I watched the video and looked at the campaign. The main selling points they seem to make are that people should use "powered" toothbrushes instead of manual, and that if they are going to go powered, it should be mechanical power so as not to use electricity or waste batteries. Ok, I get it. Now there are a bunch of issues I have with the product which I want to elaborate on.
1. POWERED vs. MANUAL
Yes powered brushes when used properly are a benefit but their claim of being "superior" than any other manual or electric brush *when used properly* is completely false. There is nothing magical about this brush and I would argue that the shape of the head and handle are actually not ergonomic at all. Granted, since most people have no clue what they are doing when they brush, the manual would be less effective simply because they are not oscillating enough, not spending enough time brushing, and probably using too large a brush head and more toothpaste than they actually need. At least with a powered brush there are some factors that motivate and educate and constrain the user to proper use (hopefully).
2. ELECTRIC vs. MECHANICAL/SPRING
If you are going powered, an electrical one with a built in rechargeable battery is vastly superior in a number of ways. First, the circuitry ensures the brush operates at a constant rate throughout most of the battery discharge. You can typically get 1, 2 or even 3 weeks without having to charge the brush. Most people will keep it on the charger. I don't, I charge it and then take it off and will not put it back on the "charging base" until several weeks later when it has depleted. Electric brushes, when battery is too low to provide the proper rate, are usually designed not even to turn on and will instruct the user to charge them.
Second, a standard good entry-level electric will usually have a timer built in that will signal to the user 3 minutes. Most will also give some indication of 45 second intervals so that you can pace yourself when brushing the 4 quadrants of the mouth. Third, a rechargeable electrical brush will last for a very long time when treated properly and should have little impact on the environment. If you can change the heads and the internal battery is NiMH or Li-Ion they can be cycled for many years. I have no issues with this level of "waste" on my conscience, given all the other crap we typically waste and do to pollute the environment.
I also don't trust that the mechanical powered one has the ability to stay on for the required 3 minutes that is recommended. It certainly doesn't deliver any audible signal to warn you every 45 seconds. Does it "peter out" as it continues to operate? They claim 120g pressure is recommended and the brush will "stop" working if you press harder. Maybe that is true at the beginning, but after 10, 20, 30 seconds... the spring unwinding, you really think it will be calibrated still to "stop" at 120g? If you are just fighting against the torque, I promise you it will be easier to stop the brush head as the spring unwinds. It's all B-S.
3 WATERPROOFING
I have seen nothing on the water-proofing of this brush and that is going to be a sticking point for some people. Most electrical brushes are completely sealed and can be used underwater, in the shower, etc. This mechanical one has a rotating "crank" base which I figure will let water in, and eventually rust or clock up the mechanism. It also has a replaceable head and I am curious as to how they couple the handle-motor-mechanism with the brush-head without creating a potential opening for water to leak in.
Electric brushes come in two flavours... oscillatory (usually a motor turns and wobbles a tip back and forth that engages the head), and vibratory electromagnetic (like Sonicare, circuitry creates the necessary signals to an electromagnetic mechanism that vibrates a tip which again couples to a head that then transmits the vibrations to the bristles). In either case, there are various O-rings, rubber gaskets and all sorts of seals at the tip to prevent water from getting into the brush. Also, the actual "interface" where the moving part exits the brush is far from the mouth... basically at the handle, 2-3 inches away. The actual 2-3 inch replaceable brushhead tip lets water all through it usually but that doesn't matter. This brush seems to have the interface connection right under the actual small tiny rotating head which is inside the mouth full of toothpaste and fluids.
4. "CHEAP-O" USER-REPLACEABLE BATTERY BRUSHES vs. ELECTRIC REPUTABLE BRUSH (Oral-B, Sonicare)
What I can't stand are those cheap-o battery-powered brushes where you have to slip in AA or AAA batteries in the handle yourself. They typically do NOT have a timer, do NOT have a replaceable head, and do NOT work consistently but tend to go slower and slower as the batteries deplete. If you are arguing against THOSE brushes I would agree with the "BE Brush" people that we are wasteful.
But against a standard entry-level Philips Sonicare or an Oral-B, which have NiMH or Li-Ion battery, replaceable head and timers built in? No way... they are the best bang for the buck. You can typically buy any standard fare entry-level one for $20-40 at Walmart which has all the necessities. The more expensive ones have various other bells and whistles but they are just a bonus. These "BE" Brush people want to sell you their brush for $50? $60? $70?
5. REPLACEABLE HEADS and BIODEGRADEABLE
I had a closer look, and it appears the "replaceable" part is only that small round part at the end of the brush that has the bristles on it, NOT the extended part that comes off the base. Most of the electric brushes consider the "head" to be the last 2-3 inches of the brush along with the actual bristle part. There is a reason for this. That part ends up in your mouth and over time will get nasty. And if you want to share the brush with other family members, people will often have different heads (color coded) that they slip on and off the handle. The handle never enters your mouth, but the last 2-3 inches does and it is a good idea that it gets replaced. Also, as I mentioned before, the interface between the handle and the brushhead is outside the mouth, that potential area where fluid can get in. This "BE" brush has it right under the little circle plastic part.
This "BE" brush only changes that little round circular plastic base that has bristles sticking out. How exactly does it stay on? That means that the flat-looking 2-3 inches at the end is part of the handle and cannot be replaced. That enters your mouth all the time. Apart from the bulkiness and ergonomics and sharp edged design and shape of the thing, that neck just looks too thick. Also, if that little tip dislodges or loosens you can end up choking on it.
IN CONCLUSION...
Let's say this thing actually does last 3 minutes, I doubt it works at a constant speed/torque for the entire time. I believe "pressure" on the head will slow it down or stop it at ever-decreasing pressures as the spring unwinds. I have an issue with the lack of signals during the brushing cycle to pace yourself. I have an issue with the ergonomic design and size of the handle, and concerned about the water-proofing, and choking hazard of the tiny replaceable brush-head if it falls off. I think for all of the "marketing hype" and B-S coming out of this campaign about environmental and biodegradeable and so on.... It seems to be inferior in actually what you want such a product to do, which is BRUSH YOUR TEETH PROPERLY.
If you really want to be ZERO or LOW-FOOTPRINT ENVIRONMENT and want battery-free, get a 3-minute wind-up EGG-TIMER and a manual brush and learn how to brush properly. The end.
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