Philips Sonicare Power Flosser 5000 White HX3811 20

Purchased one year ago. Easy to use and clean. My wife and I use it every night. This is corded version as I could see no benefit in a cordless model. NOTE: Recent problem. Machine turned off and both lights blinking orange, no water flowing. Nothing Philips suggested worked. Found an easy fix. I figured the problem was water flow. I removed the reservoir and checked the rubber gasket in the top of the pump housing by VERY gently probing it with the nozzle to make sure it was clean, no buildup, and no air bubbles. Then I checked the valve in the bottom of the reservoir to make sure it was clean and easily opening and not blocked. Then I filled the reservoir with hot water, made sure the water was going through, and turned the pump on at the highest pressure setting. Using just the handheld wand without the nozzle, I turned it on and let the hot water run through until the reservoir was empty. The flosser has been working fine ever since. Read more

I liked this water flosser but it developed a leak within two years. I’d give it fewer stars for quality but Philips honored its 2y warranty and replaced the unit with an upgraded model which I like better. Read more

After a lot of research, I found that this water flosser is widely considered one of the best on the market when it comes to dental hygiene. The brand has a strong reputation, and in terms of actual flossing performance, it truly delivers. Clean, powerful, and effective—when it works. Unfortunately, that’s where the good news ends. I’ve purchased this model three times over the past couple of years. One of those units was even replaced under warranty, so in total, I’ve gone through four of these—and every single one developed the exact same issue: leaking from the bottom. Whether it was weeks or a couple of months in, all four units failed the same way, and always within a year. The last time, I thought I was being smart by buying insurance along with the device, especially since it was on sale for $60. The unit started leaking again just like the others, and it was replaced. But only a couple of months later, the replacement unit also began leaking from the bottom, just like clockwork. Since it was a one-time replacement, I could no longer get another one—only a $60 refund, which doesn’t cover buying a new one now that the price has gone up. At this point, I’d have to be out of my mind to buy a fifth unit, knowing this is a recurring defect that hasn't been addressed. It’s incredibly frustrating because the product could be amazing. It should be amazing. But if a $60+ device can’t last more than a few months—and every single unit fails the same exact way—then that’s not bad luck, it’s a design flaw. Buy at your own risk. If they ever fix the leak issue, I’d be the first to recommend this product. But until then, I simply can’t. Read more

