Best Teeth Whitening Strips In The UK (2026): 8 Brands Compared

Quick answer: the best teeth whitening strips for you depend on what has gone wrong before. On the listings we read, Whites Beaconsfield is the cheapest per treatment, DrDent and MySweetSmile give the most sessions in a box, and Spotlight's critical reviews raised no slipping, residue or sensitivity. If strips have slipped, left gel behind or caused sensitivity for you, that is what Pure Glow was built for, and you should know from the first line that Pure Glow is our own product. We compared eight brands of standard whitening strips sold in the UK, and we read the critical reviews for each one on its Amazon UK listing, or on Trustpilot where the strips are not on Amazon. The complaints that come up again and again are strips that slide off and gel left behind on the teeth. Pure Glow is built to fix exactly those two: dry-fit strips with a no-slip grip, clean removal with no messy residue and zero sensitivity, backed by the 14-Day Two-Shade Guarantee. Every fact about the other seven comes from their own pages, UK retailer listings and their reviewers, so you can check all of it yourself.

Full disclosure: Pure Glow is our own product, and this comparison is written by Pure Glow. No other brand paid to be included, we do not link to any of them, and we have not used their photos. Listings, prices, ratings and reviews were read on 27 October 2026. They change, so check the current listing before you buy.

Jump to section

• The best teeth whitening strips compared: the features that matter
• Price, wear time and ratings at a glance
• What the critical reviews say: slipping, residue and sensitivity
• The best teeth whitening strips for each need
• Each brand in detail, A to Z
• How we compared them
• What makes the best teeth whitening strips
• Are strips the best at-home teeth whitening?
• A quick checklist before you buy
• Frequently asked questions

The best teeth whitening strips compared: the features that matter

We built this chart around the problems buyers raise in their critical reviews of whitening strips: slipping, gel left on the teeth and sensitivity. The review figures count how many of each brand's recent 1 to 3 star Amazon UK reviews raised that problem.

Pure Glow's figures come from all 14 written reviews on our Amazon UK listing, because we are a newer brand with far fewer reviews than the others, and none of them mentions slipping, residue or sensitivity. Ingredients and guarantees are as shown on each brand's own product page, or on the UK retailer listing we read where we could not open the brand's own page.

Price, wear time and ratings at a glance

Prices are the single-box prices we saw on 27 October 2026, on the brand's own site or the retailer named, and several were on offer that day. Price per treatment is that box price divided by the treatments in the box, rounded to the nearest penny. Prices change often, so check the current price before you buy. A Trustpilot score covers the whole company, so it also reflects delivery, customer service and every other product the brand sells. And Amazon can show one rating across every version on a single listing, so a big number is not always for that exact box.

What the critical reviews say: slipping, residue and sensitivity

A star rating tells you how many people were happy. It does not tell you what went wrong for the people who were not. So we read the critical reviews (1 to 3 stars, newest first) on each brand's Amazon UK listing, up to the 100 most recent, and counted how many raised slipping, gel left on the teeth or sensitivity. Those are the figures in the chart above. Hismile PAP+ and Icy Bear's strips are not on Amazon UK, so we read their most recent 1 to 3 star Trustpilot reviews instead, which we cover in each brand's section below. For DrDent we counted only UK reviews of the standard strips, because the same listing also carries the brand's purple ones. A review can count in more than one column, and only reviews written by UK buyers are counted.

What it shows: the problems buyers raise again and again are strips that slide or will not stick, and gel left on the teeth. Amazon's own review summaries say the same: for Whites Beaconsfield, 46 of the 66 customers who mention adhesiveness are negative and residue is listed as a negative point; for DrDent's listing, 15 of 19 adhesiveness mentions and all 10 residue mentions are negative. Those are the two problems Pure Glow was built to fix. None of our 14 written Amazon UK reviews raises either, or sensitivity, and Spotlight's 20 critical reviews raised none of the three. We are a newer brand with far fewer reviews than most here, so read our figures as an early record; on our own site, all 49 reviews of the 28 strip box are five star.

The best teeth whitening strips for each need

There is no single best whitening strip for everyone, so here is where each of the eight came out on the evidence above. Pure Glow is our own product.

