The Top 12 Teeth Whitening Strips of 2024: Tested and Reviewed
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Even if you brush your teeth every morning and night like clockwork, there’s still a chance that your smile looks less than pearly white. And, believe it or not, it's no fault of your red wine or coffee consumption. According to celebrity cosmetic “Smile Makeover” dentist Daniel Rubinshtein, D.D.S., the natural color of teeth is actually not even pure white to begin with. “They are typically a shade of either yellow or gray, and tooth color varies from person to person,” he says.
Still, while teeth may not naturally be bright white, society has grown an obsession with the aesthetic, leaving folks with three whitening options: expensive veneers, pricey in-office whitening treatments, or our personal recommendation, affordable and convenient at-home whitening strips. We thoroughly tested 16 options, focusing on everything from comfort and ease of use to effectiveness and value. Ahead, we reveal the best teeth whitening strips for your glow-up.
We found the Crest 3DWhitestrips 1-Hour Express Dental Whitening Kit to be the best whitening strips for a number of reasons. For starters, they’re easy to use. The kit says not to brush your teeth before use (as it’s supposed to help prevent excess sensitivity), so we simply wiped our teeth dry and applied the strips so that they would adequately stick. The side meant to hug your teeth is slightly textured and gummy, making them adhere easily. From a comfort stance, these strips fit easily over teeth and stay in place once on. While it’s apparent that you have a film over your teeth, we found the strips to be smooth and comfortable.
Most importantly, they’re effective, and the value can’t be beat. When we cycled through the entire kit, our teeth got six shades whiter—a welcome surprise in just a week. Best of all, the results are said to last upwards of six months.
Duration: 60 minutes | Active Ingredients: Hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydroxide | Usage: Daily for seven days
Our testers love keeping their teeth extra white and shiny but hate the sensitivity that comes along with most at-home (and even in-office) products. This easy-to-use set from a tried-and-true toothpaste brand features a teeth-whitening pen and LED light that give you visibly whiter teeth with less mess. Simply paint on the serum, pop it in the mouthpiece, wait 10 minutes, and go. Repeat 10 consecutive days and voilà, whiter teeth
Why It’s a Shape 2024 Beauty Award Winner: Move aside whitening strips. This whitening pen is easy to use (and incredibly effective). It erased coffee stains from our testers' not-so-pearly whites. Plus, with the phone-powered LED mouthpiece, this set is incredibly cost-effective.
Duration: 10 minutes | Active Ingredients: Hydrogen peroxide | Usage: Daily for 10 days
One of the biggest complaints about teeth whitening strips is that they cause sensitivity. iSmile Teeth Whitening Strips are formulated with this in mind. With mint and coconut oils at the forefront, these whitening strips are more pleasant to use and gentler, too. To see just how well these strips live up to their claims, we tested them on someone who has long avoided whitening strips in favor of whitening toothpastes due to how sensitive the strips make their teeth. After wearing the strips for 30 minutes a day for seven days straight, we found that they adequately whitened their teeth a full eight shades—all without triggering any pain.
Duration: 30 minutes | Active Ingredients: Hydrogen peroxide | Usage: Daily for seven days
If you’re looking for quick, dentist-approved results, we found that the Crest 3DWhitestrips Glamorous White Dental Whitening Kit works well. (It also happens to tout the American Dental Association’s Seal of Acceptance, which means that the product is safe to use, of the utmost quality, and proven effective). The teeth whitening kit comes with strips designed for the upper and lower rows of teeth, designed to hug each set securely. Although we didn’t find these strips the most comfortable to wear — simply because they trigger excess saliva production, which in turn makes them slip out of place if you’re not keeping your teeth clenched — we were admittedly impressed by the strips’ whitening effect.
Duration: 30 minutes | Active Ingredients: Hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydroxide | Usage: Daily for seven days
If you’re looking for the best whitening strips that work well on the go, consider Moon Oral Care Dissolving Whitening Strips. These fan-favorite teeth whitening strips are slim rectangles that can be comfortably folded over the top and bottom rows of teeth. The very best part about these strips is that once on, they immediately get to work and start dissolving in the process, so there’s no cleanup at the end.
The only downside is that while dissolving, the strips become a bit slimy, which may be uncomfortable for some (though never painful or sensitive). While these teeth whitening strips are particularly easy to use, it’s worth mentioning that the results aren’t long-lasting. Because of this, you may want to reserve these dissolving whitening strips for special occasions like dates, parties, weddings, and other big events where you want a burst of brightness for a few hours.
