13 Best Bamboo Toothbrushes for Zero Waste Natural Brushing
When it comes to your twice-daily brush, to prevent harming the environment, it’s crucial to consider the type of toothbrush you use. All over the world, people collectively use billions of plastic toothbrushes every year and billions of which also end up in landfills2. Bamboo toothbrushes are quickly becoming the go-to eco-friendly alternative to plastic toothbrushes.
Apart from their sustainable nature, bamboo toothbrushes also come in various shapes, sizes, colors, and bristle styles. If you’re looking to switch out your plastic toothbrush to bamboo, we’ve prepared a list of the best bamboo toothbrushes to help you choose the options just right for you.
13 Best Bamboo Toothbrush Options
Dentists recommend replacing your toothbrush every three to four months. In this light, many of the best bamboo toothbrushes we have listed offer their products in a pack of four or more. As such, they can last you for the entire year. In addition to reducing waste, you’ll save money and help prevent increased transportation costs to the environment.
Complement your new eco-friendly toothbrush with your preference of zero waste toothpaste in jars or powder form without the waste. Dentists also recommend flossing alongside regular brushing. Grab some eco-friendly floss alongside for an even healthier dental routine.
Quick links to our top 13 best bamboo toothbrush picks
1. Greenzla Bamboo Toothbrush
Greenzla provides eco-friendly products that support a zero waste and sustainable lifestyle. Right up there as the best bamboo toothbrush set, this pack of four allows you to enjoy a year of sustainable brushing.
Each toothbrush in the dental kit features soft bristles and a smooth natural bamboo handle. Greenzla makes the gentle bristles from bamboo charcoal fiber which biodegrades. In addition, the bristles come BPA-free, allowing you to brush without possibly adding toxins to your body.
Greenzla imprints each toothbrush with a different number of leaves. So, if this set is for your family, there’s no risk of mixing up your toothbrushes.
Each brush comes with a bamboo travel case and a charcoal mint dental floss glass jar. So, not only are you getting toothbrushes, but essentially a dental hygiene kit.
In addition to these toothbrushes, the brand also offers zero waste products like reusable makeup remover pads, storage bags, and bamboo cutlery sets. If you’re looking for a bamboo toothbrush for kids, Greenzela also offers those. The brand offers a money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied with your items.
2. Virgin Forest
This eco-friendly toothbrush pack consists of ten colorful bamboo toothbrushes. There are six adult-size brushes and four kids-size brushes in each pack. The nylon bristles come in different colors, and the brand marks each brush with either ‘A’ or ‘B.’
The BPA-free soft bristles provide comfort for you and the kids while brushing your teeth.
This pack is the ideal set for the family. It offers adults and kids in the home the opportunity to make brushing time a sustainable activity.
From the bamboo wood handle to the toothbrush travel case, the company uses organic materials. Once you and the kids are done using your toothbrushes, you can compost your old bamboo toothbrush. If you’re not satisfied with your purchase, the brand offers a money-back guarantee.
3. Wowe Lifestyle Natural Organic Bamboo Toothbrush
If you’re a lover of bursts of colors, you’ll definitely find this bamboo toothbrush product pick exciting. Colorburst by Wowe Lifestyle helps you lessen your environmental impact while having fun.
The toothbrushes come in a pack of four, with each toothbrush having a distinct color. The toothbrushes possess soft BPA-free nylon bristles. Also, the bamboo brush handle comes from solid bamboo wood. You can compost these bamboo handles once you’re done using your toothbrush.
The soft nylon bristles are recyclable. Although this pack of bamboo toothbrushes is for adults, the brand also offers kids choices.
Even the packaging is zero waste and the plastic-free wrapping is made from recycled materials. Apart from bamboo toothbrushes, the brand also offers other everyday products. These include bamboo safety razors, produce bags, metal straws, and refillable dental floss.
4. GoWoo Natural Bamboo Toothbrush
These eco-friendly, natural bamboo toothbrushes also come in a pack of four; each toothbrush comes in a different color.
The toothbrushes have soft BPA-free nylon bristles. These provide the needed care for your teeth and gums while protecting them from bleeding caused by hard bristles. GoWoo mentions that the bristles are bio-based and consist of 62% castor oil and 38% nylon. Regarding the colors, the manufacturers dye them with non-caustic food coloring dyed.