• If strips have slipped, left gel behind or caused sensitivity: Pure Glow, a dry-fit PAP+ strip with hydroxyapatite, a no-slip grip, clean removal and the 14-Day Two-Shade Guarantee.
• Lowest price per treatment: Whites Beaconsfield, at £0.86 on the price we saw.
• Most sessions in one box: DrDent and MySweetSmile, with 21 each.
• Fewest complaints in its critical reviews: Spotlight Oral Care, where none of the 20 raised slipping, residue or sensitivity, on a formula that lists 0.01% hydrogen peroxide alongside PAP and a wear time of up to 60 minutes.
• Shortest daily wear: Icy Bear (15 to 30 minutes) and Smile Science Harley Street (20 minutes).
• A short trial course: Hismile PAP+, with 7 applications in a box.

Each brand in detail, A to Z

DrDent Premium (standard strips)

What it is: the standard DrDent strips, not the brand's purple ones. DrDent's own UK site describes them as peroxide-free strips powered by two fruit enzymes, papain and bromelain, with glycerin, sea salt and coconut, sage and lemon peel oils, and no hydrogen or carbamide peroxide. A box holds 42 strips, or 21 sessions, worn for 30 to 60 minutes, daily for up to two weeks and then a break. A Superdrug marketplace listing, which said the product was no longer available online when we read it, said up to 8 shades lighter in 7 days and added "Results may vary." The product page offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.

What reviewers say: 3.6 from 4,795 ratings on its Amazon UK listing, the most Amazon UK ratings of any listing here, though that listing pools the standard and purple strips. DR.DENT scores 4.3 from 1,076 reviews on Trustpilot.

What the critical reviews say: we read the 26 critical reviews from UK buyers of the standard strips, posted between 12 June and 16 October 2026. 11 said the strips slid around or would not stick and 6 mentioned residue left on the teeth after removal. None mentioned sensitivity. Amazon's own summary for the listing has 15 of 19 adhesiveness mentions negative and all 10 residue mentions negative.

Best for: a lot of sessions in one box at a low price per treatment.

Hismile PAP+

What it is: Hismile's PAP+ range is sold in the UK through retailers including Sephora UK, where the box holds 7 applications. The directions say to allow 30 minutes. The ingredients list on Sephora UK includes PAP, hydroxyapatite, potassium citrate and xylitol, and the full list there carries the same ingredients as our box, in a different order. We would rather say that plainly than leave you to find it.

What reviewers say: we could not find Hismile's PAP+ strips themselves on Amazon UK. Sephora UK shows 3.71 from 7 reviews. Hismile scores 2.6 from 21,548 reviews on Trustpilot, which covers every Hismile product and order.

What the critical reviews say: of Hismile's 200 most recent 1 to 3 star reviews on Trustpilot, posted between 22 March and 27 October 2026, 142 were about orders, delivery, refunds or customer service. 22 mentioned strips, across Hismile's different strip ranges rather than PAP+ alone: one described an active film that had to be brushed off and one mentioned sensitivity.

Best for: people who know the brand and want a short course on a PAP and hydroxyapatite formula.

Icy Bear PAP

What it is: 28 strips using PAP, in 14 sachets, worn for 15 to 30 minutes once a day over 14 days, sold on Icy Bear's own site. Icy Bear says up to 6 shades whiter in 14 days and describes the strips as vegan and cruelty-free. The ingredients list on its site does not include hydroxyapatite or xylitol.

What reviewers say: Icy Bear's own site shows 4.5 from 157 reviews, and the company scored 4.2 from 3,732 reviews on Trustpilot when we checked on 27 October. We found its whitening powder on Amazon UK, but not the strips.

What the critical reviews say: Icy Bear had 160 reviews of 1 to 3 stars on Trustpilot between 2 and 27 October 2026, and 128 of them were about orders, delivery or customer service. 7 mentioned the strips, and none of those raised slipping or residue.

Best for: people who want the option of a shorter daily wear on a 14-day PAP course.

MySweetSmile PAP

What it is: Strips using PAP, sold as 21 treatments, worn for 30 minutes once a day for 7 days, with the remaining treatments kept for touch-ups, according to the listing. The ingredients on its Superdrug marketplace listing do not include hydroxyapatite or xylitol.

What reviewers say: 4.0 from 442 ratings on Amazon UK. Amazon's summary says buyers find the strips easy to use and that they stay in place, with mixed views on how much whiter teeth get and on value. MySweetSmile scores 4.5 from 8,848 reviews on Trustpilot.

What the critical reviews say: we read the 24 written critical reviews from UK buyers, posted between August 2024 and August 2026. 4 said the strips slid off or would not stick, usually once saliva got under them, and none mentioned residue or sensitivity. In Amazon's summary, 8 of the 13 adhesiveness mentions are negative.

Best for: trying PAP in short cycles.

