Two replaceable-head bamboo toothbrushes, two very different ways of getting to your bathroom cup. We ran both through our eight-point checklist.
We spent a few weeks living with two direct-to-consumer bamboo toothbrushes that make the same basic pitch: a bamboo handle built to outlast disposable plastic, paired with a replaceable head so you’re not throwing out the whole brush every three months. Etee and Better and Better take different paths to get there — one direct-to-consumer and Etsy-first, the other built for one-click Amazon reordering — so we ran both through the same checklist: materials, design, performance, value, brand integrity, and availability, to see where they actually diverge.
- Best value Etee Bamboo Toothbrush — lower cost per year, direct-to-consumer
- Most convenient Better and Better — Prime shipping, easy one-click reorder
Handle price from the brand’s Etsy storefront — the official shopetee.com listing didn’t display a price on the page we pulled.
View on Etsy
01 — The QuestionDoes a “nicer” toothbrush actually solve a problem?
A toothbrush is about as unglamorous as household purchases get, which is exactly why it’s worth scrutinizing. Everyone needs one, everyone replaces it every few months, and most people are quietly using whatever showed up in a multipack.
Both brushes here swap the usual plastic handle for bamboo and — more to the point — use a replaceable head system, so the handle is meant to last for years instead of being thrown out every three months along with the bristles. That’s the actual problem being solved: less plastic in landfill, and in theory a lower cost per use over time, provided the head-swap habit actually sticks.
- Replaceable heads on both brushes — the handle is designed to outlast several bristle swaps.
- Both brands market the bamboo handle as compostable once the head is removed.
- Both use the same category of bristle material (castor-bean-oil-derived plant bristles) rather than nylon — more on that below.
02 — How We TestedA shared checklist for both brushes
Compare handle weight, finish, and check for any sharp edges near the neck straight out of the box.
Use both brushes for several weeks, same toothpaste and routine, alternating days to control for habit bias.
Swap in a fresh head partway through and time/rate how fussy the swap actually is.
Check for bristle splay, handle moisture absorption, and coating wear over the testing period.
What to watch for: Neither brand’s product pages go deep on grip geometry or bristle angle — that’s exactly the kind of detail that only shows up with hands-on time, which is what the testing plan above is designed to catch. We also didn’t find robust independent, long-term testing for either specific toothbrush at the time of writing, so treat the brand-stated claims in the sections below as unverified until our own testing is complete.
03 — Bamboo Toothbrush with Replaceable HeadEtee
Handle
FSC-certified bamboo with a water-based paint coating meant to protect against moisture damage. Two-piece, fully assembled, 7.5″ total length, rounded profile.
Bristles
Soft, plant-based bristles derived from castor bean oil, secured with a small metal staple (standard construction for this bristle type). Etee states the bamboo is compostable once the bristles are pulled out with pliers, but is upfront that the bristles themselves aren’t yet fully biodegradable.
Design & Grip
Etee’s listing specifies a compact 7.5″ rounded handle — beyond that, the brand’s product pages don’t go deep on grip geometry or bristle angle.
Performance
We didn’t find a comparable independent review source for Etee’s toothbrush — treat brand-stated durability and comfort claims as unverified until our own testing is complete.
Cost Per Year
About $4 for the handle + ~$20/year in heads (four swaps at $5 each), landing near $24 in year one and about $20/year after that.
Brand Integrity
Etee is based in Oshawa, Ontario — described as a Toronto-area, family-run company built around eliminating single-use plastics across a broader catalog (food wraps, cleaning products, personal care). The brand says it “combines Canadian manufacturing with globally sourced inputs,” but doesn’t specify on its product page whether this particular toothbrush is assembled in Canada or imported.
Availability
Etee isn’t on Amazon at all as far as we could find. It’s sold direct through shopetee.com, through the brand’s Etsy storefront (which ships from Canada, adds roughly $7.50 shipping to US orders, and offers a 90-day return window), and through a separate subscription “Plastic Free Club” site. More setup for a US shopper, and less of a one-click reorder than Better and Better.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Lower cost per year (~$20 vs. ~$32)
- FSC-certified bamboo, family-run Canadian brand
- 90-day return window via Etsy
Cons
- Not sold on Amazon — no one-click Prime reorder
- Adds ~$7.50 shipping to US orders via Etsy
- No independent long-term reviews found
04 — Natural Bamboo ToothbrushBetter and Better
Handle
Natural bamboo handle, offered in three colorways (blue, white, orange), adult-sized. Certified cruelty-free and vegan by the brand.
