Customer Ratings & Reviews

This Phillips sonicare out of the box has a good feel. It does not feel cheap and is comfortable in the hand. The brush head easy attaches with a snap and the toothbrush is easily powered on with one click of the button. The different settings are nice for sensitive teeth and the built in timer is a nice function. Overall, this is a very simple toothbrush to use that leaves your teeth feeling clean with little to no effort. The price point is very affordable and makes it worth buying and having.

A stunning example of the products available today. Ideal for an experienced or first time electric toothbrush user. The ProtectiveClean 4100 has all the essential features, plus a few very useful extras without a massive price tag.

I can't brush my teeth without the shaft of the brush touching my lips. The buzzing sensation of the shaft on my lips is just too much for me to take

I like it, but can’t find the replacements at Best Buy

This is my first experience with an electric toothbrush, so I have no basis for comparison. Nonetheless, I can say that it does the most important thing a toothbrush is supposed to do, which is to clean teeth. The toothbrush comes with some special features. But as I will explain, they are pretty subtle because I had some trouble detecting them. The product comes with a quick guide and a full manual. I suggest reading the manual because it contains important instructions that are not in the quick guide, such as the correct orientation for attaching the brush head and the best angle for brushing the outside and inside of your teeth. The manual is not long and is worth the read. The manual says that the toothbrush is equipped with a feature called "clean mode." This means that after pressing the start button, the brush will run for 2 minutes, giving you 30 seconds to clean each quadrant of your teeth (which is the suggested amount of time for a good cleaning). Furthermore, a feature called Quadpacer is supposed to beep every 30 seconds, alerting you to move on to the next quadrant of your teeth. Another feature of the toothbrush is a pressure sensor. You are supposed to keep the brush gently on your teeth and gumline. If you press too hard, the pressure sensor is designed to alert you to back off by a change in vibration. However, the first few times I used the toothbrush, I did not notice a beep every 30 seconds and I did not notice any change in vibration when I increased pressure. Although fairly quiet, the vibrations from the toothbrush felt pretty strong, as if there were a genuine power tool from my shop in my mouth. I went back to the manual and found that the toothbrush comes with a feature called EasyStart activated. EasyStart is a feature that gradually increases the power of the brush over the first 14 uses to get you used to the toothbrush. It was not clear whether EasyStart affected the Quadpacer and pressure sensor features. But the manual explained how EasyStart can be turned off and on (you have to put the brush in the charger, push the start button, and listen for beep tones), so I tried turning it off to see what happens. After deactivating EasyStart I did not really notice any difference in the power of the toothbrush. Nor did I detect any change in vibration when I purposely increased the pressure of the brush against my teeth. The only change I detected was when I accidentally touched the non-brush side of the toothbrush to teeth that I was not cleaning. This created a quite unpleasant sound/sensation, teaching me to be careful not to do that. In my test run with EasyStart turned off, I listened carefully for the Quadpacer beep every 30 seconds while looking at a clock with a second hand. Indeed, there was the slightest pause in vibration with a faint beep. It might have been there with EasyStart turned on; it is not loud so you really have to listen for it. Another feature of this toothbrush is a brush head replacement reminder. This feature is supposed to let you know when it is time to replace the brush head by turning on an amber light. It is based on the pressure you apply with the brush and the amount of time used. In the past, I have always simply changed toothbrushes every three months (a common recommendation) on the first day of a new season. I will be interested to see whether the replacement reminder will come around the first day of summer or earlier or later, I should mention that the toothbrush comes with a nice hygienic travel cap to protect the brush head. Although some models also come with a travel case, this one (HX6817/01) did not. Also, the instructions say that there is no problem with keeping the brush on the charger all the time, although this is not necessary. A full charge is said to last two weeks if the brush is used twice a day. I haven't had the brush long enough to confirm that. In summary, this toothbrush performs its basic task--cleaning teeth--very well. It has some extra bells and whistles, some of which are so subtle that I had difficulty detecting them. Others may have less trouble than I did. Overall, I am very satisfied with my first electric toothbrush.

Either I had a defective one or it’s just garbage. I’d barley press it against my teeth and it would stop and it was also super loud.

Oral B spin brush heads are better. This one is ok.

The vibration is so strong that I can’t even use it. I have had other brands that I loved but this one was only $50 so I thought it was worth a try. I was so wrong.

I hate it I've been using an Oral B for years.. Best Buy was out so i got the Phillips. Awful! It vibrate. Cannot wait till i can replace it with an Oral B.

this is a gift to family member, good deal, good price.

Good rechargeable brush Recommend checking it out.

The Philips Sonicare – ProtectiveClean 4100 Rechargeable Toothbrush is a great brushing experience. It feels comfortable both in the hand and in the mouth. With its brushing timers (it’s beeps every 30 seconds, and powers off after two minutes), it has already lead to a much better brushing experience for me. It is designed to clean your teeth, whiten them, and clean your gums. It is great for travel, as you can ensure clean teeth on the road, and a single charge is meant to last about two weeks. It also includes a travel case for your brush head, to help keep it clean and sanitary. I love this toothbrush, as it feels like I have just left the dentist’s office due to how clean my teeth feel. While I know electric toothbrushes are not for everyone, I would recommend that everyone at least give this toothbrush a try.