Pure Glow (our own product)

What it is: 28 dry-fit strips for a 14-day course, one treatment a day for a minimum of 30 minutes. The whitening active is PAP (phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid), a non-peroxide formula. The full ingredients list on the box also includes hydroxyapatite, which supports the enamel surface, xylitol and potassium citrate. A shade guide comes in the box so you can track the change.

Why we made it: I started Pure Glow because the strips I bought either hurt or would not stay on. Peroxide strips gave me bad sensitivity, and on a holiday in Ibiza I went through three sets of strips and none of them stuck. Reading the critical reviews for this comparison, those are the same problems other buyers keep running into: strips that slide about, and gel left on the teeth that has to be brushed away. Ours are built around fixing them. The no-slip grip holds for the full wear time and the strips peel away cleanly with no messy residue. They are clinically tested for zero sensitivity, dentist approved and enamel safe. PAP lifts surface stain and works on the coloured compounds inside the tooth, by a gentler route than peroxide takes. Results are up to 6 shades whiter in 14 days, depending on where you start, and the 14-Day Two-Shade Guarantee means that if you are not at least two shades whiter, you get a full refund.

What reviewers say: 4.3 from 19 ratings on Amazon UK, and not one of the 14 written reviews there mentions slipping, residue or sensitivity. Several say the opposite, including one buyer who found they "stick to your teeth better than any others I've used before". On Trustpilot we score 4.5 from 18 reviews, and on our own site the 28 strip box shows 49 reviews, all five star. You can see real before and after photos before you decide.

What you get: 28 strips for a full 14-day course in one box, a shade guide to track your results, free UK delivery and the 14-Day Two-Shade Guarantee. At £24.99, that works out at £1.79 a treatment.

Best for: anyone who has had strips slip, leave gel behind or cause sensitivity before, and wants a PAP formula with a guarantee behind it.

Smile Science Harley Street

What it is: 28 strips in 14 pouches, 20 minutes a day for 14 days. The Superdrug marketplace listing is not consistent about the active: one line mentions a "low level hydrogen peroxide whitening ingredient" and another calls them "peroxide-free whitening strips". The ingredients list names sodium chlorite, and does not include hydroxyapatite or xylitol. The listing says up to 6 shades whiter in 14 days.

What reviewers say: 4.0 from 188 ratings on Amazon UK, where Amazon's summary says buyers find them fairly easy to use and can see a difference, with mixed views on effectiveness and value. Trustpilot shows 4.8 from 93 reviews, with Trustpilot's own note that the company has not invited customers recently, so reviews may not be representative.

What the critical reviews say: there are 13 critical reviews, posted between November 2019 and September 2025. 2 said the strips would not adhere or curled up, and none mentioned residue or sensitivity.

Best for: a 20-minute daily wear on a 14-day course.

Spotlight Oral Care

What it is: the strip here whose listing names both PAP and hydrogen peroxide. Spotlight's own UK site names PAP, hydrogen peroxide and hydroxyapatite as the active ingredients, and its full ingredients list gives the hydrogen peroxide as 0.01% and also includes sodium chlorite. The UK pharmacy listing we read says to apply the strips for up to 60 minutes over a 14-day course.

What reviewers say: 3.9 from 129 ratings on Amazon UK for the 28-strip pack. Spotlight Oral Care UK scores 4.2 from 1,696 reviews on Trustpilot, and on the page of reviews we read, about half were about its toothbrushes and none mentioned the strips.

What the critical reviews say: of the 20 critical reviews, posted between July 2025 and October 2026, none mentioned slipping, residue or sensitivity, and one reviewer pointed to the full hour of wear as a drawback.

Best for: people happy with a formula that lists hydrogen peroxide alongside PAP, with a wear time of up to 60 minutes.

Whites Beaconsfield

What it is: 28 strips in 14 sachets for a 14-day course, 30 minutes a day, sold as a "Non-Peroxide & Fluoride Free Formula". Whites' own site names sodium chlorite and sodium bicarbonate as the key ingredients, and sells the box for £11.99.

What reviewers say: 4.0 from 2,147 ratings on Amazon UK. Amazon's review summary says buyers find them effective and easy to use without sensitivity, while opinion is mixed on how well they stick, and some mention residue. On Trustpilot the company scores 4.3 from 3,910 reviews.

