Your toothbrush can’t always get between teeth and into periodontal pockets to remove debris, and that’s where flossing comes in. Wet flossers, also known as "water flossers" or "oral irrigators," utilize a pressurized water stream to target hard-to-reach areas and remove food and plaque. Heather Kunen, DDS, MS, New York City-based orthodontist and co-founder of Beam Street, says that water flossing can be a helpful step in your home dental routine (but it shouldn't replace conventional flossing). At the Verywell Testing Lab in New York City, we tested 26 wet flossers, ranging in price. We evaluated each wet flosser and assigned an overall score based on effectiveness, ease of use, settings, and overall value. An orthodontist from our Medical Expert Board reviewed the contents of this article to ensure its accuracy, conventional versus wet flossing, and safe practices. Our Top Picks Best Overall: Best Budget: Best Cordless: Best for Braces: Best for Travel: Best Cordless Waterpik: Best Budget Waterpik: Best Electric Toothbrush and Water Flosser Combo: Waterpik Sonic Fusion Toothbrush & Flosser Combo at Amazon ($191) In This Article What Healthcare Providers Want You to Know Our Picks How We Tested What to Look For Our Experts Why Trust Verywell Health Our Ratings Effectiveness 5/5 Ease of Use 5/5 Settings 5/5 Overall Value 5/5 Pros Has a large water tank Comes with seven flossing tips and 10 pressure settings Three-year manufacturer’s warranty Cons The cord connecting the base and flosser wand is short Must be plugged into a wall outlet With 10 pressure settings and seven interchangeable flossing tips, the Waterpik Aquarius provides a customizable cleaning experience, though it’ll take a bit of practice—and both hands—to master its operation. Adjusting the pressure settings, which are controlled by a dial at the base of the machine, is a bit awkward at first, but you get used to it. In addition to gooey cheese, it’s effective at removing plaque and improving circulation in the gums. The tank holds 22 ounces of water, which the brand promises is enough for 90 seconds of flossing activity, but we were pleased to find that the reservoir was still half full after completing two full cycles. At the end of our testing, we crowned the Aquarius Best Overall because it’s effective and easy to use, and it doesn’t take up much counter space. The cord that connects the flosser wand to the base is short, so you’ll want to position it close to your sink basin to avoid drips and splashback. Charge Type: Electric charge| Reservoir Capacity: 22 oz | Number of Pressure Settings: 10 Pros Affordable Completely cordless Five pressure settings Cons Small water reservoir Higher pressure modes may be too intense If you’ve never tried a water flosser and aren’t sure it’s worth the investment, we recommend the H2ofloss Portable Oral Irrigator. It offers five different nozzles (including a toothbrush head), a tongue cleaner attachment, and five settings. The best part? It’s compact and completely cordless, making it the perfect travel flosser. The design is very clean and practical, and there aren’t any excessive pieces or extensions. The H2ofloss has a 360-degree rotating head to help you target those hard-to-reach corners of your mouth, and it has a 300-milliliter reservoir that holds just enough water for a full cycle. Users with sensitive teeth or gums may find the higher pressure settings a little too intense. We noted that the higher settings were harder to control, and water got everywhere when we tried to use them. Charge Type: Battery powered| Reservoir Capacity: 300 mL| Number of Pressure Settings: 5 Pros Cordless and fully waterproof Comes with a travel case and five jet tips Cons Water reservoir only lasts about 45 seconds Has just three basic pressure settings If you’re a die-hard cord cutter, opt for the Aquasonic Aqua Flosser. It earned high marks for its lightweight design, which is dentist-recommended for kids and teens. It only has three settings, but we particularly enjoyed the pulse mode, which felt pleasant and did a great job removing food from between our teeth. Plus, it’s easy to toggle between the settings with one hand. Included in the box are a travel case and five jet tips, and the waterproof body protects the rechargeable lithium-ion battery so you can floss in the shower. The reservoir only holds 150 milliliters of water, which provided 45 seconds of flossing during our tests, so it may not be ideal if you like to take your time. Still, it delivered a thorough cleaning. Charge Type: Battery powered| Reservoir Capacity: 150 mL| Number of Pressure Settings: 3 Our Ratings Effectiveness 5/5 Ease of Use 4.5/5 Overall Value 5/5 Pros Large water tank 10 brushing intensities Two flossing modes Cons Expensive If you have braces, flossing with standard string floss or dental tape can be tricky and time-consuming. Equipped with two flossing modes and ten intensity settings, the Phillips Sonicare Power Flosser 5000 comes with a quad stream tip that covers a larger surface area for a deep clean. The instructions were clear and even illustrated how to use the device if you have braces. The setup process was easy, so we could start cleaning her teeth within minutes of unboxing. The reservoir was one of our favorite features—the lid fits snugly, and the tank holds 18.6 ounces of water, enough for a couple of cleaning sessions. The countertop model is one of our more expensive picks, but it’s compact, easy to use, and effective, so we can declare it well worth the price. Charge Type: Electric charge| Reservoir Capacity: 18.6 oz | Number of Pressure Settings: 10 The 11 Best Electric Toothbrushes, Tested and Expert-Approved Our Ratings Effectiveness 5/5 Ease of Use 4/5 Overall Value 5/5 Pros Large water reservoir Cordless and portable Has a digital display Cons The automatic “soft start” can be confusing If your least favorite part of preparing for a trip is figuring out how to pack all your toiletries, try the cordless, compact MySmile Oral Irrigator X, which delivers a thorough flossing and a just-brushed feeling. It’s cordless and holds a charge for up to 20 days, with a 350-milliliter