I bought my SURI Toothbrush when it launched in 2022 and have used it every day for the past two years. Having tried every other ‘eco-friendly’ electric toothbrush on the market, and ending up with Georganic’s customer service on speed dial (due to their brush breaking every few months), I can safely say this is the last sonic toothbrush brand I’ll be buying!
For full transparency, I did experience a minor issue with my SURI Toothbrush base in August 2024, which was resolved very quickly.
This experience means that I can write a comprehensive SURI Toothbrush review, covering everything from the long-term usage of their brush to my recent experience with their brush replacement service.
In September 2024 I also got the opportunity to speak with Gyve, the co-founder of SURI, to answer all my and my reader’s questions about the eco-friendly credentials of their brand. All of his answers will be shared here, in what I believe is one of the most comprehensive SURI Toothbrush reviews – happy brushing!
Please note: I was not paid for this SURI review nor was I gifted the product.
Pros
- Just as effective at cleaning as Sonicare & Oral B
- Long 40-day battery life
- Compact and sleek design
- Made using eco-friendly materials
- They refurbish and recycle broken brushes
Cons
- Made in China
- No pressure sensor
What is SURI?
SURI (short for Sustainable Rituals) is a sustainable and stylish electronic toothbrush that is fully recyclable. The toothbrush base is made from aluminium and the disposable heads are made from castor oil and corn starch. It provides a powerful clean thanks to its sonic cleaning technology and dual-speed modes.
You’ll be happy to know that it is also approved by dentists and with an impressive 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot (read all the customer reviews here) you can see that over 7000 SURI Toothbrush owners agree.
Features of SURI Toothbrush
Looking for some straight facts about this electronic toothbrush? Check out these nifty features:
- 33,000 sonic vibrations per minute
- 40+ day battery life
- 4-hour fast charging
- 2-minute timer
- Whisper quiet (54dB)
- IPX7 rated waterproof
- Two cleaning modes
- Recyclable and repairable components
- UV cleaner on the case
The positives
After using my SURI Toothbrush for 2 years, I want to share the positives I have experienced from using it every single day.
Just as effective as Oral-B & Sonicare
I’ve owned both Oral-B and Sonicare toothbrushes and my teeth have felt just as clean using SURI. Considering that these are the brushes often recommended by dentists, it is good to know that my teeth are also getting the treatment they need from a more sustainable brush! This has also been confirmed by my dentist every time I’ve met with him in the 2 years of using SURI.
The SURI toothbrush has two different modes, the first is an everyday clean and the other is a polish. I like to do the latter every couple of weeks to give my teeth that extra squeaky clean feeling. Even after 2 years, the brush remained powerful and effective, which gives it an extra edge over any Oral-B and Sonicare brushes I’ve owned before.
I’ve also tried many different ‘eco-friendly’ electric toothbrushes and this is where they all fell flat – they either didn’t have the power necessary to provide an effective clean, or the brush itself was too soft. This includes many of the electric bamboo toothbrushes as well as Georganics.
Long 40-day battery life
What really sets the SURI electric toothbrush apart from the rest is its super long battery life. Even after using SURI twice a day for over 2 years and having charged it in many different power outlets around the world, the battery still holds up. I consistently get about 45 days between charges. And when it comes to charging the unit, it only takes around 4-5 hours.
The long battery life is perfect for travelling and going on long holidays. If you go away to a beautiful hotel or Airbnb for a couple of weeks or even a month, you won’t need to pack your charger! However, the charging cable and mount are lightweight and easy to pack. Plus the UV charging case is slimline and will fit easily into a backpack.
In comparison to other electric toothbrushes I’ve owned, I get at least 3 weeks of extra charge from my SURI. All the other brushes would need charging after a few weeks and over time they’d need to live permanently on top of their charging unit in between uses. On top of SURI’s other sustainable features, less charging helps make this an even more eco-friendly alternative!
Compact and sleek design
As you can see from my photos, the SURI Toothbrush is a thing of beauty. I never guessed I’d be saying that about a toothbrush, but here we are. Electric toothbrushes are historically quite clunky machines offered in a variety of ugly surgical-looking colours. SURI are different, they want to make your teeth brushing experience a pleasurable one.
They have a few different colours to choose from, including off-white, black, green and blue. They are subtle pastel-like colours that compliment the sleek design.
The design shouldn’t matter but it does. It makes me feel good every time I go to reach for it. Plus, the compact base makes the toothbrush really easy to travel with. It takes up very little space in my rucksack and thanks to the slimline case, it stays nice and clean.
I also find the slimline toothbrush base easy to hold in my hand. Bonus points for the fact that this also makes the brush easy to travel with! It slots in perfectly alongside my Make Waves Deodorant and Kri Skincare products.
Made using eco-friendly materials
The reason I bought my SURI Toothbrush in the first place was because of how eco-friendly it is in comparison to other electric toothbrushes. They have ditched petroleum-based plastics which live permanently on top of landfill in favour of plant-based corn starch, castor oil and metal. All of which can be recycled or composted in a specialist facility by SURI.
They make the recycling of your used plant-based heads easy by sending Freepost bags with your order. Add your old heads into the bag, seal it, and then pop it in the post box. It couldn’t get any easier!
