We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Dental & Oral Care Products The 8 Best Wet Flossers and Water Flossers of 2024, Tested and Reviewed Water flossers can help you achieve and maintain teeth and gums. By Kayla Hui, MPH Updated on May 28, 2024 Medically reviewed by Edmund Khoo, DDS Fact checked by Ashleigh Morley Print Verywell Health / Vicky Wasik. Your toothbrush can’t always get between teeth and into periodontal pockets to remove debris, and that’s where flossing comes in. Wet flossers, also known as "water flossers" or "oral irrigators," utilize a pressurized water stream to target hard-to-reach areas and remove food and plaque. Heather Kunen, DDS, MS, New York City-based orthodontist and co-founder of Beam Street, says that water flossing can be a helpful step in your home dental routine (but it shouldn't replace conventional flossing). At the Verywell Testing Lab in New York City, we tested 26 wet flossers, ranging in price. We evaluated each wet flosser and assigned an overall score based on effectiveness, ease of use, settings, and overall value. An orthodontist from our Medical Expert Board reviewed the contents of this article to ensure its accuracy, conventional versus wet flossing, and safe practices. Our Top Picks Best Overall: Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser at Amazon ($80) Jump to Review Best Budget: H2ofloss Water Flosser at Amazon ($50) Jump to Review Best Cordless: Aquasonic Aqua Flosser at Amazon ($40) Jump to Review Best for Braces: Philips Sonicare Power Flosser 5000 at Amazon ($100) Jump to Review Best for Travel: MySmile Cordless Oral Irrigator at Amazon ($55) Jump to Review Best Cordless Waterpik: Waterpik Cordless Advanced Water Flosser at Amazon ($80) Jump to Review Best Budget Waterpik: Waterpik Cordless Express at Amazon ($34) Jump to Review Best Electric Toothbrush and Water Flosser Combo: Waterpik Sonic Fusion Toothbrush & Flosser Combo at Amazon ($200) Jump to Review In This Article Expand Our Picks How We Tested What to Look For Our Experts FAQ Why Trust Verywell Health Best Overall Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser Amazon View On Amazon $80 View On Walmart View On Walgreens $80 Our Ratings Effectiveness 5/5 Ease of Use 5/5 Settings 5/5 Overall Value 5/5 Pros Has a large water tank Comes with seven flossing tips and 10 pressure settings Three-year manufacturer’s warranty Cons The cord connecting the base and flosser wand is short Must be plugged into a wall outlet Why We Recommend It With 10 pressure settings and seven interchangeable flossing tips, the Waterpik Aquarius provides a customizable cleaning experience, though it’ll take a bit of practice—and both hands—to master its operation. Adjusting the pressure settings, controlled by a dial at the machine's base, is a bit awkward initially, but you get used to it. In addition to gooey cheese, it’s effective at removing plaque and improving circulation in the gums. The tank holds 22 ounces of water, which the brand promises is enough for 90 seconds of flossing activity, but we were pleased to find that the reservoir was still half full after completing two full cycles. Keep in Mind The cord that connects the flosser wand to the base is short, so you’ll want to position it close to your sink basin to avoid drips and splashback. Key Specs Charge Type: Electric charge | Reservoir Capacity: 22 oz | Number of Pressure Settings: 10 Best Budget H2ofloss Water Flosser Amazon View On Amazon $50 Our Ratings Effectiveness 4.5/5 Ease of Use 5/5 Overall Value 5/5 Pros Affordable Completely cordless Five pressure settings Cons Small water reservoir Higher pressure modes may be too intense Why We Recommend It If you’ve never tried a water flosser and aren’t sure it’s worth the investment, we recommend the H2ofloss Portable Oral Irrigator. It offers five different nozzles (including a toothbrush head), a tongue cleaner attachment, and five settings. The best part? It’s compact and completely cordless, making it the perfect travel flosser. The design is very clean and practical, with no excessive pieces or extensions. The H2ofloss has a 360-degree rotating head to help you target those hard-to-reach corners of your mouth, and it has a 300-milliliter reservoir that holds just enough water for a full cycle. Keep in Mind Users with