Waterpik water flossers clean between your teeth with targeted blasts of water, which is a lot more enjoyable than flossing. But if your bathroom already looks like an episode of Hoarders, it can be tough to justify the counter space.
Enter the new Waterpik Sidekick, the company’s first “portable” countertop unit. It’s still not something that’ll fit in your dopp kit, and I don’t see many people traveling with it, but it is collapsible, and doesn’t take up much space at all when it’s unpacked. If you want to move it or store it, the entire unit will fit inside its own water resevoir, including the power supply and cord. You’d probably never put a full-sized Waterpik under your sink when not in use, but the Sidekick is easy enough to pack up and hide if you have guests coming over, even if you won’t do it every night.
I splattered water all over my mirror the first time I used the Sidekick, but once I got the hang of it, I really enjoyed the experience. I could feel the water going all the way through the gaps in my teeth, and couldn’t see or feel any food particles after I was done. I have pretty sensitive gums that have never taken well to flossing, but the Waterpik didn’t cause any irritation at all.
If you really want to travel with your Waterpik, the company does make cordless handheld models, though even the best of those have smaller reservoirs, fewer pressure settings, and lower maximum pressure (75 PSI vs. 100) than the Sidekick.
I really wish the Sidekick could run off a rechargeable battery, but if you have a convenient outlet and hate using regular floss, this is the Waterpik I’d buy.