The four bamboo toothbrushes are completely biodegradable as long as you pluck out the nylon bristles ahead of disposal. Apart from these bamboo toothbrushes, GoWoo also offers bamboo cutlery. These bamboo items are biodegradable, eco-friendly, and provide an alternative to wasteful items.
5. Dr Perfect Natural Bamboo Toothbrushes
These zero waste, biodegradable toothbrushes help to keep your teeth clean while helping the environment. This four-pack bamboo toothbrush set provides you with your toothbrush oral hygiene care for the year.
Each toothbrush has medium-soft bristles that the company designed to prevent them from easily falling out. Also, they are BPA-free and charcoal-infused bristles. The bamboo toothbrushes have distinct tagging to avoid mix-ups in households.
To ensure an all-around eco-friendly endeavor, the company uses zero waste paper bag packaging for their bamboo toothbrushes. The brand designs sustainable toothbrushes in a way that aids easy grip when brushing your teeth.
If needed for tough stains, Dr Perfect also offers a choice of hard along with soft bristles. Whether you’re looking to purchase one of these best bamboo toothbrushes for yourself, your household, or as a gift for someone, the entire package translates to eco-friendly.
6. Zeek’s Naturals Charcoal Bamboo Toothbrush
If you’re looking for further value for your money, Zeek’s naturals offer three packs of four. This makes a total of 12 toothbrushes that come with your purchase. The manufacturers individually number the bamboo toothbrushes, from 1-4, in each pack. Apart from the bamboo handle, each toothbrush features charcoal-infused medium-soft BPA- free bristles.
They make these excellent choices cruelty-free and vegan, biodegradable, and come in recyclable packaging. The smooth, uniquely shaped bamboo handle makes it easy and comfortable to grip your toothbrush. If you’re not looking to purchase this 12-count set, Zeek’s Naturals also offers a single 4-count and two 4-count options.
7. New Living Bamboo Toothbrush
From charcoal-infused bamboo toothbrushes to plastic-free packaging, New Living is offering an eco-friendly product. The round bamboo handle on each toothbrush presents a unique design with a black tape-like feature at the bottom. This handle shape aids comfort and grip. Also, the BPA-free bamboo charcoal bristles help to absorb bacteria in the mouth while cleaning your teeth.
You can pull out the charcoal-infused bristles once you’re done with your bamboo toothbrush. Depending on the recycling facility in your area, these can be recycled. You can then compost the bamboo handle if you desire, or rest assured that it will biodegrade in the environment.
The brand decided to go with this bristle option to avoid using boar hair bristles. In this light, this product is vegan and cruelty-free. If you’re one for the minimalist aesthetic, the entire product packaging offers that simple aesthetic. New Living also offers a bamboo cutlery set, bamboo soap dishes, bamboo straws with a travel case, bamboo cotton swabs, and BPA-free recycled polyester bread bags.
8. My Plastic Free World Family Pack Bamboo Toothbrushes
This company specifically designed these eco-friendly bamboo toothbrushes for households. Each bamboo toothbrush comes in a separate recyclable cardboard wrapping. The handles compost, and you can recycle the soft BPA-free bristles.
The company ethically sources its materials to provide vegan and eco-friendly toothbrushes. At the end of the lifecycle, you can pull out the bristles with a plier and compost the bamboo handle. If your brush ends up in the soil, it will decompose, leaving no toxic components.
As a sustainable alternative to plastic toothbrushes, these bamboo toothbrushes help you reduce your carbon footprint. Instead of using a plastic toothbrush destined to affect the environment negatively, the bamboo option is eco-friendly. It also offers BPA-free soft bristles, avoiding animal-derived boar bristles, that aid safe cleaning of your teeth and mouth. My Plastic Free World also offers other eco-friendly personal care products, such as bath sponges and natural deodorants.
9. Leaf Boat Bamboo Toothbrush Dental Set
With each Leaf Boat purchase, you get three essential items to care for your teeth and oral hygiene. These items are bamboo toothbrushes, toothpaste tabs, and dental floss. All these items are compostable and plastic-free. However, remember that you need to remove the bristles before composting the bamboo handle. Although the toothbrush handle is made from bamboo, the super-soft bristles aren’t certified compostable.
