{"id":735212,"date":"2026-08-12T03:32:11","date_gmt":"2026-08-12T03:32:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/735212\/"},"modified":"2026-08-12T03:32:11","modified_gmt":"2026-08-12T03:32:11","slug":"suri-core-1-0-electric-toothbrush-review-this-new-budget-model-is-still-sustainable-and-the-one-id-buy-health-wellbeing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/735212\/","title":{"rendered":"Suri Core 1.0 electric toothbrush review: this new budget model is still sustainable \u2013 and the one I\u2019d buy | Health & wellbeing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last year\u2019s Suri 2.0 toothbrush<\/a> was a huge improvement on its predecessor. It fixed a handful of things that made the original hard for me to recommend, while continuing to focus on sustainability with recyclable heads made of cornstarch and castor oil.<\/p>\n

The Guardian\u2019s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link.\u00a0Learn more<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But that kind of innovation doesn\u2019t come cheap, and the Suri 2.0 brush costs \u00a3105 with the charging case, or \u00a385 without<\/a> (an option that wasn\u2019t available at launch).<\/p>\n

Now Suri has sought to tackle that problem with a cheaper brush: the Suri Core 1.0. It\u2019s \u00a365, and keeps the key improvements of Suri 2.0 (now rebranded as Suri Pro 2.0), making it a strong option for those who put sustainability at the top of their shopping priorities.<\/p>\n

View at Suri<\/a>View at Boots<\/a>How I testedPutting it to the test \u2026 the Core 1.0 was used daily for a fortnight and compared with the Pro 2.0. Photograph: Alan Martin\/The Guardian<\/p>\n

Having tested more than 30 brushes for the Filter\u2019s guide to the best electric toothbrushes<\/a>, this isn\u2019t my first toothbrushing rodeo, if you\u2019ll excuse the confusing mental image. In short, you brush, brush and brush again<\/a> \u2013 well beyond the twice-a-day recommendation of dentists and into obsessive territory.<\/p>\n

While brushing, I look for grip, how it feels in the mouth and \u2013 most importantly \u2013 how clean my teeth feel after use. That may sound pretty basic, but having tested so many electric toothbrushes, some really do feel more effective than others, and clearly cope better with stubborn plaque.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, Suri gave me the Core 1.0 brush two weeks ahead of launch day, so I\u2019ve been using it every day since. I also have a Suri Pro 2.0 brush for direct comparison.<\/p>\n

Suri Core 1.0 electric toothbrush: what you need to knowCore values \u2026 Suri\u2019s cheaper toothbrush retains a pressure sensor and wireless charging. Photograph: Alan Martin\/The GuardianView at Suri<\/a>View at Boots<\/a><\/p>\n

The Suri Core 1.0 is Suri\u2019s first attempt at a lower-cost brush. Given the 1.0 in the title, it\u2019s safe to assume it won\u2019t be the last, either.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, the cost-cutting required to produce a cheaper toothbrush hasn\u2019t seen a return to the weak spots of the now-retired first-generation Suri brush. The Suri Core 1.0 has a pressure sensor and a wireless charging cradle \u2013 not the more easily breakable spring-pin base of the original.<\/p>\n

It also uses the same cornstarch and castor oil heads that you can send back free for recycling. There\u2019s also a two-minute timer with a friendly buzz every 30 seconds to remind you to move on to the next mouth quadrant.<\/p>\n

So what is it missing, exactly? The motor is slightly weaker, producing 28,000 sonic vibrations per minute, rather than the 30,000 on the Suri Pro 2.0, and the battery lasts up to four weeks, rather than more than four weeks as the more expensive model promises. Its plastic handle is made from more than 90% bio-circular material (including used cooking oil and other waste feedstocks), rather than the aluminium of previous models (it\u2019s still IPX7 waterproof).<\/p>\n

But the biggest change is that the Suri Core 1.0 brush doesn\u2019t come with a case. Granted, you can now buy the Suri Pro 2.0 without a case<\/a>, but you can always buy one at a later date. Not so with the Suri Core 1.0: it\u2019s slightly shorter than the more expensive model, so doesn\u2019t fit snugly, and it won\u2019t charge within it either.<\/p>\n

However, for travel, there\u2019s a plant-based head cover included, and there\u2019s a travel lock to stop it going off in your bag.<\/p>\n

All of this will set you back \u00a365. For comparison, the Suri Pro 2.0 is \u00a3105 with a charging case, or \u00a385 without.<\/p>\n

Suri Core 1.0 specifications<\/p>\n

Type: sonic
Modes: two (clean and polish)
Power: up to 28,000 BPM
Pressure sensor? Yes
Battery life: up to four weeks
App? No
Warranty: one year (extended to two years with registration)<\/p>\n

What we loveFresh feeling \u2026 the Core 1.0 offers a similar level of mouth cleanliness to the pricier Pro 2.0. Photograph: Alan Martin\/The Guardian<\/p>\n

