Laifen Wave Review: A Serious Challenger to Oral-B and Sonicare

As someone who has been testing electric toothbrushes for years, I am well-acquainted with the top brands in the market: Oral-B and Philips Sonicare. Both provide excellent cleaning performance and a range of useful features. However, after testing the Laifen Wave for two months, I discovered a new contender that surpassed my expectations and outshined the industry leaders.

During my use, the Wave provided the same quality brushing experience as Oral-B and Sonicare, while offering exceptional battery life, whisper-quiet operation, and lower ongoing costs. These factors, combined with its customizable settings through the refreshingly useful app, make it a standout product.

+ Pros	– Cons
Cleaning technology on par with Oral-B and Sonicare Exceptional battery life Intuitive companion app for customization Whisper-quiet operation under 55 decibels Affordable replacement brush heads	Higher upfront cost compared to some entry-level electric toothbrushes No included travel case Some users find the oscillation and vibration combination too intense, even at lower settings
"Delivers performance that justifies every penny of its price tag – and then some."

Design & ergonomics

The Laifen Wave has a simple yet elegant minimalist design. Despite packing in powerful technology, the toothbrush feels solidly built without being bulky. The handle's shorter 4.7-inch length makes it more compact and travel-friendly than the elongated designs from brands like Oral-B and Sonicare. The Wave's IPX7 waterproof rating allows worry-free use in the shower.

While the overall design is minimalist, Laifen offers a choice of premium finish options – stainless steel, aluminum alloy or ABS plastic.

In terms of ergonomics, the handle's grip is comfortable and non-slip, even when wet. The single pressure-sensitive button to toggle between modes is intuitive and ergonomically placed for easy operation.

Cleaning performance

The marquee feature of the Laifen Wave is its dual-action oscillation and vibration brushing technology. Laifen claims that this proprietary combination positions the Wave to achieve a higher level of cleaning power than sonic vibration alone can provide. In practice, after using the Wave for about two months, I found that its cleaning performance is roughly on par with the numerous Oral-B and Sonicare models I've tested over the years – which is very good.

The Gum Care (gray), Super-Clean (blue), and Ultra-Whitening (purple) brush head options that come in the box provide flexibility for users' needs.

Where the Laifen Wave really shines is its highly customizable cleaning intensities through the companion app. If you want a more gentle cleaning, the settings can be adjusted for a softer oscillation range and vibration strength. Conversely, for a more aggressive clean, you can crank up both oscillation and vibration to maximum levels.

However, the Laifen Wave underperforms the Oral-B when it comes to comfort. Unlike the two-piece brush head design of the Oral-B, which directs full vibration to the head of the brush but not the portion of the neck that holds it, the Wave brush head is a single piece of plastic that the bristles mount into. This doesn’t make a difference for normal brushing, but if you manage to hit your teeth with the side or back of the Wave brush head, you get a pretty distinct vibration shock. This can be lessened, if it is an issue for you, by toning down the vibration level in the app.

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User experience

Beyond just cleaning performance, the overall user experience is a crucial factor in how satisfying an electric toothbrush is to use multiple times on a daily basis. The Laifen Wave excels in this area.

Ease of use

With just a single pressure-sensitive button, the Wave is simple to operate. A short press turns it on or off, while a long press allows you to cycle through the various cleaning modes. The button's ergonomic placement makes it easy to control with your thumb while brushing.

Sound level

Many electric toothbrushes can be unpleasantly loud during use, but the Wave is significantly quieter than even premium models like the Oral-B iO Series. Operating at under 55 decibels, more than 10dB quieter than the Oral-B iO in my measurements, Laifen accurately describes the noise level as "gentle on the ears."

Cleaning maintenance

Another highlight is how easy the Wave is to keep clean compared to other electric toothbrushes. Its seamless design means there are no nooks or crannies around the brush head for gunk and mildew to accumulate over time; an issue I was constantly facing with my Oral-B models.

Travel convenience

The Wave's outstanding battery life (which I get into more below) makes it a great travel companion. My Wave lasted over six weeks on medium-intensity mode on a full charge, so I would never need to worry about bringing yet another charger along on trips. The only drawback is the lack of a dedicated travel case included in the box.

Battery life & charging process

One area where the Laifen Wave truly separates itself from competitors is its outstanding battery life and convenient charging process. On the medium settings, the lithium-ion battery lasted over six full weeks before requiring a recharge during testing – exponentially longer than many Oral-B and Sonicare models I’ve tested, which struggled to make it through a couple of weeks.