Leaf Boat provides zero waste dental toothpaste tabs as an eco-friendly and plastic-free alternative to regular toothpaste. Also, the tabs don’t contain harmful ingredients. The brand makes dental floss from natural xylitol, mint flavor, cornstarch, and candelilla wax.
The bamboo brushes are from natural bamboo, while the soft bristles are castor oil-based. The brand packages each item in a compostable cardboard paper box that’s completely plastic-free. This way, you can avoid unnecessary waste while protecting your teeth.
These bamboo toothbrushes last about three months, the recommended period to replace your toothbrushes. Leaf Boast also offers bamboo product gift sets, reusable bamboo buds, and natural loofah sponges for kids and adults.
10. Brush with Bamboo Toothbrush
Rather than 100% nylon bristles, the soft bristles used by Brush with Bamboo are partially nylon and partially castor bean oil. The brand makes the handle from certified organic bamboo that will decompose in the soil. These 4-pack adult brushes come in compostable plant-based wrapping. The bamboo toothbrushes last as long as the regular plastic toothbrush.
Brush with Bamboo brushes has BPA-free and cruelty-free bristles. Apart from this particular set of brushes, this brand has created USDA Certified 100% bio-based bristles.
11. Natboo Charcoal Infused Bamboo Toothbrush
Natboo creates vegan-friendly and compostable bamboo toothbrushes. According to the brand, each bamboo toothbrush will decompose in about eight months to a year, depending on the compost environment. This is a relatively short period compared with the number of years it takes for plastic to break down.
The pack of toothbrushes contains twelve brushes. Each bamboo toothbrush comes in either black, white, pink, or blue at the bottom of the handle. The nylon bristles are recyclable, and you need to pull them out before composting the handle. The smooth grip of the handle makes it comfortable to hold while brushing your teeth.
For ultimate cleansing, Natboo infuses the bristles with activated charcoal. The purpose of charcoal is to provide antimicrobial properties while also cleansing your teeth. These charcoal-infused bristles are super soft, making them appropriate for people with sensitive teeth.
Apart from its provision of sustainable items, Natboo also has a give-back program where it donates a portion of its profits to organizations involved in tackling environmental issues, advocating for the rights of kids and women, and education.
12. HappyFins Bamboo Toothbrush
Here’s another toothbrush that offers castor oil and nylon bristles. The plant-based bristles contain 62% castor oil and 38% nylon. The HappyFins toothbrush is sustainable, cruelty-free, and made from organic bamboo. It comes in a pack of one bamboo toothbrush, a set of two toothbrushes, or a set of ten.
Your guests just might be impressed at seeing a sustainable bamboo toothbrush available for use. You can use this bamboo toothbrush either as your personal toothbrush in the home, for traveling, or even in your guest bathroom.
The toothbrush handle is no-slip, which offers a comfortable grip while you clean your teeth. HappyFins also offers zero waste cotton swabs and toothbrush options for kids. The BPA-free soft nylon and colorful bristles are gentle on the teeth and gums. Once you’re done using the toothbrush after the recommended months, you can recycle the bristles. You could even decide to upcycle the entire thing.
13. TXV Mart Bamboo Toothbrush
Another replacement for plastic toothbrushes is this bamboo toothbrush from TXV Mart. The brand embraces biodegradable and eco-friendly products providing items such as toothbrushes, brushes for facial cleansing, eco-friendly cutlery, and a toothbrush holder.
TXV Mart’s bamboo toothbrushes come in a pack of ten. Each toothbrush has its own box, and the great thing is that the packages are kraft paper, making them zero waste.
The BPA-free bristles are non-toxic, soft, and recyclable. Once your toothbrush gets to the end of its lifecycle, the handle decomposes in the soil. The minimalist design of the handle makes it comfortable to hold. Love colors? The toothbrush bristles come in various colors such as green, blue, white, black, and even a rainbow style.
Why Choose a Bamboo Toothbrush?
You can keep your teeth clean while also keeping the environment clean. Instead of constantly purchasing toxic plastic toothbrushes, why not invest in eco-friendly alternatives? Bamboo toothbrushes are a good alternative for many reasons.
In fact, even the big brands are getting behind the trend and you can find a Colgate bamboo toothbrush in a lot of supermarkets.
