Bitvae R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush review

Our review of the Bitvae R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush takes a deeper look at this new affordable toothbrush to see whether it can compete with top-of-the-range electric rotating toothbrushes, but at a much cheaper price.

Bitvae is a relative newcomer to the electric toothbrush scene, and positions itself as an alternative and affordable option to the expensive electric toothbrushes that have dominated the market so far. 

Bitvae says its R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush, available in three colorways, cleans up to four times more plaque than a normal manual toothbrush, while the impressive 30-day USB charging feature offers quicker charging and longer usage between charges. With five cleaning modes, a pressure sensor and a handy travel case, it has pretty much everything you’d come to expect from a more expensive toothbrush, and at a fraction of the price. But when it comes to performance, can it hold its own against the likes of Philips, Oral B and other best electric toothbrushes in oral care?

Retailing at around $79.99 but regularly on special offer at almost half as much, this toothbrush aims to simplify oral care for the masses, making good dental hygiene accessible to all. Best of all, it comes with no fewer than eight brush heads, including two heads for sensitive users, so you can use it for up to 24 months before having to purchase a replacement brush head. It’s also waterproof, so you can use it in the shower if you want to save time and water. With a two-year warranty, you’ve also got peace of mind if anything goes wrong.

We’ve been putting the Bitvae R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush through its paces in our at-home testing, assessing how well it performs in terms of cleaning teeth using the range of modes, measuring decibel levels during operation, and assessing how fast the battery charges up and how well it lasts. We’ve also been checking out user reviews from customers who’ve purchased this electric rotating toothbrush already.

Bitvae R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush: Design

The Bitvae R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush is available in three colors - black, white and pink - although in all versions the toothbrush heads are white. We tested the black toothbrush, which looks similar in design to the Oral B Genius X electric toothbrush.

With a sleek black handle, and buttons picked out in chrome, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Bitvae R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush is more expensive than it actually is. However, look a little closer, and you can see why it’s so affordable. It doesn’t include a soft rubber grip, or an ergonomically designed handle. Instead, it’s pretty basic and plastic in design with a standard tubular shaft.

At the underside of the handle is the USB charging port,  handily covered by a strip of plastic that securely clicks back in, ensuring water doesn’t get into it. A more expensive device may have opted for silicon or rubber, so it will be interesting to see if the cover lasts the life of the toothbrush. The charger cable is white, which may put off some users who want the cable to reflect the color of their handset. 

The Bitvae R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush also comes with a sleek and sturdy travel case, featuring room for the handle and two toothbrush heads, which is useful if you share the brush with a partner or child.

At the front of the handle are the power button, pressure sensor (which lights up red when you apply too much pressure), mode button and a series of backlit icons showing you which cleaning mode you’re using. You can toggle through these by pressing the mode button, which is slightly textured with three horizontal lines.

For the most part, the packaging can all be recycled as it’s cardboard, although there are some plastic sheaths included for the toothbrush heads and handle. These may or may not be recyclable depending on your area. A brief user manual is also included.

Bitvae R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush: Functionality

The Bitvae R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush comes with some charge already on it, so you can power up and get brushing straight away if you wish. If not, simply pop the USB charger into the input and hook it up to your laptop, USB socket or plug-based charger. 

The Bitvae R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush comes with five cleaning modes, which you can only toggle between while the toothbrush is on, so it may take a little time to get used to doing this if you want to change modes while brushing. The toothbrush starts in the same mode that it was on when the device powered off. The cleaning modes include:

We found White mode to be the most satisfying and powerful setting, leaving an overall clean-mouth feeling that lasted a few hours. The Tongue setting is also super handy if you want to ramp up your oral care. 

The speedy three-hour charge is a welcome point of difference to many electric toothbrushes, some of which can take up to 18 hours for a full charge. And the extra-long battery life is a huge bonus, especially if you’re traveling or share the brush handle with other members of your family. 

During brushing, the quad-paced timer emits a short stuttering sound to indicate when to switch brushing to a new area. At the end of two minutes of brushing time, the toothbrush stops brushing completely, although you can also switch it back on if you prefer to brush for longer than the recommended two minutes. 

We also liked the unusual design of the toothbrush head cover too. Unlike the usual plastic lid that you clamp down over the bristles, Bitvae has designed its cover to clamp on at the front instead. While it’s too early to tell as yet, this feels like a more hygienic way to protect the bristles and the cover will be easier to clean too. However, more than just one toothbrush cover would have been welcome. It’s also important to note that you can’t fit your toothbrush head into the travel case if the toothbrush cover is on, which feels like a flaw. 

