Best oral irrigator for everyday gum health

By Editorial Team | April 2026

Intro: If your gums bleed after flossing, or you struggle to clean around braces, implants or crowns, a water flosser will change your routine. The Waterpik Ultra Professional (WP-660) is the standout solution: long reservoir, precise pressure control and clinical evidence that it removes far more plaque in treated areas than string floss.

Our picks at a glance

Pick	Product	Price	Best for
Best overall	Waterpik Ultra Professional (WP-660)	£69.26	People with braces, implants, crowns or very tight contacts who want a thorough countertop clean
Best upgrade	Philips Sonicare AirFloss Ultra	£169	Someone who wants a faster, battery-powered alternative that’s easier to store and quieter
Best budget	Waterpik Cordless Advanced (WP-560)	£89	Travelers or tight-bathroom households who need a compact, rechargeable flosser

Based on hands-on reviews, clinical claims, retailer listings and active oral-care subreddits.

Best overall: Waterpik Ultra Professional (WP-660)

Waterpik Ultra Professional (WP-660) — £69.26

This unit makes interdental cleaning feel like a proper part of your routine instead of an annoying juggling act. The WP‑660 wins because it actually reaches below the gumline around braces, implants and crowns, thanks to a large 650–651ml tank that gives about 90 seconds of continuous flossing, and ten pressure settings that let you work from gentle to powerful without guessing.

Why we picked it:

• Long tank life: the removable 650–651ml reservoir means you rarely stop mid-clean, so you’ll finish every session without refilling.
• Control that matters: ten pressure settings (~10–100 psi) plus a 360° rotating tip let you target problem areas—useful for implants, orthodontics and periodontal pockets.
• Clinically proven benefit: Waterpik’s trials report up to 99.9% plaque removal in treated areas and better results than string floss for braces—this isn’t just convenience, it’s measurable improvement.

The trade-off: it’s a countertop unit that’s noticeably loud at high pressure and slightly bulkier than cordless models, so skip it if you need quiet or travel frequently.

You can grab the Waterpik Ultra Professional (WP-660) if you want reliable, clinic-grade interdental cleaning without fuss.

Best upgrade: Philips Sonicare AirFloss Ultra

Philips Sonicare AirFloss Ultra — £169

The AirFloss Ultra trades raw tank power for speed, design and convenience: it’s rechargeable, quieter and can clean a full mouth in under a minute using micro‑bursts of air and water. The premium is justified if you hate the idea of a countertop appliance and value a near-instant daily routine that’s still clinically shown to improve gum health.

Worth it if: you want a quieter, compact device that you’ll actually use every day and are willing to pay for the convenience.

Best budget pick: Waterpik Cordless Advanced (WP-560)

Waterpik Cordless Advanced (WP-560) — £89

This rechargeable cordless model strips down features but keeps the essentials: solid cleaning power, a small removable reservoir and portability. You sacrifice the large 650ml tank and the finer pressure range, but you get a genuinely usable flosser for small bathrooms or travel at a lower price.

Worth it if: you need portability or don’t have counter space but still want Waterpik-level cleaning over manual floss.

How we chose

We prioritized three things: clinical cleaning effectiveness (paper-backed claims and dental advice), usable pressure control and reservoir/runtime for a single session. Sources included Waterpik’s clinical summaries, product spec pages, retailer listings (Amazon/PriceSpy) and active threads on dental subreddits where users report real-life issues like leaking or noise.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a water flosser or is string floss enough? If you have braces, implants, crowns or tight contacts, a water flosser reaches places string floss often misses and is clinically shown to improve gum health in those cases. For open contacts and routine plaque control, string floss still works—this is about the problems water flossers solve, not replacing brushing.

Is £69 for the WP‑660 worth it? Yes—at £69.26 you get a large reservoir, ten pressure settings and clinical evidence of superior plaque removal in treated areas. If portability or noise are your priorities, a cordless model or a quieter premium alternative may be a better value.

How often do I need to replace tips and clean the unit? Replace tips every 3–6 months for hygiene and peak performance; descale or clean the reservoir monthly if you have hard water. A quick handle rinse after each use and periodic priming prevents the minor leaking users sometimes report.