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Product Description
With nearly 80% of adults suffering from gum disease, Philips Sonicare, the #1 recommended brand by dental professionals, brings you FlexCare+. Clinically proven to improve gum health in only 2 weeks, FlexCare+ features a unique Gum Care mode, which provides 2 minutes of overall cleaning plus 1 minute to gently clean problem areas and along the gumline, reducing gum inflammation and bleeding, and protecting against gingivitis. Patented Sonic technology drives fluid to stimulate gums, while the contoured brush head removes plaque along the gumline. FlexCare+ also includes a UV Brush Head Sanitizer, which helps you keep select bacteria away from your brush head, and out of your mouth. The sanitizer helps eliminate up to 99 percent of select bacteria and viruses. Includes: 1 Philips Sonicare FlexCare+ toothbrush with 2 ProResults brush heads, 1 UV Brush Head Sanitizer, 1 travel charger, 2 hygienic travel caps, 1 hard travel case.List Price: $189.99
Price: $126.25
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Low price Philips Sonicare FlexCare Plus Toothbrush
1. Most notably is the "new" look. It has a cleaner appearance with most of the front being a dark chrome look, also instead of the green led's, it has a backlight behind the selected brushing mode.
2. Gone are the 'Go Care' and 'Max Care' and in their place are 'Gum Care' and 'Refresh' mode. They do exactly what the other one did except for one important change on the 'Gum Care' mode which replaced 'Max Care (which is why I picked the new one over the old) '. Instead of having a 3 minute routine with 45 seconds each quad (30 normal + 15 massage) for a total of 3 min; they now have it where it goes 30 seconds each quad with an added 1 minute at the end for 'problem areas'.
3. 'Different' color, looks very similar - its 'Soft Sky Blue' instead of 'Medical Blue'. Basically bluer color than the old one which was more of a green color.
4. Supposedly lasts longer - 42 2-minute brushings, vs. 20 2-minute brushings of the old one
5. Case is now hard plastic instead of the soft case that comes with the old model
There is also a few changes in what the battery display shows with its charge but I'm not going to go into it that far with this review. I decided to upgrade from the Sonicare Elite as I was getting tired of seeing the nasty gunk that would grow inside of the handle. It was time to get a new brush head so I decided to go ahead and get a new brush while I was looking around. Overall I think it has been a good decision as this brush shouldn't need the constant cleaning of the old one and I like the new 'Gum Care' routine. So if wanted to know the differences, there you go, you probably now know more than you wanted about a toothbrush. If your like me and wanted to know at least some of this, it should help you decide between the two. Be sure to click yes if this helped you out! Thanks.
SETUP: Much like previous units, this is a breeze. Simply plug in the base sanitizer/charging unit combo and place the base handle on the peg to begin charging. The instructions recommend charging 24 hours prior to the first use, but I doubt this is necessary given that the brush will only be used minutes a day and likely be able to charge 23 hours minimum every day that you use it.
For multiple users, Philips again includes the standard colored rings to distinguish one brush head from another. For this unit, Philips includes both a standard and a compact brush head. These compare well with manual toothbrushes so it's a matter of preference. However, some will find it nice to try out both sizes before ordering new brush heads.
USAGE: The basic operation of the FlexCare Plus is the same as the previous model. It uses the same Quadpacer signal in thirty second intervals over two minutes in the "Clean" mode. It seemed to me that this unit pulses a little faster, yet it is also quieter while running. You can still discern the signal when it is time to change "zones" on your teeth.
Philips did a nice job of simplifying the mode selection over the previous FlexCare model. There are five modes to choose from: Clean, Gum Care, Refresh, Sensitive, and Massage. This is much more user friendly than the previous model's Clean, Sensitive, and Massage modes paired with the separate routines of Go Care and Max Care. I stick to the Clean mode for the most part, but the Refresh is a nice one minute version of Clean if you doing a simple between brushing touch up.
As for the UV Sanitizer, I am not able to do a scientific test of whether or not it provides added benefit. I did some research that suggests that UV Sanitizers are effective, but that is taking someone else's word for it. What I can say is that it does operate as the instructions indicate. Once you remove the brush head and insert it into the peg stand and close the door, pressing the power button once starts a 10 minute cycle that shuts off automatically. The blue light is fairly bright and much larger than the green battery indicator on the main brushing unit. If you use this right before bed, you will probably want to close your bathroom door to avoid having the nice blue glow in your bedroom. I did find that after the 10 minute cycle was complete, the brush head was dry as far as I could tell. This is important since the sanitizer becomes a closed container, and excess water could cause mold/mildew. In the end I can't offer any negatives on the UV Sanitizer which is good because (as of this writing) the only FlexCare Plus model you can by is this one. There is currently no standalone model.
Battery life is rated for 42 two minute brushings, but I don't think most people will ever put this to the test. An individual would have to be away from home for three solid weeks and not take their travel charger to drain the battery.
ACCESSORIES: One of the things I criticized on my older FlexCare brush was the soft travel case. Philips stepped up on the FlexCare Plus and added a hard plastic case that holds the base unit and two brush heads. They also include a travel charger, which is nice, but you would only need this for an extended trip away from home with the increased battery life.
DRAWBACKS: There really aren't any. Some may find the price steep, but you do get what you pay for. Perhaps offering a unit without the UV Sanitizer could lower the price some, but I wouldn't expect a large difference.
CONCLUSION: Philips has done what all manufacturers should strive to do in the next generation of a product. They kept what worked and made improvements in the shortcomings of the prior version. After having used a Sonicare FlexCare brush for over a year and a half, I highly recommend this model to anyone looking for a new power toothbrush. If you have the older FlexCare model, I would wait until it is time to replace your old one before upgrading as the differences, while improvements, are not substantial.
