Head-to-head · Best Water Flossers

Waterpik Aquarius vs Waterpik ION Professional Water Flosser (WF-12)

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

Waterpik Aquarius comes out ahead by a clear margin (4.7 vs 3.7). Waterpik Aquarius is best for: people with a power outlet near the sink who want a countertop flosser with fine pressure control. Read the strengths below before deciding.

Higher ratedRanked #2 in Best Water Flossers

Waterpik Aquarius

4.7

1 source$94.4as of Oct 12

The Waterpik Aquarius (WP-660) is a mains-powered countertop water flosser with a 22-ounce reservoir, ten pressure settings from 10 to 100 PSI, a floss and a massage mode, and a 30-second pacer. Electric Teeth names it the best countertop water flosser available and praises its plaque removal, grippy pressure dial and rotating nozzle. Its reservations are the price, the seven included tips being more than most people will use, and noise of up to 72 decibels that it calls average rather than 'ultra quiet'.

Strengths

— Ten pressure settings from 10 to 100 PSI on a textured dial that Electric Teeth found easy to adjust
— 22-ounce (651ml) removable reservoir gave Electric Teeth about 90 seconds at the highest setting and 4 minutes 45 seconds at the lowest
— Pacer pauses the water at 30 and 60 seconds, and can be switched off

Watch-outs

— Electric Teeth lists the price as a con, describing it as a premium option at a $99.99 retail price
— Needs a power outlet: there is no battery, and the cord is about 4.5 feet long
— Up to 72 decibels in use, which Electric Teeth considers average rather than the 'ultra quiet' Waterpik claims

$94.4 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Ranked #6 in Best Water Flossers

Waterpik ION Professional Water Flosser (WF-12)

3.7

1 source$99.99as of Oct 12

The Waterpik ION Professional (WF-12) is a countertop water flosser with a built-in rechargeable battery, so it works without a power outlet by the sink. Electric Teeth got 30 minutes of use per charge at the highest of its ten pressure settings and reports great cleaning results, but found the small handle slightly trickier to hold, the nozzle harder to rotate than on the Waterpik Aquarius, and the unit too bulky to be a real travel flosser. Dr. Joshua Austin, writing in Dental Economics, recommends it for patients who will not use string floss and those with orthodontics, bridges or implants.

Strengths

— Built-in rechargeable battery: Electric Teeth measured 30 minutes of use per charge at the highest pressure setting, against a claimed 28
— About 30% smaller than a regular countertop unit, per Electric Teeth and Dental Economics
— Ten pressure settings from 10 to 100 PSI, with a 30- and 60-second pacer

Watch-outs

— Compact but not really travel friendly: Electric Teeth calls it still quite bulky, and it has no travel case
— The smaller handle is slightly trickier to hold and the nozzle harder to rotate than on the Aquarius, per Electric Teeth
— Up to about 79 decibels in use, which Electric Teeth describes as quite loud

$99.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

How they stack up

Waterpik Aquarius

The Waterpik Aquarius must stay plugged in, where the Waterpik ION Professional Water Flosser (WF-12) runs from a rechargeable battery. Electric Teeth, which reviewed both, makes the Aquarius its first choice for a countertop flosser and found its ridged rotating nozzle easier to turn than the ION's; the Aquarius holds 22 ounces of water against the ION Professional's 20.

Waterpik ION Professional Water Flosser (WF-12)

The Waterpik ION Professional Water Flosser (WF-12) runs from a rechargeable battery, where the Waterpik Aquarius has to stay plugged in. Electric Teeth, which reviewed both, makes the Aquarius its first choice for a countertop flosser and found the ION's nozzle harder to rotate; the ION Professional's tank holds 20 ounces against the Aquarius's 22.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Waterpik Aquarius	Waterpik ION Professional Water Flosser (WF-12)
Water Capacity	22 Ounces ( 651 ml )	591 ml (20 ounces)
Nozzle Types	7 flossing tips	7 flossing tips included
Cleaning Modes	Floss and Hydro-Pulse Massage	10 pressure settings
Type	Countertop	Cordless Water Flosser
Dimensions	3.8 x 4.7 x 10.3 inches; 1.46 pounds	5.7 x 5.9 x 7.3 inches; 1.3 pounds
Charging Type	—	Magnetic USB-A charging cable
Battery Life	—	up to 4 weeks

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