Australia's best water flossers for 2025, tried & tested (2025)

Waterpik Ultra Professional WP-660

Why it's the best countertop flosser:

The Waterpik Ultra Professional (also known as the Aquarius) has all of the essential features I look for in a water flosser. It strikes a good balance between reservoir capacity, flossing time, unit size and price.

Compared to other flossers, I've found the sliding control switch on the handle makes it much easier to control the water flow and I can rotate the nozzle with a simple flick of my index finger, which is useful when trying to angle it so the water flow hits the right spot in my mouth.

Waterpik Ultra Plus

Why it's worth considering:

The Ultra Plus is very similar to the Ultra Professional in both functionality and appearance. It's worth consideration if you would rather spend a bit less on a water flosser.

During my testing I was very pleased with how well it cleans between the teeth and along the gumline.

The slider switch on the handle works well. The rotating the nozzle is simple to use. And the 10 pressure settings give plenty of choice.

Waterpik Cordless Advanced

Why it's the best cordless:

I've included a section below on when to choose corded vs cordless, but in a nutshell a cordless flosser takes up less space, it's a bit more portable and it can be quieter. The downsides are that you get less flossing time because of a smaller reservoir.

The Cordless Advanced is the most comfortable cordless flosser I have tested. I do prefer the smaller and more nimble handles of a countertop flosser, such as the Ultra Professional, but the shape and the large area of raised dots on the back of the Cordless Advanced make it lovely to hold.I felt in control, even when I wanted to rotate the nozzle.

I found the nozzle easy to rotate, helping me to reach all my teeth and clean the entire mouth. In fact, I found rotating the nozzle on the Cordless Advanced was easier than on the Ultra Professional. The large wheel used for rotation felt natural to use and provided good feedback.

Sonicare Power Flosser 3000

Why it's a good option:

Despite the Waterpik Ultra Professional and Ultra Plus being my top picks, the Power Flosser 3000 is still a very good choice. It is certainly comparable. The flossing time and cleaning results are on par, but I found the Waterpiks more user-friendly because of the textured grip on the pressure control dial and rotating nozzle.

The Power Flosser 3000 is noticeably quieter at lower pressure settings, but crank up that pressure and it’s as loud as the Ultra Professional. Noise is something you will generally need to accept with countertop flossers, unless you opt for something like the 3000 and keep the pressure low, but if it's your first time using a water flosser you may not know the amount of pressure you prefer.

Like the Waterpiks, the Power Flosser 3000 has 10 different pressure settings. I found these easy to select using the rotating dial. Something else I liked about it is that the power cable clips underneath the unit, which means you can push it closer to the wall, unlike the Ultra Professional.

Buyer's guide: useful pre-purchase advice

In the following sections I've elaborated on some of the points made as part of my overall recommendations above. I've included some additional information and photos that are useful to consider when shopping for a water flosser. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below.

Cordless vs corded (countertop) water flossers

If you have space (approx 6 x 6 inches) for one in your bathroom, I recommend going for a countertop over a cordless water flosser. There is no evidence to suggest one is better than the other — scientific studies confirm the effectiveness of both types. In my own hands-on testing, I have found them to be as effective as each other.

I've found countertop models slightly more comfortable to use. They also have larger water reservoirs, meaning they have longer cleaning times and need to be refilled less often. You only get 40 to 60 seconds of usage with a cordless flosser. That's OK for me, I've mastered my technique, but when you first buy one you might be surprised about how often it needs refilling.

Most cordless models offer just 2-3 intensity settings, which are easily changed via buttons on the unit. I find a low and higher power setting is more than enough in most instances. The technique you use is more important. Countertop flossers often come with extra features, such a greater range of pressure settings (more on why that's useful below) and a built-in timer.

That being said, a cordless water flosser is still a perfectly good option if you don’t have space for a countertop model, or if you travel a lot. For the most part, countertop units need a power outlet. They need to be plugged in for them to work. You are therefore more restricted on where you place them.Cordless units are wire-free. This makes them more portable and convenient, particularly if you don’t have a socket in your bathroom.

Examples of how much space countertop flossers take up

One of the drawbacks to countertop water flossers is that they are larger.

Each model is different, but you generally need an area 6 x 6 inches or 15 x 15cm on your countertop to accommodate the footprint of the water flosser.

You then want to have about 25-30cm (10-12 inches) space above this free for the unit to stand upright.

Each corded unit has a power cable that is around 3-4ft (90-120cm) in length. The hose from the handle tends to be of a similar length too.

A maximum distance from the power socket and the sink is approximately 2 meters. Any more than this and you will likely struggle.

Why having a range of pressure settings is useful

To start this section off, I should emphasize that power isn't everything. I've found that lower power and good technique to be better than higher power and poor technique.

Furthermore, there is no clinical evidence to support greater water pressure being more effective at removing plaque.

The amount of pressure you use is a matter of preference. In this section I will explain how pressure settings are implemented on various flossers and what my preferences are for daily use.

Pressure is measured in Pounds Per Square Inch (PSI) or Bar. Typically, cordless models tend to have a pressure range of 30 to 70 PSI and corded (countertop) have a range of 10 to 100 PSI.

For my daily usage I tend to use around 70 to 80 PSI.This is what I find to be most comfortable.

