Waterpik Ultra Review: A Multi

This compact water flosser has multiple tips and pressure settings

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Verywell Health / Alli Waataja

Set up is quick right out of the box.

Six flosser tips are included that can all store easily in the reservoir lid

10 water pressure intensities

Two easy-to-use on and off switches — one on the wand and one on the unit

The large reservoir can hold 22 ounces of water for approximately 90 seconds of flossing

The noise of the water pump may seem loud compared to other water flossers on the market.

Not very portable and cannot disconnect from the reservoir

The power cord isn’t retractable and can be difficult to hide in a bathroom with minimal decor or a space-saving design.

The Waterpik Ultra is a compact and affordably priced water flosser that comes with six interchangeable flossing tips and ten water pressure settings to meet most of your oral flossing needs. While it may run a little loud, it is worth the price if you’re looking for a precision flosser that matches your budget.

Verywell Health / Alli Waataja

Flossing with string can be a real pain—especially if you haven’t been doing it regularly—but if you’re looking to improve your oral health, you may be considering an alternative that’s a bit more gentle on your gums. The Waterpik Ultra is a budget-friendly water flosser that won’t take up too much counter space in your bathroom. It features an easy-to-use dial that lets you switch between 10 water pressure settings to help pinpoint those hard-to-reach spots that you might miss while string flossing.

The unit comes with a 22-ounce water reservoir, a flossing wand with an extension hose that stores inside the unit, and six flossing tips that can be stored in the reservoir lid. Each flossing tip is designed for a specific type of cleaning and the variety means you’re likely to find the tip that’s right for you, especially to clean those hard-to-reach places or need to floss around braces or orthodontics.

The Waterpik Ultra offers users a lot of water flossing power at a low price, but how well does it actually leave you feeling clean and fresh after use? To find that answer, I tried out the Waterpik Ultra in my own home for a one-week trial period to evaluate its ease of use, how wide the range of pressure testing felt, and how well each tip was able to clean.

Unlike some water flossers that may only come with one built-in flossing tip, the Waterpik Ultra gives you a variety of options for anyone focusing on precision cleaning. If you have the time—or the patience—to really focus on the job, the Waterpik Ultra is a great fit. Of course, the “Classic Jet Tip” is great for quick flossing but if you only have a limited time to floss, you may find a cheaper alternative that doesn’t have precision tips or customizable pressure settings.

The entire water flosser is practically ready to use right out of the box. The only step you need to take is snapping in your preferred flossing tip. Simply plug it in, fill the removable water basin, and it’s ready for its first use! There is no time wasted on charging the unit or having to follow complicated instructions to assemble the water flosser. However, for those of you who like to skim through an instruction manual or user guide, there is a five-step “Quick Start Guide” included that takes you all the way through the setup and how to use the device, in addition to a larger instruction manual that goes into detail about how you can benefit from the individual flossing tips.

The six flossing tips include two of the “Classic Jet” tips, a toothbrush head tip, a “plaque seeker” tip for crowns, retainers, and implants, a very narrow “Pik Pocket” tip for periodontal pockets, and a special tip to help work around braces. The variety may seem intimidating at first, especially if you are new to water flossing like I was, but over time I enjoyed trying out the different tips and seeing what type of cleaning they accomplished. Some water flossers come with just one or two different tips, which is why these five unique types really feel like they could clean areas that more simple flossers just couldn’t handle. Best of all, they can all be stored in the reservoir lid which is a real perk for people who are prone to misplacing small loose items.

Over the course of the trial period, I found that some days the water pressure felt too high or it felt like the flosser tip just wasn’t getting the job done, so I would adjust the pressure up or down, often while the wand was in use, to find the sweet spot for the day. It was incredibly easy to adjust the water pressure without having to start and stop the unit each time you wanted to make an adjustment. Additionally, after turning on the main pump of the unit—which may seem a little loud until you get used to it—the on/off switch in the center of the wand gave me even more control over each cleaning session.

Some water flossers can be a little bulky and take up a lot of valuable bathroom countertop real estate, but thankfully the Waterpik Ultra is just a tad bit smaller than a 6-inch by 6-inch square. The wand is connected to a long hose to give you more mobility while in use but the hose’s circular design lets it tuck snuggly back into the unit so you don’t need to waste time retracting or rewinding it every time. The only downside is that the comparably smaller water basin can only hold about a minute to a minute-and-a-half worth of flossing time. But it can be easily removed and refilled so the hassle of refilling is a small price to pay to get back that extra counter space.

To properly test out the Waterpik Ultra, I used it twice a day in my own bathroom at home for a one-week trial. Each flossing was about a minute or longer if I felt additional time was necessary. I looked specifically at how each individual flossing tip worked and was able to evaluate its effectiveness in real-time. In addition, I had recently tested similar water flossers from Waterpik and could compare the pros and cons of each of the different models.

The Waterpik Ultra is available through the manufacturer's website, Waterpik.com, for $70. However, this Waterpik model can also be found at a potentially discounted price at large retail stores, like Walmart.com, for around $60. Compared to other countertop Waterpik flossers, the Waterpik Ultra is one of the most budget-friendly options with only two flossers, the Nano and the Classic Professional, being priced below $60.

Depending on how much you’re willing to spend, some water flossers can be priced at over $100 and even higher if it comes paired with an electric toothbrush or as a flosser/toothbrush hybrid. However, if you’re working with a more realistic budget or don’t feel like going all in on a $100+ splurge, the Waterpik Ultra is a good mid-range model that is affordable and offers a lot of variety.

On the other hand, if you’re looking for a more portable water flosser or want to compare the Waterpik Ultra to a similar flosser with similar perks, here’s a quick look at some competing products:

Fairywill Cordless Water Flosser: This cordless flosser is travel-ready, portable, and doesn’t need to be tied down to a countertop base unit. The internal water reservoir can hold up to 300 ml or about 10 ounces which is impressive for cordless flosser but will have you refilling more often compared to the Waterpik Ultra’s 22 ounce tank. The biggest difference between the two though is easily the price. The Fairywill’s $27.99 price tag is far more budget-friendly than the Waterpik Ultra.

Belmint Water Flosser: This water flosser offers many of the same perks and benefits of the Waterpik Ultra and is a comparable alternative in a lot of ways. The Belmint Water Flosser comes with eight interchangeable tips (3 of which are classic jet tips of different lengths) that are similar to the Ultra’s but with the addition of a tip that’s meant for the tongue. Interestingly, just like the Waterpik Ultra, the tips can be stored in the reservoir lid. Even the water reservoir is similar at 20 ounces compared to the Ultra’s 22 ounces. The Belmint Water Flosser is available for around $45 which is about $9 to $25 less than the Waterpik Ultra depending on where you buy it.

The Waterpik Ultra is a good budget-priced water flosser with a lot of customization and specialized cleaning options that I would recommend for the right user. Just make sure you have the time to commit to a thorough flossing if you want to get your money’s worth. However, if you’re really only looking for a quick flossing alternative and don’t mind it having limited perks, there may be a simpler and cheaper model that’s a better fit.