Quip cordless water flosser review - Electric Teeth (2024)

How the Quip cordless water flosser looks, feels and works

The Quip cordless water flosser comes packaged in a very simple and relatively nondescript cardboard box.

White in color the front has the outline of the flosser printed on it in black.

2 color matched stickers seal the box and show which colored unit is inside.

I purchased the copper metal unit for this review.

The box might look a bit boring to some, but there isn’t the need for it to be too glam as you won’t likely be shopping for this in a store. It doesn’t need to capture your attention.

Quip is sold online and the box is doing nothing more than holding the unit pieces together and protecting it for transportation.

The good news is because the box is paper based everything is recyclable. There are no single use plastics in use here.

Included is just what you need to get up and running, no unnecessary extras.

Premium looking flosser

I am using the premium metal handled flosser and I have to say it is one of, if not the best looking cordless flosser on the market today.

In this copper metal color it looks fantastic.

Quip does offer more affordable options made from plastic, but there is something about the feeling of the metal.

I must give Quip praise for the design and styling. There is a great deal of consistency across their product range and synergy between products that just work. You can really tell the toothbrush and water flosser are from the same company.

It is nice to have the option of color matching too.

It is not all that often that you can get a copper metal toothbrush and water flosser.

Cordless flossers by their very nature are a little bulky, but Quip has done its best to make it look and feel more compact in the hand.

My small to average sized man hands grip the unit fairly well.

It doesn’t feel, in my opinion at least, quite as comfortable and secure in hand as the more shapely Waterpik Cordless Advanced, but I have held products that feel far less comfortable.

There is a definite minimal look to the flosser which I defy you to dislike.

In the upper half of the unit are 2 buttons. The top one, with Quips ‘q’ icon in it, controls the water flow. The lower circular button with the LED in the middle allows you to switch between the different pressure settings/modes.

The remainder of the front is free of any notable ports or controls. The only other stand out feature here is the Quip logo debossed into the material.

From a top or side profile, you will see how the unit has a rounded rectangle/ovalish shape to it. It certainly isn’t a cylinder like a toothbrush.

The sides of the flosser are smooth to the touch.

There are essentially 2 halves to the flosser, albeit they do not detach from one another.

The front half has the battery, pump and electronics needed to power this unit.

The rear half is the water tank or reservoir if you prefer.

On this copper unit and with most other variants the tank is a slightly opaque plastic. You can see the water level through it easily.

On the all-black option, this reservoir is black in color.

The base of the flosser is flat, so it stands upright on a countertop. There is a recess into which the magnetic charging cable attaches.

The top of the flosser is split in two. It is angled too for a more interesting design aesthetic.

In one half the magnetic flosser tip attaches. The other half is the hinged lid for the water tank.

The lid won’t stay open – but is larger than some for easier filling

The water tank on the back of the Quip cordless flosser holds up to approximately 150ml or 5 fluid ounces.

This is quite a bit less than the 7oz /207ml of the Waterpik Cordless Advanced and the 8.4oz/250ml of the Sonicare 3000.

However, as I will explain later it isn’t necessarily as big an issue as one might think at first.

The lid or reservoir door, if you prefer, is actually a bit larger than most meaning it is a bit easier to fill the tank quickly and potentially with less spillage and mess.

But, there are too a couple of inconveniences or things to be aware of.

Because this has to be filled from the top the basin in which you are filling it needs to be quite deep to allow the flosser to fit under the tap.

With most flossers, you can tilt the unit into an almost horizontal position which means you don’t require such depth to the sink to fill the tank. It is a small thing, but something that could be an issue for some.

Linked to this is that the lid doesn’t stay open.

Unless you can tilt the unit a little, when filling the flosser you need to hold the lid open as it will flop closed otherwise.

It might sound silly, but in practice, it can potentially make filling up more awkward. With other flossers, the doors are positioned and hinged in such a way (most of the time) that this doesn’t pose an issue.