sensitive teeth or gums may find the higher pressure settings too intense. We noted that the higher settings were harder to control, and water got everywhere when we tried to use them. Key Specs Charge Type: Battery powered | Reservoir Capacity: 300 mL | Number of Pressure Settings: 5 Verywell Health / Vicky Wasik Verywell Health / Vicky Wasik Best Cordless Aquasonic Aqua Flosser Amazon View On Amazon $40 View On Aquasonic.com $40 Our Ratings Effectiveness 5/5 Ease of Use 5/5 Overall Value 5/5 Pros Cordless and fully waterproof Comes with a travel case and four jet tips Cons Water reservoir only lasts about 45 seconds Has just three basic pressure settings Why We Recommend It If you’re a die-hard cord cutter, opt for the Aquasonic Aqua Flosser. It earned high marks for its lightweight design and is dentist-recommended for kids and teens. It only has three settings, but we particularly enjoyed the pulse mode, which felt pleasant and did a great job removing food from between our teeth. Plus, it’s easy to toggle between the settings with one hand. Still, it delivered a thorough cleaning. The box includes a travel case and four jet tips, and the waterproof body protects the rechargeable lithium-ion battery so you can floss in the shower. Keep in Mind The reservoir only holds 150 milliliters of water, which provided 45 seconds of flossing during our tests, so it may not be ideal if you like to take your time. Key Specs Charge Type: Battery powered | Reservoir Capacity: 150 mL | Number of Pressure Settings: 3 Verywell Health / Vicky Wasik Best for Braces Philips Sonicare Power Flosser 5000 Philips View On Amazon $100 Our Ratings Effectiveness 5/5 Ease of Use 4.5/5 Overall Value 5/5 Pros Large water tank 10 brushing intensities Two cleaning modes Cons Expensive Why We Recommend It If you have braces, flossing with standard string floss or dental tape can be tricky and time-consuming. Equipped with two flossing modes and 10 intensity settings, the Phillips Sonicare Power Flosser 5000 has a quad stream tip covering a larger surface area for a deep clean. The instructions clearly illustrated how to use the device if you have braces. The setup process was easy, so we could start cleaning her teeth within minutes of unboxing. The reservoir was one of our favorite features—the lid fits snugly, and the tank holds 18.6 ounces of water for a couple of cleaning sessions. It’s compact, easy to use, and very effective. Keep in Mind The countertop model is one of our more expensive picks. Key Specs Charge Type: Electric charge | Reservoir Capacity: 18.6 oz | Number of Pressure Settings: 10 Verywell Health / Vicky Wasik Best for Travel MySmile Cordless Oral Irrigator Amazon View On Amazon $55 View On Walmart $56 View On Mysmilesteeth.com Our Ratings Effectiveness 5/5 Ease of Use 4/5 Overall Value 5/5 Pros Large water reservoir Cordless and portable Has a digital display Cons The automatic “soft start” can be confusing Why We Recommend It If your least favorite part of preparing for a trip is figuring out how to pack all your toiletries, try the cordless, compact MySmile Oral Irrigator X, which delivers a thorough flossing and a just-brushed feeling. It’s cordless and holds a charge for up to 20 days, with a 350-milliliter reservoir that provides 50-150 PSI of water pressure, depending on the setting. It felt as if we were brushing our teeth and flossing simultaneously, we noted. The flosser was easy to use, and the instruction manual includes easy-to-follow pictures. It has five different settings: strong, normal, soft, pulse, and child mode. Eight interchangeable tips are also available, enough to suit the preferences of the whole family. A digital display shows the modes, temperature, and battery level, which means a higher price tag. Keep in Mind The automatic soft start can be a little confusing in the beginning, but we didn't run into issues once we figured it out. Key Specs Charge Type: Battery powered | Reservoir Capacity: 350 mL | Number of Pressure Settings: 5 Verywell Health / Vicky Wasik Best Cordless Waterpik Waterpik Cordless Advanced Water Flosser Amazon View On Amazon $80 View On Walmart $99 View On Walgreens $80 Our Ratings Effectiveness 5/5 Ease of Use 5/5 Settings 3/5 Overall Value 4/5 Pros Cordless Comes with travel case and charger Easy to use Cons Only has three