Best water flossers and Waterpik flossers

The best water flossers leave your teeth feeling squeaky clean, are comfortable to use and can hold a charge for weeks. We've put bestselling corded and cordless water flossers – from £35 to more than £100 – to the test to bring you our top picks.  

We tested a range of popular Waterpik water flossers against other leading oral healthcare brands, including Oral-B and Philips, as well as a cheaper pick from Amazon. We discovered that most water flossers provide a decent interdental clean. However, our Best Buys in our water flosser reviews below excel above the rest when it comes to battery life, cleaning time and how easy they are to control. 

We've also spoken to a dentist for expert advice on how and when to use a water flosser as part of your brushing routine. 

The best water flossers

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The water flossers we tested

All the water flossers we tested are listed in alphabetical order below. 

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Nicwell Smart Oral Irrigator

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Type Cordless

Attachments Three standard tips, one plaque tip, one tongue cleaner

Reservoir capacity 200ml

Cheapest price for replacement heads £9.99 at Amazon

Need to know 26.5 x 6 x 8cm (HxWxD), USB-C charger, three pressure settings 

Oral-B Aquacare 6 Pro-Expert Water Flosser

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Type Cordless

Attachments Two standard oxyjet tips

Reservoir capacity 150ml

Cheapest price for replacement heads £9.80 at Amazon

Need to know 26.5 x 5.5 x 7.5cm (HxWxD), two-pin plug charger that requires an adapter, three pressure settings 

Panasonic EW1511 Water Flosser

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Type Cordless

Attachments Two standard tips

Reservoir capacity 200ml

Cheapest price for replacement heads £10.30 at Amazon

Need to know 27.5 x 6.5 x 7.5cm (HxWxD), two-pin plug charger that requires an adapter, five pressure settings 

Philips Sonicare Cordless Power Flosser 3000

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Type Cordless

Attachments One standard tip, one quad stream tip

Reservoir capacity 250ml

Cheapest price for replacement heads £23.49 at Amazon

Need to know 29 x 6 x 6cm (HxWxD), two-pin plug charger that requires an adapter, three pressure settings, includes storage pouch for attachments

See our pick of the best electric toothbrushes, including our top cheaper choices for keeping your teeth clean

Waterpik Cordless Advanced Water Flosser WP-560UK

Available from Waterpik (£119.99)

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Type Cordless

Attachments Two classic jet tips, one orthodontic tip, one plaque seeker tip

Reservoir capacity 180ml

Cheapest price for replacement heads £8.99 at Waterpik

Need to know 28 x 6 x 9cm (HxWxD), two-pin plug charger that requires an adapter, three pressure settings, includes storage case for attachments

Waterpik Cordless Plus Water Flosser WP-450UK

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Type Cordless

Attachments One classic jet tip, one orthodontic tip, one plaque seeker tip, one tongue cleaner

Reservoir capacity 200ml

Cheapest price for replacement heads £8.99 at Waterpik

Need to know 28 x 6 x 9cm (HxWxD), two pressure settings

Waterpik Ultra Professional Water Flosser WP-660UK

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Type Corded

Attachments Two classic jet tips, one plaque seeker tip, one orthodontic tip, one pik pocket tip, one toothbrush head

Reservoir capacity 600ml

Cheapest price for replacement heads £8.99 at Waterpik

Need to know 19 x 12.5 x 10cm (HxWxD), two-pin plug charger that requires an adapter, 10 pressure settings

Waterpik Whitening Professional Water Flosser WF-05UK

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Type Corded

Attachments Two whitening classic jet tips, one whitening plaque seeker tip, one whitening orthodontic tip, 30 whitening tablets

Reservoir capacity 600ml

Cheapest price for replacement heads £8.99 at Waterpik

Need to know 19 x 12.5 x 10cm (HxWxD), two-pin plug charger that requires an adapter, 10 pressure settings

How we test water flossers

We choose bestselling water flossers available at UK retailers and enlist a panel of testers to try them out. Each person tests all of the water flossers and we buy all those that we test.

We regularly revisit the water flossers on sale to see if there are any more popular models that need testing and when we find them we do.

Each water flosser is rated on the following

• Cleaning Our testers rates each water flosser in turn for how effective each is at removing a teaspoon of seed mix stuck between their teeth. We also test how well each one removes food from a dental demonstration model that replicates adult teeth. 
• Battery life We fully charge each water flosser and run it on its highest setting until the battery drains. We time how long it takes for the battery to drain. 
• Ease of use Our panel assess how easy it is to set each one up and move through the settings while in use. All testers also check to see how comfortable each one is to hold and use. 
• Cleaning time We fill up the water reservoir on each flosser and time how long it takes for the tank to drain. 
• Noise Our panel rates how noisy each one is.

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Do dentists actually recommend water flossers?

We asked Dr Praveen Sharma, a scientific advisor to the British Dental Association and specialist in restorative dentistry if dentists advise using a water flosser for teeth. He says: 'As a dentist, the preference would be for mechanical cleaning in between teeth with interdental brushes, where the anatomy allows. 

'Water flossers can be an additional aid, over and above interdental cleaning, and some patients like using these.'

See our advice on how to find the best dentist including NHS and private options

Are water flossers better than string floss?

'Water flossers can be used in combination with interdental brushes where the gaps in between the teeth allow,' says Dr Sharma. 

'Where the gaps between the teeth don't allow for brushes, other aids, such as floss, can be used.'

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How to use a water flosser

Dr Sharma recommends using a water flosser alongside brushing. He says, 'It’s best done first thing in the morning, ideally before breakfast or 30 minutes after, and last thing at night before going to bed.'

As water flossers dispense a continuous jet of water, you need to keep your mouth partially closed while running the cleaning nozzle along your gum line. This allows the water to drain out but avoids it spraying everywhere. 

If you struggle with this technique, which some of our testers did, you could use your cordless water flosser while in the shower if it specifies it's safe to do so. Of those we tested, the Waterpik Cordless Advanced and Nicwell Smart Oral Irrigator specify both are.

How to clean a water flosser

Mineral deposits in water can reduce the effectiveness of your water flosser over time, particularly if you live in a hard-water area. 

Try to clean your water flosser regularly to stop these mineral deposits building up. 

Waterpik advice says to do this by filling the water reservoir with one to two tablespoons of white vinegar mixed with warm water and running this through the water flosser. 

We'd recommend that you check the manual for specific cleaning instructions for your water flosse