reservoir that provides 50-150 PSI of water pressure, depending on the setting. It felt as if we were brushing our teeth and flossing simultaneously, we noted. The flosser was easy to use, and the instruction manual includes easy-to-follow pictures. The five different settings are strong, normal, soft, pulse, and child mode, and there are eight interchangeable tips, enough to suit the preferences of the whole family. A digital display shows the modes, temperature, and battery level, which means a higher price tag. Charge Type: Battery powered| Reservoir Capacity: 350 mL| Number of Pressure Settings: 5 Our Ratings Effectiveness 5/5 Ease of Use 5/5 Settings 3/5 Overall Value 4/5 Pros Cordless Comes with travel case and charger Easy to use Cons Only has three pressure settings If you like the Waterpik brand but want to go cordless, look no further than the WP-560. We loved its ease of use and effectiveness at cleaning gummy fruit debris from their teeth in under a minute. The ample 7-ounce reservoir is easy to fill and lasts for a full minute. We were a little disappointed that there are only three basic modes. While it falls a little short on settings, it does come with some useful accessories, including two classic jet tips, a travel bag, a plug, and a convenient magnetic charger. There are only two buttons—one to turn it on and off, and the other to move between pressure settings—so it’s a good basic flosser. Charge Type: Battery powered| Reservoir Capacity: 7 oz | Number of Pressure Settings: 3 The 8 Best Toothpastes for Healthy Teeth and Gums, Tested and Reviewed Our Ratings Effectiveness 4/5 Ease of Use 5/5 Overall Value 4/5 Pros Affordable Cordless Space-saving and travel-friendly Cons Uses AA batteries Water reservoir needs to be refilled often The third Waterpik option on our list is the Cordless Express Water Flosser, our favorite budget-friendly option from the brand. It’s a basic model with just two pressure settings but was impressively effective at removing even tiny bits of debris from our teeth. The water pulls from a 5-ounce water reservoir, which lasts just shy of a minute and needs to be refilled often, sometimes mid-floss. The battery-operated model left our mouth feeling clean, but we felt as though there was still some residue remaining after use. Still, the two included tips were easy to swap out, and it’s a great choice if your bathroom is short on countertop space. Charge Type: Battery powered | Reservoir Capacity: 5 oz| Number of Pressure Settings: 2 The 10 Best Mouthwashes for Gingivitis Pros Functions as a flosser and toothbrush Large water reservoir Comes with a protective hard travel case Cons It’s corded and quite large The Waterpik Sonic-Fusion 2.0 does double-duty as a flosser and an electric toothbrush to clean your whole mouth. With ten pressure settings, two flossing brush heads, and a 16-ounce water reservoir, it cleans teeth while removing plaque and gunk from even the tiniest crevices. We love the way the buttons are stacked so that you can change the pressure easily. There is no guessing which button will change the pressure and speed. The Sonic-Fusion also has a two-minute brushing timer and a 30-second pacer to alert you when it’s time to switch to a different section of your mouth. It’s the most expensive model on our list, but it's a good investment if you’re looking for an all-in-one dental-cleaning device. Charge Type: Electric charge| Reservoir Capacity: 16 oz | Number of Pressure Settings: 10 The Verywell Health team tested 26 wet flossers at the Verywell Testing Lab in New York City. After unboxing and setting up the flossers, testers used their assigned model to floss for at least one minute. We evaluated each wet flosser based on the following attributes: We are conducting ongoing tests for wet flossers to see how they hold up to daily use. We’ll update our recommendations with our feedback, especially regarding battery life (which we couldn’t test in The Lab). We also spoke with these dentists for their expert opinions on factors to consider when choosing the right wet flosser: Kayla Hui is a seasoned public health practitioner and health journalist who received her master’s degree in public health in 2020. She has interviewed dozens of experts, reviewed numerous research studies, and tested a plethora of products to deliver well-researched product reviews and roundups. Her goal is to help readers make more informed decisions about their health and well-being.:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Web_1500-VWH-wet-flosser-group-shot-VickyWasik-0464-final-9c61ffe9651640a38d78826ff4a7b903.jpg "Hello Effortless Oral Hygiene: These Dentist-Approved Wet Flossers Offer an Easy Way to Clean (1)")
What Healthcare Providers Want You to Know
Best Overall
Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser
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Why We Recommend It
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Why We Recommend It
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Why We Recommend It
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Best for Braces
Philips Sonicare Power Flosser 5000
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Why We Recommend It
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Best for Travel
MySmile Cordless Oral Irrigator
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Why We Recommend It
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Best Cordless Waterpik
Waterpik Cordless Advanced Water Flosser
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Best Budget Waterpik
Waterpik Cordless Express
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Why We Recommend It
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Best Electric Toothbrush and Water Flosser Combo
Waterpik Sonic Fusion Toothbrush & Flosser Combo
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Why We Recommend It
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How We Tested the Wet Flossers
We're Still Testing Water Flossers
What to Look for in a Wet Flosser
Our Experts
Why Trust Verywell Health
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