The Best Water Flossers for Kids in 2021

Top Product: Waterpik Water Flosser for Kids| $58 | Amazon

“Did you brush your teeth?” Hearing a “yes” from your kids can be a victory all its own. But asking them if they’ve flossed? You may as well ask them to explain the theory of relativity. You’ve got your trusty Waterpik flosser, but the rugrats are stuck with the old string stuff. You can’t really blame them for skipping that part. If brushing your teeth is the steak buffet with bubblegum toothpaste appetizers, flossing is the mint toothpicks the adults dive for at the end of the meal. Boring! But it’s also, of course, integral to maintaining good dental hygiene. You’ve still got to do it, even when it hurts.

If you’re finding it harder and harder to get your kids (or babysitting charges?) to floss, consider swapping over to the faster, more comfortable water method. No pain, no frustrating containers, and no strings to worry about. The result? Squeaky clean teeth, with no fuss. And everyone loves miniature squirt guns. Here are some of the best water flossers for kids.

Best Overall: Waterpik Water Flosser for Kids

While an adult’s Waterpik is usually a stark, clinical white, take one look at this Nickelodeon slime green gizmo and you can probably guess which one they’d rather use to erase the grime between their chompers. To be fair, it all comes out clear (it’s water, after all), but the Waterpik Water Flosser for Kids looks fun enough to stick with every night. It’s kid-sized and simple to use, with a special tip for general cleaning and one for kids with braces. It’s also extra safe, with a lengthy cord attached to a large 15-ounce water reservoir. It has 20 cling decorations to customize it for the kids, and for the ones who pay the dental bills, it has three pressure settings. The reservoir even flips down when not in use to keep accidents from happening.

With all these kid-friendly augments, you’ll hardly be able to keep the half-pints out of the bathroom. Hopefully they’ll aim the Waterpik at their teeth and not each other. At least there’s a 2-year warranty if you need it.

Best for Travel: ToiletTree Children’s Countertop Water Flosser

The fun color trend continues with another transparent water flosser in three funky hues. The ToiletTree Children’s Countertop Water Flosser is more than just a pretty face, though. It comes with a hefty 20-ounce water tank with adjustable water pressure that should last for days without being changed out. That makes it great for kids who’d rather not complicate their daily and weekly chores. The flosser features several tips to change out for little mouths with sensitive gums and teeth. But most importantly, despite its larger reservoir, it doesn’t take up too much room. It’s an attractive and fun flosser with tons of water, an adjustable pressure knob perfect for small hands, a lengthy coiled cord to keep water flowing, and a ton of stickers to decorate the tank.

If your kids like fancy diamonds, jellyfish, and unicorn horns, they’ll love this fun water flosser in pink, green, and blue, too.

Best Cordless Flosser: Vosaro Cordless Water Flosser

Whether it’s a phone or a hairdryer, cords can be a major annoyance. If the kids end up getting tangled up in their various bathroom appliances (or others around the house), or you don’t trust them with outlets, it’s probably time for a cordless water flosser. The Vosaro Cordless Water Flosser is a great first choice for your dental hygiene-conscious (or deficient) child. It’s nice and large, but still grippy enough for smaller hands. It may not be connected to a large reservoir, but it contains a 10-ounce supply that should carry any user through several flossing sections, or an estimated 120 seconds.

But just because it’s handheld, that doesn’t mean it isn’t powerful. It has a few water speeds and pulse modes to really power away those stubborn food particles. It’s still lightweight and rechargeable, though, and great for younger users because of its ergonomic shape. It also comes in pink and blue, in case you have picky youngsters who care about that kind of thing. The blue option comes with a set of additional heads, too.

Best Toothbrush Combo: Atmoko HP083AB

Let’s face it: Sometimes, getting the kids to floss is only part of the problem. If you find it’s pretty difficult to get them to brush as well, the Atmoko HP083AB Water Flosser and Toothbrush Combo might be a solution sent from above. This one-two punch of brushing and flossing is attached to the same unit. So make the case to the kids: if you’re going to floss, you may as well brush, and vice versa since it’s right there. The toothbrush isn’t a slouch, with a motor that lets it run at 40,000 strokes per minute. It’s adjustable too, so no little mouths get hurt with a toothbrush that’s too powerful.

Then flip over to the adjoined water flosser. It’s powered by a 22-ounce water reservoir with 90 seconds of water capacity without a refill. The water’s also easily shut off via on/off handle switch that’s simple for smaller hands to push, and its 10 adjustable water pressure settings all run quietly under 75 decibels—all in one sleek package.

Best for Travel: Koovon Portable Water Flosser

Dental hygiene doesn’t wait, even if you’re traveling. The kids might try to use that as an excuse to get out of flossing, but if you have a portable water flosser, there’s no way they can. Try the Koovon Portable Water Flosser for a great travel version of your favorite home teeth cleaner.

This particular flosser is collapsible so you can fit it into its included case. It’s also wide but light enough to be perfect for smaller hands, with four flossing modes for different comfort levels. But while it’s powerful enough to clean teeth, it’s still gentle enough for kids. The detachable water tank holds plenty of water for multiple uses, and because it’s completely detachable from the tip, you can clean it easier in the event your kids somehow have spills or the cleaner itself falls into somewhere unsavory. It’s also good to go when taking along in luggage thanks to its 2,000mAh rechargeable battery.

The Koovon Water Flosser can last anywhere from 20 to 30 days on a 4-hour charge. Now, just because the kids are off to Grandma’s after the pandemic, that doesn’t mean they get to stop taking care of their smile.