Philips Sonicare 4100 vs Philips Sonicare 5000
Over three years, with heads at each maker's own pack price, the Philips Sonicare 4100 costs about $123 to the Philips Sonicare 5000's $127. Both have pressure sensors, signalled differently: pressure sensor (vibration or sound) on the Philips Sonicare 4100, pressure sensor (signal not described) on the Philips Sonicare 5000. Every other published figure for both is in the table, with the rows where they differ tinted.
Philips Sonicare
Philips Sonicare 4100
~$50
Philips' long-selling 4100 pairs a pressure sensor with two intensity levels and a BrushSync reminder that lights up when the head is due.
Best for: The classic budget Sonicare with a replacement reminder
Philips Sonicare
Philips Sonicare 5000
~$60
New to Philips' US catalog in 2026, the 5000 adds a Gum Health mode and ships with a whitening head alongside the plaque head.
Best for: A Gum Health mode for about $60
| Specification | Philips Sonicare 4100 | Philips Sonicare 5000 |
|---|---|---|
| Approx. price | ~$50 | ~$60 |
| 3-year cost | ~$123 ($50 handle + 11 heads at $6.66) | ~$127 ($60 handle + 10 heads at $6.66) |
| Type | Sonic | Sonic |
| Motion | Sonic (vibrating head) | Sonic (vibrating head) |
| Speed (maker's figure) | not published | 31,000 bristle movements |
| Pressure sensor | Pressure sensor (vibration or sound): Vibrates the handle and makes a pulsing sound as a reminder to ease off | Pressure sensor (signal not described): Philips' page says the pressure sensor helps protect your gums without saying how it signals |
| ADA Seal | No listing found | No listing found |
| Timer | 2-minute timer | 2-minute timer |
| Quadrant pacer | Yes, every 30 seconds | Yes, every 30 seconds |
| Modes | 1: Clean | 2: Clean, Gum Health |
| Intensities | 2 | 2 |
| Screen | None | None |
| App | No | No |
| Battery | 14-day battery (Philips spec: operating time 14 days) | not published |
| Travel case | No | No |
| Heads in the box | 1 | 2 |
| Head family | Sonicare click-on | Sonicare click-on |
| Head compatibility | Any Philips Sonicare click-on head (C1 SimplyClean, C2, C3, G3, A3, W); not Philips One heads | Any Philips Sonicare click-on head (C1 SimplyClean, C2, C3, G3, A3, W); not Philips One heads |
| Price per head | $6.66 (Sonicare SimplyClean 6-pack (HX6016/77), $39.96 on usa.philips.com) | $6.66 (Sonicare SimplyClean 6-pack (HX6016/77), $39.96 on usa.philips.com) |
| Replace heads every | 3 months (maker) | 3 months (maker) |
| Warranty | 2 years | 2 years |
| First listed | 2021 | 2026 |
Philips Sonicare 4100: what it gives up
- One mode, no travel case and no app, the same bare kit as the $40 3100
- No speed figure published for this CTN
- Two different handles are sold under the 4100 name, which makes spares shopping confusing
Philips Sonicare 5000: what it gives up
- Philips' own page and spec sheet disagree on battery life
- Spec sheet's box list names a different handle
- No travel case, like every adult Sonicare under $130
- Philips does not say how the pressure sensor signals
Full pages: Philips Sonicare 4100 · Philips Sonicare 5000