pressure settings Why We Recommend It If you like the Waterpik brand but want to go cordless, look no further than the WP-560. We loved its ease of use and effectiveness at cleaning gummy fruit debris from their teeth in under a minute. The ample 7-ounce reservoir is easy to fill and lasts a full minute. There are only two buttons—one to turn it on and off and the other to move between pressure settings—so it’s a good basic flosser. It has useful accessories, including two classic jet tips, a travel bag, a plug, and a convenient magnetic charger. Keep in Mind We were a little disappointed that there are only three basic modes. Key Specs Charge Type: Battery powered | Reservoir Capacity: 7 oz | Number of Pressure Settings: 3 Verywell Health / Candy Tierno-Baker Verywell Health / Candy Tierno-Baker Verywell Health / Candy Tierno-Baker Verywell Health / Vicky Wasik Best Budget Waterpik Waterpik Cordless Express Amazon View On Amazon $34 View On Walmart $38 View On Instacart.com Our Ratings Effectiveness 4/5 Ease of Use 5/5 Overall Value 4/5 Pros Affordable Cordless Space-saving and travel-friendly Cons Uses AA batteries Water reservoir needs to be refilled often Why We Recommend It The third Waterpik option on our list is the Cordless Express Water Flosser, our favorite budget-friendly option from the brand. It’s a basic model with just 2 pressure settings but was impressively effective at removing even tiny bits of debris from our teeth. The battery-operated model left our mouth feeling clean, but we felt as though there was still some residue remaining after use. Still, the two included tips were easy to swap out, and it’s a great choice if your bathroom is short on countertop space. Keep in Mind This device is battery-operated. The water pulls from a 5-ounce reservoir, which lasts just shy of a minute and must be refilled often, sometimes mid-floss. Key Specs Charge Type: Battery powered | Reservoir Capacity: 5 oz | Number of Pressure Settings: 2 Verywell Health / Vicky Wasik Best Electric Toothbrush and Water Flosser Combo Waterpik Sonic Fusion Toothbrush & Flosser Combo Amazon View On Amazon $200 View On Kohls.com View On CVS $180 Pros Functions as a flosser and toothbrush Large water reservoir Comes with a protective hard travel case Cons It’s corded and quite large Why We Recommend It The Waterpik Sonic-Fusion 2.0 does double-duty as a flosser and an electric toothbrush to clean your whole mouth. With 10 pressure settings, two flossing brush heads, and a 16-ounce water reservoir, it cleans teeth while removing plaque and gunk from even the tiniest crevices. We love how the buttons are stacked so that you can easily change the pressure. There is no guessing which button will change the pressure and speed. The Sonic-Fusion also has a two-minute brushing timer and a 30-second pacer to alert you when switching to a different section of your mouth is time. It’s the most expensive model on our list, but it's a good investment if you want an all-in-one dental-cleaning device. Keep in Mind It's corded and larger than other options. Charge Type: Electric charge | Reservoir Capacity: 16 oz | Number of Pressure Settings: 10 Verywell Health / Tamara Staples Verywell Health / Tamara Staples Verywell Health / Tamara Staples Verywell Health / Tamara Staples How We Tested the Wet Flossers The Verywell Health team tested 26 wet flossers at the Verywell Testing Lab in New York City. After unboxing and setting up the flossers, testers used their assigned model to floss for at least one minute. We evaluated each wet flosser based on the following attributes: Effectiveness: We paid close attention to how clean our teeth felt, how effective the flosser was at removing food debris, and whether it could get into hard-to-reach areas. Ease of use: We analyzed how easy it was to use and operate the water flossers. We also noted how they felt in our hands as well.Settings: We paid attention to the device's many settings and how beneficial they were during use.Overall value: We compared the device's overall performance to its price point to determine whether it was worth the price. We're Still Testing Water Flossers We are conducting ongoing tests for wet flossers to see how they hold up to daily use. We’ll update our recommendations with our feedback, especially regarding battery life (which we couldn’t test in The Lab). What to Look for in a Wet Flosser Reservoir capacity: Wet flossers have a built-in water reservoir or are attached to a base with a water reservoir. Flossers with bases can hold between 18 and 22 ounces of water. On the other hand, the larger the reservoir, the clunkier the flosser. If you plan on taking your device on the go, look for a model with a smaller, more portable reservoir. Flossers with built-in water reservoirs should last for an entire cleaning session but will need refilling more often. Battery life: Water flossers are available in corded, cordless, and battery-operated models. Many options on our list have powerful rechargeable batteries that keep the flosser powered for days or weeks. If you plan to travel, look for a model with a longer battery life that won't slow you down when you're on the go. Ease of use: Todd Bertman, DMD, founder of Advanced Dental Arts in New York City, advises choosing a water flosser with an angled tip or a flexible, swiveling head. These features help target your mouth's nooks and crannies while spraying away large debris and food particles. He adds that easy-to-grip models are great for people with dexterity issues (like arthritis). Intensity: Just because a flosser has several settings doesn't mean you'll use them all. Consider whether you have issues like gum sensitivity or deep gum pockets. According to Dr. Bertman, the pressure of a water flosser should be high enough to be effective but not so high that it causes pain, discomfort, or bleeding. (However, he notes that water flossers are generally safe, and any damage caused by intense pressure will likely heal rather than be permanent.) Accessories: Most water flossers will come fully equipped, but some have optional tips and specially designed attachments for dental work, braces, and sensitive teeth/gums. Depending on your concerns, dentists also recommend switching up the tip or head. Our Experts We also spoke with these dentists for their expert opinions on factors to consider when choosing the right wet flosser: Heather Kunen, DDS, MS, New York City-based orthodontist Todd Bertman, DMD, founder of Advanced Dental Arts in New York City Lisa Creaven, DDS, Galway-based dentist and co-founder of Spotlight Oral Care Frequently Asked Questions Are water flossers better than conventional flossing? Traditional string floss or dental tape may be some dentists' preferred choice, but water flossers are an adjunct to brushing and traditional manual flossing. Lisa Creaven, DDS, Galway-based dentist and co-founder of Spotlight Oral Care, tells us that it pushes the food and debris with a gentle yet powerful force that gets the gunk off the teeth and away from the area. Conventional and water flossing are suitable for cleaning thoroughly, but traditional flossing should be a part of your dental hygiene routine. Are there any risks to using a wet flosser? Regarding safety, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, you don't want to leave water sitting in the reservoir. A water flosser that isn't well maintained can introduce more bacteria into your mouth, so Dr. Creaven recommends emptying it after each use and cleaning it often. You'll also want to pay special attention to excessive pressure. How often should I use a wet flosser? The order of the steps in your oral care routine matters. Start with a water flosser and follow it up with a toothbrush. Dr. Creaven says water flossers should be used once a day before brushing so you don't wash away active ingredients in toothpaste that your teeth benefit from. Why Trust Verywell Health Kayla Hui is a seasoned public health practitioner and health journalist who received her master’s degree in public health in 2020. She has interviewed dozens of experts, reviewed numerous research studies, and tested a plethora of products to deliver well-researched product reviews and roundups. Her goal is to help readers make more informed decisions about their health and well-being. By Kayla Hui, MPH Hui is a health writer with a master's degree in public health. In 2020, she won a Pulitzer Center Fellowship to report on the mental health of Chinese immigrant truck drivers. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Medical Expert Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit