Is a sustainable toothbrush too much to ask for? These days, I feel like most of the best electric toothbrushes are a logistical nightmare. I want a great toothbrush that cleans my teeth well, is easy to use, and isn’t going to sit in a garbage dump for a million years after I kick the bucket.
So a sustainable toothbrush is what I wanted, and a sustainable toothbrush is what I got. This week, I reviewed the Suri toothbrush and gave it a near-perfect 4.5-star rating. What prevented it from hitting that dreamy 5-star score?
Well, at $125 (with the UV charging travel case), it’s pretty expensive. But I guess if it’s a completely circular toothbrush made from corn, castor oil, and aluminum, it’ll be the last toothbrush I ever buy. Or, that’s the idea. I’ll try to update my review in 2080 with my lifetime verdict.
Reject modernity, embrace tradition
I don’t know about you, but I’m kind of sick of AI-this and AI-that. I wrote a whole story last week explaining why I’m so sick of smart tech. My old toothbrush had AI and Wi-Fi, and at first I thought that was so cool. I loved getting an AI-generated brushing report and seeing a 3D graphic of my mouth.
But when I think about it, do I really need a toothbrush that connects to my phone? Do I really need a hairdryer that connects to my phone? Heck, what’s next — a water bottle that syncs your sipping speed to your phone via Bluetooth?
So I found the Suri brush a breath of fresh air. It’s completely pared back: the only features are a 30-second haptic feedback timer and a 2-minute internal timer. That’s it. What a relief! Instead of having to choose my brushing type and getting an analysis of what I could improve on next time, I simply brush my gnashers and get on with my day.
It’s not just features and Wi-Fi and AI and Bluetooth and all that nonsense that is back to basics. The Suri brush is made from completely recyclable and sustainable materials, too. Gone are the brushes leaden with enough plastic to make a Tupperware factory jealous.
The brush body is made from aluminum, and the brush head is made from cornstarch. The bristles aren’t plastic (or horsehair — imagine) either: they’re woven from castor oil. Suri even recycles the heads for free as part of its sustainable ethos.
But wait — there’s more.
Putting Earth first
One of the most important things I look for when buying new products is the brand’s commitment to protecting the environment. As we all know, overconsumption is a pretty big cause of environmental damage, but we all need to consume to survive. As a result, I’m trying to only buy stuff I truly need, and a toothbrush is certainly one of those things.
Suri is B Corp certified, which means the company has had to meet a series of environmental and socially-conscious standards. B Corp certification forces a company to be transparent about its environmental footprint, and you can find Suri’s sustainability reports on its website.
However, true zero waste/sustainability is logistically impossible to achieve. That doesn’t mean we can’t try our hardest, and that can start with something as small as changing your toothbrush.
Hey, I’m not perfect. I drive a gas-powered car and I’ve an ancient gas fireplace in my (rented) apartment. But I do like knowing that when I’m done with each brush head, they won’t end up in landfill or trash dumps. They will be recycled and made into new brush heads thanks to Suri’s free-of-charge recycling scheme.
Now I’ve found the Suri brush, I won’t be going back to my AI-enabled smart toothbrush. Why does a toothbrush need Wi-Fi anyway? The Suri brush helps me live my life a little more offline, and I’m so here for that.