Design, usability, clean & general use
Water flossers are a popular alternative to string floss or interdental brushes.
They might not be quite as effective, but they can be more convenient for everyday use.
The EW-DJ10 from Panasonic has been designed to appeal to the traveler.
It is one of only a select few to have a collapsible design, allowing it to reduce in size when not in use so that it can be conveniently packed away in a bag for travel.
To work effectively and give enough flossing time, a water flosser uses quite a bit of water.
The best water flossers are corded and sit on a countertop, this is to accommodate the larger water tanks for extended flossing times. This doesn’t serve those on the go quite so well.
Cordless and more travel friendly options exist, but they have smaller water tanks and are still relatively bulky all things considered.
The Panasonic doesn’t really overcome the water tank size issue. It has a 5.5 ounce (165ml) reservoir but the collapsible design is simple and effective.
Take the Cordless Advanced from Waterpik, it is a great unit, but whether in use or in a travel bag it measures 11.6 inches tall, 2.8 inches wide and 4 inches deep.
The EW-DJ10 isn’t too much different when extended. It too is 11.6 inches tall and is 2.7 inches wide and 2 inches deep.
But, remove the nozzle and collapse it and it reduces to just 5.6 inches. It is half the height. That is a lot less space to consume in a bag. If you are traveling light this makes a big difference.
It is also lighter too. Even with batteries, it weighs in at 9.28 ounces compared to the 12.8 of the Cordless Advanced.
You essentially have 2 parts to the water flosser.
There is the main unit that contains the battery and pump etc and then you have the water tank. The tank clips over and wraps around the main unit. Meaning when collapsed the main unit sits within the water tank essentially.
When you want to use it, you pull the 2 pieces away from each other, they slide apart until the top of the tank aligns with an arrow on the lower edge of the main unit.
The hands-on images throughout this review best demonstrate what it looks like and how it works.
You must fully extend, the reservoir to use it. When full it holds approx 5.5oz (165ml) of water.
On one side of the tank is a hinged door that folds back on itself. It has a circular opening that aligns with an o-ring seal on the lid that keeps the liquid inside when closed.
Opening the compartment lid is advised to make extending the unit easier too.
When extended, the tank sits securely in place. It doesn’t feel like it is going to collapse at any moment. In fact, to collapse it you need to give both parts a firm push to slide closed.
A nice touch is that you can remove the water tank entirely for cleaning purposes. The opening is large enough that you can access it easily enough to clean it properly too. Some other flossers have removable tanks, but effectively cleaning inside is difficult.
The unit has a flat base and stands upright on a countertop whether extended or not.
A very clever touch, particularly considering the travel friendly design of this product is the storage section for the nozzle.
On the back of the unit is a recess into which the detachable nozzle can be placed. This means when collapsed the nozzle is tucked inside the water tank for safe storage. You can then access it again as you pull the main body out of the tank.
The whole unit has an elliptical design to it. It is smart and helps the unit to feel a bit more comfortable in hand.
I do have to be honest and say it isn’t the most comfortable to grip. It is a bit awkward and there is a harsher edge at the top of the unit that isn’t ideal.
You do too lack a few textured surfaces for grip. I don’t think you will drop it, even when wet, but you just don’t get the same sense of security in the hand as you do with others.
That said, you might find, like me, that your fingers rest in the nozzle storage area at the back of the unit as you hold it. This gives more purchase and security in the hand.
On the front of the unit is a slider switch with 3 positions. The first is labeled 0 and is the off position. 1 is the lower powered ‘soft’ mode and 2 is the normal and full power mode.
The slider has a raised design in the middle so it is easy for the finger or thumb to use. It is nice and smooth, with obvious clicks as you hit each position.
At the top edge is a small button you press to release the nozzle that sits on the top of the unit.
The nozzles clips into the hole on the flat top of the unit.
When pushed into place, it will click in and you won’t be able to remove it unless you press the eject button.
The nozzle does rotate a full 360 degrees when fitted and the finned design towards the bottom of the nozzle helps the fingertip grip to and twist when in the mouth.
Although it rotates, the position and surface area of the nozzle, along with the harsher edge of the flosser, means turning the nozzle whilst in use, isn’t quite as simple or comfortable as other cordless units.
Perhaps I haven’t found the correct hand position and technique, but there are definitely better implementations amongst competing products.
Replacement nozzles are sold in packs of 2 and typically cost around $12. Part number EW0955W is what you need. You will have to go online to find these. Even then they are not widely sold.
The nozzles are white in color, but do come with a removable ring at the bottom. The color of the ring supplied does differ, so in theory, you can have different colored rings for different users.
There is no choice of nozzles, no different styles or designs that are suited to different users.
Those with periodontal pockets, braces, or implants might find the more diverse range of jet tips from Waterpik to be more suitable
Panasonic suggests 40 seconds of usage time from a full tank.
In my hands-on testing, I achieved:
- 50 seconds from the higher powered ‘normal’ mode (position 2 on the slider)
- 60 seconds with the lower speed ‘soft’ mode (position 1 on the slider)
With either, I found this just enough time to achieve a full floss of the mouth. Less experienced users or those wanting a more thorough clean may choose or need to refill.
I have found many other water flossers drain faster and require refills to achieve a thorough floss.
The maximum pressure or power if you like from the normal mode is 530 kilopascal or approximately 77PSI.
Panasonic hasn’t stated these figures for the soft mode.
Waterpik models tend to offer on their cordless units 45 and 75 PSI. The EW-DJ10 appears, to me at least to be comparable in that regard.