What the critical reviews say: of the 100 most recent critical reviews, posted between 2 June 2025 and 21 October 2026, 14 said the strips slid about or would not stick, 11 mentioned gel or residue left on the teeth or a messy application, and 4 mentioned sensitivity or sore gums. In Amazon's own summary, 46 of the 66 customers who mention adhesiveness are negative, and residue is listed as a negative point, with 24 of 31 mentions negative.

Best for: the lowest price per treatment in this group, on a non-peroxide 14-day course from a brand with a large number of ratings.

Left out, and why

• Crest 3D Whitestrips: not sold through a mainstream UK retailer, which we explain in why Crest is not sold here.
• Purple colour-correcting strips: a different kind of product, which tints how teeth look rather than lifting stain. We compare the two in purple products versus whitening strips.
• Boots Expert dissolvable strips: shown as out of stock at UK retailers on the price comparison site we checked on 27 October.
• BetterWhite: we could not read its formula on a listing we were able to open, and we only include facts we have checked.

How we compared them

We judged each brand on the whitening active, how well it stays on, residue, sensitivity, the treatments in the box and the price per treatment. Product facts and prices come from each brand's own website or a UK retailer listing (Superdrug, Sephora UK and a UK pharmacy). Ratings come from Amazon UK and Trustpilot, and review themes from Amazon's own review summaries, paraphrased and credited. For the critical reviews, we read up to the 100 most recent 1 to 3 star reviews on each Amazon UK listing, or on Trustpilot where the strips are not on Amazon, and counted the ones that raised slipping, residue or sensitivity. Where a listing was unclear or contradicted itself, we say so rather than guess.

What makes the best teeth whitening strips

A named active at a legal strength. Under Annex III of the cosmetic products regulation, as it applies in Great Britain, a tooth whitening product may contain or release no more than 0.1% hydrogen peroxide when sold to the public. Products above 0.1% and up to 6% are "To be only sold to dental practitioners", with the first use of each cycle done by a dental practitioner or under their direct supervision, and are not to be used on anyone under 18. PAP is not hydrogen peroxide, and our box's ingredients contain no hydrogen or carbamide peroxide, but PAP products are still regulated cosmetics. If a box does not tell you what is doing the whitening, check the ingredients list. Our explainer on how PAP whitening works covers the chemistry.

Sensitivity. For whitening by a dental professional, the NHS lists teeth becoming sensitive to cold or sweet food and drink among the side effects. If whitening has hurt you before, a peroxide-free formula is worth a look, and our page on whitening strips for sensitive teeth goes through what to check. Our peroxide-free whitening strips page explains the formula. If your teeth or gums are sore during any course, stop and let them settle, and see a dentist if it persists.

Fit. A strip only whitens where it touches, so a strip that slides takes the gel with it, onto your gums and away from the edges of your teeth. In the critical reviews we read, it came up again and again. Wet-fit, gel-coated strips are the kind that slide; dry-fit strips are made to grip. In any brand's reviews, look for comments about slipping and sticking.

Residue. Some strips leave a coating of gel on the teeth after removal that has to be brushed away. Look for comments on clean removal in the reviews.

A full course in the box. Boxes in this comparison hold between 7 and 21 treatments, and the courses run from 7 to 14 days. Divide the price by the treatments, and check that one box gives you the course the brand's own results claim is based on.

What else is in the formula. Beyond the active, look at the support ingredients. Ours adds hydroxyapatite and xylitol, and there is more on whitening strips with hydroxyapatite on their own page.

Are strips the best at-home teeth whitening?

Strips, pens and LED kits all put a whitening gel on the teeth. What separates them is how long each one holds that gel in place and how much of each tooth it reaches. A strip holds the gel flat against the front of the teeth for the whole wear time with your hands free, while a pen paints it on with nothing over it. The evidence we could open on contact time, and what it does and does not say about LED lights, is in our comparison of strips vs pens vs LED kits. For the wider picture, including dentist trays and in-chair whitening and what they cost, see our guide to your teeth whitening options.

A quick checklist before you buy

1. Find the whitening active on the ingredients list, not the front of the box.
2. If it contains hydrogen or carbamide peroxide and is sold to the public in the UK, it is held to the 0.1% limit.
3. If whitening has given you sensitivity before, consider a peroxide-free active such as PAP.
4. Check whether the strip is dry-fit or wet-fit, and read the critical reviews for slipping and residue, not just the star rating.
5. Count the treatments, and work out the price per treatment.
6. Check for a guarantee, and what it actually promises.