It’s easy to clean the Bitvae R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush by simply rinsing the brush head under running water, switching it off, and removing the brush head. It’s a good idea to clean the brush head and handle separately before drying, to prevent a build-up of old toothpaste and other nasties between the head and the handle.

• Related: How to use an electric toothbrush

Bitvae R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush: Performance

During our at-home testing, we assessed different aspects of the Bitvae R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush, including the decibel level of the different cleaning modes and how well each mode served its purpose. We also checked whether it could handle being submerged completely in water.

First up was decibel levels. We expected the toothbrush to be fairly noisy, as rotating toothbrushes operate at lower frequencies than sonic toothbrushes. At its most powerful, the brush clocked in at 70 decibels, which is around the same noise level as a washing machine. At its quietest, it ran at around 55 decibels which is just a little louder than a normal conversation. This is all pretty standard for a rotating electric toothbrush.

Next, we assessed each cleaning mode. White was our preferred setting, but Clean is also pretty powerful and should be more than enough for most users looking for an effective and powerful clean. The Gum Care setting feels really nice, giving a good massage to the gum area, while the tongue setting removes stains such as tea, coffee and red wine very well. 

Bitvae says its toothbrush lasts up to 30 days between charges, which should give you around 120 minutes of cleaning time. Sadly we didn’t have the time to fully test this before submitting our review, but we can confirm that after almost three weeks of use, the toothbrush is still operating perfectly well. We’d suspect though that you’ll probably run down the battery quicker if you use White mode every day, as opposed to the slower Sensitive mode, for example.

Last but not least, we submerged the toothbrush fully in water for a full brushing cycle, to see whether that affected performance and we can report that there were no problems with its operation afterward.

Bitvae R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush: What’s good about it?

We really liked the price point of this electric toothbrush. It honestly feels as if Bitvae has gone above and beyond to replicate the user experience of a much higher-end toothbrush at a fraction of the usual cost. While some features are missing that you might expect from a top-end model, such as Smart features, a connected app, or an ergonomic design, this toothbrush has pretty much everything you really need from an oral care perspective.

We also loved that it came with eight toothbrush heads, which is super handy. However, we would like to see replacement heads for sale on the Bitvae website at some point in the future.

The USB-charging capability is also easy and means you can charge at your desk, in your car, or even when on the move, without the need to plug into an electric socket.

Bitvae R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush: What’s not so good about it?

While it may be a bonus for some users, we didn’t like that the toothbrush powered off after two minutes, as sometimes we just want the option of brushing for longer!

We’d also prefer that the charging port sat on the handle shaft itself, rather than on the underside of the handle. It would be more hygienic to be able to charge the toothbrush upright, rather than lying down. 

Bitvae R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush: User reviews

The Bitvae R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush enjoys hundreds of positive reviews on Amazon, with a 4.5 star rating out of 5 stars. In fact, 89% of purchasers give it 4 or 5 stars. In particular, they like that it comes with a two-year supply of toothbrush heads and that it offers an effective performance at a low price point. One user comments, "This is a powerful toothbrush. The charge lasts a long time and with all the different cycles it covers everything. Super easy to travel with."

Reviews that are slightly more negative say the travel case should have a space for the charging cable, while others say it should come with a plug, in case you don’t have a USB charging socket in your home. 

Should you buy the Bitvae R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush?

If you like the idea of having a powerful electric toothbrush with a variety of modes, but you don’t want to spend a lot of money opting for one of the big names in oral healthcare, the Bitvae R2 Rotating Electric Toothbrush is the ideal solution for you. And given how expensive toothbrush heads are to replace, the two-year supply will save you even more money. 

However, if you want high-end Smart features, coaching to improve your brushing technique or a super-stylish ergonomically designed handle, you may need to part with more pennies and shell out for one of our choices below.

If this product isn’t for you

If you want your electric toothbrush to come packed with Smart features, check out the Oral B Genius X. This is a powerful, Bluetooth-enabled electric toothbrush that allows users to get the most out of every brushing session, with unique app-based coaching programs and the ability to track your dental habits and patterns over time. 

If you’re on a budget but want the reliability and reassurance of a big-name brand, the Oral-B Pro 1000 is an affordable electric toothbrush that does away with all the bells and whistles of its hi-tech neighbors and simply cleans well. It also has great user reviews. 

If you prefer the cleaning that sonic toothbrushes have to offer, take a look at the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000.  With four modes that can be tweaked in intensity to suit you, you can truly personalize your brushing experience.