Crest Spinbrush KIDS

Like many parents, I look for ways to make teeth cleaning fun, to encourage my kids to take care of their baby teeth so I was delighted when I spotted a selection of Kids Spinbrushes in Home Bargains costing just £2.49 each. That is excellent value for money compared to similar products, particular as these battery operated toothbrushes feature a selection of fun, kid friendly designs, guaranteed to please my four year old son. I have, however, seen these brushes selling for considerably more at Wilkinsons and as much as £12.99 on Amazon, so it is well worth shopping around.

There are several fun designs in the range. Unusually, the designs (including a mermaid, football and dolphin) are actually incorporated into the shape of the handle, rather than just being a decoration around the sides. I chose a fun skateboard design which, in hindsight, is perhaps not the most practical of choices as the handle is shaped into a long thin skateboard, with a curved underside to incorporate the batteries, making this quite a bulky toothbrush for a child to hold and use independently. It is quite an eye-catching design but could have been better thought out to appeal to the children that this has been designed for. My son, for instance, was disappointed that the wheels don't move so the 'skateboard' can't be pushed around the sides of the bath and played with as easily as he'd like.

Like the Spiderman brush my son has owned before, this toothbrush features a dual head. The combination of a circular rotating brush head along with a static section helps to ensure that my son cleans his teeth thoroughly and covers a large area of teeth at a time, although I do still take over to ensure that he reaches the teeth at the back of his mouth. Despite the dual head, the brush section is small enough to fit into my child's mouth comfortably and the bristles themselves are suitably soft and gentle and haven't caused any discomfort or bleeding from excess pressure.

The brush is powered by two AAA batteries which come supplied and can be replaced when needed, by unscrewing the watertight compartment. Having used this for over a month, there are no signs of the batteries wearing out as yet. I don't think the brush is quite as powerful or as fast as other children's versions we've owned previously. My son has the habit of biting down on the brush occasionally and this brush simply makes a rather pathetic grumble whereas other models have roared at this treatment! This also means that the brush is not quite as loud as other styles, making this a good choice for a child's first battery operated brush, particularly if they are a little nervous about the noise or vibrations. I'm confident that the brush cleans well and the fun design encourages my son to clean for longer, which always helps.

I do think that the sliding on/off switch could be better positioned. I find it quite awkward to locate as it's about halfway up the 'skateboard' handle. As a rigid switch it also needs some pressure to turn on and off, although a basic pulse motion can be achieved by holding a finger down on the button instead, which isn't the most child friendly option.

The main drawback with this range is that the heads cannot be replaced, meaning that the whole brush needs to be disposed of once the quality of the head starts to deteriorate. This obviously makes the brush not a particularly eco-friendly option and potentially expensive, depending on the original purchase price.

I would recommend this brush for children between three and six but would advise shopping around, bearing in mind the non-replaceable heads. There are a range of child friendly designs available so there should be something to tempt even the most reticent teeth cleaner.