

Is the SURI Toothbrush Effective?

When I was researching the best electric sustainable toothbrush, one thing I’d already conceded was that I might need to compromise on its effectiveness.

This is something I’ve experienced in the past with some green alternatives (not that it’s been enough to detract me from using them, of course).  For example, environmentally friendly tampons can be a little rougher, natural deodorant might not be quite as effective as traditional antiperspirant and reusable cotton swabs might not be quite as soft.

I fully anticipated that a plastic free toothbrush, or a sustainable electric toothbrush, might therefore be similar – good, but frustratingly not quite as good as their more wasteful peers.

Thankfully, this is not the case with the SURI sustainable sonic toothbrush – far from it.

The SURI toothbrush is dentist approved and impressively powerful. Rather than having a rotating head (oscillating) like some traditional electric brushes, the SURI employs sonic cleaning technology – or vibrations.

This is proven to be a really effective way to clean teeth and the SURI discharges 33,000 sonic vibrations per minute, obliterating plaque as it goes.

In fact, SURI claim that its powerful cleaning methods result in ‘dentist clean’ teeth, with a clinical study showing that the brush removed 5 times more plaque than regular toothbrushes.

The brush has two modes – clean mode and polish mode. Press once for the ‘everyday clean’ setting, and press again for SURI’s polish mode (you’ll see a blue light appear on the toothbrush).

Having used the toothbrush for two months, I can confirm that the SURI toothbrush cleans your teeth spectacularly well.

The first time I used the brush (I tried both settings), my teeth felt as though they’d just paid a visit to the hygienist. They felt so smooth and looked sparkling. As it’s quite a small brush, it was also much easier to reach those harder to reach places – like my wisdom teeth and behind my front teeth.

This wasn’t a particularly easy task with my last beast of an electric toothbrush.

Now I’ve got used to the toothbrush, I prefer to just use the polish mode. This is a more intense setting in terms of the vibrations (33,000 per minute, rather than 25,000) and leaves my mouth feeling super clean.

I also really like that the toothbrush buzzes every 30 seconds (using haptic technology), and turns itself off automatically after 2 minutes; the recommended brush time.

Compared to my old toothbrush, the SURI toothbrush does perhaps feel a little softer and gentler. However, and as my dentist reminded me, strong doesn’t necessarily mean effective. In fact, for those hard brushers amongst you, the SURI might be a good alternative.

Overall, I really am thrilled by just how good the SURI toothbrush is when it comes to the job in hand: keeping my pegs nice and clean.

Is the SURI a Good Travel Toothbrush?

Although the SURI toothbrush is celebrated for its sustainable qualities, I also think it’s the best electric travel toothbrush on the market. In fact, the features that make it perfect for travel are why I love this brush so much.

Firstly, it’s super lightweight and small. My old toothbrush seems like a giant in comparison, and shoe-horning it into my hand luggage was always a real effort (yes, electric toothbrushes are allowed on planes). At just a third of the size of regular toothbrushes, the SURI is therefore a game-changer when it comes to packing light.

Secondly, the SURI electric toothbrush has phenomenal battery life. In fact, it can go a whopping 40 plus days without needing charging – meaning it’s unlikely you’ll even need to travel with its charger. This means I can now finally travel with an electric toothbrush, rather than having to opt for a basic manual brush.

Thirdly, and a feature I particularly love, is SURI’s clever travel case. Not only a nice slimline case to pop your toothbrush in when you go away, this case also uses UV-C light to clean your brush – destroying 99% of all bacteria in just one minute.

This is so handy when you’re travelling, particularly if your brush gets dropped, or your toothbrush is jostling for space in your suitcase. Perhaps my only bugbear is that the case has to be plugged into the wall for the UV-C function to work – meaning you’ll need to travel with its charger (also a USB charger) if you want to use it.

Lastly, the SURI toothbrush is entirely waterproof. This means you can give it a quick wash under the tap to clean the entire unit, and you won’t need to worry about damaging it.

It also means you avoid the dreaded pool of gunk that drips from sticky, unwashed toothbrushes – hurrah.

Where Can I Buy the SURI Toothbrush?

SURI toothbrushes are currently available online and via Boots (meaning you can use your Boots points and save some money). They’re also available in store at Boots.

However, it’s worth noting that not all colourways are available via Boots and when I checked, only the Winter Fern and Black colours were for sale (online). You also have to invest in the case too as you can’t buy the toothbrush separately (meaning you’ll need to pay £95).

You’ll also need to set up any subscription separately on SURI’s own website.

SURI Toothbrush Accessories

Most SURI toothbrush accessories come with your initial purchase (if you also pay the extra £20 for the UV-C travel case).

This includes brushes and a fantastic little mirror mount, which the toothbrush sticks to magnetically. It’s small touches like this that underline just what an innovative little brush the SURI really is.

If you want, you can also purchase a SURI wash bag for your toothbrush for £10.99. Made from recyclable Tyvek paper, this wash bag is actually pretty attractive and a great place to store your toothbrush, along with your other bits and bobs when you travel.

 SURI Toothbrush Review: Final Thoughts

Over the last decade or so, sustainable and plastic free toothbrushes have become a regular sight on supermarket shelves.

Made from bamboo or aluminium, these brushes have provided a much-needed green alternative to the damaging plastic toothbrushes we’re all so familiar with.

However, up until now, there’s been no meaningful attempt to design an effective sustainable electric toothbrush; one that not only ditches the plastic, but that also tackles the other design flaws of older toothbrush models.

Until now.

I’ll admit, when I saw that the commotion surrounding the SURI electric toothbrush, I was a bit spectacle. For some reason, I just couldn’t marry the idea of an electric toothbrush being both highly sustainable and genuinely effective.

Surely it would be one or the other?

However, it’s time to eat a slice of humble pie. The SURI sustainable sonic toothbrush is absolutely fantastic – truly. I love it and am so glad that I bought into the hype.

Not only are its green credentials impressive (and let’s keep our fingers crossed that its production moves to home shores), but its design is sublime. It’s also remedied the many bugbears I had about my last electric toothbrush – the lack of battery life, the clunkiness and the difficulty in keeping it clean.

Lastly, the SURI toothbrush actually functions like a high end, electric toothbrush. It leaves my mouth feeling incredibly clean and even my dentist commented that it must be doing a great job.

So, if you’re on the look out for a plastic free electric toothbrush, one built with style, durability and effectiveness in mind, then look no further than the fantastic SURI toothbrush.