Family Encyclopedia >> Sports

We tested Colgate's connected toothbrush

The promise.

At the end of 2018, Colgate released a new toothbrush, the Colgate Connect M1. If connected, however, it is manual. To use it, just put a battery in it, connect it to the Colgate Connect app and brush your teeth with the strength of your arm (yes, yes, it still exists!). The application allows you to see how you brush your canines and if it is really effective.

We tested.

First thing to know:even if there is a battery in the toothbrush (supplied), it remains very light. The grip is very pleasant because the handle is non-slip. The brush itself is surprising:the bristles are not at the same height and are placed in a very specific way (bordering the brush and forming 3 circles in the middle). According to the Colgate Connect app, this would permanently remove stains from teeth. Positive point:the head is interchangeable. To connect the Colgate Connect M1, nothing could be simpler:you put the battery in the handle, you download the app, you press "connect a toothbrush", you shake the brush (the bottom of which lights up) and we select the brush code on the app (it then connects automatically). Now let's get down to business:brushing. At first, you have to use the Test Brushing mode, so that the application evaluates how we brush our teeth and detects our movements. Once the test is finished (it ends when we naturally stop brushing our teeth, the application does not guide us here), the application displays our percentage of cleanliness as well as the well-washed areas and… those which are less good. The color code is very clear:the whiter the area, the better, and on the contrary when the area tends towards the area, it is not washed well enough. Once this test has been carried out, you can use the Coach or the Coach +. It works like the game Just Dance:you have to reproduce the movement that you have on the screen, and the following movements are displayed at the top in smaller size. Coach + goes further since it is really real time. We have 3D teeth and we have to brush where the virtual toothbrush is. If you are incorrectly positioned, the % progress per zone stops and starts again when the brush is in a good position. You can of course also choose to brush your teeth without using a coach or without starting the app. If the toothbrush is on (it lights up at the bottom), it will save the brushing data and synchronize it the next time you start the application (=no need to always have your phone with you self). For children, a game mode has been thought out, and it is very intuitive. We are a pirate who must collect gold, and depending on the brushed areas, the pirate moves left or right. If we had to find a negative point, it is that the brush has small nubs on the back for the tongue brush, but this is never used with the application.

The verdict.

We loved the originality of the Colgate Connect M1 which really helps to brush your teeth better while being manual (while all those connected are also electric). The battery lasts 6 months, which means you don't have to worry about it very often. You pay €24.95 for a toothbrush with 2 tubes of toothpaste (whiteness or freshness) and you can then choose to subscribe and receive a kit every 3 months for €9.95, with a spare head and 2 toothpastes. This option is however optional, you can buy new heads without subscribing, always for 9.95 €. We find that this is a very reasonable price compared to connected and electric toothbrushes (which are often sold around 100 € or more, and whose replacement heads are often more expensive), for a promise kept. People who are used to electric brushes will not necessarily be satisfied with the Colgate Connect M1, because yes, you have to brush your teeth by hand, and when you are used to electric brushing, you may have the feeling that manual brushing is less effective. A question of habit in short.