When it comes to drying out the tank to help keep it clean and prevent any mold buildup inside it is also more challenging. Ideally, you want the lid to remain open to allow plenty of airflow for thorough drying. Unless you push down on it to clip it shut properly, there is a small gap for ventilation, but it isn’t what most would want.

2 pressure settings and 2 mode settings

In use, you have a few different ways of using or configuring the flosser.

The upper of the 2 buttons control the water flow.

Your choices are:

• On-demand
• Continuous/steady

Give the button a more gentle press and it will activate the on-demand flow. As soon as you let go the water stops flowing.

Press the button firmly, hear the click and the steady or continuous mode is now active. The water keeps flowing until you press the button again or the water runs out.

Both buttons give a bit of feedback. They are quite firm but not too stiff. They are certainly not spongy and not really clickly. You don’t get that audible feedback from the button as you might with some.

The lower of the 2 buttons control the pressure of the water flow.

You have 2 choices:

• Gentle – White light
• Deep clean – Blue light

As the names imply the pressure of the water flow out through the tip is either softer and more gentle or faster and more powerful.

Which mode you opt for is your choice and personal preference.

There are likely arguments that the deep clean mode is more effective, but the pressure of the water is only one part of the equation, time and technique play a key role too.

It is better to floss every day with the gentle mode than to floss every couple of days with the deep clean mode for example.

It will remember the mode you last used, you don’t have to select the mode each time you use the flosser.

Therefore combined you essentially have 4 different combinations to choose between, based on your preferences. Your choices are:

• Gentle & on-demand
• Gentle & continuous
• Deep clean & on-demand
• Deep clean & continuous

If you are used to water flossers already, you might be wondering how the power or pressure of the water flow of Quip compares.

I am unable to confirm exactly as Quip doesn’t make public the pressure of the water on each mode.

From my testing, I would suggest that the gentle mode is equivalent to approximately level 4-5 on a Waterpik unit, therefore about 40-50 PSI.

Flossing time might not be long enough

When used continuously with the gentle pressure setting, it takes about 60 seconds to drain the tank of the Quip cordless water flosser.

Change the mode to deep clean and you get about 35 seconds of use.

You might feel differently, but having tested many flossers we feel that you need about 45 seconds of usage time to be able to achieve a thorough clean of the gumline and interdental spaces. Therefore the deep clean mode might not be long enough for you. You may need to refill the tank to get a complete clean.

This is not an issue if you are happy with the gentle mode.

No timer or pacer built-in

It isn’t commonplace, but some cordless water flossers have a timer and pacer built into the unit.

This works like a pacer would on an electric toothbrush, the idea being it helps you to achieve an even clean of the teeth.

This cordless flosser does not have one. Therefore it is down to you to make sure you clean all the teeth evenly.

Quip suggests spending approximately 2 seconds cleaning each tooth.

1 floss tip style only

At the time of review, Quip offers one style of flossing tip/nozzle.

It is what is often known as a jet tip.

A plastic tube with an angled tip that narrows to help push the water out. The angled tip is set to about 45 degrees. This means when the flosser unit itself is angled at about 45 degrees (the natural angle to hold it at), the tip is at 90 degrees, or thereabouts to the gumline.

There isn’t a lot of evidence to say there is a need for multiple tip styles, but market leader Waterpik offers quite a few.

The different styles are designed to aid different people who have different needs.

There are those designed to help clean around braces and orthodontic appliances and others to help clean gum pockets and around restorations such as crowns and implants.

Often these alternatives have bristles attached to them or soft tips rather than hard plastic to aid with cleaning.

It is open to interpretation, but as a general rule Quips flosser and the current jet tip are going to be best suited to the user who doesn’t have periodontal disease or more complex oral care needs.

To find which is right for you or if you need a specialized tip at all, consult with your dentist or dental hygienist.

The magnetic flossing tip is neat but does not effortlessly rotate

The flossing tip provided magnetizes into place. This is neat, I like it. I don’t think I have seen any other water flossers do this. Most use some sort of physical clipping mechanism.

