Replacement toothbrush heads: which ones fit
Oral-B round heads fit every Oral-B handle except iO and Pulsonic; Sonicare click-on heads fit every Sonicare but PowerUp and Essence. The full fit guide.
Oohunt Deal Desk · Buying guides · October 20, 2026 · 7 min read
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Most replacement toothbrush heads fit a whole family of handles, not one model. Oral-B’s round heads fit every Oral-B electric handle except iO and Pulsonic, and Philips Sonicare’s click-on heads fit every Sonicare handle except PowerUp Battery and Essence. The exceptions are where the money gets wasted, so they are what this guide is about.
Nothing crosses brands: no Sonicare head fits an Oral-B, and no Oral-B head fits a Sonicare. Start with the brand on your handle, then find it below.
Oral-B toothbrush heads
Oral-B splits into two fittings, and telling them apart takes one look at the handle.
Round heads, for every handle except iO and Pulsonic. Oral-B says these fit all of its electric toothbrush handles except those two, so the choice between them is about bristles, not fit: CrossAction, Precision Clean, FlossAction, 3D White, Sensitive Gum Care, Pro GumCare, Deep Sweep, Ortho, Dual Clean and Interproximal Clean. If your brush is an Oral-B Pro, Vitality, Smart or similar, any of them will click on. What each of those names is for is a separate question, answered in Oral-B brush head types.
iO heads, for iO handles only. The iO range uses its own magnetic fitting. Oral-B lists its iO Ultimate Clean and iO Gentle Care heads as compatible with iO handles only, and the round heads above do not fit them. The giveaway is the handle: an iO has a round display screen on the front.
Pulsonic and Clic are separate again.Pulsonic is Oral-B’s sonic handle and is named as the other exception. Clic is not an electric brush at all: it is a manual handle with a head that snaps off, and it takes Clic refills.
Philips Sonicare toothbrush heads
Sonicare splits by how the head attaches, which you can check by pulling the current one off.
Click-on heads, for almost everything. These are the standard modern heads: A3, C2, C3, G2, G3, W, W2, W3 and the rest. Philips states that a click-on head fits any Philips Sonicare handle except PowerUp Battery and Essence, so a DiamondClean, ProtectiveClean, 4100, 5900 or 6500 can take any of them. The letters are the bristle design and the number is the generation, which Sonicare brush head types works through one by one.
Screw-on e-Series heads, for the older handles. Philips describes the e-Series head as one that screws on and off, with a screw-on design for Essence, Elite, Xtreme and Advance handles. If your head twists rather than clicks, this is the range you need, and a click-on head will not fit it.
Philips One is its own thing. The slim battery and rechargeable Philips One brushes take Philips One heads (BH1022), not Sonicare click-on heads, despite the Sonicare name on the box.
One footnote if your handle tracks head wear: that reminder only works with heads that support it, so a head that fits is not always a head the handle can keep time for.
Waterpik Sonic-Fusion
The brush-and-flosser combines two jobs in one handle and uses its own heads, which fit Sonic-Fusion models and nothing else. There is no generic equivalent.
How to tell which handle you have
The model name is usually printed on the handle itself, often low down on the front or underneath, and it is on the charging base as well. If it has rubbed off, two checks settle almost every case:
- Oral-B: does it have a round screen on the front? That is an iO, and it needs iO heads. No screen means a round head.
- Sonicare: does the old head pull straight off, or unscrew? Pull means click-on, twist means e-Series.
What about cheaper third-party heads?
Listings offering twenty heads for the price of two exist for both fittings, and the honest answer is that we have no way to tell a good one from a bad one: bristle quality and how well the head seats are not things a listing can prove. Every pick below is the brand’s own.
When to replace them
Every three months, or sooner if the bristles splay, which works out at four heads a year per person. The signs a head is done, and what the indicator bristles mean, are in how often to replace your toothbrush.
Replacement toothbrush heads worth a look
One for each fitting above. Prices change often, so check the current one on Amazon.
What we would buy (7)
Affiliate links
- Check price on Amazon
Oral-BiO Ultimate Clean replacement heads, 2-pack
Opens Amazon in a new tab.For Oral-B iO handles, which take no other heads. The everyday iO head.
- Check price on Amazon
Oral-BiO Gentle Care replacement heads, 2-pack
Opens Amazon in a new tab.The same iO fitting with softer bristles, for sensitive teeth or gums that bleed easily.
- Check price on Amazon
Oral-BCrossAction replacement heads, 4-pack
Opens Amazon in a new tab.A round head, so it fits every Oral-B handle except iO and Pulsonic. Four is a year for one person.
- Check price on Amazon
Oral-BFlossAction replacement heads, 5-pack
Opens Amazon in a new tab.The same round fitting, with rubber bristles aimed between the teeth.
- Check price on Amazon
Philips SonicareG3 Gum Care brush heads, 2-pack
Opens Amazon in a new tab.A click-on head, so it fits any Sonicare handle except PowerUp Battery and Essence.
- Check price on Amazon
Philips SonicareW2 Optimal White brush heads, 8-pack
Opens Amazon in a new tab.The same click-on fitting bought in bulk: two years for one person, or a year for two.
- Check price on Amazon
Philips SonicarePhilips One by Sonicare brush heads, 2-pack (BH1022)
Opens Amazon in a new tab.Only for Philips One brushes, which take neither click-on nor screw-on Sonicare heads.
No prices or star ratings here. Prices change daily and we do not track them, so Amazon shows you the current one. Nothing on this list has been tested.
Common questions
Do all Oral-B brush heads fit all Oral-B toothbrushes?
Almost. Oral-B's round heads, including CrossAction, Precision Clean, FlossAction, 3D White and Sensitive Gum Care, fit all of its electric toothbrush handles except iO and Pulsonic. Those two take their own heads.
Do Oral-B iO heads fit older Oral-B toothbrushes?
No. iO heads are made for iO handles only, and the round heads that fit the older handles will not fit an iO. If you own an iO, buy heads with iO in the name.
Do Philips Sonicare heads fit every Sonicare handle?
The click-on heads fit any Philips Sonicare handle except PowerUp Battery and Essence, which Philips names as the exceptions. Essence, Elite and Xtreme handles take the screw-on e-Series heads instead, and Philips One takes its own.
Will Sonicare heads fit an Oral-B toothbrush?
No, and the reverse is also no. The two brands use different fittings, and nothing bridges them. Match the head to the brand printed on your handle before anything else.
How do I know which toothbrush I have?
The model name or number is usually printed on the handle, on its underside, or on the charger it sits in. For Oral-B the thing to establish is whether it is an iO; for Sonicare, whether the head clicks on or screws on.
How many replacement heads should I buy at once?
At one every three months, a person uses four a year, so a 4-pack is a year's supply and an 8-pack covers a couple. Buying a year at a time is also how the next one ends up in the cabinet on the day it is due.
Another thing worth buying a year at a time is a water filter: see how often to change a Brita filter. More oral care sits in health & household.