Goby is an electric toothbrush startup founded by Claire Burke and Ben Goldberg. Their personal search for a perfect and affordable powered toothbrush drove them to design one of their own.
So what about this Goby toothbrush? Is it worth purchasing? We break down all the details right here.
Goby Toothbrush: The Specs
The Goby toothbrush has a teardrop-shaped profile with a tiny round brush head, slim neck, and wide handle. It comes in vibrant colors with matte, shiny, or metallic finishes depending on the design you choose. Goby is cradled upright in an understated hygiene stand when not in use.
Goby comes with only two speed settings: normal and sensitive. There’s just one button on the brush. You press it once to turn on and then you can press it again to slow down the vibration speed. The Goby toothbrush automatically turns off after a full two minutes of brushing.
To ensure you cover each part of your mouth equally when brushing, Goby will vibrate every thirty seconds. This quadpacer alerts you that it’s time to move on to the next quadrant of your mouth.
The Goby toothbrush is not a sonic brush. Sonic brushes vibrate and the bristles are arranged in rectangular rows. Goby, on the other hand, is more similar to Oral-B electric brushes since it features a small round oscillating head that makes about 9,000 movements per minute.
Recharging your Goby brush is a breeze; you can use either a USB port or a regular electrical outlet to power up your Goby toothbrush. There’s a magnetic shell that adheres to the outside of the toothbrush for charging.
But, how much does a Goby toothbrush cost?
All of the Goby brushes function the same way but the models vary based upon color. The original model goes for $65. It’s white with an accent color such as orange or blue.
The newer colors include monochrome black, glacier white, and rose pink These ones go for $75 each.
And then lastly are the limited edition designs which feature unique colors, patterns, and textures for just a short. Nabbing up one of these rare brushes will set you back $95.
All Goby brushes come with the same features in each kit:
- 1 electric toothbrush
- 1 brush head
- Hygiene stand
- USB magnetic charging shell
- Electric outlet adapter for the USB charger
- Plastic brush head cover
Goby Toothbrush Heads
Probably the thing that makes Goby special is its brush head design.
As with other electric toothbrushes, Goby’s brush heads are detachable. But what makes them unique is that they’re small and round with short soft bristles arranged in a circular pattern. This design makes the brush head comfortable and easy to maneuver around the mouth.
Instead of vibrating like sonic toothbrush brush heads do, Goby’s round brush heads oscillate. The bristles spin rapidly back and forth in a powerful cleaning motion similar to the Oral-B powered toothbrush.
There’s a brush head included in every Goby brush kit. To get a new brush head when you need it, you can set up a Goby toothbrush subscription plan:
'1 brush head sent to you every one, two, or three months per your preference for only $6 each'
Setting up your subscription right from the day you purchase your first brush kit will give you a $15 dollar discount off your primary purchase price.
Of course, you don’t have to subscribe if you don’t want to. You can purchase brush heads separately any time you like, but you’ll enjoy a better deal overall by subscribing to Goby’s brush head subscription plan.
After placing a fresh brush head on your Goby toothbrush, hold down the power button for five seconds. This resets Goby’s “calendar” and it starts counting down the months until you need to replace the head. When it’s time for a new brush head, the toothbrush reminds you with a blue indicator light.
How to Use a Goby Toothbrush
Using a Goby toothbrush is no more complicated than using a regular toothbrush.
Here are the basic steps:
- Wet the toothbrush bristles and apply a pea-sized amount of toothpaste.
- Place the toothbrush bristles against your teeth and press the power button.
- Move the brush along your gum line and angle it to reach all surfaces of your teeth.
- Spend 30 seconds per quadrant in your mouth. You’ll feel a short vibration in the toothbrush at 30-second intervals that lets you know when it’s time to move on.
- When the programmed two-minute brushing time is up, the toothbrush will switch off automatically.
- Rinse your Goby under some running water, wipe it down with a clean towel, and place it on the hygiene stand.
Tip: Don’t press too hard when brushing with a Goby! The bristles work just fine without excess pressure. Pressing too hard can damage your gums and will wear down the brush’s battery charge faster than usual.
How to Change The Settings on a Goby Toothbrush
Changing the settings on a Goby toothbrush is simple as there are only two: normal and sensitive. If you find that the normal setting is too aggressive for your teeth and gums, just press the power button one more time after turning the brush on. This will slow down the speed.
How Do You Clean a Goby Toothbrush?
Follow these steps recommended by the Goby toothbrush designers for keeping your Goby looking clean and bright.
- Run water over your entire Goby brush. It’s safe to do this, but do not submerge your Goby under water as this can damage the electrical components.
- Remove the brush head from your Goby.
- Thoroughly rinse off the inside and outside of the brush head.
- Run some water over the Goby brush itself including the spot where the brush head attaches.
