After using manual toothbrushes for a few years, I recently decided it was time to switch back to an electric toothbrush. However, I was faced a dilemma: traditional electric toothbrush heads are made of plastic. I wanted to take good care of my teeth, but I wasn’t comfortable committing to a product that required frequent plastic replacements. While searching for eco-friendly alternatives, I discovered Truthbrush β a company that makes bamboo electric toothbrush heads. In this post, I’ll be sharing my opinion about their toothbrushes, the pros and cons, and explain what makes Truthbrush unique.
(Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you click on the links and make a purchase. All opinions are my own. Thank you for your support! Please note that I am not a medical or dental professional – this is purely my own experience with this toothbrush and, like all posts on my blog, not intended to be medical advice.)
Why I decided to try Truthbrush Toothbrush Heads:
- B-Corp certified company.
- A member of 1% for the planet.
- Vegan & Vegetarian friendly.
- Made with biodegradable solid bamboo.
- Made without a plastic core.
- UK-based business.
Bamboo vs Plastic Electric Toothbrush Heads
Around 212 million toothbrush heads and manual toothbrushes are thrown away in the UK every year. These toothbrushes contribute to landfill waste, creating masses of plastic waste that ends up in our waterways and environment.
Truthbrush aim to provide a solution to this problem by creating toothbrushes made with as little plastic as possible. They also prioritise responsibly sourced materials for many of their products.
What are Truthbrush toothbrushes made from?
Bamboo Body
The body of the brush: The main body of the brush is crafted from Moso Bamboo. This variety of bamboo is specially selected for conservation reasons; it is inedible to pandas, and therefore harvesting this bamboo doesn’t take away from their food sources.
Bamboo grows more quickly than other wood sources from trees, making it a more sustainable option. Truthbrush sources their bamboo from responsibly managed forests in China, and the bamboo they use is Forestry Stewardship Certified.
Bamboo Core
Some brands use a plastic core inside their bamboo toothbrush heads to ensure a snug fit with the metal attachment on your electric toothbrush. Truthbrush ditch the plastic and craft the core of their toothbrushes entirely out of bamboo. This plastic-free approach was a major selling point for me, as it means that it can biodegrade once you’ve finished with it.
Castor Oil Bristles:
The bristles on Truthbrush bamboo electric toothbrush heads are plant-based and made with 100% castor oil. Unlike many other eco-friendly options on the market, which are often made with boar bristles, Truthbrush brushes are suitable for vegetarians and vegans. However, there is a downside to this; it’s important to note that Truthbrush don’t recommend composting the bristles, and that they should go into general waste instead.
Which electric toothbrushes does it fit?
Truthbrush toothbrush heads are compatible with over 150 Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush models. You can find the full list of compatible toothbrushes on the product listing. Unfortunately, they don’t currently offer toothbrush heads designed specifically for other brands like Oral B or Colgate.
I use the Hx3641/11 model of the Sonicare toothbrush. The Truthbrush bamboo toothbrush heads fit well onto the metal attachment, but I did have a little trouble getting them on at first β I found that I needed to push it down a little harder than I would with a plastic toothbrush head. There is a small gap between the electric handle and the bamboo head, but this gap is normal and appears on the regular plastic brush heads as well.
Truthbrush toothbrush heads vs conventional alternatives
| Truthbrush toothbrush heads | Conventional toothbrush heads |
| Plastic-free main body (bamboo) | Made with plastic |
| Packaged in cardboard & tissue paper | Often packaged in plastic |
| UK-based business | Typically from global corporations |
| B-Corp certified business | Lack of transparency about supply chain, environmental impact, etc. |
My experience using this toothbrush head
The experience of using a Truthbrush bamboo toothbrush head is very similar to using a conventional plastic version. I expected it to feel very different, but I was pleasantly surprised. The bamboo feels nice and smooth, and the brush is just as easy to move around. I decided to store the toothbrush on a shelf away from the sink when out of use to keep it away from the water and preserve the bamboo as best as possible.
Truthbrush describes the bristles as having a “medium” level of softness, but they feel fairly firm. I did notice that I needed to be mindful not to press down too hard whilst brushing. Although this didn’t cause any problems for me, my sensitive teeth could benefit from a version with “soft” bristles for extra peace of mind.
Was it Packaged Sustainably?
I was impressed with the sustainable packaging Truthbrush uses for their products. The toothbrush heads were neatly packaged in cardboard and wrapped in tissue paper (which probably helped keep them safe during shipping). The cardboard mailer was a bit larger than necessary, but it wasn’t a big deal. I appreciated that there were no extra promotional materials inside the package, and all the information was printed directly on the box to save paper.
Overall, I am very satisfied with my order from Truthbrush. Their toothbrushes provide a sustainable option for people who want to continue using an electric toothbrush but keep plastic waste at a minimum. It would be great to see them develop a model with softer bristles for sensitive teeth as an additional option. I will definitely consider ordering from them again in the future!
This post was a review of Truthbrush and their bamboo electric toothbrush heads.
