Philips Sonicare Advance 4100 Sonic Power Toothbrush
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Our Price: $150.00 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Category: Health Care See more product details |
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Customer Reviews of Philips Sonicare Advance 4100 Sonic Power Toothbrush
Customer Review: Loved it, but yes, planned (and pretty quick) obsolence
Summary: 4 Stars
Had my first Advance 4100 about 3.5 years and it just died. I had assumed it would last much longer. I am quite certain the technology to do so is available because I knew people that bought theirs ten or fifteen years ago and theirs are still going strong. The product was great - - while it lasted.
Obviously, Sonicare was using cheaper batteries (and making the unit so they cannot be replaced). Why? To try to get you to buy a new one.
I didn't like the 'new' models. The head is thinner and more flimsy. That's so they can claim a new 'slant head' innovation. Why? To try to get you to buy a new one.
And even when I bought mine 3.5 years ago, I noticed they had models ranging from $50 to $150. For the extra $100 you got several nearly worthless features (beeping reminders, a cheap plastic travel case). That tells me the thing basically can sell for $50 and they still make a wad of cash. Then I started seeing $30 models on the shelf, using disposable batteries. Hmmmm. They delete the charger, probably built it much cheaper so it would die even sooner, dropped the price somewhat and likely get an even higher profit margin. Lovely. Why did they go to the lower price point? To sell one to all the people who couldn't swing $50. Then once they are addicted, they will buy a new one.
So remember, before you plop down $150 for one with a slew of worthless add-ons that you probably don't need, remember the company can make the same thing and sell it all day long for $30 and still turn a tidy profit.
Ok, Amaz. had the old Advance 4100 model here (and almost no one else did) for $45 and so I did buy another one. Because the product does do what it is supposed to do, and it does it reasonably well. Over the last ten-fifteen years, every dental professional I knew preferred Sonicare over "Aural-B." And I wasn't disappointed in owning this first Advance 4100 (except for its untimely demise).
But when this new one dies and all the old stock of the Advance 4100 model is gone, I doubt I'll be buying the one with the flimsy thin slanted head. It obviously won't provide the same quality. And since Sonicare is clearly establishing a pattern of going on the cheap and cheaper, inventing new models to obsolete the old models, and doing whatever they can to get you to keep buying new toothbrushes, I can only figure that when this new one eventually shuts down, whatever Sonicare has on the market then will be little more than worthless c**p. The genius management will have probably taken the $30 model down to a $10 disposable version that only vibrates about half the time and dies within a month. And they'll be wondering why it doesn't sell anymore like it did in the good ol' days.
When is the corporate world going to realize there's not enough money out there for all of them to endlessly s***w the public out of outrageous markups, multiple purchases, downsized pacakges at higher prices, and whatnot? When will they start cutting out some of their infinitely bloated profit margins and overhead expenses? When enough of them go broke, I suppose. Then the rest will realize the party is over. Realize that you can only make but so much money selling a toothbrush (or a can of dog food or a cigarette lighter or whatever) ... and that if management turns it into a piece of c**p through cost-cutting, well, people will stop buying it altogether. Now that doesn't require a Harvard MBA now does it?
Anyway, I can still recommend this Advance 4100 unit, even though I won't be surprised if it dies even quicker than the first one. After that, though, I'll be cross-shopping the heck out of this puppy.
Customer Review: Great device but with planned obsolescence
Summary: 3 Stars
Similar to many people here, my dentist suggested that I start using a Sonicare. I bought the Advance model about four years ago and used it anywhere from 2-4 times a day. My dentist noticed the difference right away and recommended that I continue to use it.
I typically get about 12 days between charges, so I've gotten into the habit of charging it on the 10th and 20th of the month. About a year ago I went on a trip and it died two days into the trip. I later noted that my Sonicare had just turned three and had undergone less than 100 charge cycles. A good set of rechargeable batteries should last anywhere from 300-900 charge cycles, but the Sonicare is using a unique wireless charging system that may or may not have a detrimental impact on the batteries.
In an attempt to prevent another item from being sent to a landfill, I contacted Sonicare, told them that my batteries appeared to be dead and asked to have them replaced. I offered to pay for shipping and cost of the batteries, but they advised that they don't provide that service, but would be willing to sell me a new one at a discount. I thanked them but declined.
Since the warranty expired, I took a Dremel tool to the Sonicare and opened it up. To my delight, I noted that the batteries employed by the unit were two standard, albeit unbranded AA NiCad cells. I removed and replaced them with two 600mah Sanyo cells, closed the handle and sealed it shut with silicone. It's been over a year now and my Sonicare is working as well as it did the day I bought it. For the gear heads out there, the Sonicare consumes about 1.3 watt hours and lasts about 14 days between charges when used twice a day. This equates to about 56 minutes of total run time, which means that the original batteries installed in the Sonicare were ~600 mah. I considered replacing the batteries with 2000mah NiMH cells, but opted against this option as the cells would probably self-discharge before I depleted the cells from normal use.
I disagree with another reviewer and do not believe the Sonicare should use Li-Ion or Li-Poly cells. Li-Ion and Li-Poly cells require sophisticated charging and discharging circuitry. They also last fewer recharging cycles than NiCads. Conversely, NiCads take a lot of abuse and in an application of this size, they provide more than enough storage capacity. For the bean counters, NiCads are cheap to source. However, the cadmium in NiCads is highly toxic and not exactly the most environmentally friendly option for batteries. Compared to NiCads, Nickel Metals would be a better environmental choice but would provide little performance benefit.
