The Philips Sonicare 2 Series is an affordable toothbrush designed to remove plaque and help you clean your teeth more effectively than you would with a manual toothbrush. It cleans at 31,000 brush strokes per minute, so while it isn't as powerful as the best electric toothbrushes, it's plenty enough for a basic clean.
There's no travel case with this toothbrush, and it only comes with one brush head. There's no whitening action either, so to reduce stains we'd recommend using the best teeth whiteners for brightening your smile at home.
Still, if you want a simple, fuss-free electric toothbrush that removes a higher level of plaque than a manual toothbrush, and you have a small budget, there is plenty to like about the Philips Sonicare 2 Series, as we discuss here.
Philips Sonicare 2 Series review: Design
The Philips Sonicare 2 Series toothbrush is fairly basic in design, which makes it ideal for those new to electric toothbrushes as you won't get caught up trying to figure out which cleaning mode is best. Unlike something such as the Oral-B Genius Pro 8000 CrossAction, or the Philips DiamondClean Smart 9300, there's no app to contend with either.
The main aim of the Sonicare 2 Series is to reduce plaque and help you clean and care for your teeth and gums. It does this using Philips' patented Sonicare technology. As the toothbrush head vibrates against your teeth, the motion of its bristles drives fluid between your teeth and along your gumline. With that action, it's able to remove plaque and gently massage your gums.
While it's very basic in design, it could be enough to boost your oral hygiene routine in between visits to the dentist or hygienist. If you are currently without coverage, take a look at our guide to the best dental insurance to see how it could benefit you.
While it isn’t Philips' least expensive Sonicare toothbrush, the Sonicare 2 Series is more affordably priced than the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Smart and the Philips Sonicare FlexCare. That lower price tag adds to its appeal.
To help you brush for the two minutes recommended by dentists, the Sonicare 2 has a built-in timer that picks up where it left off if you need to pause to rinse or add toothpaste. The timer stops the toothbrush and then resets automatically after two minutes of brushing. You can also reset the timer manually by placing the handle on its charger.
The toothbrush is available in white, coral, steel blue, guacamole, and black. It’s important to note that Philips Sonicare has recently introduced an upgrade to this toothbrush called the ProtectiveClean 4100, so the price of the Sonicare 2 Series is likely to come down.
Philips Sonicare 2 Series review: Features
A full charge of the Sonicare 2’s nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery takes 24 hours, and a battery indicator on the handle tells you when it’s ready for use. You’ll get up to 14 days of brushing on a full charge, assuming you brush twice daily for two minutes each time.
A two-color battery charge indicator lets you know when it's time to recharge the toothbrush, so you shouldn't get caught out.
If this is your first electric toothbrush, the Sonicare 2 Series also has an easy-start feature that helps you get used to the sensation by gradually increasing its power over 14 brushing cycles – ideally a two-week period. If you’re worried about your orthodontics, dental work or veneers, Philips says the Sonicare 2 is safe on all of those.
The smart timer function enables you to brush your teeth for the dentist-recommended two minutes per session, which you should complete in the morning and evening.
Philips Sonicare 2 Series review: Performance
Rather than manually scrubbing your teeth, you simply rest the toothbrush against your teeth at a 45-degree angle. Then, using light pressure, gently move it back and forth throughout your brushing cycle.
We enjoyed using the toothbrush and found it perfectly adequate for cleaning our teeth twice a day. It didn't help with staining, but then the toothbrush isn't designed with a whitening mode.
One desirable feature this toothbrush is missing is a pressure sensor and accompanying alert to notify you when you’re brushing too hard. The Oral-B Pro 1000, which we’ve selected as our Best Value, has this feature, as do the higher-end Philips Sonicare and Oral-B toothbrushes we tested. We also wish the Sonicare 2 came with a travel case.
The Sonicare 2 does come with its handle and charger, an angled ProResults toothbrush head and one travel cap. If you’d like to try a different Sonicare model’s brush head, the Sonicare heads are all interchangeable and compatible, except for the older generation, screw-on heads designed for the Philips Sonicare Essence 5600. This standardization of brush heads makes it easier and more affordable for your family to customize Sonicare toothbrushes to fit your needs.
Should I buy the Philips Sonicare 2 Series?
If you want a basic yet effective electric toothbrush that's cheap and simple to use, we would happily recommend the Philips Sonicare 2 Series. It won't win any awards for smart features, and it's fairly basic to look at, but it provides an effective daily clean to keep your teeth and gums in better health.
The only downside is that the toothbrush only comes with one brush head, which may not be suitable for your specific oral care needs, and there's no travel case either. However, if you can live with that, and are happy with a basic clean, the Sonicare 2 Series is good value for money.
