Red wine and black coffee may be two of life’s greatest pleasures, but they can leave you with a stained smile that’s more Keith Richards than George Clooney. Enter at-home teeth-whitening kits that promise to get your gnashers gleaming, minus the Hollywood price tag.
The gel or powders used in these kits penetrate your tooth enamel and break down any discolouration, leaving your pearly whites looking brighter. They are safe and legal to use, as long as they contain less than 0.1 per cent hydrogen peroxide or 16 per cent carbamide peroxide. For stronger teeth whitening, you must go to a professional dentist.
Want to start whitening now? Here are our top picks:
1
2
Best budget teeth whitening kit
Beverly Hill Formula Perfect White Black 2-in-1 Whitening Kit
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3
4
Best for ease of use
Rapid White Express Max Effect 5 Minute Dissolving Tooth Whitening Strips
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5
6
Best for reducing stains
Billion Dollar Smile Teeth Whitening Strips
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7
Best for sensitive teeth
Millionaire Smile Teeth Whitening Kit
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8
9
Quickest processing time
Pearl Drops Professional 3 Step Whitening Treatment
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10
Best whitening toothpaste
Pearl Drops Strong Polished White Toothpaste
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Note that teeth whitening kits are useless on false teeth, including veneers, and you should speak to your dentist before using if you have sensitive teeth or gums.
Whitening toothpaste is also worth a try, but it only targets the surface of your teeth. Some toothpastes coat teeth with a blue-toned brightener for ‘instant whiteness’ while others bleach enamel to make it look cleaner. (It also goes without saying that it's all redundant unless you're brushing your teeth properly, so invest in one of the best electric toothbrushes while you're at it.)
How we test
To find the best teeth whitening kits and toothpastes, we recruited 596 testers. Each had before and after photos of their teeth taken in the lab, using a complexion analyser, to assess the product's whitening capabilities. They also provided feedback on each kit's ease of use, speed and results.
1
Best teeth whitening kit
Spotlight Teeth White Strips
1
Best teeth whitening kit
Spotlight Teeth White Strips
Strips infused with teeth whitening formula are a smart choice for blasting stubborn stains with minimal mess. They stick to teeth and are thrown away after daily use.
Our testers noticed a difference after eight days and they were hugely impressed by the final results after a fortnight. They liked the minty taste and travel-friendly sachets, although some found the hour-long processing time too long. Nobody complained about sensitivity though.
Specifications
| Treatment time | 1 hour |
|---|---|
| Course duration | 14 days |
| Includes | 28 strips |
2
Best budget teeth whitening kit
Beverly Hill Formula Perfect White Black 2-in-1 Whitening Kit
2
Best budget teeth whitening kit
Beverly Hill Formula Perfect White Black 2-in-1 Whitening Kit
This teeth whitening kit is a bonafide bargain. Simply apply the strips directly to your teeth and peel them off half an hour later.
Charcoal powder is the active agent here, making them messier to use, but they gave many testers their desired results just four days into the fortnight-long course. The packaging is compact and the discreet touch-up pen is handy for popping in your bag.
Specifications
| Treatment time | 30 mins |
|---|---|
| Course duration | 14 days |
| Includes | 28 strips |
3
Best teeth whitening pen
Spotlight Oral Care Whitening Pen
This pocket-friendly whitening tool can be whipped out in case of emergencies to vanish Shiraz-induced stains. We appreciated its compactness, and it gave the majority of our panel a “natural-looking whiteness”, avoiding the dreaded faux veneer effect. It was gentle on sensitive teeth, too.
Specifications
| Treatment time | 5 mins |
|---|---|
| Course duration | Instant |
| Includes | Pen |
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4
Best for ease of use
Rapid White Express Max Effect 5 Minute Dissolving Tooth Whitening Strips
4
Best for ease of use
Rapid White Express Max Effect 5 Minute Dissolving Tooth Whitening Strips
These minty, peroxide-free strips dissolve on your teeth after six minutes, so you don’t need to faff about peeling them off. They stick on easily but some testers said they left a tacky gel-type residue.
It takes a week of twice-daily use to achieve the best results but our testers spotted a difference after four days. The sachets are small enough to carry around for overnight stays, too.
Specifications
| Treatment time | 6 mins |
|---|---|
| Course duration | 7 days |
| Includes | 14 days |
5
Best vegan formula
Moon Kendall Jenner Teeth Whitening Pen
5
Best vegan formula
Moon Kendall Jenner Teeth Whitening Pen
There’s no denying an expensive-looking smile runs in the Kardashian/Jenner family. This Kendall-approved pen features a vegan formula and has a pleasant vanilla-mint flavour, which went down a treat with our panel. Although only half were impressed with its whitening powers, it was easy to use, and didn’t cause any sensitivity.
Specifications
| Treatment time | 10 - 30 mins |
|---|---|
| Course duration | Instant |
| Includes | Pen |
6
Best for reducing stains
Billion Dollar Smile Teeth Whitening Strips
These minty fresh strips were great at tackling even the most prominent stains in just 15 minutes, leaving most of testers with whiter teeth. They're fuss-free to use, too.
