Product Review - Colgate Wisp
About.com Rating
Updated October 02, 2013.
The Wisp is a new oral care aide made by Colgate. It promises to remove food and plaque from your teeth, giving you a just-brushed clean feeling. When you brush, a liquid-filled bead releases a burst of freshness in your mouth and is used without the need for water or rinsing. The Wisp is designed to use on the go, available anytime you need breath freshening.
Considering the vast assortment of breath fresheners on the market, it is often disappointing when you spend your hard earned money on something that delivers empty promises.
Does the Colgate Wisp live up to its claims?
Package Design
When I see an item enclosed in plastic, I often cringe. Why? Chances are it is really difficult for me to open. After a great deal of effort bending and twisting the plastic casing, I almost always end up searching for my scissors (the ones I can never find) to finally open up the mangled remains of what was once an attractive looking package. There have been times where I end up damaging the item I was so desperately trying to retrieve.
The Colgate Wisp sample I received was, you guessed it, enclosed in plastic. The fact sheet for the Wisp refers to the packaging as an "innovative slimshell packaging with individually foil-sealed brushes." I couldn't have said it better myself. You simply open the package like you would open a book. Once inside, each brush is individually wrapped; you simply pull back a foil cover. I was impressed with this feature obviously because it was simple for me to open. One thing I discovered was if you need to use the Wisp and do not have a place to dispose of the used brush, you can simply place it back into its compartment and reseal the package, for disposal later.
The Wisp promises a "pocket sized" design, allowing you to discretely carry it with you at all times. Depending on how tight your jeans are, this could be attainable, although I preferred carrying it with me in my small clutch purse. A package of four Wisps is close to the size of a business-card holder -- compact and easy to carry.
The ingredients are clearly listed on the back of the package, along with an expiration date and a blurb on how you should use the brushes.
Product Design and Features
The Colgate Wisp promises to be comparable to the size of a lip gloss or lipstick, in an effort to keep the overall packaging small enough for you to carry on the go, ready for your next breath emergency. The actual Wisp itself is in fact the same length of a lip gloss.
The brush head of the Wisp contains tiny plastic bristles similar to those of a toothbrush. They are soft and flexible, a critical feature that is necessary to prevent abrasion. Located in the center of the brush head is the liquid-filled bead. The Wisp is available in three flavors: a blue bead is peppermint flavored; a green bead is spearmint flavored; a red bead is cinnamint flavored.
The handle of the Wisp is thin; I would say it is close to the diameter of a drinking straw. This feature was likely intended to keep the relatively tiny design concept, although this factor could pose a problem for someone with larger hands, fingers or a person with limited manual dexterity, possibly making it difficult to grasp the handle and hold it comfortably during use.
The end of the Wisp handle comes to a point, similar to a tooth pick, curving up at the tip. The tip is minutely flexible and soft enough to help prevent damage to the gum tissue.
Overall, the design and features of the Colgate Wisp are favorable. The features are precisely what is necessary in order to remove plaque and food from the teeth, along with freshening your breath at the same time. The Wisp is small enough to remain discrete, and travels easily in your purse or pocket.
The Test - Using the Colgate Wisp
Trying the Wisp for the first time was a true test of its breath freshening claim considering I used it in the morning, sitting in the parking lot of my daughters school after it dawned on me that I forgot to brush my teeth (also, I was on my way in to make an appointment for parent-teacher interviews).
I am a creature of habit, so as I began to use the Wisp, it felt awkward because I usually wet my toothbrush and apply toothpaste. The bristles were slightly stiff at first but as I brushed, they softened up and gently began to clean my teeth. I was pleasantly surprised when the peppermint flavored bead burst to release the liquid intended to freshen my breath. The flavor was strong enough to create a comparable level of freshness similar to brushing with toothpaste.
After brushing all of the surfaces of my teeth, I used the Wisp on my tongue. It did the job, giving my tongue a fresh feeling.
I used the tip of the Wisp on my maxillaryincisors. It was gentle on my gums and removed some plaque from in between my teeth.
After one final brush, I wondered where I would rinse and spit. I remembered that the Wisp is meant to be used without water, eliminating the need for rinsing. I will admit I had a hard time swallowing my saliva and the remnants from the flavor bead (and plaque). When I did finally swallow, I was treated to the same fresh feeling I get after using mouthwash.
Remember the resealable package I mentioned? I placed the used brush back into the compartment and dashed into the school. After 30 minutes, I still felt confident that my breath was fresh.
The Verdict
Overall, the Colgate Wisp in my opinion, does exactly what it promises; fresh breath and clean teeth on the go. After trying the Wisp for the first time I found:
Updated October 02, 2013.
The Wisp is a new oral care aide made by Colgate. It promises to remove food and plaque from your teeth, giving you a just-brushed clean feeling. When you brush, a liquid-filled bead releases a burst of freshness in your mouth and is used without the need for water or rinsing. The Wisp is designed to use on the go, available anytime you need breath freshening.
Considering the vast assortment of breath fresheners on the market, it is often disappointing when you spend your hard earned money on something that delivers empty promises.
