Waterpik aquarius professional water flosser designer series black wp 672

The Aquarius Professional is Waterpik’s best looking model to date. Waterpik has gone to incredibly effort to ditch the ugly and bulky design commonly associated with counter-top water flossers.

But looks aren’t everything. In the increasingly competitive field of water flossers, can the Aquarius Professional hold it’s own? We answer that question and more in our detailed review

Models

In addition to the basic Aquarius professional model (WP-660), Waterpik has released four spruced up models known as the Designer Series:

The Designer series from left to right:

• Vibrant Teal (WP-676)
• Radiant Pink (WP-674)
• Pearl White (WP-670)
• Brilliant Black (WP-672)

The difference between the Aquarius professional and the designer series is just looks. Chrome buttons, a sleeker design and a color to suit your personality are the major differences. When it comes to functions and performance, all Aquarius models perform the same as the model in this review.

The improved looks do come at a price and you will need to fork over an extra $10 over the basic WP-660 model for the privilege.

During testing we found that the colored models showed water marks and grime more easily (especially the black model). But or those of you setting your waterpark up permanently on your bathroom counter-top, a colored model may be just what you have been searching for.

Unboxing the Waterpik Aquarius Professional

If you were to tear open the box of your brand new Waterpik Aquarius Professional, this is what would be waiting for you inside.

Let’s break it down:

• Waterpik Aquarius Professional Water Flosser
• Classic Jet tip (x3)
• Plaque Seeker Tip
• Orthodontic Tip
• Pik Pocket Tip
• Toothbrush Tip
• Instruction manual

The Aquarius Professional is fully assembled and ready to use straight out of the box. All you need to do is select your tip, plug it in and you are off!

Examining the Waterpik Aquarius Professional Water Flosser

The Aquarius Professional water flosser is by far the best looking out of all the Waterpik models. In the past, Waterpiks have been little more than ugly lumps of plastic with a container to hold water. While the Aquarius Professional definitely isn’t going to win any competitions for it’s beauty, it certainly is a step in the right direction.

As you can see, the Aquarius Professional is definitely one good looking water flosser.

Let’s examine all the different features you will find on the unit.

Lifting the lid of the Aquarius Professional reveals a plastic container, the reservoir. The container is capable of holding up to 22 ounces of water; that’s 90 seconds worth on the highest pressure setting.

The water sits here until you turn the water flosser on. While we preferred to use a pitcher to fill up the reservoir, you can also remove the reservoir from the Aquarius Professional and fill it up at the faucet.

For ease of use, measurements have been printed on the side of the reservoir. Annoyingly they face the back of the base station, meaning you cannot see the measurements unless you remove the reservoir to fill it up.

You will also need to remove the reservoir when cleaning your Aquarius Professional. After all, water that sits in the container is getting pumped directly into your mouth, so you want to keep it hygienic.

Fortunately the container is dishwasher safe (top rack) which makes cleaning a very simple process. Simply run it through a cycle with your dishes for hassle free cleaning.

If you looked closely at the above photo you may have also made out the hidden flosser tip holder:

The flosser tip holder has room for two of your favorite tips and is only accessible when the reservoir has been removed from the Aquarius professional.

We originally loved flosser tip holder. It allows you to keep your most commonly used tips clean and hygienic when not in use rather than bouncing around in your medicine cabinet.

But as we continued to test the Aquarius Professional we noticed a flaw with the design. While the holder works great on the standard tips, the space just wasn’t wide enough to accommodate the tips with bristles:

With the reservoir in place, the bristles bend against the plastic side of the container. Over time the bristles would actually keep the bend in them, causing the tips to perform worse when flossing.

attempting to turn the bristled tips to the side while in the holder will seem them get crushed by the hinges when you open and close the lids. We preferred the tip holder found on the Waterpik Ultra, which was capable of holding 4 heads.

Those of you who are going to use the standard tip (classic jet tip) will be happy to know these tips fit in the holder with plenty of room to spare.

Located on the left hand side of the Aquarius Professional are the controls:

From top to bottom:

Power button – Turns the water flosser on or off.

Mode selector– Toggles between floss (standard) and massage flossing modes.

Pressure dial – Adjusts the water pressure

It is not immediately clear what pressure each number on the dial represents. When we reached out to Waterpik, they replied with the following:

The lowest setting (1) is 10 PSI while the highest setting (10) is 100 PSI.

Given this logic, each setting on the dial jumps the water pressure up by 10 PSI.

There is not a whole note on the rear of the Aquarius Professional. The key feature here is the power cord. Simply plug it in and you can immediately begin using the water flosser.

Let’s take a peak underneath the Aquarius Professional:

The five black rubber feet not only lift the unit off the ground but prevent it from slipping and sliding over your wet bathroom counter.

Now we must warn you that the rubber feet can mark lighter colored counter-tops (especially white) if you drag rather than lift the unit when you move it. Fortunately these marks were fairly easy to remove but we could have done without having one extra thing to clean up.

Printed on the sticker are the words “Made in China”. Look all Waterpik models, the Aquarius Professional range is made overseas.

The final feature on the Aquarius Professional is the flosser handle:

The handle is the part of the water flosser that you will spend most of your time using. Water flows down the piping, through the handle out your chosen tip and into your mouth.

While the handle does have an on/off button, this simply stops the flow of water rather than turn the whole unit off. When you have done flossing you will still need to press the power button located on the base station.

The handle is attached to a coiled pipe that the water flows through. The water hose (pipe) can comfortably stretch to 2 feet before it is pulled so tight that it becomes tricky to maneuver the handle.