This is my first try of sonic toothbrush. I’ve had the rotating bristle designs before but felt they never did anything more than manual brushing. This is not the case here – the Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 4100 rechargeable toothbrush definitely does an incredible job. However, after my first use, I was not sure if I was able to continue using it. I have sensitive teeth and gums and the vibration was too much. Since then, I have gotten used to it and appreciate the fine job it does. I can see this being a problem for some people though. If you have sensitive teeth, you may want to look at the more expensive Sonicare tooth brushes ( 6100 and up) that have multiple modes and intensities. It does the job for me but if I could, I would have spent the extra money on the ones with multiple modes. In summary : Pros - Does a great cleaning job. Powerful. Very long battery life. Well built Cons - Small brush head One mode and intensity. Overall, I recommend the 4100 albeit I would recommend the 6100 even more simply for the other modes and intensities. For such small device, it is powerful and does a great cleaning job. A note on Philips products overall, I've owned various shavers and trimmers all my life , they were always quality. This toothbrush is no different.

Bottom Line: You won’t find a better cleaning toothbrush than a Philips Sonicare. Pros: Cleans teeth really well; easy to install and remove brush head; easy to clean handle and base; thin and lightweight; Pressure Sensor Cons: does take some getting used to if switching from a manual or spin toothbrush; might cause some discomfort for people with sensitive teeth; price of replacement heads Review: I’ve been using a Sonicare E-series toothbrush for years, and the results of a Sonicare are amazing. My dentist recommends them, and my hygienist always complements how I am able to keep the stain off my teeth. As much as I love the results, the E-series did have some drawbacks: they’re difficult to keep clean, bulky, and heavy. Fortunately, the ProtectiveClean 4100 solves all of those issues. The ProtectiveClean uses the C-series head, which works by sliding the brush head onto a metal rod that sticks out of the base of the brush. It’s really easy to put them on and take them off, which makes swapping them for different family members really easy. Additionally, to keep the brush clean you just need to rinse the head, pop it off, and rinse the rod. I can’t even begin to explain how much easier and simpler this is than the E-series. I was also pleasantly surprised by how much lighter and thinner the ProtectiveClean is than my old E-series, which feel - in both size and weight - like an electric toothbrush. The ProtectiveClean, while still bulkier and heavier than a manual toothbrush, feels amazingly thin and light in comparison. The other feature I really like is the pressure monitor. Sonicare brushes work best with light contact against your teeth (the sonic vibration is what breaks up the plaque), so pressing too hard is actually counterproductive. This brush gives you a quick pulse to let you know to back off, which is helpful to maintain the right pressure and contact. There aren’t any real drawbacks per se, but there are a couple of things to keep in mind if you haven’t used a Sonicare before. First, it’s quite a different experience than using a manual or electric spin toothbrush, and new users might feel some discomfort until they get used to it. Fortunately, the ProtectiveCare 4100 includes a feature that gradually increases the intensity over the first dozen or so uses to help acclimate new users. Second, it’s possible that the sonic vibrations can ‘zing’ a sensitive tooth. This occasionally happens to me if I’ve already made the tooth sensitive due to eating the wrong thing (like a bunch of chewy candy) and then hit the right spot with the toothbrush. Finally, if you’re considering picking up a Sonicare, make sure you’re prepared for the cost of replacement heads. They’re considerably more expensive than a manual toothbrush, but in my opinion they’re well worth it for the results you’ll get with this brush.

The massage mechanism is too harsh and fast , when brushing my teeth I feel pain after due to the fact it’s spinning so fast and hard, I am disappointed

Box was actually sealed (not sure if they re-glued it or what) but the actual handle that came in the box had old toothpaste stuck on it, the white part on the bottom of the handle was brown with age and to top it off, the unit is DEAD and won't even charge. I've never actually seen anything like this. Returning asap.

Wasn't impressed with the quality when it arrived, but tried it out. Stopped working at 5 months

we were replacing a bad battery unit many years old. sadly this unit works well but is so slippery it is difficult not to drop when it gets slightly damp. the old version has a rubbery coating on the body making it easy to grip and was never slippery.

This is a two part review. Both my wife and I tried the Sonicare Protectiveclean 4100 toothbrush. My wife really liked the toothbrush and will enjoy using it. The smaller toothbrush head reaches all the way to the back and the backside of teeth easily. It is comfortable to hold and the 2min brushing timer is a nice feature. The toothbrush sits nicely on the charger. One thing I like about the charger and bottom of the toothbrush is that there is no exposed metal contacts to corrode. Both the toothbrush and the charger are completely sealed. So in a way this is sort of a "wireless" charger in that there are not metal contacts but it somehow charges. The toothbrush does not need to stay on the charger all the time when not in use and will remain charged for at least a few days of use (maybe more, I didn't test). I must have sensitive gums and teeth. The vibrations were much to strong for my taste and I couldn't stand to use the toothbrush more than once.

I had never had an electric toothbrush before this acquisition and had no preconditions as to how such a brush would perform. Before the first use I charged the unit and then when it was ready, I used it. I was not prepared for the sense of vibration that I encountered, but after a while, I found that sensation tolerable and not oft-putting. I found this easy to use and the cleanliness feeling was fresh and pleasant. I did not find the brush to be bulky - something that I had worried about before using. I highly recommend this brush as it is quite effective in its intended task.