How we repair our brushes
When it came to designing our toothbrush, making it repairable was non-negotiable. We believed that less is more and were tired of the industry status quo of ‘throwaway by default’. We wanted to create the last toothbrush you’ll ever need – and this meant being able to repair it.
During our initial research, most of the electric toothbrushes we encountered were sealed shut with no conceivable way to repair or recycle them. As we pitched the concept of a repairable electric toothbrush, we had twenty different factories laugh at us – “why not just sell them a new one?”. It was evident a seismic cultural shift was needed when it comes to repairability and toothbrushes. We’re happy to lead the way.
Thoughtful details, lasting impact
In the base of our electric toothbrush, is a tiny screw. This almost imperceptible design feature unlocks a whole host of possibilities, the primary one being repairability. Once the screw is unthreaded, we’re able to open up the handle to access the components within. From here we can carry out repairs, replace a faulty battery, or reuse and recycle components.
We also chose to pair back our toothbrush to include only the features people would use. No battery-draining LED screens or Bluetooth connectivity. Simplifying our components not only reduces the amount of overall materials used, but it means our brush is more straightforward for us to repair.
How our repair program works
1. While under warranty, if your toothbrush develops a fault it can be returned to us for repair.
2. We'll send you an as-new, refurbished replacement brush handle along with a freepost label so you can return your faulty brush to us.
3. Repairing our toothbrush is currently an intricate art, so they’re sent back to our primary factory where our team of experts can repair them. We’re quickly moving towards the next evolution of our repair program, with bespoke machines landing this week to enable us to carry out localised repairs in the UK and US.
Repaired brushes are sterilised, made like new and distributed as replacement brushes. If for some reason a toothbrush is beyond repair, our team will take it apart to recover the parts. Reusing the components they can, and working with our e-waste partners to repurpose and recycle those they can’t.
Future-proofing our Toothbrush
We believe we’ve laid the foundations, but further down the line we’d like to be able to introduce a repair kit so that technically-minded consumers can replace their battery at home. As we develop our toothbrush, we intend to develop an even quieter motor, a more energy efficient battery solution. And when we do we want to be able to incorporate these progressive technologies into our existing brush.
Ultimately we’re hoping to get to a point where any upgrades or repairs are user-friendly and simple enough to be carried out by anyone at home. Follow this journey, because we’re just getting started.
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Rethinking the electric toothbrush began with rethinking the materials.
We can only make an impact if you love using our toothbrush every single day. So we designed ours with your daily routines front and centre—taking into account functionality, durability, tactility, production methods, recycling, end-of-life, and more. All while being as light on the environment as possible.
3 women. 48 days. 1.5 million oar strokes. 30ft waves. 1 marlin attack. Last summer we sponsored the inspirational Vibe the Wave team as they prepared for their epic Atlantic crossing to raise awareness around ocean plastic pollution. We talked routines in the middle of the ocean, overcoming adversity, and being skewered by a hungry marlin.