You might not need to switch between them all the time, but having a choice of pressure settings is valuable. Whilst countertop water flossers can have as many as 10 settings, 2 or 3 is common for cordless models. You want at least a low and a high setting.

Having extra power can blast away more debris, but sheer force is not essential and may feel uncomfortable to some people. A low setting is ideal for inflamed, sensitive and bleeding gums.If you have healthy teeth and gums, the higher setting can be used.

For specific health conditions like periodontal disease, using more powerful flossers can cause more damage.

It's also worth noting that the lower the pressure used, the more flossing time you get from each fill of the tank.

I've created a video here that looks at the most powerful water flossers and shows me using them. I've also created the table below, which shows the pressure range available, the number of pressure settings and some other useful water flosser features to compare. Please note: where the pressure range is not entered in the table, this is because it has not been disclosed by the manufacturer.

My preferred pressure controls

My pick for the best overall water flosser is the Waterpik Ultra Professional. One of the reasons it's my top choice is that it has a contoured pressure dial. This makes it easy to select the setting you want, even if your hands are wet — a common occurrence when flossing with water!

My runner up choice, the Ultra Plus, also has a good dial. The ridges make it easy to grip and a slight depression indicates which setting is selected. When rotated it aligns with the markings above the dial.

By contrast, the Sonicare Power Flosser range does not have a textured or contoured dial. This makes it more slippery when wet.

The cordless flossers I've tested have LEDs on the front of the flosser to show which mode is selected. My number one choice, the Waterpik Cordless Advanced, is an example of this.

LEDs on the front of the unit indicate which mode is selected and it remembers the last mode selected and default to that mode until you change it.

Generally speaking I would say have 2 different modes — low and high — is enough for most users. Having the extra control of 10 modes on a countertop flosser is a bonus, but if a cordless model will be more convenient for you, you can certainly get by with 2 or 3 modes.

The 'high' mode on the Cordless Advanced operates at 75 PSI, which is within the range of pressure that I find to be most comfortable. The low setting uses 45 PSI, which is better if my gums are feeling a bit sensitive.

Charging and power options can affect user experience

The way you charge or power your water flosser, either at home or on the road, can make a reasonable difference to the overall user experience.

It's hard for me to comment specifically on what's best here because everyone has a different bathroom and use-case. Instead, I'll make some comments and give photo examples of details that are worth taking into account.

In the photo below I have compared the difference between the Waterpik Ultra Professional and the Sonicare Power Flosser.

The power connector for the Power Flosser is stowed underneath the unit and the position of the cable means it can be pushed right back up against a wall or flat surface.

By comparison, the Ultra Professional needs an inch or so’s clearance for the cable.

For me it's not a big deal — I use the Ultra Professional without issue — but if you are very tight on space but still want a countertop flosser, a flosser with a cable that is connected and stowed underneath the unit could be a good option.

Some cordless flossers can be charged by USB

Cordless water flossers need charging about once per month in my experience.

The Oclean W10, which I have mentioned above, uses a USB-C cable for charging, which is the type that comes with most smartphones. This means one less cable to carry if you take your flosser away with you somewhere.

By contrast, the Waterpik Cordless Advanced uses a proprietary charging cable. It's not an issue unless you lose it, which is easily done. This is where the Sonicares Cordless Power Flosser 3000 and the Oclean W10 stand out because, with USB type-c connectors, you can easily source replacements.

The magnetic charging cable for the Cordless Advanced is a little bulky, but it's easy to use and given you'll be using it less than once a month, its size isn't a big issue.

One of the advantages of cordless flossers is that they are, in theory at least, more portable. One aspect of portability is the charging cable. If you can use the same USB cable that charges your phone, it's one less thing to carry.

Useful features if you plan to travel with your water flosser often

Cordless water flossers are naturally more portable than countertop flossers, but unless you go for a very compact one, they can still be quite bulky. The Cordless Advanced, for example, isn't exactly on the small side.

The Oclean W10 isn't marketed as a travel flosser, but it has a detachable base, which makes it easy to drain. Additionally, because the base can be detached in this way, it means the nozzles can be stored inside the flosser. It is also charged by a generic USB-C cable — another bonus when you're traveling. Find out more in my Oclean W10 video review.

Electric toothbrush and water flosser combos generally aren't worth it

Unless you have a very specific use case, I don't recommend opting for a single hybrid product that combines an electric toothbrush and a water flosser. You'll get better performance if you buy them as separate products.

If this is the sort of product you're interested in, the Waterpik Sonic-Fusion 2.0 is the only truly combined toothbrush and water flosser and therefore the best option. You use the same handle for both brushing and flossing. You can even floss with water as you brush — the water is pushed out through a rubber nozzle in the centre of the toothbrush head.

It's not a product that's readily available in the Australia, although you may find imports on Amazon or Ebay. They are likely to be significantly more expensive than other water flossers.

I must reiterate that I did find the Sonic-Fusion disappointing in my testing. It is noisy and cumbersome to use. You don’t get to enjoy all the benefits of neither an electric toothbrush nor a water flosser and you're better off buying them separately.

There is little to rival the Sonic-Fusion from other well-known brands. You may find cheaper challenger brands offering something similar, but I really wouldn't recommend going for these.