Confession: at my most recent dental appointment, I received devastating news. For the first time in my 31 years, I need a filling. It’s a tough pill to swallow. I prided myself on excellent dental care throughout my childhood, but sadly, during my adult years, flossing has fallen by the wayside, so to speak. I never floss, would be another way to put it.
Over the sounds of my hyperventilation at the cost, the dental hygienist suggested a water flosser, which I’d always pooh-poohed because they seemed time-consuming and messy. But here’s a genius tip straight from the hygienist’s mouth: she keeps and uses hers in the shower! Now that is clever.
So began my quest for a water flosser, of which it turns out there are literally hundreds. And rather than being messy and time-consuming, they’re actually an incredibly effective way to clean the gums and between the teeth, particularly for people with implants, crowns, bridges and veneers.
I’ve trawled through reviews to find the ones that actually work. And hopefully that means you will be saved from the embarrassment of being caught lying through your teeth – no pun intended – about flossing and facing a subsequent eye-watering $300 bill. Godspeed, dear readers.
The best water flosser to buy in 2025:
Hydro Sonic Water Flosser
$129 at Mighty Ape
In the words of my colleague, “that flosser looks so futuristic, it has to work”. This is a water flosser you’ll be proud to keep on display in the bathroom, thanks to the chrome metallic purple outer. But don’t let the colour fool you. This is a serious plaque-busting gadget. Three pressure settings mean you can choose how intensely you want to blast away plaque and food debris from between teeth and along the gum line. There’s also an ‘on demand’ mode and 360 degree nozzle rotation, meaning no tooth goes unflossed.
Key features:
- 3 pressure settings
- 4+ weeks of battery per charge
- 260ml tank capacity
- 80 to 160 PSI
- Portable and rechargeable (with travel lock)
- USB-C Charging
Kogan Cordless Supreme Water Flosser
From $29.99 at Kogan
This one is for the gadget lovers. This Kogan Cordless Water Flosser boasts a whopping nine adjustable water pressure modes, so you only need to blast your gums as much as you feel comfortable. It also comes with four nozzles, including a floss, toothbrush and tongue cleaning attachment. Your mouth will be as clean as a whistle once you work through them all. The removable water tank is easy to open and clean, and is built into the flosser to save on bench space.
Key features
- Rechargeable battery
- 9 adjustable water pressure modes
- Cordless design
- Removable water tank
Waterpik Ultra Plus Water Flosser
$199.99 from Life Pharmacy
My research has taught me that Waterpik is the ‘it girl’ of water flossers. It’s a word so synonymous with the practice, people often search ‘benefits of Waterpik’ over ‘water flosser. That’s when you know something has really impacted the dental hygiene zeitgeist. This water flosser combines strong pressure with pulsations to clean deep between teeth and below the gumline: all the places your regular flosser can’t reach. The covered reservoir with in-lid tip storage sits easily on the bathroom counter.
Key features:
- Removes 99.9% of plaque from treated areas with a 3-second application
- Removes bacteria deep between teeth and below the gumline where brushing and traditional flossing can’t reach
- Massages and stimulates gums to improve circulation
- Can be used with water or mouthwash
- Water chamber holds approximately 90 seconds per use at moderate power
Philips Sonicare Cordless Power Flosser
$191.86 from Amazon
Some things are better in fours – a pack of readymade margaritas, for example. According to Philips, also better in four is the tooth-cleaning power of the water jet. This water flosser has a unique quad stream tip to clean more tooth and gum area with less effort. It promises a complete clean in 60 seconds, so there’s no excuse not to floss when you’re rushing in the morning. And the minty green shade will look as cute as a button on your bathroom counter.
Key features:
- Unique X-shaped F3 Quad Stream tip and F1 standard tip
- Two flossing modes, three intensities
- Pulse Wave technology guides from tooth to tooth
- Complete clean in 60 seconds
- Universal charging with USB-C cable
- Easy-to-fill 250 ml reservoir
- Whisper quiet
Colgate Blast Cordless Water Flosser
$99 from Chemist Warehouse
Maybe I’m easily sold, but I trust something with the name “blast” to really get in and around my teeth to get the job done. This compact water flosser may look like an iced coffee cup, but really it’s a compact portable water flosser you can take on the go or into the shower. It’s a basic get-the-job-done type of water flosser. No fancy tech, just: Water. Pressure. Done.
Key features:
- Compact design
- Rechargeable battery
- 3 pressure modes
- Built-in nozzle compartment
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