It’s review time, are you ready for something completely different?
The Fereo Issa toothbrush range is like no other toothbrush you have ever seen before. At least, not in terms of a toothbrush.
If you are a long-time electric toothbrush user, or if you’re new to the market, this is definitely going to catch your eye. The range is colorful, unique and antibacterial. Winning awards left, right and center.
The question is, is this newcomer worth its place on your bathroom shelf?
Brand
Foreo is a relatively new brand, only coming on to the market in 2013. Its breakout product was not a toothbrush, but a face exfoliator.
They went on to receive acclaim all over the world, most notably winning Cosmopolitan’s Best Face Device, Elle’s Beauty Award 2019.
The exfoliator mixes their silicone with high tech pulses to create a deep clean. All concepts that really lend themselves to the electric toothbrush market and that’s where Foreo Issa finds themselves now.
Design
The range of electric toothbrushes come in a number of sizes, all featuring the unique Foreo Issa design. The design barely even looks like a toothbrush, with the smooth silicone being easily mistakable for, let’s call a spade a spade, a dildo.
That isn’t necessarily a bad thing when you think about the strides that kind of design has taken with comfort in mind.
It comes in several colors, summer sky, wild strawberry, enchanted violet, and mango tango. They probably could have streamlined the names like they did the design and shaved off a little of the price, but it’s all part of the package of a luxury product.
The Range
The range includes:
Comparison Chart
The toothbrushes are very similar at the core and only differ from each other slightly in dimensions or sensitivity.
There is also a men’s range, which seems inconsistent with their modern ‘of the times’ vibe, but it exists, so we’re making note of it.
Main Features:
- Anti-bacterial silicone bristles
Foreo Issa are leaders in silicone bristles. Traditionally, toothbrush bristles are made of nylon and rely on their placement to do the heavy lifting.
You’ve definitely heard the word cross-action been thrown around in toothbrush commercials. The silicone bristles are also at a cross-action angle but have a magic all their own.
Basically, silicone is a lot gentler on your gums, so it’s great for those of us that want a thorough clean but are experiencing sensitivity. On top of that, the silicone bristles have their own antibacterial properties.
- Long-lasting head
A Traditional bristled electric brush heads need to be replaced once every three months. Real talk, it only needs to be replaced once a year.
That means that Foreo brush heads have double, or even quadruple, the life of a traditional head which does go a little way to justifying their cost.
- USB Charging
In keeping with the modern design, the charge is a simple USB port. This makes it super portable and simple to slip into a purse or toiletry bag.
The flip side is that if you don’t have many USB adaptors you might have to buy one. In this day and age that isn’t really a setback.
- Built-in Timer
The built-in timer pauses every 30 seconds, pacing your brushing and letting you know when to move on to the next section of your mouth. After a full two minutes, the recommended brushing time, the toothbrush will pulse three times to let you know you’ve achieved your goal.
Battery Life
The battery life is interesting. Unlike other electric toothbrushes, it takes a full hour to charge. However, they claim that one charge lasts 365 uses.
Practically, this can equate to anything, but it seems that three months in the charge is still going strong, so this is some heavy-duty battery.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Soft state-of-the-art silicone bristles for sensitive teeth and gums
- Sleek design
- Small size makes travel easy
- Built-in timer
- Large head
The large head allows you to cover more ground
- Small grip
Makes it easy to tote around
- Comes with a nice travel case
Cons
- Short USB cord
Although the USB cord is very handy, it is also quite small. This could be a setback for some.
- Strong silicon smell initially
Like almost all silicone products, the smell is very strong. It should take just a thorough wash to get it to neutral, but it can be really off-putting initially.
- Packaging comes creased
Maybe it’s because they are trying to streamline the design of even the packaging, but the shipping means that the travel case is initially creased.
- Streamlined design makes it difficult to reach the charging port
Because they went for a one-piece sort of look and feel, it can be very tricky to find the charging port, let alone pry it open.
- Large head
Could get uncomfortable if your mouth is on the smaller side.
- Small grip
Not ideal for those with larger hands.
Conclusion
With a gorgeous range of cleansers and brushes, any Fereo Issa product is really a statement piece for your bathroom. And you pay for it as such.
As usual, it really depends on what you’re looking for. It seems fitting that the beauty world embraces it first for its design, as Foreo Issa got a head start with the cleanser.
Most of their technologies go into cosmetic research and production, but there is definite cross over when it comes to oral hygiene. However, it seems to be the cosmetic angle that makes their branding so present in their product, and you pay for it.
This toothbrush certainly hasn’t made a huge name for itself in the world of oral hygiene yet, but it seems to be well on the way. With its anti-bacterial, silicon brushes and new technologies, it seems like this could be the toothbrush to watch if you have the budget for it.