Where other flossers require you to press a button to release the tip, this doesn’t. You just release it by pulling the tip away from the body of the flosser.

It is designed to rotate a full 360 degrees, like tips on many other flossers.

There is a problem though.

The magnet is just too strong. It holds the tip in place, but too securely.

I could not remove the nozzle with wet hands. I had to dry them and even then pull really quite hard to cause it to detach.

Yes, it will spin a full 360 degrees, which in principle is perfect. But, in reality, it doesn’t. It is difficult and nigh on impossible to rotate whilst in use.

You really have to rotate it when the flosser is off.

It requires a really strong pinch on the flosser to rotate it. It does not effortlessly rotate as the Quip sales page would suggest and it is not therefore easy to get the right angle.

You can rotate it in use if you use the opposite hand to the one you are holding it with.

If the magnet was weaker it would be a bit easier. But, I still think it would be tricky as you have little to grip onto. Waterpik does it right with large finned rotating wheels that allow you to rotate the nozzle with a fingertip, whilst flossing. It really is effortless on the Cordless Advanced.

Gum protection feature doesn’t work

It isn’t mentioned on Quips sales page, but on this page about the flossers features, a gum protection mode is written about.

It says “ You’ll want to be extra careful not to floss with the Floss Tip pressed directly against your gums as this will trigger the automatic shut-off sensor. (And can also damage your gums!)”

A similar message is repeated here when it comes to troubleshooting.

“Please note, that the Rechargeable Cordless Water Flosser has a built-in sensor and will shut down if the nozzle is placed too close to your gums. If you are finding that your Water Flosser is shutting down frequently while in use, you may be flossing too close to your gum line”

It doesn’t work for me. Whatever I tried it just carried on, no shut-off. Even when I placed my finger over the tip, nothing.

It is another neat feature if it works. I don’t think I have used a water flosser with this before.

Automatic shut-off at 2 minutes

No matter what pressure setting you use, you will have exhausted the water if you leave it running for more than a minute. Therefore, this water flosser is designed to automatically power off after 2 minutes of continuous use.

This is a safety feature to avoid wearing out the pump etc.

If you want to use it for several minutes, you don’t need to. It is best to stop and restart the device between each refill of the tank.

Water flossing can be messy

This is more applicable to new users of water flossers as you need to learn and practice the technique to limit the amount of water that gets sprayed around you.

Even for long time users it is easy to make a mess. One false move and water is shooting in all different directions.

This applies to all water flossers and isn’t unique to Quip alone, but it can be messy.

It is a trade-off for the easier approach than regular string floss. I raise it as something to be aware of because it will likely happen.

Familiarize yourself with how you should use it and remember as best as possible to close the lips around the flosser tip to limit unwanted spray.

Being cordless has its advantages and disadvantages

Being cordless can be useful because you are not bound by wires.

You can move around a little more freely, you can travel with it and it can be used in places where there isn’t a fixed power supply.

Compare this to the generally more bulky and heavy countertop units that have to have a power outlet to function.

The disadvantage is that you don’t get the same usage time from a full tank. You get only 35-60 seconds from Quip compared to the several minutes you can get from the countertop units.

Some of the larger ones have tanks of 600ml in capacity which is 4x the 150ml on offer here.

Another downside is the lack of additional pressure settings. You don’t necessarily need them, but many countertop units have 10 settings rather than the 2 available on Quip.

Water resistant

By the very nature of the device, it has been designed to be water resistant.

Quip doesn’t specifically state that you can or can’t use it in the shower, but it should be ok to do so.

Where’s the travel case?

I will be the first to say it isn’t essential, but I would have thought Quip would have included or at least offered as an optional accessory some sort of travel case or pouch.

It need not be some hard plastic case, but a soft drawstring pouch would’ve be nice.

When on the go the nozzle can be stored in the water tank, but that doesn’t prevent any residual moisture from dripping out from the top of the flosser.

A soft pouch would absorb some of this and prevent the unit a little from damage and accidental activation.