When using the normal mode, the DJ10 offers 1400 pulses of water per minute to blast away the debris and plaque that exists in the mouth.
I have to say I have been pleased with the results. My testing is by no means scientific, but I don’t think it is unfair to say the results have been comparable to the competing products. For my fairly normal set of teeth, I haven’t noticed the flosser struggling or succeeding any better than others.
The pressure is only one part of the cleaning process. Flossing technique is another. More power doesn’t always mean a better clean.
Panasonic describes the technique well in their manual. Essentially you want to have the water flowing at 90 degrees/perpendicular to the tooth and gumline. You shouldn’t direct the water down into the gums.
You move along the gumline, pausing between each tooth briefly. You do this for the front and back of the teeth in each arch.
If you are not used to water flossing, it does take some getting used to. It can be messy and you do need to be lent over a sink to expel the waste water.
Don’t be surprised if you spray a bit of water across the bathroom, it happens, even with experienced users.
Rather disappointingly there is no travel pouch included. It isn’t a deal breaker, but I think it would have been a nice extra touch.
Pansonic suggests running the flosser for a couple of seconds once all the water has been drained from the tank, to ensure no residual water is left in the unit. But, there is still a chance some might be left behind and a pouch would have helped protect other items in your travel bag.
And finally, the whole unit is waterproof so it can be rinsed under a tap and used in the shower if you desire.
All things considered, there is a lot to like here. Yes, it doesn’t feel quite as good in the hand and it might not have the variety of nozzles, but it does a lot of things well.
Battery life
One of the appeals of this Panasonic water flosser is the fact that it is powered by 2 x AA batteries.
I received 2 in the box, despite the manufacturer and product descriptions online suggesting they wouldn’t be surprised. Just be aware you might not get any included.
The battery compartment is on the top of the flosser for easy access.
A screw in cap seals the compartment shut and stops water from getting in.
You will need a flat head screwdriver or a coin to insert into the recess to unscrew the cap. Once released, the 2 batteries can be inserted and the cap screwed back in place.
I applaud the positioning and how well the compartment seals shut. But it is a bit frustrating to need a coin or screwdriver to undo this. It isn’t a massive problem, just a slight inconvenience in what is otherwise a travel friendly product.
Most Waterpik units for comparison's sake tend to allow access to the compartment by twisting something. No tools are required. In Panasonic's defense, the Waterpik units are a touch bulkier.
Panasonics' own technical specifications would suggest you get 20 minutes of usage time from the batteries. This is around a month's use before they require replacement. This does assume a typical use pattern of once a day.
I don’t think this is great to be honest. Having to change them every month isn’t ideal.
My own hands-on testing would suggest you should be able to get in the region of 50 minutes use from them, so that is about 2 months use.
Given that batteries can vary in quality and performance it is difficult to say precisely how long you will get when you replace the batteries. A month should be the minimum, but it is very likely you will get a lot longer.
Also having an impact will be how long you floss for and which setting you use.
My testing has been based on using mode 2, the normal and most powerful option.
Because the batteries are AA’s rather than a built-in rechargeable type, there is no warning when the batteries are low aside from the power of the unit decreasing or stopping.
You don’t get a battery status LED to give feedback on the remaining power etc.
Therefore you may want to carry a spare set with you. But, even in more remote locations AA batteries are generally easy to buy.
No option exists to connect this to mains power.
Price & where to buy
I have included links to buying options here at the start of the review.
In the section below, I discuss the price more generally and in relation to similar products.
A product is only worth what you are prepared to pay for it, so arguably those looking for a compact water flosser will be willing to spend a little more than most.
But, is the EW-DJ10 being offered at a fair price?
The retail price is around $40 which I know from experience is low.
Given the brand reputation of Panasonic, I had expected higher. At $40 it is in the realms of competing with the lesser known brands and certainly makes the $100 price tag of some Waterpik products look pricey.
The good news is that the typical selling price is actually a bit less. Expect to pay on average around $36 for the EW-DJ10 cordless flosser. Get lucky and you might be able to buy it for just $30 as I did.
As a result of this typical pricing, don’t expect more significant discounts at particular promotional times of the year. You are unlikely to be able to save tens of dollars here.
For this price, you will get the unit itself and 1 nozzle, and 2 AA batteries.
Nozzles should be replaced every 6 months. A pack of 2 usually costs around $12, so $6 each. Don’t expect to find them in your local Walmart. You will need to shop online and even then availability isn’t that great in my experience.
Here at Electric Teeth we like to price things over a 3 year period, to give a bit of a benchmark for comparison with other products of this type.
Thus over 3 years, you will need to purchase 5 nozzles at an additional cost of $30.
Add this to the purchase price of around $36 and you have a total price of $66.
This is before you include batteries though.
Now, this is definitely not an exact science as battery life and usage time varies between different battery brands and there is some dispute on the typical usage time you will get from the Panasonic with 2 AA batteries. However, to keep things simple I am going to assume battery replacement every 3 months at a cost of $0.75 per battery. This is $1.50 every 3 months.
Over 3 years this adds $16.50 to the cost and brings the total ownership total to $82.50.
This is more expensive than the Waterpik Cordless Select, with its rechargeable battery. And it is only $20 less than our top choice, the Waterpik Cordless Advanced.
Adding in the cost of replacement batteries certainly makes this more expensive than some of the competing rechargeable options. But, AA batteries do bring versatility to the package you don’t get with many others. And you still have the collapsible design to consider here too.
Please note that all prices quoted are approximates and will vary based on location, supplier and time of purchase. These figures were correct at the time of writing and should not be relied upon as hard fact, but used as a guide during your decision process.