Growing natural bamboo for toothbrushes is sustainable
Firstly, the bamboo plant is a sustainable organic raw material. The process of growing bamboo requires little to no pesticide or chemical fertilizer use.
Also, the bamboo plant grows quickly and easily. As a result, manufacturers can quickly replace the plant they use to make bamboo brushes. When sustainable brands use natural bamboo wood to make bamboo handles, the toothbrushes in their natural form biodegrade when disposed of.
Natural bamboo is biodegradable
One of the major downsides to using a plastic toothbrush is that it takes many years to break down. These brushes are usually made with polypropylene plastic and release toxins into the environment. Plastic items can take up to 1000 years to decompose3.
On the other hand, woody waste like bamboo usually takes 3-12 months to break down4.
Although the toothbrush handles are bamboo material, there’s still the issue of the nylon bristles. Once you’ve plucked out the toothbrush bristles from the handle, you’ll be able to compost the handle and recycle the bristles.
Options do exist that provide fully biodegradable or composting properties made from traditional boar hair or other organic alternatives. However, this is not a cruelty-free or vegan option. Some brands also make their bristles using a mix of nylon and castor oil.
Reduce packaging waste
The brands that create bamboo toothbrushes tend to look at their entire manufacturing and supply processes to ensure sustainability. As a result, if you purchase a bamboo toothbrush, it’ll most likely come in eco-friendly or zero-waste packaging. This way, you have a sustainable product to take care of your teeth while reducing your packaging waste.
For anyone going through a lifestyle change to zero waste or low waste living, this becomes important. You’ll find that most bamboo toothbrushes pay attention to sustainable, zero-waste, and biodegradable packaging.
Charcoal bamboo toothbrushes have antimicrobial properties
Are bamboo toothbrushes hygienic? Several natural bamboo toothbrush brands create charcoal-infused bristles. Asides from the regular nylon bristles, these bamboo charcoal toothbrush bristles offer enhanced teeth cleaning benefits.
People know charcoal bamboo brushes for their antibacterial properties1, which studies have backed. Therefore, bamboo toothbrushes containing charcoal may harbor less contamination compared with pure nylon bristles and prevent the build-up of harmful bacteria.
When brushing, this also entails removing bacteria around the teeth and preventing a breeding ground for it while taking care of sensitive gums.
Conclusion
There’s nothing like keeping your teeth clean while also caring for the environment. In this article, we’ve given you a roundup of some of the best bamboo toothbrushes.
Switching to a bamboo toothbrush is an environmentally-friendly choice. Plastic has several adverse effects, and these options help to reduce toxic plastic waste.
Whether you’re choosing a colorful or plain toothbrush, each bamboo toothbrush serves the purpose of curbing the environmental harm that plastic causes. Some of these also come in a bamboo travel case, and some companies offer you a money-back guarantee. Frankly, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing the best bamboo toothbrush for your eco brushing routine.
| 1 | Thamke, M. V., Beldar, A., Thakkar, P., Murkute, S., Ranmare, V., & Hudwekar, A. (2018). Comparison of bacterial contamination and antibacterial efficacy in bristles of charcoal toothbrushes versus noncharcoal toothbrushes: A microbiological study. Contemporary clinical dentistry, 9(3), 463. DOI: 10.4103/ccd.ccd_309_18 |
| 2 | Lyne, A., Ashley, P., Saget, S., Costa, M. P., Underwood, B., & Duane, B. (2020). Combining evidence-based healthcare with environmental sustainability: using the toothbrush as a model. British Dental Journal, 229(5), 303-309. DOI: 10.1038/s41415-020-1981-0 |
| 3 | UNEP (2018). Single-Use Plastics: A Roadmap for Sustainability (Rev. ed) |
| 4 | Webber, J., & Gee, C. (1996). Compost from Woody Wastes. Forestry Commission Research Division. Arboricultural Advisory and Information Science, Farnham |
Jen’s a passionate environmentalist and sustainability expert. With a science degree from Babcock University Jen loves applying her research skills to craft editorial that connects with our global changemaker and readership audiences centered around topics including zero waste, sustainability, climate change, and biodiversity.
Elsewhere Jen’s interests include the role that future technology and data have in helping us solve some of the planet’s biggest challenges.