One limit applies to every brand here: whitening strips do not change the base colour of a crown, veneer, filling or bonding. Ours can lift staining that has built up on top of dental work, but not the colour of the material itself.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best teeth whitening strips in the UK?
It depends on what matters most to you. On the listings and reviews we read, Whites Beaconsfield is the cheapest per treatment, DrDent and MySweetSmile give the most sessions in a box, and Spotlight's critical reviews raised no slipping, residue or sensitivity. If strips have slipped, left gel behind or caused sensitivity for you before, Pure Glow, which is our own product, was built for that: PAP+ teeth whitening strips with hydroxyapatite and xylitol, a no-slip grip, clean removal, zero sensitivity and the 14-Day Two-Shade Guarantee. The best whitening strips name their whitening active, stay in place, peel off cleanly, do not cause sensitivity and give you a full course in the box.

Which whitening strips stay on without slipping?
In the critical Amazon UK reviews we read on 27 October 2026, slipping or not sticking came up in 11 of 26 for DrDent's standard strips, 14 of 100 for Whites Beaconsfield, 4 of 24 for MySweetSmile, 2 of 13 for Smile Science and 0 of 20 for Spotlight. None of our 14 written Amazon UK reviews mentions it. Dry-fit strips like ours are made to grip, while wet-fit, gel-coated strips are the kind that slide. Whichever you use, dry your teeth with a towel before you put the strips on.

Which whitening strips are the cheapest per treatment?
On the prices we saw on 27 October 2026, Whites Beaconsfield, DrDent and MySweetSmile came in under £1 a treatment, and Icy Bear and Hismile PAP+ cost the most per treatment. Ours works out at £1.79. Several prices were on offer that day, so check before you buy.

Which teeth whitening products actually work?
Check the ingredients list for the active: PAP and peroxide are oxidising actives, which work on the coloured compounds that cause stain. Purple colour-correcting products change how teeth look for a while but do not lift stain. Results build over a full course, so judge them at the end rather than after two or three uses.

Is PAP whitening better than peroxide strips?
PAP is a different active from hydrogen peroxide, and it works on the coloured compounds inside the tooth by a gentler route than peroxide takes. Any whitening product sold to the public in the UK is still held to 0.1% hydrogen peroxide, present or released. If peroxide has given you sensitivity before, that is the reason to look at PAP.

Who should not use whitening strips?
Our strips are not suitable for children under 12. Do not use them with gum disease, ulcers, exposed gums or recent oral surgery, and check the ingredients if you have allergies. If you have dental work at the front, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have any concern about your teeth or gums, speak to your dentist first.

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Related reading:

• The UK whitening rules in full
• Whether whitening strips work
• How to use whitening strips

Sources: all read on 27 October 2026. Rival brands are named without links, by our own rule.

• Pure Glow: the ingredients and directions printed on our box; our own site for price and product reviews; Amazon UK listing B0DXWG53J8 and its written reviews; Trustpilot, pureglowteethwhitening.com.
• DR.DENT Premium Teeth Whitening Strips (42 Strips), the brand's own UK site; DrDent Professional Whitening Strips 42 Strips, Superdrug marketplace listing (no longer available online on 27 October); DrDent Professional Strength, Amazon UK listing B0H1X83Z1X, its critical reviews and review summary; Trustpilot, DR.DENT.
• Whites Beaconsfield Teeth Whitening Strips, the brand's own site and a Superdrug marketplace listing; Amazon UK listing B0886JBF42, its critical reviews and review summary; Trustpilot, Whites Beaconsfield.
• MySweetSmile Teeth Whitening Strips, the brand's own site; MySweetSmile PAP Teeth Whitening Strips, 21 Treatments, Superdrug marketplace listing; Amazon UK listing B0D5CRX435, its critical reviews and review summary; Trustpilot, MySweetSmile.
• Smile Science Harley Street Teeth Whitening Strips, Superdrug marketplace listing; Amazon UK listing B07DZWZ8WP and its critical reviews; Trustpilot, Smile Science Harley Street.
• Spotlight 14 Day Ultra Teeth Whitening Strips, the brand's own UK site and a UK pharmacy listing; Amazon UK listing B0H889C3B8 and its critical reviews; Trustpilot, Spotlight Oral Care UK.
• HiSmile PAP+ Teeth Whitening Strips 7 Applications, Sephora UK listing and its reviews; Trustpilot, Hismile, 1 to 3 star reviews.
• Icy Bear Dental Teeth Whitening Strips, the brand's own website; Trustpilot, Icy Bear Dental, 1 to 3 star reviews.
• Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products, Annex III, entry 12, as it applies in Great Britain.
• NHS, Teeth whitening.