Flaus vs. Slate: Who Makes the Better Electric Flosser? (2025)

I've never heard of anyone who got told by the dental hygienist that they floss too much. It's probably not humanly possible. Keeping up with flossing began as a struggle in my teenage years and continued ailing me well into adulthood. It's time for that to change but not with traditional dental floss.

Recently I've been on a tear to find alternative solutions. Those who follow me will remember I failed miserably with a water flosser. With that door firmly shut, I turned my attention to the electric flosser. A bit more like regular floss, I thought, but with an emphasis on a more comfortable—and, importantly, hygienic—flossing experience. No hands in my mouth, anymore, no sir. Not after being converted to the church of electric floss.

Over the past couple weeks, I've been cozying up to two different, nearly identical-seeming, rechargeable electric flossers: Flaus and Slate. These top two brands are both dentist backed or approved. And price-wise, they are both locked in at $119, down to $99 if you bundle and save directly though each company's site. With so much in common, I thought it would be difficult to determine which flosser I liked more. But within seconds of trying the winner, it was clear to me who makes the best electric flosser.

Slate Electric Flosser

The first flosser I tried was the one from Slate. The box comes with five floss heads, each with rubber tips on each side (Slate calls them Gum Sweeps) and a tongue scraper on the back. These are supposed to be replaced weekly. It's a bit of an ambiguous direction with no correlated information, like how many uses a day this accounts for. Am I really going to remember the last day I replaced my flosser's head, among all the things I need to think about in a busy day? Probably not, so you're running on vibes here, and that feels like not the most sanitary choice. I played it safe, changing mine every couple days.

Using the Slate flosser is intuitive, and if you can't figure it out, a QR code with instructions is there on the box. It took me a try or two with any electric flosser to get the rhythm of rocking the floss in between my teeth. Instead of forcefully jamming it back in there, I had to be a bit gentler on myself. Using the proper technique might sound annoying, but it's going to be more comfortable and create more surface time for scrubbing plaque away. The entire process was less of a pain in the ass than flossing, and I didn't have to stick my hands in my mouth.

The Slate flosser has one button. You press it, it turns on; you press it, it turns off. The flosser also has three speeds. To change speeds, you have to hold that button for a few seconds. From a tech-review perspective, the timing is off; it feels slightly too long. As a regular person, it's just a bit uncomfortable to stand there and squeeze the button for three seconds twice to get from low to high power.

After a flossing session is done, you're encouraged to use the tongue scraper to scrub any potential plaque residue from your tongue. It's a healthy habit, and this one is probably nicer than the scrubber on the back of your $2 toothbrush.

I also like that the socket for the magnetic charging cable is attached to the device. It cuts down on the clutter that charging bases can cause with devices like these on a crowded bathroom sink.

Slate also offers orthodontic floss heads for those with braces. I've been there and can tell you how much of a pain those are to clean—regular flossing is impossible. So I appreciate giving customers that option.

I had my gripes with the Slate electric flosser, but I'd describe my experience as positive overall.

Flaus Electric Flosser

Next up was Flaus. How different could it really be, I thought. Quite a bit, it turns out. In the areas where Slate let me down, Flaus picked up the slack.

This flosser has the same learning curve as the last one (although this time the instructions are printed on the box), and I found that the technique I learned from using the Slate benefited me here. There are no "Gum Sweeps" here, but the sensation of flossing my teeth with this one felt pretty much identical to the last. The difference was in the device itself.

I admittedly find it to be a prettier piece of tech, with an ergonomic curved handle and a cute logo on the single button. And it rests in a translucent charging stand that completes the look. Its lights are soft, making the experience comforting, not sterile. These features I've highlighted are also there for usability.

Holding the Flaus is more comfortable than the Slate, and it's curved handle makes it more maneuverable. There is a soft pad on the back of the flosser's neck that you can bite into without the unpleasant crunch of hard plastic on your teeth. It allows me to reach my back molars much more easily. Unlike Slate's unflavored floss, I noticed a pleasant, subtle mint on the Flaus floss. The flavor faded quickly, but I'm a simple man and enjoy the simple pleasure of minty dental floss.

On the Flaus, one tap of the button cycles through all three speeds and power off, meaning you usually just have to tap it once to turn it on. Or you can give it a quick double tap to turn the speed up all the way. The best part is that after a minute or so, the Flaus detects you've been using it, so a single tap will take you straight to off, regardless of the power speed it's on. Turn it back on the next day and it will turn right back to the last speed it was set at. Once you lock in which speed you prefer, it's just one tap on, one tap off. Simplicity incarnate.

When it comes to floss-head replacements, Flaus comes with a 45-day supply. That's 45 of 'em, since these recyclable heads are meant to be replaced after every daily floss. I preferred this to the more vague weekly suggestion of Slate's. I mean, I don't reuse dental floss after I floss my teeth. So the concept of reusing one of these doesn't quite click with me. Flaus seems to get this, and overall it was one of many things that won me over to the brand's way of doing things.

The Verdict: Which Electric Flosser is Best?

Look, both of these electric flossers are great. They each accomplish the task of making flossing your teeth easier, more comfortable, and less gross. But one does it better.

I couldn't deny the aesthetic and ergonomic appeal of the Flaus flosser. It's the easiest to use and looks better in my bathroom. Plus, it's the perfect reminder to floss my teeth, so I can start making it a (nearly) daily habit.

Winner: Flaus.

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