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Everything We Recommend
Best Overall: Auraglow Teeth Whitening Strips
Best Peroxide Free: Hismile PAP+ Whitening Strips™
Also Great: Crest 3D Whitestrips Glamorous White
Best for Sensitive Teeth: Crest 3D Whitestrips Sensitive
Best Dissolving: Snow Magic Strips®
Best Tasting: Zimba Teeth Whitening Strips
Best All-Inclusive Teeth Whitening Kit: Spotlight Oral Care Whitening Starter Bundle
Best for Peroxide-Allergy: Lumineux Teeth Whitening Strips
Best Affordable Option: BURST Teeth Whitening Strips with Soothing Coconut Oil
Best Long-Term Whitening System: Ollie Teeth Whitening Strips
Teeth whitening strips are a popular and cost-effective way to whiten your teeth at home.
Most strips are made of a flexible plastic substance coated with a thin layer of whitening gel. This gel is typically made of hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide.
These peroxides penetrate your enamel and reach the discolored molecules inside your teeth. The whitening agent's oxygen molecules interact with the discolored teeth molecules, gently lifting stains.
You’ll leave the strips on for up to 30 minutes (depending on the brand). During this time, the gel penetrates your tooth enamel, gradually lifting stains and brightening your smile.
All of the products below have been reviewed and endorsed by Dr. Khushbu Aggarwal, one of NewMouth's experienced dentists.
Aside from clinical dentistry, Dr. Aggarwal also consults for several organizations, including Dr. Clobo and Kaplan. She obtained her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 2014 from UCLA School of Dentistry and completed a one-year general dentistry residency in a hospital setting.
Disclaimer: NewMouth recommends LED teeth whitening kits over whitening strips. While more expensive, LED kits typically provide faster results and don't need to be used as often. Hismile PAP+ Teeth Whitening Kit and Snow® Teeth Whitening Kit are two great options.
Here are Dr. Aggarwal's top recommendations for the best whitening strips:
Auraglow's teeth whitening strips offer the benefits of teeth whitening without sensitivity or irritation. They contain 6% hydrogen peroxide, so you can achieve a brighter smile.
The product contains 14 treatments. They have 28 strips – one strip for the upper teeth and one for the lower teeth. Auraglow's teeth whitening strips are flexible, so you don't have to worry about them sliding off your teeth.
It's recommended to use these teeth whitening strips for around 30 minutes per day. When used regularly and correctly, Auraglow promises that your teeth will whiten up to 10 shades in 7 days.
Hismile's PAP+ teeth whitening strips are peroxide-free, so they don't irritate your gums or cause tooth sensitivity.
The strips contain three enamel-safe ingredients to provide almost instant whitening results:
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The Crest 3DWhite Glamorous White Whitestrips Kit contains 16 full whitening treatments. This includes 14 regular whitening treatments (one upper and one lower strip) and two one-hour express treatments. The one-hour express strips reveal same-day results for a visibly whiter smile.
Crest 3D White Whitestrips have the American Dental Association (ADA) Seal of Acceptance, which means they are safe and effective when used correctly.
The easy-to-apply strips only have to be used for 30 minutes daily to see results. Crest also claims the strips will remove 10 years of stains for a whiter smile.
This product is enamel-safe and uses Advanced Seal Technology. This no-slip feature helps the strips mold to the shape of your teeth. It also allows you to drink water and talk while whitening your teeth.
Crest 3D Whitestrips Sensitive is a great alternative if you have extra sensitive teeth and gums. The enamel-safe formula is specially designed for sensitive teeth and provides a gentler at-home whitening experience. This product also has the ADA Seal of Acceptance.
The strips contain three enamel-safe ingredients to provide almost instant whitening results:
The strips mold to the shape of your teeth, which helps prevent slipping. These Whitestrips are also easy to use. You can talk, walk, work, and even drink water while whitening your teeth.
The kit includes 14 teeth whitening treatments, each with one upper and one lower strip. For best results, apply the strips once a day for 30 minutes.
Dissolving whitening strips are a newer concept, and Snow is one of the first brands to release this product.
Unlike normal whitening strips, dissolving strips are not removed from your teeth after 15 to 30 minutes. Snow's Magic Strips dissolve in your mouth after just 15 minutes.
Snow's new patented P3 Technology® also claims to whiten more effectively than other dissolvable whitening strips.
The strips come in a lavender mint flavor and include 28 per pack.
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Zimba Teeth Whitening Strips include 28 enamel-safe whitening strips (14 full treatments). The brand claims your teeth will be up to six shades whiter after the full treatment is complete.
The whitening strip's active ingredient is hydrogen peroxide, which has been shown to lift surface stains effectively.
In addition, Zimba Teeth Whitening Strips come in many different flavors. The most popular include mint, peach, coconut, cinnamon, and spearmint. These flavors come from naturally-derived ingredients like menthol and coconut oil.
For best results, use the whitening strips for 14 consecutive days. The whitening effects have been observed to last for 6+ months.
Read our complete review of Zimba teeth whitening products
The Spotlight Whitening Starter Bundle is an excellent option if you are looking for an all-in-one whitening routine at an affordable cost.
The whitening strips lift stains using active ingredients like hydrogen peroxide. The whitening products are also sulfate, BPA, DEA, gluten, sulfate, paraben, and triclosan-free. This means you’ll have visibly whiter teeth without the potentially harmful effects of chemicals.
This kit includes:
Spotlight Oral Care is a newer company that sells dental health and whitening products. Although new, the brand has hundreds of 5-star reviews across multiple websites.
Lumineux Teeth Whitening Strips are certified non-toxic, vegan, enamel-safe, SLS-free, peroxide-free, sugar-free, preservative-free, and dentist-formulated. They also claim to whiten your teeth without sensitivity or discomfort.
