The Foreo Issa is a unique silicone electric toothbrush from the company that makes the Luna, a skin cleansing device that is said to rival the Clarisonic.
My first encounter with this brush was in a Sephora marketing e-mail a few weeks ago where I was kind of taken aback. It isn’t my aim to be crass here, but this device definitely resembles something else and I’m not the only one who thinks so (a review on Sephora’s site proves this). I wrote it off as amusing, but not really worth looking back into. A toothbrush does not need to be chic and aesthetically pleasing (albeit adult-entertainment-looking), as far as I’m concerned…nor does it need a $200 price tag.
Foreo Issa Silicone Pulsating Toothbrush, $200
At some point later, I visited the product’s page again to read the reviews (when I found the aforementioned review); I was planning to write an exceptionally snarky post about it. What I found aside from that was that the Foreo Issa may not be a gimmick after all.
Brush Heads
Standard electric toothbrushes need to have their brush-head replaced every three months or so, just like a traditional manual toothbrush. Prices vary, but they aren’t cheap. The Foreo Issa needs its silicone brush-head replaced only once per YEAR. Imagine my further surprise when I checked the cost of the brush heads and found out that they are only $24.90 a head – I expected them to cost far more.
You aren’t sold, I know. Me either.
Charging
In addition to needing brush-head replacement once annually, the eight-speed Foreo Issa device only needs to be charged once every six months (assuming twice-daily use). I bring a manual toothbrush with me on trips because I don’t want to worry about my Oral-B electric dying on me; the charger is bulky and not pleasant to pack – an Issa, however, does not com with such concerns.
All of these things are neat, but still not enough to get me to lower my eyebrows. What sold me?
Gentle Brushing
My husband experiences tooth and gum sensitivity in a major way which makes normal oral care unpleasant and a literal pain. He deals with it, of course, and humored me as I insisted on going through the ringer of sensitivity pastes and ultra-soft bristles to no avail. Many of the reviewers seemed to have some similar concerns and report that the design and silicone bristles of the Foreo Issa are gentler on gums and sensitive spots than traditional toothbrush bristles but are just as effective. Their experiences with the Foreo Issa sold me – something so mundane needn’t be delightful, but it shouldn’t be uncomfortable. If this can help with that, I think it is a worthwhile investment.
Cost Analysis
For the love of cats, I’m probably going to spend $200 on a toothbrush from Sephora. To make that idea easier for myself to swallow, I did some math:
Assume you use it 2x daily for the first year, each use would cost about $0.27.
Each year thereafter, each use would cost about $0.03.
Price-per-use makes it easier to come to terms with.
We haven’t bit the bullet yet, but I am very strongly considering this oddly-designed toothbrush. If we take the plunge we will purchase the Foreo Issa from Sephora (like with my purchase of the Silk’n Flash & Go Freedom) and hold out until Sephora’s s I feel ‘safe’ about making a major purchase like this from there…if it doesn’t live up to our expectations, we will be able to return it.*
I’ll definitely be updating if we do decide to buy it, and a review will follow. What do you think of the Foreo Issa?
Also, I wanted to clear one thing up juuust in case. I am not a serial returner, and I do not condone that behavior. The way I see it, you should only ever be buying items you want and fully intend to keep and use; then, if they don’t perform as intended/expected and you need to return them, fine. I don’t believe in buying items, using them briefly, and returning them; it is shady and abusive of return policies that exist to protect and satisfy customers. I choose to make investment purchases like this from places like Sephora as a, “just in case,” so IF something doesn’t work out I can try something else and it isn’t as though I just sent a few hundred through the shredder.
I’m considering taking the plunge as well. Other mechanical toothbrushes are getting up there in the $200 range so why not try one with so many bonus benefits!
-c.
http://theblockishaute.com
I have used the issa toothbrush for over a year, and after one year i bought a new head. It has worked allright, BUT i cant clean it ! The toothpaste (gel) sticks at the bottom of the brush and i have tried just about everything ( vinegar, boiling water and so on ) The gel stays forever and i suppose you have not used it over a few weeks yet .
Hi Inger,
This particular post was published nearly a year ago; we did end up purchasing the Issa for my husband a month or two later. He has been using it and has not experienced the problems you described – but I met we aren’t using the same type of toothpaste. Have you tried reaching out to Foreo for guidance?
By the bottom, do you mean the bottom of the bristles or the actual bottom of the brush handle?
Other reviews I’ve read on this toothbrush aren’t great. Most of them say their teeth feel dirty after. I use a sonicare diamond clean toothbrush and it’s the best clean I’ve ever had. OralB sucks! But the sonicare feels like I’ve been to the dentist! If you’re going to spend $200 on a toothbrush that’s the one to spend it on.
Yeah, the review is a terribly long time coming because I did not purchase it for myself. I hope to have it up in March.
Personally, I have an Oral-B. It’s better than a manual, but when it dies I think I will be purchasing the Sonicare you mentioned; a friend of mine purchased one in October and loves it. And, this is trivial, but they have some really chic colors.