Waterpik Aquarius Professional Flosser Tips

Waterpik has included 7 flosser tips in the box:

From bottom to top:

1. Classic Jet Tip – The standard flosser head that comes with all models of Waterpik. Three are included in the box.

2. Pik Pocket Tip – Delivers water deep into periodontal pockets

3. Orthodontic Tip – Water shoots through a cluster of bristles to help clean around braces and other orthodontic appliances.

4. Toothbrush Tip – A stream of water shoots through the center of hole. The surrounding bristles can be used to scrub away at plaque just like a regular toothbrush.

5. Plaque Seeker Tip Three thin tufts of bristles boarder the center hole that shoots water. The bristles add some extra scrubbing power when cleaning dental work (like crowns, bridges and implants).

When it comes to choice in flosser tips, Waterpik offers more choice than any other manufacturer. For more information, be sure to check out our detailed review on waterpik flosser tips.

Installing a flosser tip onto the handle takes seconds.

Simply slide your chosen flosser tip into the hole at the top of the handle. You will hear a “click” confirming that the flosser tip is locked into place. That really is all there is too it.

The head of the handle can rotate the tip into one of 36 different directions. We loved this feature. By correctly positioning the flosser tips we were able to get a much more precise clean than moving our hand alone.

Removing the flosser tip is just as easy. On the side of the handle you will notice a second grey switch.

Sliding the switch up with one hand while simultaneously pulling up on the flosser tip will remove it from the handle.

Testing the Waterpik Aquarius Professional

With the whole unit explored, it’s time to put the Aquarius Professional to the test. So how did we find it?

Filling up the reservoir was easy. The spring loaded plug on the base of the container stops water from escaping until you place it back in the base station.

With the Reservoir full it was time to turn the power on. Press the power button and you will hear the pump roar into life. And we do mean roar. Like all water flossers, the Aquarius Professional is loud enough to wake anyone who may be sleeping nearby.

While the pump chugs along, water will not actually flow out the tip until you slide the button on the handle into the on position. We appreciated the amount of control we were able to achieve, stopping and starting the flow of water at a moments notice.

There is a wide range in pressure from lowest to highest setting. It took us few flossing sessions before we were able to determine which pressure worked best for us. Interestingly, the pressure that our testers found “comfortable” varied a lot from person to person so be sure to play around with it.

The Aquarius Professional is part of an exclusive club. It is one of three Waterpik models capable of reaching 100 PSI, the other models being the Ultra and the Complete Care. If you want the highest pressure clean possible you will have to chose from these three models.

Unique to the Aquarius is the addition of a massage mode. In the regular mode the water will spurt in a constant and uninterrupted stream. Pressing the mode selection button will activate what Waterpik calls the “Hydro-Pulse Cleaning Mode”.

Massage mode causes the stream to stop and start quickly resulting in a pulsing sensation when placed against the gums. If you have been told by your dentist that you need to massage your gums then you may find some benefit in it…

…But we couldn’t help but feel that the setting is somewhat of a gimmick. After all, if the feature really was that beneficial then wouldn’t Waterpik include it on its top of the line “Complete Care” model?

There is a timer built into the standard cleaning mode. When 30 seconds has passed the water flosser will briefly pause the stream, prompting you to move on to the other half of your mouth.

Feelings on this feature were mixed, some loved it as it woke them from their “water flossing day-dream” while others found that the pause threw off their concentration.

At the highest pressure setting the reservoir will be drained in 90 seconds. At first we found this time limit a little too short. But once we mastered the correct technique, there was more than enough time to floss our mouths without refilling the reservoir.

And if you need more time, the faucet is generally an arms length away. Since you will be using the water flosser over a sink, refilling is quick and simple.

When you are done you simply place the handle back into the holster. The holster only clasps the very base of the handle, which can make placing the handle down trickier than it needs to be. We preferred the holster found on the Waterpik Ultra.

Despite Waterpik doing a great job at making the Aquarius Professional as compact as possible, it still takes up a good amount of real-estate on your bathroom counter.

The Aquarius Professional is designed to be set up near your sink for daily use. It’s not exactly travel friendly. Waterpik does make a much more portable cordless model, a much better solution for those of you who want to floss on the go.

Waterpik Ultra Vs. Waterpik Aquarius Professional

There is at least a $20 dollar difference in price between the Waterpik Ultra and the Aquarius Professional (more for the Designer Series). Is it worth the price jump?

The leap in design is immediately apparent when you compare the two models side by side:

While we loved the Aquarius Professional those of you who are looking for a cheaper option will be pleased to know that the Ultra will be all that you need.

Functions to features, both models are eerily similar. While the Waterpik ultra has the superior built in flosser tip holder, the Aquarius Professional has a massage mode and a much sleeker design. Besides these differences the Ultra and the Aquarius Professional could be treated as one and the same.

If you do not need the massage mode or updated design then the Waterpik Ultra will be more than enough for most people. But in terms of performance we really can’t recommend one over the other.

Still undecided? Check out our review of the Waterpik Ultra here and Waterpik Sensonic Professional Plus.

Final Thoughts

Bringing an element of design to an ordinarily ugly product has definitely worked in Waterpik’s favor. Considering the product is designed to be set up on your bathroom countertop, it will be on display for the world to see. The Aquarius Professional is perhaps the only water flosser we have reviewed that we would be proud to display.

The standard cleaning mode is exactly what you would expect from a big industry name like Waterpik, effective and thorough. Combine this with the variety of flosser tips included in the box and you have a one-box solution that can deal with just about any dental problem.

While we suspect the massage mode is more gimmick than useful and the tip holder is formed over function, the Aquarius Professional is the complete package in terms of looks and performance.