I own both the Philips 5000 and the cordless WaterPik Ion. Since I own both, I’ll compare the two flossers: WaterPik Ion likes: It’s cordless. I thought this was going to be a big plus when I bought it. In time I discovered it really wasn’t important. The unit itself does a good job of cleaning. On the highest setting, I think it has a bit more power than the Philips 5000. Also, I believe the tank holds more water. Unlike the Philips water flosser that only includes two flossing tips, the WaterPik Ion comes with several different kinds of tips. When finished using, the WaterPik Ion hose coils easily, and a magnet holds the flossing handle in place. WaterPik Ion dislikes: After only five months of use it won’t hold a charge for more than three days. When I first bought it, it would hold a charge for at least ten days. I understand that rechargeable batteries will gradually lose some of their performance over time. But to go from ten days per charge, to only three days per charge in only five months of use is completely unacceptable. I use it once per day for about two minutes, and I’m the only one who uses it. This unit can’t be charged by plugging it directly into a wall outlet. It charges only via USB. WaterPik doesn’t include a USB to AC wall outlet adapter. I didn’t have one, so I had to buy one (an extra $18.00). Last but not least, this unit is very noisy. Philips 5000 likes: It includes a cord and power adapter that plugs into a standard AC wall outlet. There are no recharging issues because it doesn’t have a battery. Like the WaterPik, the hose coils easily and a magnet holds the flossing handle in place. It’s much quieter than the WaterPik. I think perhaps it’s a little less powerful than the WaterPik on the highest setting, but it’s powerful enough. This unit has what Philips calls a “Pacer” feature. Every few seconds it purposely cuts off the water flow for a split second to tell you when it’s time to move to a different quadrant in your mouth (the WaterPik does this too). However, unlike the WaterPik, you can turn the Pacer feature off on the Philips 5000 if you don’t like it. Personally, I don’t like this feature, so I appreciate that Philips gives me the option of turning it off. The water pressure is adjustable from level 1 to 10. If you’ve never water flossed before, you’ll discover that some areas are more sensitive than others. The Philips 5000 has a knob on the front that easily allows you to adjust the water pressure as desired. The WaterPik Ion also has the ability to adjust the water pressure, but it uses a sliding tab located on the side of the unit that I find less convenient to adjust. The Philips 5000 has two cleaning modes: Clean and Deep Clean. On "Clean" the unit runs at a continuous water pressure (per your setting using the knob on the front of the unit). On "Deep Clean" the unit cycles from low to high pressure every few seconds. I only use the Clean mode. Quite frankly, I fail to see that the Deep Clean setting cleans any better. Philips 5000 dislikes: I don’t think the tank holds as much water as the WaterPik Ion. At full power, it takes the Philips about 70 seconds to empty the tank. I usually water floss for about two minutes total. Therefore, I have to stop and fill the tank with more water before I’m finished. That being said, it’s not a deal breaker. I usually water floss my lower gums for a full minute. Then I add more water and do my upper gums. Adding more water to the tank takes me less than ten seconds. Keep in mind that I’m water flossing mostly at full power. If you water floss at a lower pressure setting, the run time per tank will be longer. The Philips 5000 only comes with two flossing tips (one standard F1 tip, which is the one I use, and one with a rubber tip, model F2). This isn’t a problem for me. But if you have multiple people in your household sharing this product, everyone is going to want their own flossing tip. That means you’ll be buying additional tips right away. FINAL THOUGHTS: Both the WaterPik Ion and the Philips 5000 will get the job done. But I find the short battery life of the WaterPik Ion to be highly annoying. It’s also very noisy. For these reasons I almost never use it anymore. I’ve only had the Philips 5000 for a week, so we’ll see how long it lasts. If you register it online, Philips will extend the warranty from two years to thirty (30) months. I don’t mind the fact that the Philips 5000 has a power cord and a power adapter that plugs into the wall. Without a battery, I no longer need to concern myself with recharging, or having it run out of power when I’m in the middle of using it. It’s also a lot quieter. For these reasons, I prefer using the Philips 5000 over the WaterPik Ion. My opinions are my own. I wasn’t paid for this review. Nor did I receive a free product or a promotion of any kind. Lastly, does water flossing really make a difference? Yes, it does. Each night my dental routine begins by flossing my teeth with dental floss. I then use a water flosser for two minutes, and finish by brushing my teeth (sometimes with a manual toothbrush, and sometimes with an electric Braun). When water flossing, I often see food particles that I missed with dental floss. Also, my gum health has definitely improved. Prior to adding a water flosser to my dental routine, I had a couple of areas that bled easily. I started out only being able to use a low setting on the water flosser. I then gradually increased the power level over a period of several days. The end result is that I no longer have any gum bleeding issues like I did before. Country of origin: The Philips model 5000 flosser I received was made in Indonesia. The power adapter was made in China. The WaterPik Ion is made in China. Read more

Probably the 4th one I’ve had since I bought the first one in the 90’s. They’re excellent. Read more

I’ve never liked using dental floss because it’s messy. I used to have a portable water flosser, but the tank was tiny, so I had to refill it multiple times — which eventually made me floss less and less. The battery also wore down over time, and I could only do half my mouth on one charge before it finally died. I’ve been wanting a corded one with a bigger tank, and I got a great deal on Black Friday. I’ve been using it twice a day, and I’m so happy with the big tank — two full tanks cover a whole month of flossing! No more worrying about the battery running out. My gums feel healthier, and my teeth feel so much cleaner. Read more