The main thing to celebrate about the Suri Core 1.0 is how little the company has had to cut to make a cheaper brush. It would have been easy for the company to simply stuff the now-retired original Suri brush\u2019s innards into the new bio-circular plastic shell, flaws and all.<\/p>\n

But Suri hasn\u2019t done that: a pressure sensor and wireless charging \u2013 by far the biggest improvements in Suri Pro 2.0 over its predecessor \u2013 are present. Given I got through no fewer than three spring-pin chargers on my original brush, that\u2019s quite a big deal.<\/p>\n

double quotation markThere\u2019s little difference in performance between the Core 1.0 and Pro 2.0<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, if I were to do a blind test on the Suri Pro 2.0 and Suri Core 1.0 \u2013 something I\u2019d not advise if you don\u2019t want to spend the rest of the day cleaning your mirror \u2013 I\u2019m not convinced I\u2019d be able to tell the difference in performance either. The motor speed is only 6.7% lower, after all, and while the Suri Pro 2.0 is weightier and clearly more premium with its cold-to-the-touch aluminium finish, there\u2019s not much in it.<\/p>\n

Trying both side by side reveals a similar feel, and a similar level of mouth cleanliness. And while the Core 1.0 has a battery life that\u2019s \u201cup to a month\u201d rather than \u201cover a month\u201d, it doesn\u2019t feel that this will make much of a difference in practical terms. Indeed, Suri tells me the Core 1.0 has a 700mAh cell to the Suri Pro 2.0\u2019s 800mAh, so not a huge difference.<\/p>\n

And then, of course, there\u2019s Suri\u2019s main selling point: its sustainability credentials. Like its pricier sibling, the brush uses heads made from cornstarch with castor oil bristles. These can be sent back to Suri for recycling, with compostable postage-paid envelopes supplied to make the process as frictionless as possible. A pack of three<\/a> costs \u00a314.99, but you can subscribe and receive two every six months for \u00a38.98 so you\u2019re never stuck using a head past its best.<\/p>\n

The Core 1.0\u2019s head is white, giving the brush a two-tone design with whichever base colour you pick. The heads are the same for every model, so there\u2019s nothing stopping you getting a colour designed for the Suri Pro 2.0 instead \u2013 though it won\u2019t exactly match the colour of the base. This is a deliberate design decision, according to Suri, to prevent people confusing the Core 1.0 with the 2.0.<\/p>\n

What we don\u2019t love<\/p>\n

Tackling the elephant in the room first, is the lack of travel case a problem? For me, not particularly. With Suri Pro 2.0, the company introduced a travel lock and a plant-based travel head cover, and both are present here. Once capped and locked with a long press of the power button, you can toss the Suri Core 1.0 in your bag and not worry about it getting dirty or being misidentified as a bomb threat.<\/p>\n

The Pro 2.0 case<\/a> on its own costs \u00a330, so this seems like a sensible cost-saving decision \u2013 and more sustainable too, given that the case contains a battery (used to power a UVC light cleaner).<\/p>\n

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double quotation markThe Core 1.0 offers a respectable clean, but some cheaper rivals pack more punch<\/p>\n

But you can\u2019t decide to simply buy this case later, as the Core 1.0 is slightly shorter than the 2.0, meaning it rattles around rather than fitting snugly. And it won\u2019t charge in the case either, even when cleanly touching the base. You can still use the UVC light on it, as the size difference isn\u2019t huge. All the same, this feels like artificially weakening the Core 1.0 to give users more reason to buy the Suri Pro 2.0, and that leaves a slightly bad taste in the mouth.<\/p>\n

Speaking of bad tastes in the mouth, while both of Suri\u2019s brushes offer a very respectable clean that\u2019s far superior to any manual toothbrush, their maximum power of 28,000\/30,000 BPM feels considerably less powerful than most of their electric toothbrush rivals.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to spend a fortune for something more powerful, either: the Odonta PowerPlus brush reaches 42,000 BPM, and it costs just \u00a329.99<\/a>. Though I have to say that it pays to go higher: the Laifen Wave Pro<\/a> (66,000 BPM) and Spotlight Pro<\/a> (50,000 RPM, both about \u00a399) have been my go-to when teeth have felt extra furry after a night on the cider.<\/p>\n

SustainabilityHeads up \u2026 Suri\u2019s plant-based brush heads can be returned for recycling. Photograph: Alan Martin\/The Guardian<\/p>\n

Sustainability, as ever, is Suri\u2019s strongest suit. The world of electric toothbrushes isn\u2019t an especially sustainable one, but B Corp-certified Suri is at least making efforts in the right direction.<\/p>\n

Beyond the recyclable plant-based heads, the packaging is moulded sugarcane pulp and the new shell is made from more than 90% bio-circular material \u2013 plastic made from cooking waste, largely \u2013 to reduce reliance on petroleum-based materials. It\u2019s debatable whether this is a more ecological choice than the aluminium used on the original Suri, but the lack of bundled travel case means one fewer plastic, battery-containing accessory.<\/p>\n

