Review (5/5): Design flaw corrected?
I have been a user of Sonicare for about 10 years--since I had a roommate who had to have gum surgery for gingivitis, and her oral surgeon recommended switching. They do a fantastic job. The price is excellent on this model, but I was concerned from previous reviews that it might not do as good a job as the regular Sonicares and that it might get destroyed from water leaking into the battery compartment.
While I was trying to decide, I used one of those disposable-type battery-operated brushes you can buy for a few bucks. My teeth felt disgusting compared to when I was using a Sonicare. Since I could tell such a huge difference, but money is really tight, I decided to get this model, and just try not to get the battery area wet, and live with the lower power, and hope that it doesn't die too early.
And I'm really glad I did, because I couldn't be happier with this brush. The design must have been updated because there are no holes near the battery housing as previous reviewers described (there are no holes anywhere). I'm pretty uncoordinated but without really trying I haven't gotten water anywhere near the battery area. I do blot the brush head dry on a towel between brushings, and that might be key since no water drips down the handle after I put it away.
It feels just as powerful to me as my previous Sonicares, and my teeth feel just as clean.
I like not having a charger taking up one of only two outlets in my bathroom and collecting dust on the counter. And I love that for travel I'll just be able to throw this in my bag without lugging a charger along. And for long travel you could just pop in two more AA batteries when needed--available almost anywhere. The batteries that came with the brush were strong, but they did die after two weeks. I would definitely recommend rechargables.
Although this brush is marketed for teens or kids, the brush head size is perfect for me; I still have my wisdom teeth and with other brushes it's been very difficult to really get to them.
For the price, even if this brush doesn't last a really long time, I think it will still be a very good deal. But if you buy it and it doesn't last, remember that there is a 2-year "limited" warranty.
Update Nov 1 2010: Still going strong on the second set of batteries. No problems whatsoever. GREAT deal.
Update May 22 2011: Still no problems, and I have only had to change the batteries 3 times since I first started using rechargables last October. When this dies I will definitely buy the same model again. It's so much cheaper than other Sonicares, and I think using regular batteries instead of a charger is a big benefit over the other models, too.
Update Jan 10 2012: BUY THIS! Still working perfectly, still easy on batteries, still much more convenient for travel than other Sonicares...and considering how much other Sonicares cost, this value is pretty unbelievable.
Update Nov 23 2012: OK, so I let my guard down and have now used this toothbrush in the shower many times. NO PROBLEMS! Since many reviews still complain of leakage or short lifespan, I can only assume there is a quality control issue and I lucked out. Still, for less than $30 with a 2-year warranty, I totally would have put up with one or two lemons.
Update: April 2013--SERIOUSLY, BUY THIS!