When it's finally time to charge, the included USB-C magnetic charging cable quickly tops up the battery in just 2.5 hours. The magnetic cable connects firmly to the Wave's handle with a satisfying snap, allowing it to charge wherever is most convenient for you. No more having to find space on your bathroom counter for a clunky charging dock.

To help you monitor battery status, the Wave's single-button LED indicator will flash red when it's time to recharge. During charging, the LED pulses to show progress. A solid green light indicates a full charge has been reached.

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App capabilities

While the Laifen Wave delivers an excellent core brushing experience, its companion app unlocks the toothbrush's full customization potential.

Setting up and using the app

Getting started with the Laifen app is a straightforward process. After downloading it on your smartphone, simply follow the prompts to connect to the Wave over Bluetooth. The connection process was stable during my testing without any dropped signals. Once paired, the app serves as your full control center for personalizing the Wave's brushing modes and intensities.

Adjusting modes and intensities

The app allows you to extensively fine-tune brushing across three main settings – Vibration Strength, Oscillation Range, and Oscillation Speed. Each can be adjusted from 1-10 intensity levels to find your ideal combo.

There's also a High-Frequency Mode that effectively doubles the vibration intensity range from 11-20 for a deeper, more powerful clean when desired.

Brushing customization

One of the app's most impressive capabilities is the ability to change the Wave's settings in real time while you're brushing. If you want to increase the intensity halfway through a session, for example, just tap to adjust. The customized settings automatically save for your next brush.

Additional features

Beyond the core customization options, the Laifen app includes other useful features like:

• Quadrant timing reminders to ensure even brushing
• Ability to set preferred brushing duration from 1-5 minutes
• Flight mode to turn on during travel

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Value proposition

At the end of the day, an electric toothbrush is an investment in your oral hygiene. So, it's important to look at both the upfront costs as well as the long-term ownership value the Laifen Wave provides.

Price comparison

The Wave is positioned as a premium electric toothbrush with pricing to match:

• $69 for ABS plastic model
• $79 for aluminum alloy
• $99 for stainless steel

While not the cheapest option out there, these price points are very competitive with top-tier models from Oral-B and Sonicare, which can cost $100-$300. Given the Wave's advanced dual oscillation/vibration technology, the pricing feels appropriate for the capabilities.

Replacement brush head costs

Over months and years of use, replacement brush heads are a significant ongoing cost for any electric toothbrush. Here, the Laifen Wave provides excellent value:

• $9.99 for a 3-pack of brush heads
• $16.99 for a 6-pack

In comparison, a 3-pack of Oral-B or Sonicare replacement heads typically costs around $15-20. The Wave's brush heads represent a solid 30-50% cost savings over time.

Long-term cost analysis

Factoring in both the initial toothbrush price and replacement brush head expenses, the Laifen Wave provides a compelling long-term value proposition when compared to the competition:

Laifen Wave (1 year)

• $99 stainless steel model
• $34 for 2 brush head 6-packs Total: $133

Oral-B iO Series (1 year)

• $200 iO Series 9 model
• $60 for 4 brush head 3-packs Total: $260

Over the first year of ownership, the top-end Laifen Wave configuration saves you nearly $130 versus Oral-B's premium iO series. Those savings continue stacking up every year due to the lower brush head pricing.

The bottom line

After extensively testing the Laifen Wave for two months, I can conclusively say it sets a new bar for what an electric toothbrush should be capable of in 2024.

The Wave's dual oscillation/vibration technology and a multitude of brush head options provide a powerful, personalized clean that can be fine-tuned down to the smallest detail through the intuitive companion app. Battery life is best-in-class, with the added convenience of fast magnetic charging. Simply put, the Laifen Wave matches or outperforms rivals like the Oral-B iO and Philips Sonicare across nearly every category that matters in an electric toothbrush. At the same time, the lower long-term costs make it an excellent overall value.

If you're in the market for an electric toothbrush, the Laifen Wave deserves to be at the very top of your shortlist. It delivers performance that justifies every penny of its price tag – and then some.

[Image credit: Techlicious]

Josh Kirschner is the co-founder of Techlicious and has been covering consumer tech for more than a decade. Josh started his first company while still in college, a consumer electronics retailer focused on students. His writing has been featured in Today.com, NBC News and Time.

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Guides & Reviews, Health and Home, Health & Fitness