Does the Colgate Wisp live up to its claims?
Package Design
When I see an item enclosed in plastic, I often cringe. Why? Chances are it is really difficult for me to open. After a great deal of effort bending and twisting the plastic casing, I almost always end up searching for my scissors (the ones I can never find) to finally open up the mangled remains of what was once an attractive looking package. There have been times where I end up damaging the item I was so desperately trying to retrieve.
The Colgate Wisp sample I received was, you guessed it, enclosed in plastic. The fact sheet for the Wisp refers to the packaging as an "innovative slimshell packaging with individually foil-sealed brushes." I couldn't have said it better myself. You simply open the package like you would open a book. Once inside, each brush is individually wrapped; you simply pull back a foil cover. I was impressed with this feature obviously because it was simple for me to open. One thing I discovered was if you need to use the Wisp and do not have a place to dispose of the used brush, you can simply place it back into its compartment and reseal the package, for disposal later.
The Wisp promises a "pocket sized" design, allowing you to discretely carry it with you at all times. Depending on how tight your jeans are, this could be attainable, although I preferred carrying it with me in my small clutch purse. A package of four Wisps is close to the size of a business-card holder -- compact and easy to carry.
The ingredients are clearly listed on the back of the package, along with an expiration date and a blurb on how you should use the brushes.
Product Design and Features
The Colgate Wisp promises to be comparable to the size of a lip gloss or lipstick, in an effort to keep the overall packaging small enough for you to carry on the go, ready for your next breath emergency. The actual Wisp itself is in fact the same length of a lip gloss.
The brush head of the Wisp contains tiny plastic bristles similar to those of a toothbrush. They are soft and flexible, a critical feature that is necessary to prevent abrasion. Located in the center of the brush head is the liquid-filled bead. The Wisp is available in three flavors: a blue bead is peppermint flavored; a green bead is spearmint flavored; a red bead is cinnamint flavored.
The handle of the Wisp is thin; I would say it is close to the diameter of a drinking straw. This feature was likely intended to keep the relatively tiny design concept, although this factor could pose a problem for someone with larger hands, fingers or a person with limited manual dexterity, possibly making it difficult to grasp the handle and hold it comfortably during use.
The end of the Wisp handle comes to a point, similar to a tooth pick, curving up at the tip. The tip is minutely flexible and soft enough to help prevent damage to the gum tissue.
Overall, the design and features of the Colgate Wisp are favorable. The features are precisely what is necessary in order to remove plaque and food from the teeth, along with freshening your breath at the same time. The Wisp is small enough to remain discrete, and travels easily in your purse or pocket.
The Test - Using the Colgate Wisp
Trying the Wisp for the first time was a true test of its breath freshening claim considering I used it in the morning, sitting in the parking lot of my daughters school after it dawned on me that I forgot to brush my teeth (also, I was on my way in to make an appointment for parent-teacher interviews).
I am a creature of habit, so as I began to use the Wisp, it felt awkward because I usually wet my toothbrush and apply toothpaste. The bristles were slightly stiff at first but as I brushed, they softened up and gently began to clean my teeth. I was pleasantly surprised when the peppermint flavored bead burst to release the liquid intended to freshen my breath. The flavor was strong enough to create a comparable level of freshness similar to brushing with toothpaste.
After brushing all of the surfaces of my teeth, I used the Wisp on my tongue. It did the job, giving my tongue a fresh feeling.
I used the tip of the Wisp on my maxillaryincisors. It was gentle on my gums and removed some plaque from in between my teeth.
After one final brush, I wondered where I would rinse and spit. I remembered that the Wisp is meant to be used without water, eliminating the need for rinsing. I will admit I had a hard time swallowing my saliva and the remnants from the flavor bead (and plaque). When I did finally swallow, I was treated to the same fresh feeling I get after using mouthwash.
Remember the resealable package I mentioned? I placed the used brush back into the compartment and dashed into the school. After 30 minutes, I still felt confident that my breath was fresh.
The Verdict
Overall, the Colgate Wisp in my opinion, does exactly what it promises; fresh breath and clean teeth on the go. After trying the Wisp for the first time I found:
- Unlike most breath fresheners, the Wisp removes the plaque and food from your teeth while considerably improving your breath at the same time. You are essentially brushing your teeth when you use the Wisp, so if you are someone that only brushes once a day, using the Wisp is a simple way to sneak a quick brush into your busy schedule
- The Wisp is compact enough for you to carry on the go, just as you would a package of gum.
- The Wisp possesses the features necessary to remove plaque and food and improve your breath.
- Obviously the Wisp is not intended to replace brushing and flossing your teeth with an ADA recommended toothbrush and toothpaste, but if you are looking for an effective way to freshen your breath longer than it takes a piece of gum to lose its flavor, the Wisp will do the trick.
- The suggested retail price for a package of four brushes is $2.39, a reasonable price for an oral care product.
- The only minor flaw I found was in the size of the handle. A person with limited manual dexterity or large hands and fingers might have a hard time grasping the handle.