Specifications
| Treatment time | 15 mins |
|---|---|
| Course duration | 14 days |
| Includes | 28 strips |
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7
Best for sensitive teeth
Millionaire Smile Teeth Whitening Kit
If you’ve tried teeth whitening kits in the past and been unimpressed, this one will help restore your faith. With a sleek and tidy design, the kit itself was fool-proof to use.
The peroxide-free mix proved to be gentle on teeth and gums, but didn’t compromise on whitening results, with most testers seeing brighter smiles.
Specifications
| Treatment time | 20 - 30 mins |
|---|---|
| Course duration | 6 days |
| Includes | LED light, 3 x 5ml gel syringes, mouthguard |
8
Best for travel
Mr. Blanc Teeth Whitening Strips
8
Best for travel
Mr. Blanc Teeth Whitening Strips
With individually packaged sets of strips, travelling and whitening your teeth doesn’t get any easier than this. They boosted whiteness for half of our panel, without leaving a nasty aftertaste or scent behind, while three quarters reported no sensitivity issues.
Specifications
| Treatment time | 30 mins |
|---|---|
| Course duration | 14 days |
| Includes | 14 strips |
9
Quickest processing time
Pearl Drops Professional 3 Step Whitening Treatment
9
Quickest processing time
Pearl Drops Professional 3 Step Whitening Treatment
There are three steps to this kit: brightening serum, activating serum, and polish. It sounds fussy but the treatment only takes three minutes.
Our testers found it a bit messy to apply and it proved tricky to keep the serum in place for the recommended 30 seconds. Still, they raved about the speed. It leaves a fresh taste in your mouth and doesn’t trigger sensitivity, but the whitening effects could be stronger.
Specifications
| Treatment time | 3 mins |
|---|---|
| Course duration | 10 days |
| Includes | 2 serums and a tooth polish |
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10
Best whitening toothpaste
Pearl Drops Strong Polished White Toothpaste
10
Best whitening toothpaste
Pearl Drops Strong Polished White Toothpaste
This minty whitening toothpaste has been specially formulated to buff and polish teeth without eroding enamel. It dominated the competition in our lab tests, leaving teeth noticeably whiter after three weeks of twice daily use.
Our testers loved how clinically clean and fresh it left them feeling too, with some saying it rivalled a trip to their hygienist. Those with sensitive teeth did not find it remotely aggravating and it successfully banished even long-term stains.
Specifications
| Treatment time | 3 mins |
|---|---|
| Course duration | 10 days |
| Includes | 3-step brush-on treatment |
11
Best whitening toothpaste for fresh breath
iWhite Whitening Toothpaste
11
Best whitening toothpaste for fresh breath
iWhite Whitening Toothpaste
If you don’t believe a toothpaste can whiten your teeth in two weeks, try this one. It lathers up a storm to deep clean both surface and underlying stains and stops pesky plaque building up. Our testers were so wowed by its professional whitening power that they said they'd continue to use it at home.
Specifications
| Treatment time | 2 mins |
|---|---|
| Course duration | 2 weeks |
| Includes | N/A |
12
Best whitening toothpaste for stains
Colgate Max White Expert Complete Whitening Toothpaste
12
Best whitening toothpaste for stains
Colgate Max White Expert Complete Whitening Toothpaste
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Fed up of yellow teeth denting your self-esteem? This toothpaste battles existing stains from food and drink, but crucially also helps prevent further staining. The whitening effects are gradual but long-lasting.
It tastes a touch medicinal – think a minty antiseptic –which not all of our testers enjoyed, and its blue colour stained our sink a little, but the tube lasts ages.
Specifications
| Treatment time | 2 mins |
|---|---|
| Course duration | Instant |
| Includes | N/A |
Florence Reeves-White
Senior Beauty Writer
Florence is our Senior Beauty Writer, specialising in expert-tested beauty and grooming reviews — from toothbrushes to the latest skincare launches. She’s committed to sharing recommendations for products that truly work and make people feel confident and healthy. Prior to this she was at Tropic Skincare, where she worked closely with biochemists in the lab, delving into the functions of each fresh, natural ingredient and conveying its efficacy to her audience in easy-to-digest terms.
With over five years’ experience in beauty and health journalism, Florence has written for ELLE, Women’s Fitness, Sister Magazine, National Geographic Traveller and many more, with a strong sustainability angle thread through much of her work.
When she isn’t packing for a trip away, working out, eating out or reading up on retinol serums, you’ll probably find her experimenting with her film camera and building her portfolio of portraits. Florence’s photography can be found at florencereeves-white.com, her Instagram is @florencereeveswhite and her twitter is @floreadsnwrites
Tested byMaria Kumar
Beauty and Grooming Testing Manager
Maria is our Beauty and Grooming Testing Manager, and since joining in mid-2022, she has managed the testing for mutiple categories including scalp scrubs, collagen supplements and retinol serums. In addition to her master's degree in chemical engineering and a diploma in cosmetic science, she recently received her MBA from the London College of Fashion, focusing on case studies within the beauty industry. Prior to joining the company, she worked within the global technical team at the Estee Lauder Companies for over six years, collaborating with the chemists and engineers to launch luxury beauty products at scale and to quality. She has also worked as a formulation scientist within the pharmaceutical industry and takes this evidence based approach into all her product testing.
