Water flossers, also known as oral irrigators, cost a lot more up-front than string floss. And they can still be pretty uncomfortable to use—get ready to drool. Also, there’s no clear evidence that they’re superior to traditional floss. Yet some people really like the way the water jets feel between their teeth, and some find it’s easier to work with a wand than a piece of string. Of the 14 models we’ve tested, we recommend the Waterpik Ion, a compact traditional water flosser with a cordless charging base. It cleans mouths thoroughly and takes up less counter space than most of its competitors.
Our pick
This countertop flosser made our mouths feel the cleanest, and it can operate cordlessly (between the unit and the wall), which saves a ton of counter space.
Testers unanimously chose the Waterpik Ion as the best countertop water flosser both in terms of cleaning and saving counter space. It tied with our runner-up pick, the Waterpik Aquarius Professional, for being the “most likely to deliver that ‘just left the dentist’ feeling.” But the Ion’s unique cordless charging base is a significant upgrade because it successfully mitigates one of the biggest hurdles we’ve had with traditional water flossers: needing an outlet near your countertop. (A cord connects the flossing device to the countertop water tank.)
The Ion has 10 pressure settings and comes with multiple tips of different stream widths. So you should be able to dial in a setting with the mix of comfort and effectiveness you prefer. This model also comes with a three-year warranty, which is as long as we’ve seen.
Runner-up
This model cleans just as well as our pick, and it has the same warranty and 10 pressure settings. But it’s slightly larger, and it requires an outlet and more counter space.
The Waterpik Aquarius Professional cleans mouths just as well as the Ion, and it has the same 10 pressure settings and three-year warranty. This model does, however, require more counter space than most flossers, and it needs to be plugged in while you use it. Even so, we found it easy to use and clean, like the Ion. The Aquarius Professional is the only one of our picks that comes with a “massage” setting, which emits pulses of water.
Also great
This handheld, battery-operated cordless model is powerful and more portable than our countertop picks.
If you’d like to use a water flosser in places other than at the sink (such as in the shower), consider the Philips Sonicare Power Flosser 3000 Cordless. It’s a portable, cordless flosser that’s as powerful as our other picks. Unlike its countertop counterparts (which feature large water reservoirs and handheld sprayers), this battery-operated flosser combines the sprayer with a single-use reservoir, for an all-in-one, handheld experience. Plus, this model fits in a bathroom drawer (or a suitcase) between uses.
Budget pick
Another portable, handheld model, this flosser requires AA batteries and more-frequent refilling when compared with our other cordless pick.
The Waterpik Cordless Express is the best cordless water flosser under $50 we’ve tested. Its reservoir is a lot smaller than that on the Power Flosser 3000 Cordless (5 ounces compared to 8), and it produces a less powerful stream, but it gets the job done—for half the price of the Power Flosser 3000 Cordless.