- Wipe off any sticky spots with a clean soft towel and wipe your Goby dry before placing it back in the hygiene stand.
Where Can You Buy a Goby Toothbrush?
The best place to buy a Goby is directly from the official Goby website.
One of the reasons the Goby creators set up this business is so that they could sell an electric toothbrush directly to consumers without the markups added on by middlemen such as retailers.
If Goby sold through other distributors, the additional cost would be passed on to you the customer.
You’ll get the best deal on a Goby toothbrush by purchasing directly from the designers.
How do I return Goby Toothbrush?
Goby guarantees you’ll love your brush, but if you aren’t convinced, you have 60 days from the date of purchase to get full refund. This seems fair because it usually takes a month or more to see how a new toothbrush affects your mouth.
Goby will give you a refund and send a pre-labeled box for you to send your brush back in if you aren’t satisfied with your purchase.
Goby Toothbrush vs. Quip
Goby’s biggest competitor is another cute little electric brush called Quip. Quip toothbrush is a similar startup company which has also designed a simple and budget-friendly powered toothbrush.
But Goby and Quip do have some unique differences.
Here’s how they stack up in a few areas.
| Goby | QUIP | |
|---|---|---|
| Price (Cheapest brush kit + initial subscription) | $50 | $25 |
| 3-month subscription fee | $6 | $5 |
| What’s included in subscription? | Brush head | Brush head + AAA battery ($5 additional for toothpaste) |
| Battery type | USB charger | AAA battery |
| Battery life | 14 days | 90 days |
| Range of color options to choose from | Currently 5 (varies with seasonal limited edition designs) | 9 |
| Multiple brushing modes or speeds? | Yes, two: normal and sensitive | No |
| Quadpacer or timer? | Yes | Yes |
| Brush head shape | Circle | Rectangle |
| Brushing action | Oscillation | Sonic vibration |
| Included wall mount? | No | Yes |
Quip appeals to people who like its slim profile and diminutive size. It’s easy to pack and travel with since it’s so small and uses universal AAA batteries. Quip also offers an even smaller version of their brush for kids to use.
Goby turns out to be the slightly more expensive option of the two, but it does seem to have more powerful cleaning technology which justifies the negligibly higher cost. The convenience of being able to charge up your Goby toothbrush anywhere there’s a USB port is a definite plus. Since Goby brush heads are so small and their handles are easy to grasp, Goby is a one-size-fits-all toothbrush that works for both pre-teens and adults.
In the end, both Goby and Quip offer some pretty great features that their competitor does not. It’s up to you to decide which features are most important to you and choose a toothbrush based on that.
Goby Toothbrush Reviews: What Do People Think About Goby?
Everywhere you look, online reviews for the Goby toothbrush are overwhelmingly positive.
Goby and its subscription plan offer great value and the brush has an eye-catching profile with a simple and functional design. It delivers a great cleaning that makes people feel like they just got back from having their teeth cleaned at the dental office.
Goby Toothbrush: Is It Worth It?
- Affordable
- Effective
- Easy to charge via USB port or electrical outlet
- Convenient subscription system to replace your brush head regularly
- Can cancel your subscription any time
- Lifetime warranty on the Goby toothbrush
- Full refund within 60 days of purchase if not satisfied
- Easy to move the brush around your mouth
- Works great for braces
- Louder than some other electric toothbrushes
- Not the cheapest electric toothbrush
- Doesn’t have a slim design like other brushes
- Some customers reported that even Goby’s sensitive mode was still too rough on their sensitive teeth
On the whole, we have to say that Goby seems to be a very effective, convenient, and functional brush that packs a lot of value with the pros outweighing the cons.
You can be confident you’re making a smart oral hygiene purchase when you choose Goby!
FAQ
Goby is designed in New York City and manufactured in Asia.
Consult the user guide that came with your brush for specific instructions on charging. Goby brushes can be severely drained of battery charge during shipping or could even become damaged. If you can’t determine why your brush won’t charge, you can contact the company via email.
Most Goby brushes only need to be charged twice a month. You may need to charge yours more often depending on how often you use it.
The Goby website will let you know what deals are available. Currently, you can save 15% on your order when you purchase two or more brush kits at once.
Nice design and brush is soft and comfortable but brush stopped working in less then one year. Not sure why.
Hi, Violeta!
Thanks for your comment, if you have any problem with your brush you can contact customer service, and they will tell you what to do because the toothbrush has a lifetime warranty!
When the toothbrush worked, I thought that I did a good job compared to other toothbrushes. After only a few months of use, the brush, head came loose. Troubleshooting was very difficult and cumbersome to explain my problem. Finally when I got someone to agree to send a replacement. They stopped answering my emails finally after, numerous phone calls and unanswered emails I am giving up you’re better off spending your time and energy shopping for a different toothbrush.