Toothbrushes are not sexy. They are extremely utilitarian and even with modern technological advances, the toothbrush hasn’t deviated much from it’s roots. Surely Jony Ive is sitting in his secret, hollowed out volcano / design studio crafting a revolutionary, magical new toothbrush made out of chamfered aluminum as we speak! Sadly, I don’t think that is the case (he’s obviously working on the secret Apple Car) but I have recently found the next best thing – Quip – a company from Brooklyn whom I feel is making the task of brushing your teeth easier – and dare I say slightly more enjoyable? I just happened to be in the market. My poor toothbrush was ready to be retired and I was checking out some of the newer models. I didn’t plan on spending much time on this task, but I saw an ad on Twitter (see @jack they DO work!) for Quip and it piqued my curiosity. It seemed like a very complimentary product to my Harry’s razor, which I love. After a bit of research and some reviews, I purchased a Quip of my very own. I elected to spring for the metal handle and I recommend you do the same. After holding it in my hand, the metal handle Quip feels far and away more premium than any toothbrush I’ve ever had. The design of the Quip is extremely sleek. It’s easily the most attractive toothbrush I’ve ever seen. I made the comparison earlier with an Apple product because the Quip feels like a very high-end, well thought out product. The handle comes in metal (again, highly recommend) in the same grey/silver/gold combinations as an iPhone or MacBook. The replaceable brush head is also extremely well conceived. It has a longer distance between the handle and the brush head, and the area between is also very thin and flat. I’ve always wondered why toothbrushes, admittedly the less than $20 cheap ones, had these large, curvy areas so close to the brush head. The Quip design allows much easier movement while brushing. It’s one of those famous Apple moments where you think “Of course it’s like this, why wouldn’t it be?” Another one of those “a-ha” moments is the vibration motor in the Quip. Toothbrushes have had small vibration motors for years now. While the motor is primarily designed to help us more effectively clean our teeth, Quip saw an opportunity to solve another problem. Who honestly brushes their teeth for the full recommended two minutes? Quip’s motor automatically turns off after two minutes, so you know when you’re done brushing. It also pulses every 30 seconds, giving you a gentle nudge to switch from each of the four quadrants of your mouth. This was admittedly what pushed me over the edge to buy the Quip. The feature is so simple, but has such a profound impact on one’s dental routine. I feel like it would be quite hard to go back to manually timing, or even worse guessing, whether I had brushed my teeth long enough. I know before Quip I wasn’t always hitting the mark. Ironically, it now seems like two minutes goes by so fast. I attribute that to the smart decision to break up the two minutes into the 30 second sections. The other major component of the Quip equation is their care plan. It’s optional, but it takes the hassle out of keeping your oral care supplies stocked. Quip will charge you $10 every three months and ship you a three month supply of toothpaste, a new three month brush head, and a new AAA battery for your toothbrush. You’re probably thinking what I thought initially – “I can stop by Walgreens and buy all that stuff anytime”. But you won’t. You’re busy and if you’re anything like me, it never fails that whatever store you stop by will have stocked every brand of replacement heads except the one you need. You’ll also forget the batteries because you’re still trying to stop by another store to track down the elusive toothbrush head. Finally, unless all your teeth fall out, it is likely you will continue to need brush heads, toothpaste and batteries for the foreseeable future. Quip also allows you to cancel the recurring subscription anytime, which calmed my fears about getting locked into a long term ordeal. Quip’s solution is also on par price-wise with the local stores, even with the added convenience of automatic delivery. While I try to be as vigilant as I can be about my health, both medical and dental, it’s easy to get into a routine without considering the quality of your oral care. Quip has helped me really reevaluate and actually improve my brushing. I’m all for technology that works invisibly, yet shows visible improvements to a person’s health. If you’re looking for an innovative toothbrush with some smart tech, the Quip might be right for you. Tagged with irl gadgets home health