There are limitations to Suri\u2019s ecological ambitions \u2013 you can\u2019t make an electric toothbrush without a built-in battery, after all \u2013 but the founders acknowledge it\u2019s not a \u201cperfect business\u201d in the company\u2019s latest impact report. \u201cAs we continue to grow we want to fully own what that growth creates \u2013 the emissions, the complexity, the gaps we haven\u2019t yet closed,\u201d it reads.<\/p>\n

Still, the progress is promising: two tonnes of brush heads collected (with the company using some to make soap dishes<\/a>), 201kg of packaging removed by changes to its design, and a clearer idea of where the majority of its carbon emissions come from, which it says will help it make further reductions. You can read the 2025 impact report<\/a> for yourself.<\/p>\n

Suri Core 1.0: should I buy it?<\/p>\n

It would have been easy for Suri to repackage its retired 1.0 brush in a new plastic coating and call it a new product. But the company hasn\u2019t taken that route, instead maintaining a pressure sensor, travel lock, plant-based travel head cover and wireless charging of the Suri Pro 2.0 model.<\/p>\n

For me, the compromises over the Suri Pro 2.0 brush are so minor that if I had to pick a Suri toothbrush today, the Core 1.0 is the one I\u2019d choose. Sure, there\u2019s no travel case, but that\u2019s a minor inconvenience, and better for the planet.<\/p>\n

But I have to admit that other toothbrushes I\u2019ve tested have offered a better clean than either of these Suri brushes, so it really depends on your priorities. If you want the best clean possible or need a more affordable brush, I\u2019ve included some alternatives below. But if sustainability is your number-one concern, then this is a toothbrush you should certainly consider.<\/p>\n

View at Suri<\/a>View at Boots<\/a>Suri Core 1.0 vs \u2026Suri Pro 2.0 electric toothbrush Photograph: Alan Martin\/The GuardianFrom \u00a385 at Suri<\/a>From \u00a385 at Boots<\/a><\/p>\n

When I wrote my Suri Pro 2.0 review<\/a>, it was \u00a3105 with the case included. You can now buy it as a stand-alone brush for \u00a385, so is it worth spending the additional \u00a320 or \u00a340 over the Suri Core 1.0?<\/p>\n

My feeling is \u201cno\u201d for the former, and \u201cmaybe\u201d for the latter. The brush has 2,000 BPM more power in the motor, a slightly longer battery life and an aluminium frame, all of which are \u2013 as far as I\u2019m concerned \u2013 nice to have rather than essential. But given the Suri Core 1.0 doesn\u2019t support the travel case, the \u00a3105 bundle is a different proposition for frequent travellers, or germophobes who want to take advantage of the built-in UVC disinfection light.<\/p>\n

Laifen Wave Pro electric toothbrush Photograph: Alan Martin\/The Guardian\u00a399.99 at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

Most electric toothbrush heads either vibrate or oscillate to clean. Laifen has discovered this doesn\u2019t have to be an either\/or decision, building a toothbrush that does both.<\/p>\n

The result is by far the most thorough clean my teeth have had outside a dentist\u2019s chair. With three modes on the brush, all customisable to 1,000 different combinations in the app, you can get up to 66,000 BPM and 60 degrees of oscillation for two types of cleaning on your teeth. If you\u2019re put off by having to use an app, rest assured that, once you\u2019ve set it to your liking, you can forget it exists.<\/p>\n

Odonta PowerPlus electric toothbrush Photograph: Alan Martin\/The Guardian\u00a329.99 at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

If money is tight, you can\u2019t do better than the Odonta PowerPlus. At just \u00a329.99, it\u2019s the cheapest brush I\u2019ve tested that comes with a built-in pressure sensor (an upgrade that usually starts around the \u00a365 mark). On top of that, it features 42,000 BPM of power across five different brushing modes, IPX7 water resistance and three weeks of battery life.<\/p>\n

For the same price, Odonta also has the PowerLite<\/a>, which is aimed at people who want something lighter for travel. Despite having a smaller frame, it doubles the battery life, but you do lose the pressure sensor and a little power, at 40,000 BPM.<\/p>\n

For more:
The best electric toothbrushes for every budget<\/a>
How to make your toothbrush last longer<\/a>
The best water flossers \u2013 tested<\/a><\/p>\n

Alan Martin is a writer who has been putting products \u2013 including phones, gaming devices and wearables \u2013 through their paces for more than a decade. Although he wouldn\u2019t call teeth brushing a hobby, it\u2019s something he\u2019s been doing for decades with a degree of aptitude that has largely satisfied dentists<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Last year\u2019s Suri 2.0 toothbrush was a huge improvement on its predecessor. It fixed a handful of things…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":735213,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[59,86,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-735212","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-gb","tag-technology","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/735212","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=735212"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/735212\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/735213"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=735212"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=735212"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=735212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}