These whitening strips are a great alternative if you are allergic to peroxide, alcohol, or other chemicals. However, they might not whiten your teeth as effectively as peroxide-containing products.
Lumineux’s whitening formula includes sage, coconut, and lemon peel oil. These naturally-derived ingredients freshen your breath, help remove plaque, and gently brighten teeth over time.
BURST whitening strips contain coconut oil for a soothing and sensitivity-fighting whitening experience. The product is endorsed and recommended by more than 25,000 dental professionals. Among these is Dr. Khushbu Aggarwal, one of NewMouth's in-house dentists.
The brand recommends completing 14 treatments in a row for the best results. These whitening strips are also more affordable than many leading products on the market, and most reviews are very positive.
If you're looking for a long-term and sustainable whitening system, Ollie offers a subscription-based option. Their whitening strips promise a brighter smile that will last months and years.
Ollie's money-back guarantee is what sets them apart from other brands. If you don't see your expected results, the treatment cost is on them. Their whitening strips start at around $3 per treatment, and you can cancel your subscription anytime you want.
Whitening strips are generally an effective, safe, and convenient way to whiten your teeth. You also don’t have to spend much money trying to brighten your smile.
Despite these benefits, whitening strips have both pros and cons:
To determine the teeth whitening products available, our team analyzed dozens of different products on the market.
We base our evaluation and recommendations on:
NewMouth is a leading and trusted online resource for dental information, including professional and at-home teeth whitening, how they compare, safety, and what to look for in products.
We have a dedicated team of medical writers, expert researchers, licensed dental professionals, and medical reviewers who create and oversee every piece of content published on our site.
We determined the best teeth whitening products by:
After extensive research and product testing, this article also underwent an intensive review process:
Most directions for whitening strips consist of the same basic steps. Read the instructions carefully before applying, as they can vary.
In general, this is how you should apply whitening strips:
Whitening strips that contain hydrogen or carbamide peroxide have been shown to whiten teeth over time.1,2,3 When the manufacturer's instructions are followed, peroxide-based teeth whitening products are safe to use.1
According to Dr. Casey Lau, the Chief Dental Officer at Elims, the benefit of using hydrogen peroxide is that most of its whitening power occurs within the first 30 minutes. Carbamide peroxide breaks down into hydrogen peroxide and urea, but its whitening powers usually take longer.
Over long periods of time, hydrogen peroxide at high doses can damage enamel. However, many studies have been done with hydrogen peroxide in dental products which showed that it is perfectly safe if used the correct way.
Dr. Casey Lau
The real issue with hydrogen peroxide is that it is an oxidant that can irritate your gums if used incorrectly. It is an antiseptic that kills bacteria and has been used to treat gum disease. But when the treatment times are really long, it can damage tissues.
Some side effects of whitening strips include:
In addition to hydrogen or carbamide peroxide, the following ingredients are commonly found in whitening strips:
Do not use whitening strips if you have:
Whitening strips are safe for fillings, crowns, veneers, and other restorations but will not whiten them like your natural teeth.
If you are allergic to peroxide, all-natural whitening strips are available. These alternatives are not as effective at removing stains. However, they can help remove plaque and debris and improve bad breath, ultimately enhancing your teeth' color and health.
Read below to learn how whitening strips compare to other popular whitening treatments:
| In-Office | LED Kits | Strips | Toothpaste | Mouthwash | |
| Cost | $262 to $1,180 | $50 to $300 | $10 to $50 | $3 to $15 | $2 to $10 |
| Peroxide Level | 20 to 40% | 10 to 20% | 5 to 15% | up to 5% | up to 2% |
| Time | 2 hours per session | 10 to 45 min per session | 30 minutes per session | 2 minutes a day | 30 seconds a day |
| Upkeep | Every 6 months to a year | A few times a month | A few times a month | Daily or a few times a week | Daily or a few times a week |
| Sensitivity | Moderate risk, temporary | Moderate risk, temporary | Moderate risk, temporary | Low risk, temporary | Low risk, temporary |
LED teeth whitening kits incorporate a special light that has been shown to speed up the whitening process. Whitening strips do not use a light.
Remember that an LED light will not whiten your teeth if used alone. It helps speed up bleaching when combined with a whitening agent (peroxide). When this interaction occurs, the blue LED light penetrates your tooth enamel and removes stains.
One study found that an LED light reduced treatment time and sensitivity by 53 percent.4 It took the non-light group over two hours to achieve the desired whiteness. The LED light group saw the same results after 72 minutes.4
Although LED whitening kits can lift teeth stains quickly, they are more expensive and time-consuming to use (up to $200 per kit). Whitening strips cost between $20 and $50 for 14 or more treatments.
Dentists do professional whitening in their offices, closely monitoring the process to ensure it's pain-free and controlled. On the other hand, whitening strips can be used at home, but carry a higher risk of side effects like tooth sensitivity and gum irritation.
Unlike at-home systems, dentists use stronger bleaching agents that produce immediate results. Over-the-counter whitening strips usually have 6 to 14 percent peroxide, while professional whitening gels contain 15 to 43 percent peroxide.
In-office whitening typically takes an hour and makes your teeth two to three shades lighter in one visit. You only need touch-ups every six months. Whitening strips require more maintenance and don't show immediate results.
However, professional whitening is more expensive, ranging from $500 to $1,500 per treatment. Whitening strips cost between $20 and $50 for 14 or more treatments.
Whitening strips are a great option to whiten your teeth at home. They're safe, but they should be used properly to prevent dental problems. If you're unsure about a product's safety, it's best to consult with your dentist.
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