Duration: 15 minutes | Active Ingredients: Hydrogen peroxide | Usage: Daily for two weeks
If wearing whitening strips for an hour feels miserable to you, The Crest 3DWhitestrips Bright Dental Whitening Kit takes just 30 minutes to process, making it the perfect option to add to your dental hygiene routine. The kit comes with enough strips for 11 days' worth of whitening. These strips were easy to apply, but taking your time is important. The strips are designed to be pressed into teeth and folded over the edge. When done with care, these thin strips will stay in place; however, if done hastily, they will slide around and be less effective. After seven days of consecutive use, we noticed that our teeth had shifted a full four shades whiter. And considering our tester is a self-proclaimed coffee addict, that’s saying something!
Duration: 30 minutes | Active Ingredients: Hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydroxide | Usage: Daily for 11 days
Not all teeth whitening strips require shelling out $30 or more. PERSMAX Teeth Whitening Strips are an Amazon top seller, and for good reason. The textured rectangular strips are designed to fit the upper and lower teeth with ease. Said to be safe for enamel and formulated not to trigger sensitivity, we were eager to put them to the test. When we did, we found that these strips grip teeth exceptionally well without slipping around or edging into the gumline. More remarkably, they offer instant results. When we removed these strips after 30 minutes of processing, our teeth looked a full two shades whiter.
Duration: 30 minutes | Active Ingredients: Hydrogen peroxide | Usage: Daily for two weeks
The Rembrandt Deeply White + Peroxide 1 Week Teeth Whitening Kit promises 90 percent whiter teeth in just seven days. Thinking it was too good to be true, we tested the top-rated strips. In doing so — by wearing them on our top and bottom teeth for 30 minutes a day for seven days straight — we found that our teeth looked a whopping 14 shades whiter. As if the stunning results weren’t enough to make us lifelong fans, the easy application process certainly is. These strips are a bit larger than the others we’ve tried, but we found that they stick firmly to teeth to deliver stellar whitening results without discomfort in the process.
Duration: 30 minutes | Active Ingredients: Hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydroxide | Usage: Twice a day for seven days
Formulated with coconut oil and aloe vera alongside hydrogen peroxide, the Burst Oral Care Teeth Whitening Strips are said to be some of the gentlest whitening strips on the market. During our testing, we found that the textured adhesive strips were easy to apply and stayed put once stuck on. While they lived up to their gentle claim and even brightened our teeth two shades, the strips didn’t offer the most dramatic results. That said if your goal is to gradually transform your teeth, these gentle strips might fully align with your wants and needs.
Duration: 15 minutes | Active Ingredients: Hydrogen peroxide | Usage: Daily for seven days
These whitening strips may be best known for what's not in them. They are certified nontoxic and have no harsh bleaches, artificial dyes, alcohol, or sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). Instead, they rely on coconut oil, sage oil, lemon peel, and Dead Sea salt as a more natural approach to teeth whitening. Don't expect instant results, but we did find that these worked gradually over time and are a great option if you're looking to avoid peroxide whiteners. We loved the taste of these and had no sensitivity.
Duration: 30 minutes | Active Ingredients: Coconut oil, sage oil, lemon peel | Usage: Daily for seven to 21 days
Supersmile Superstrips are worth a try if you want professional-looking brightness without the in-office appointment and price tag. They'll run you much more than other at-home kits, but they work quickly and have been shown to whiten teeth by an average of up to eight shades in seven days. Supersmile Superstrips also include Calprox, a clear bleaching agent (calcium peroxide) that targets a protein on your teeth that stains and bacteria often stick to. Thanks to this ingredient, you may benefit from preventing plaque buildup.
We liked that these strips dissolve, so you can just put them on and go about your day without the need to rinse. Overall, they were easy to use, and the whitening results impressed us. The downside is that they are pricier than other at-home options.
Duration: 15 minutes to dissolve, 30 minutes wait time | Active Ingredients: Hydrogen peroxide, calcium peroxide | Usage: Daily for seven days
We love that Zimba Teeth Whitening Strips come in various fun flavor options that you can select based on your preferences. There are several mint varieties—including spearmint and peppermint—as well as coconut, peach, strawberry, and watermelon. These are a budget-friendly choice that still offers visible whitening. Just be sure you press them firmly to ensure that they fully adhere to your teeth.
Duration: 30 minutes | Active Ingredients: Hydrogen peroxide | Usage: Daily for two weeks
Rebecca Norris is a freelance writer who has covered beauty for the past 10 years. For this story, she read reviews and evaluated in-house testing insights. She then spoke with four dentists about the pros and cons of teeth whitening strips, as well as what makes the most effective treatment. She presents the best teeth whitening strips of 2024.