I believe the eco-friendly materials actually make the unit look more high-end than other electric toothbrushes. The base is made using metal which looks really sleek and the plant-based heads have a lovely matte look to them.
Update (September 2024): During my chat with Gyve (co-founder of SURI) I found out about all the awesome things they are testing. They are always looking for ways to be more sustainable, particularly with their plant-based heads, and whilst I can’t share any of it with you right now, I’ll be sure to once it has been signed off on! No company is 100% perfect, but it is great to hear that they are all always looking to improve.
Broken brushes are refurbished
SURI have made their toothbrushes repairable. Since all technology is prone to breaking, it is good to know that your brush won’t just end up on the tip! So, if your SURI Toothbrush does happen to break you will get a replacement sent to you within a matter of days and your old one will be refurbished or used for parts.*
After 2 years of using mine (in August 2024), a metal component on the toothbrush base came loose. It caused a rattling noise and was prone to collecting gunk underneath (gross, I know). Therefore, I decided to contact their customer service who responded within 24 hours and sent a replacement to me within 2 days. I was provided with a Freepost bag to send back my old broken brush and they told me it would be recycled.
Gyve, the co-founder of SURI, told me that they used to repair brushes on demand. But this meant customers had to wait a few weeks. So instead, they send out a replacement straight away (which may or may not be a refurbished unit) and then refurbish your old brush afterwards. Cutting down the wait time significantly, whilst also keeping things eco-friendly!
In addition to the eco-friendly materials they use to create the toothbrush, this is what makes SURI the most sustainable electric toothbrush you can buy.
*If your brush is out of warranty then you may need to pay a small fee of around £25. My brush was still under warranty after 2 years!
The negatives
To write an honest and in-depth SURI Toothbrush review, I want to share both the good and the bad. There are always improvements that can be made and whilst these weren’t a dealbreaker for me, they could be for you!
Made in China
Whilst the SURI Toothbrush is undoubtedly the most sustainable electric toothbrush you can buy, it is still made in China. This does add quite a few air miles to the product.
However, they don’t hide this piece of information from their buyers and I have been told by the founders that even if they manufactured closer to home, most parts would still need to come from China. So it is better to keep everything there and reduce extra unnecessary shipping of parts.
They are still looking for alternative manufacturing options. But, for now, I still see this toothbrush as being the most sustainable. Other alternatives are also made in China but are also made using materials that aren’t as eco-friendly.
No pressure sensor
This may well be an issue unique to me, but my dentist is always telling me off for putting too much pressure when brushing my teeth. I am often not aware that I am doing it, so I would benefit from a pressure sensor on my toothbrush. Unfortunately, this is not a feature of the SURI Toothbrush and it is the one thing that I would love to see added!
Because of my inability to properly gauge the correct amount of pressure, I do get through my toothbrush heads quicker than other people. My family all look after theirs and the heads last between 2 to 3 months with no issues, whilst mine only last between 1 to 2 months.
Despite this being completely my fault, I would still love to see a pressure sensor added to this toothbrush to help me out. Although, obviously it isn’t a dealbreaker for me!
SURI Toothbrush review verdict
I am very happy that I have finally found an effective and sustainable electric toothbrush with great battery life and a sleek design. Despite a minor breakage, which SURI quickly resolved, it held up well for 2 years and outlasted any other electric toothbrush I’ve owned.
I have come to terms with the fact that SURI is still manufactured in China on the basis that you can’t find any other electric toothbrush that isn’t. At least SURI gives you the option to ditch the plastic with their repairable aluminium base and their compostable plant-based heads. You do need to send the heads back to SURI for composting, but this is easy to do with the supplied Freepost envelope.
Thanks to its slim design and handy travel case, it has become an essential item on my holiday packing list! The long charge keeps it going without the need to charge for over a month and the toothbrush heads last long enough to allow me to travel for months on end!
I have been recommending SURI to my friends and family ever since I purchased mine and so far every single one of them has been impressed with this toothbrush! I’m certain you’ll love yours too. And if it isn’t perfect, they have a great track record with their customer service and will be on hand to help fix your unit if necessary!
Alternatives to SURI
Whilst I wholeheartedly recommend the SURI Toothbrush to everyone and believe that it is as effective as the main competitors, like Philips Sonicare and Oral B Pro, there may be reasons why you feel it isn’t suitable for your needs. Whether it is for aesthetic reasons or monetary reasons, there are a few alternatives to SURI that I would recommend you check out:
| Brand | Type | Eco Credentials | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| SURI | Electric brush | Long battery life, repairable body, plant-based heads | From £75 |
| Booheads | Heads for Sonicare | Made from bamboo, fits existing Sonicare & ordo brushes | £9.99 (for 2) |
| Ordo | Electric brush | Recyclable toothbrush heads | £34.99 |
| Greenzla | Manual brush | Made from bamboo, biodegradable & compostable | £21.48 (for 12) |
| Brushboo | Electric brush | Made from bamboo | £49.99 |
I hope you enjoyed my SURI Toothbrush review! If you have any questions, drop them in the comments box below.
Leave a Reply