Customer Reviews
608 of 613 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars DIFFERENCES between Flexcare and Flexcare+, November 17, 2009
| By | K. Benson "Benny90" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME) |
This review is from: Philips Sonicare FlexCare Plus, Rechargeable Toothbrush (Health and Beauty)
The differences between this model and the "older" Flexcare are minimal, that is probably why all they did is add a + to the end of the name. But there are a few differences between the two.1. Most notably is the "new" look. It has a cleaner appearance with most of the front being a dark chrome look, also instead of the green led's, it has a backlight behind the selected brushing mode.
2. Gone are the 'Go Care' and 'Max Care' and in their place are 'Gum Care' and 'Refresh' mode. They do exactly what the other one did except for one important change on the 'Gum Care' mode which replaced 'Max Care (which is why I picked the new one over the old) '. Instead of having a 3 minute routine with 45 seconds each quad (30 normal + 15 massage) for a total of 3 min; they now have it where it goes 30 seconds each quad with an added 1 minute at the end for 'problem areas'.
3. 'Different' color, looks very similar - its 'Soft Sky Blue' instead of 'Medical Blue'. Basically bluer color than the old one which was more of a green color.
4. Supposedly lasts longer - 42 2-minute brushings, vs. 20 2-minute brushings of the old one
5. Case is now hard plastic instead of the soft case that comes with the old model
There is also a few changes in what the battery display shows with its charge but I'm not going to go into it that far with this review. I decided to upgrade from the Sonicare Elite as I was getting tired of seeing the nasty gunk that would grow inside of the handle. It was time to get a new brush head so I decided to go ahead and get a new brush while I was looking around. Overall I think it has been a good decision as this brush shouldn't need the constant cleaning of the old one and I like the new 'Gum Care' routine. So if wanted to know the differences, there you go, you probably now know more than you wanted about a toothbrush. If your like me and wanted to know at least some of this, it should help you decide between the two. Be sure to click yes if this helped you out! Thanks.
170 of 171 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Slight Improvements Over The Previous FlexCare Model, November 25, 2009
| By | Philip R. Heath (Hurst, TX United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME) (VINE VOICE) |
This review is from: Philips Sonicare FlexCare Plus, Rechargeable Toothbrush (Health and Beauty)
Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Program (What's this?)
BACKGROUND: I have been using the Philips Sonicare FlexCare Rechargeable Sonic Toothbrush (see my previous review for a detailed write up) for about a year and a half before getting the FlexCare Plus with the UV Sanitizer. For this review, I will highlight the differences between the two models as well as comment on the UV Sanitizer, and I will conclude with an overall recommendation between the two.SETUP: Much like previous units, this is a breeze. Simply plug in the base sanitizer/charging unit combo and place the base handle on the peg to begin charging. The instructions recommend charging 24 hours prior to the first use, but I doubt this is necessary given that the brush will only be used minutes a day and likely be able to charge 23 hours minimum every day that you use it.
For multiple users, Philips again includes the standard colored rings to distinguish one brush head from another. For this unit, Philips includes both a standard and a compact brush head. These compare well with manual toothbrushes so it's a matter of preference. However, some will find it nice to try out both sizes before ordering new brush heads.
USAGE: The basic operation of the FlexCare Plus is the same as the previous model. It uses the same Quadpacer signal in thirty second intervals over two minutes in the "Clean" mode. It seemed to me that this unit pulses a little faster, yet it is also quieter while running. You can still discern the signal when it is time to change "zones" on your teeth.
Philips did a nice job of simplifying the mode selection over the previous FlexCare model. There are five modes to choose from: Clean, Gum Care, Refresh, Sensitive, and Massage. This is much more user friendly than the previous model's Clean, Sensitive, and Massage modes paired with the separate routines of Go Care and Max Care. I stick to the Clean mode for the most part, but the Refresh is a nice one minute version of Clean if you doing a simple between brushing touch up.
As for the UV Sanitizer, I am not able to do a scientific test of whether or not it provides added benefit. I did some research that suggests that UV Sanitizers are effective, but that is taking someone else's word for it. What I can say is that it does operate as the instructions indicate. Once you remove the brush head and insert it into the peg stand and close the door, pressing the power button once starts a 10 minute cycle that shuts off automatically. The blue light is fairly bright and much larger than the green battery indicator on the main brushing unit. If you use this right before bed, you will probably want to close your bathroom door to avoid having the nice blue glow in your bedroom. I did find that after the 10 minute cycle was complete, the brush head was dry as far as I could tell. This is important since the sanitizer becomes a closed container, and excess water could cause mold/mildew. In the end I can't offer any negatives on the UV Sanitizer which is good because (as of this writing) the only FlexCare Plus model you can by is this one. There is currently no standalone model.
Battery life is rated for 42 two minute brushings, but I don't think most people will ever put this to the test. An individual would have to be away from home for three solid weeks and not take their travel charger to drain the battery.
ACCESSORIES: One of the things I criticized on my older FlexCare brush was the soft travel case. Philips stepped up on the FlexCare Plus and added a hard plastic case that holds the base unit and two brush heads. They also include a travel charger, which is nice, but you would only need this for an extended trip away from home with the increased battery life.
DRAWBACKS: There really aren't any. Some may find the price steep, but you do get what you pay for. Perhaps offering a unit without the UV Sanitizer could lower the price some, but I wouldn't expect a large difference.
CONCLUSION: Philips has done what all manufacturers should strive to do in the next generation of a product. They kept what worked and made improvements in the shortcomings of the prior version. After having used a Sonicare FlexCare brush for over a year and a half, I highly recommend this model to anyone looking for a new power toothbrush. If you have the older FlexCare model, I would wait until it is time to replace your old one before upgrading as the differences, while improvements, are not substantial.