I like the Sonicare, but I don't approve of the idea of buying things and having to replace them because it was designed last a finite period and not be user serviceable. I would have given this item 5 stars had it been designed to allow the user the option to easily replace the batteries when they died as well as a having some sort of reclamation process for the $12 replacement heads.
Updated to add: I just bought a new brush head over the weekend and they're up to $20 now for a single and $30 for a pair.(2 October, 2006)
Customer Review: This is a fantastic toothbrush!
Summary: 5 Stars
My initial reason for wanting this brush was that it was mechanical. I'm a gadget geek; I can't help it! So my mother bought it for me for Christmas two years ago, and I've used it religiously since then. This toothbrush takes a bit of getting used to, but it does a fantastic job of cleaning your teeth. My dental hygiene was good before buying this brush, but I feel like my teeth are even cleaner now. The vibrations keep my gums cleaner and healthier, too. Every time I go into the dentist now, I always get complimented on how clean my teeth are. I have very little tartar (which saves me from that painful process), and though I had the beginning stages of gingivitis when I was younger, those have cleared up completely.
The main two things that take adjusting are the wider handle and the vibrations. If you're ticklish from the toothbrush they use in dentists' offices, you'll have the same problem at first from this one. However, it takes very little time to get used to the vibrations, and in fact if I use mine without it turned on (such as when I forget to recharge it), my teeth feel numb! Speaking of the battery, it's supposed to last for up to two weeks. Thus far, my brush has always lasted that length of time. I do wish there was a warning to let you know when the power was running down (I think one of the higher-end models does this), but otherwise the battery lasts as long as the company says it should.
My only complaints are the price of the replacement brush heads and the backing that's on this model's brush head. It's recommended that you replace the head every 6 months, but I prefer to replace mine every 3 months or so. And the backing on it tends to trap stuff in it (such as lip balm, if you happen to be wearing it when brushing your teeth), which is very difficult to clean out. That's the only reason why I'd want to upgrade to one of the higher-end models, because the brush heads don't have that plastic backing behind the brush itself.
Otherwise, I would recommend this brush to just about everyone. If you don't have the best brushing habits, this brush will definitely help you out; and if you already have great dental hygiene, this is only a bonus!
Customer Review: Saved my teeth.
Summary: 5 Stars
Back in 1997, I thought I was doing a good job brushing my teeth with a manual brush once a day. However, I hadn't had a dental checkup for quite some time due to being a poor college student. So when I finally graduated and got a decent job with health benefits, I figured it was time to schedule an appointment. To my horror, the dentist said that my teeth were a mess, and that I needed to have immediate deep cleaning, with further work and checkups done every three months. She also recommended I buy a Sonicare toothbrush and some floss.
I immediately complied and began using my Sonicare twice a day, along with flossing in the evening. When I went back three months later, she was amazed at how much my oral health had improved. My teeth looked better, I had a lot less plaque build-up, and my gums were pink and healthy. She revised her initial diagnosis and said I was OK to resume a normal checkup/cleaning schedule every six months. Whew.
Of course, I've used a Sonicare ever since. I had to replace my first one due to charging failure, but I figure one blowout in nine years isn't so bad. The only usage issue I had was learning to let the brush do the work instead of pressing it down. I was counseled to merely hold it in place and let the bristles glide over my teeth and gums. That, along with toothpaste for sensitive teeth, helped ease the discomfort I was feeling after inadvertently brushing too hard. The two-minute auto shut-off is helpful, since it ensures a consistent and effective brushing period.
If you haven't started using a Sonicare toothbrush yet (or something similar), then take the plunge. Make sure you replace the heads when they wear out in order to maintain maximum cleaning power (it's kind of easy to put that off). I wish they had been around when I was a kid, since I endured tons of painful dental work done that could've been prevented. The Sonicare helped save my adult teeth, and for that I give it my highest recommendation.
Customer Review: Not for the Chronically Uncoordinated
Summary: 4 Stars
Based on my dentist's recommendation, I switched to an electric toothbrush, and ran across this one. I wasn't disappointed. The Sonicare left my teeth looking very white after just one use, and my teeth just feel cleaner than ever. As a tea drinker, I contend with the stains that tea leaves. After my dentist recommended against using the whitening toothpastes, due to their abrasiveness to gums, I thought I was going to be stuck with healthier gums but stained teeth. Sonicare without whitening toothpaste makes my teeth look better than they did when I was using a regular toothbrush with whitening toothpaste. (I feel like a ditsy, smiling spokesmodel here but I really was impressed.)
My only complaint has been getting used to brushing with an electric toothbrush--a problem I suspect I would have with ANY electric toothbrush. You have to get in the habit of putting the Sonicare in your mouth, and closing your lips around the brush BEFORE you turn it on. Otherwise, you wind up with toothpaste decorating your bathroom mirror, your clothes, and pretty much the entire area around your bathroom sink. This isn't something easy to remember when your half awake and brushing your teeth. My other only complaint (OK, I guess I have two) is that Sonicare turns off after about two minutes, the time it has determined it should take you to brush your teeth. Being a little slower with things, I would rather turn it off when I'M done, not when it thinks I should be done. Apparently this design feature is to avoid over brushing. Since you can turn the Sonicare right back on again, this isn't a problem.
I can't speak for how long the charge lasts as I have left it on the charging stand when not in use. Apparently, however, the Sonicare is designed to hold a charge for quite a few hours, to allow you to take it with you while traveling, for instance, without having to bring the entire charging stand along.