Bristles
Also plant-based bristles derived from castor bean oil — the same underlying bristle technology as Etee’s — marketed by the brand as “100% plant-based” and “zero plastic.” Soft firmness.
Design & Grip
Better and Better’s own copy focuses on being “easy to hold” without much further ergonomic detail, and offers a matching kids’ version (extra-soft bristle, green colorway) as well as an electric “Sonic” line with its own replacement heads — useful if a household wants to standardize on one brand across ages and brush types.
Performance
The one third-party review aggregator we located for Better and Better (Thingtesting) had only two reviews on file, and both were about the brand’s toothpaste line, not this toothbrush — a sample too small and off-target to draw conclusions from. Treat brand-stated performance claims as unverified for now.
Cost Per Year
About $8.99 for the handle + ~$32/year in heads (four swaps at $7.99 each), landing near $41 in year one and about $32/year after that — roughly 35–40% more than Etee.
Brand Integrity
Better and Better was founded by Vladimir Vukicevic (CEO), Mary Costa, and Jerry Hu (COO), positioned around the line “Better for You, Better for the Planet.” The brand states its formulas meet Environmental Working Group (EWG) standards and that it partners with One Tree Planted, funding a tree per subscription. Its manufacturing location and company headquarters weren’t disclosed on the pages we reviewed.
Availability
This is where the two brushes split most clearly. Better and Better sells the adult brush, a kids’ version, and an electric “Sonic” line across several Amazon listings, plus its own site — genuinely convenient for Prime shipping and easy reordering of a habitual purchase.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Sold on Amazon — easy Prime reordering
- Kids’ and electric “Sonic” lines for standardizing across a household
- Vegan-certified, EWG-aligned formulas
Cons
- Roughly 35–40% more per year than Etee
- Manufacturing location and HQ not disclosed
- No independent long-term reviews found
05 — Our Picks, ComparedHow the two stack up side by side
Left to right, top to bottom: Etee product photo, Better and Better product photo, bristle close-up (both brushes), wear-over-time comparison.
The bottom line
If convenience and Prime reordering matter most, Better and Better is the easier everyday pick despite costing roughly a third more per year — it’s simply easier to buy and rebuy.
If price and supporting a small, family-run brand matter more, Etee looks like the better value on paper — assuming the extra shipping step and cost from ordering direct or via Etsy don’t outweigh the savings for you.
Both are a real step up from a standard plastic multipack brush — which one wins for you comes down to whether convenience or price matters more.
Questions worth answering before you buy
Draft placeholders — edit or replace with your own before this goes live.
Are these toothbrushes actually compostable?
The bamboo handle on both brushes is marketed as compostable once the head is removed. The bristles themselves — a castor-bean-oil-derived plant material on both brands — aren’t fully biodegradable yet, so you’ll want to pull them out before composting the handle.
How often should I swap the head?
Both brands recommend roughly every 3 months — the same interval commonly recommended for regular toothbrush replacement.
Which one is cheaper to own long-term?
Etee runs closer to $20–24/year in heads and handle, versus roughly $32–41/year for Better and Better — about 35–40% less per year on paper.
Can I buy either one on Amazon?
Only Better and Better is sold on Amazon. Etee is direct-to-consumer through shopetee.com, its Etsy storefront, or a separate subscription club — no Amazon listing as of this review.
Is either brand vegan or cruelty-free?
Better and Better markets its formulas as vegan-certified and EWG-aligned. Etee doesn’t make an explicit vegan claim on the pages we reviewed.
Do either of these come in a kids’ version?
Better and Better offers a dedicated kids’ toothbrush (extra-soft bristle, green colorway) alongside the adult version. Etee doesn’t list a kids’ option on its current product pages.
- Hero shot — both brushes styled together
- Etee — clean product photo (handle + head)
- Better and Better — clean product photo (handle + head)
- Bristle close-up, both brushes side by side
- In-hand grip shot, both brushes
- Head-swap in progress (process shot)
- Wear-over-time comparison (fresh vs. after weeks of use)
- Confirm Etee’s handle price directly on shopetee.com (currently sourced from Etsy)
- Is the Etee handle manufactured in Canada, or imported?
- Find Better and Better’s manufacturing location and company HQ
- How does the grip actually feel in hand — any real difference?
- Run our own test plan above — no independent performance data exists yet
- Quantify each brand’s subscribe-and-save discount
- Reconfirm pricing and availability closer to publish date
- Finalize real FAQ questions/answers (currently drafted placeholders)
- Set real purchase links on the Etee / Better and Better buy buttons (currently placeholder “#”)