Electric Toothbrush Review : What we think of the Philips Sonicare Essence 5300 sonic toothbrush (HX5351).

The Essence model 5300 only offers a single brushing mode. This is Sonicare's hallmark, patented 31,000-brush-strokes-per-minute brushing action. This is the cleaning action that Sonicare toothbrushes are best known for and is the one that has been most used in clinical studies to document the brushing effectiveness of this brand's products.

We personally favor the use of this mode with any Sonicare toothbrush because it is typically the brush's most efficient brushing setting (at least in terms of cleaning efficiency per minute). And if you know that this is the only speed at which you plan to operate your sonic toothbrush, the Essence 5300 can be an excellent, cost-effective choice. (We personally do not see any overwhelming benefit to the use of the more elaborate brushing modes and routines that higher-end Sonicare toothbrush models offer. We think that operating any model Sonicare in its full-power, 31,000 brush-strokes-per-minute mode is typically the best brushing choice for a person.)

» The Essence 5300 lacks a Sensitive brushing mode.

You should take note that the Essence 5300 does not offer a reduced-power (Sensitive mode) brushing setting. We think that Sonicare brush owners should strive to use their Sonicare in the above mentioned full-power mode. But for those people who find this setting too vigorous or uncomfortable, the option of a reduced power mode may be a necessity. The significant tradeoff of the use of this mode is that brush delivers a less efficient brushing action.

First time buyers may not know if they require the option of the Sensitive mode or not, and for them the Essence 5300 may not be the best sonic toothbrush choice. People buying a replacement Sonicare will already know if they require this option. And if it is not needed, the Essence 5300 can provide a way of purchasing a Sonicare without having to go to the expense of buying an all-the-bells-and-whistles model that is full of features that won't be needed.

» Other Essence 5500 features.

The Essence 5500 does feature Sonicare's Smartimer and Easy-start functions but unlike the Essence model 5500 it does not offer Sonicare's QuadPacer. We're not giant fans of toothbrush timers. We'd rather brush until we're finished and not be bothered by having to turn our toothbrush back on. But for many this seems to be an attractive feature and evidently helps them to brush longer than they would otherwise. The lack of the QuadPacer feature on the 5300 would not be a major disadvantage in our opinion. However, for the undisciplined brusher, its signals may help to direct their brushing activities. For some, the Easy-start option can make getting used to their Sonicare easier, but for most people this is a single-use option.

» The Essence 5300 utilizes Sonicare's e-series brush heads.

Brush head design can be an important factor to consider when choosing an electric toothbrush. The Essence 5300 utilizes Sonicare's older-styled e-series brush heads (they come in both Standard and Mini sizes). At least in theory, Sonicare's newer brush head design (the ProResults) probably does create a minimally more efficient brushing action. We would think, however, that simply brushing for a very few moments longer with a Sonicare that utilizes e-series brush heads should adequately compensate for this difference.

In terms of ease of use and convenience, the ProResults brush heads probably have the advantage over the e-series heads that are utilized with the Essence 5300. E-series brush heads have a screw-on design, which it isn't as convenient as the snap-in-place design of the ProResults. Also, the overall design of the e-series brush heads seems to make it harder for a person to keep their Sonicare gunk free and clean. If brush heads will be changed routinely (situations where there is more than one toothbrush user), the inconveniences associated with the e-series brushes might be a significant consideration.

As another consideration, replacement e-series brush heads are somewhat more expensive than ProResults brush heads. The current recommendation from Philips Sonicare is to replace both e-series and ProResults brush heads at three-month intervals. In the past, however, the owner's manual for the Essence line only suggests replacing them every six months.

» Other considerations about the features of the Sonicare Essence 5300.

The Essence 5300, like the model 5500, has a NiCad battery. Newer Sonicare toothbrush designs offer a lithium-ion battery. The lithium-ion battery has advantages. It has a superior energy-to-weight ratio, which allows the newer Sonicare models to be smaller and lighter than the Essence. These batteries also offer less pronounced memory effect and idle charge loss. However, previous generations of Sonicare toothbrushes have had NiCad rechargeable batteries and they, overall, seem to have a record of providing suitable service.

The Sonicare Essence 5300 does come with travel case. Unlike some higher-end Sonicare modes, it does not come with a charger that is multi-voltage or compact. However, the Essence 5300 charging stand isn't all that large and in most cases a person should find it easily enough to pack.

The Essence 5300: Model-specific problems.

We aren't aware of any widespread model-specific problems with the Sonicare Essence 5300. We will say that in this day and age we find it disappointing that Sonicare has yet to make battery replacement possible with this toothbrush.

Essence 5300 review conclusions.

If you know what Sonicare features are important to you, and if the Essence 5300 has these features, we feel that this brush can be a good, cost-effective sonic toothbrush choice. Remember, this brush doesn't offer a Sensitive mode (a mode we would hope that the majority of user's will not need to use) or Sonicare's QuadPacer function (which to us would not be a big deal). And also remember that Essence models utilize Sonicare's older fashion e-series brush heads. These brush heads are moderately less convenient to use, primarily in situations where more than one person will be using the toothbrush.