Sadly no such case is provided or offered.

It is a little surprising to me given a big unique selling feature of Quips toothbrush is the case cum wall mount.

1 year or lifetime warranty subject to subscription

The warranty you get with Quips flosser depends on whether you remain subscribed or not.

Remain subscribed, and your warranty is extended for the life of your subscription. I can’t fault this.

Cancel the subscription or not take it out in the first place and the warranty is just 1 year from the date of the original purchase.

1 year is ok, but most companies now offer 2 years.

A lifetime warranty is great, but the catch is the subscription, which as I demonstrate in the pricing section can work out more expensive.

Battery life

Quip suggests up to 8 weeks of battery life when using the more gentle mode.

When using the more intense mode, the battery life is suggested to be around 6 weeks.

In both instances, this assumes the flosser is being used once a day.

In my testing, using the deep clean mode, I achieved 60 flossing sessions.

That is equivalent to 60 days of use or about 8 and a half weeks on a full charge.

I haven’t done a battery life test on the gentle mode.

Rechargeable battery built-in

Sealed inside the flosser handle is a rechargeable battery.

Quip isn’t too explicit about the battery type of capacity, but I believe it to be a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) battery.

It is not user removable or replaceable.

Whilst the battery should last many years, it is a real shame that more effort hasn’t been made to offer an opportunity to replace the battery if required.

This is likely linked to safety and ensuring water resistance. It is something that needs to change.

What the battery LED notifications mean

Within the pressure mode button on the flosser is an LED that is lit in different colors depending on what the flosser is doing and the remaining charge in the battery.

This is so very useful.

When the flosser is on charge:

• Solid green LED – Fully charged battery (after about 4 hours)
• Pulsing orange LED – Battery is charging

When the flosser is off charge:

• Solid orange LED – Battery is low and requires recharging

Easy to use magnetic USB charging cable

Recharging the battery is fairly straightforward thanks to the easy to use magnetic USB charging cable.

White in color the flat cable is about 90cm/3 feet in length.

It has a male USB Type A connector at one end and a proprietary magnetic charging pin style connector at the other.

The Quip specific connector has a silver ring and gold pin that aligns with the same on the base

of the unit. The fact it is magnetic allows the cable to effortlessly snap into place.

Thankfully there are no fiddly port covers to remove or deal with.

There is a recess on the base of the flosser, so that it can still stand upright on a countertop when the cable is connected.

You then need to connect the USB connector at the other end to a power source and give it about 4 hours to charge fully.

The cable is a neat and compact solution. It is far less bulky than the magnetic charger with the Waterpik Cordless Advanced for example.

However, it isn’t perfect.

Being a custom connector for Quip means sourcing replacement cables are more difficult. If you mislay your charging cable for example you won’t be able to use another until you find it or get a new one.

The Sonicare Cordless 3000 power flosser is an example of a unit that is much more convenient because it uses the more universal USB type c connector. Many people have these power cables already and they are easy to source.

No USB wall adapter is included

Quip does not provide a 2 pin wall USB wall adapter in the box.

This will be a real frustration for many as you will need to source one or use one you already own to recharge the flosser from a wall outlet.

It is a small additional hurdle to overcome for some before you can start using it. But it does reduce possible electrical waste, which is likely a reason why it is excluded. Many people don’t need or use them.

You can recharge it from other USB enabled products like a computer, laptop or battery bank for example so you are not necessarily as limited as you might think at first.

Price & where to buy

Prices are always subjective and what I think is good value, you might not.

There is an argument that you can’t put a price on obtaining a healthy mouth, but that doesn’t stop manufacturers from trying.

At a headline level, Quips pricing for this flosser is competitive.

Price savings for being direct to consumer

As Quip is primarily a direct to consumer brand, there should be cost savings to be had as they cut out some of the middlemen and additional layers that often increase the price.

I would argue that this does show to a large extent in the retail prices of this flosser.

The cost does differ slightly depending on the material you choose.

