How Humble Brush is made, part 1: Philosophy & Design

Transparency is important to us. That is why this three-part mini-series will tell you all about how our flagship product, Humble Brush, is made. It will cover the design philosophy, sourcing, and production behind the world’s best-selling bamboo toothbrush.

‘What’s the hallmark of a good toothbrush? It reaches all the surfaces of all your teeth’, says our Founder and Business Director Noel when asked about the design of Humble Brush. He goes on to explain how the design of Humble Brush’s handle is the key to achieving desired reach. The design was developed in Sweden through extensive testing of existing and new models. Noel concludes what he learned during the design development phase: ‘There’s no single feature in the design that allows for that extra reach, you need to consider the whole picture to make it possible’.

The handle is designed with two curved areas, one to provides a firm grip and the other to make the neck of the brush narrow, making it easier to reach even the trickiest areas of the mouth.

The choice of bristles is perhaps the decision we get most questions about. Many are surprised that our eco-friendly toothbrush has nylon bristles. ‘The reason is that there simply aren’t any suitable alternatives’, explains Noel. Natural alternatives don’t last long enough and don’t have sufficient bacterial resistant properties. Mixes of plastic materials and natural materials also lack durability and do not dissolve in nature. ‘The amount of plastic in the individual toothbrush would be reduced, but you’d have to change your brush more often and the bristles would still pollute in the same way, so the net effect simply wouldn’t be positive from an environmental perspective’. Until a material is available that is durable, biodegradable, hygienic, and can be formed to get sufficient cleaning properties, Humble Brush will continue to have the best alternative available.

Humble Brush follows the industry standard as it is recommended to be replaced every three months. ‘This is due to bacterias accumulating as well as reduced functionality, as a result of repeated use’, explains Noel.

‘Finally, the most important thing to understand is that our designs are never truly finished. We are always looking for ways to improve our products, including Humble Brush. We collaborate with our dentist ambassadors, keep track of the latest findings in the dental community, and keep an eye out on available materials. All to ensure that our products continue to be of the highest quality’, Noel.