The plastic model has a retail price of $50 whilst the premium metal option is available for $70.

$20 extra for a bit of metal is quite expensive. I do think the metal is very nice though.

You can potentially save $5 off the cost of each, with a subscription plan. More on that in a moment.

How do prices compare to the competition?

Burst Oral Care is another US based direct to consumer brand and their cordless water flosser retails for $70.

There are a few technical differences between the two products but they are comparably priced.

Do bear in mind that the competition does use plastic only.

Now if we take a look at the market leader and their premium cordless model, the Advanced, this retails at $99. That is a fair extra cash amount to have to pay. It is potentially a sign of how the larger traditional company has extra cost layers.

That said, the Advanced’s average selling price is around $80. Thus, the $30 difference (compared to the metal Quip) reduces to nearer $10, so the price gap isn’t quite as significant as it might seem at first.

When it comes to replacement nozzles or flosser tips, Waterpik and Quip sell them for about $5 each, whilst Burst charges around $6-7.

Over eager subscription plan

One of the appeals of Quip is the subscription plan. The idea is that consumables are delivered to your door just when you need them. This takes away some of the hassle and inconvenience associated with getting the most from our oral care routine.

There are many companies now offering such, but Quip was one of the first within the oral care space and it is an approach that makes sense for many.

But, there is a bit of a catch.

The consumable part of a water flosser is the flossing tip.

In most instances, for a jet style tip like that provided here, recommendations from brands are to replace these every 6 months.

In truth, there is a lot of contention about whether it needs to be replaced that often, but that’s a whole separate discussion.

Quip’s subscription plan is set to 3 monthly replacements. Therefore half the suggested usage time.

In a year where the advice is to use 2 nozzles with a Waterpik, Quip is suggesting 4.

Given that a Waterpik and Quip nozzles cost the same, Quip can soon become a more expensive option.

Now to be fair to Quip, once subscribed you can cancel, pause and amend your subscription plan. But, it is designed to be a bit more of a set and forget style system, so you could easily end up with lots of nozzles and paying more than you really need to.

And there is another catch that is clever from Quips’ perspective but works against you and me a bit.

The retail prices are discounted by $5 making the purchase price look more attractive. But, by default, a large tube of toothpaste is added to your subscription.

Therefore, you save $5 at the time of purchase and get a tube of paste, but at 3 monthly intervals, you are now charged $10 and get a flosser tip and a tube of toothpaste.

Most of us need paste, but it isn’t required with a water flosser. It’s a bit cheeky of Quip to do this and I know people are already confused about how what should be a $5 subscription for tips turns into $10. It is the automatic addition of the toothpaste that does it.

Do remember to gain the lifetime warranty, you need to remain subscribed.

How the long term ownership costs work out

Here at Electric Teeth we like to price things over a 3 year period to get a benchmark cost of ownership. This helps give an approximate figure which can be compared to similar products to aid in your decision making process.

If we were to select the plastic handled flosser, the price would be $50.

Replacement nozzles cost $5 per time ($55 over 3 years).

Assuming you subscribe, over 3 years, the total cost will be $105.

If you went for the premium metal handled flosser, the cost would increase to $120.

Philips Sonicare’s Cordless 3000 costs $102.50 and the Waterpik Cordless Advanced $100.

Therefore realistically they are all similarly priced.

But, there is a potential option to save about $25 off Quip.

Every other 3 months, pause or skip the delivery if you can so that you end up only getting a new flosser tip every 6 months.

Another option is to remain subscribed for 2 years, only replacing the tip every 6 months. At the end of the 2 years, you will have built-up a surplus of nozzles. Cancel the subscription and now you potentially have another couple of years of use without having to buy replacement tips.

Or don’t subscribe at all. You will only get a 1 year warranty, but retain a bit more control over the costs.

Please note that all prices quoted are approximates and will vary based on location, supplier and time of purchase. These figures were correct at the time of writing and should not be relied upon as hard fact, but used as a guide during your decision process.