Found: The 6 Best Teeth Whitening Kits Of 2023 That *Actually* Work 

This whitening gel toes the line between gentle and powerful, promising up to seven shades whiter in just one week. The whitening pen itself is powered by hydrogen peroxide, but I personally don’t find it to be irritating (and I have pretty sensitive gums). It includes 20 treatments, as well as a patented 20-LED light (with an automatic 10-minute timer) to boost your results and an enamel-strengthening pen for whitening aftercare.

What our tester says 

This is the whitening kit I personally use, and I noticed a shinier surface after just one round. As I mentioned, I have pretty sensitive teeth and gums, but I experienced no pain with this whitening gel. The pen is easy to use, and the gel doesn’t taste too funky, which is a feat for whitening formulas—it even has a slight peppermint flavor. 

Countless reviews echo my praise: “I still get compliments on how bright my teeth are months after I used it,” one shopper writes. “The gel is easy to apply. The blue light is so convenient being able to plug up with your cell phone for power.” 

This on-the-go whitening pen features hydrogen peroxide to easily lift stains, as well as lavender oil, honeysuckle flower extract, and strawberry fruit extract to provide anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Not to mention, it includes light-reflecting pigments for an instantly brighter smile. A great option for instant gratification! 

The kit also includes a whitening toothpaste with sodium fluoride, peppermint oil, and a host of antioxidants, along with a “booster dust” you can use to manually buff away stains. The dust contains kaolin and bentonite clays, white turmeric, and sodium bicarbonate to physically lift discoloration—it’s like an exfoliating scrub for your teeth. Simply dip your pasted toothbrush into the dust one to two times per week to enhance your whitening results. 

What our tester says 

I love the ease of a portable whitening pen (I’ve written about it before), and this design is especially chic, user-friendly, and easy to tuck into just about any tote I own. I haven’t seen the most dramatic whitening results, but I will say that the easy application makes this one an A+ option to use every day. 

This reviewer agrees: “The size is a big advantage compared to other products because it is basically the size of a sharpie pen. This is super convenient for putting in your pocket or purse and allows you to apply it whenever. I bring this up because I notice my teeth are whitest right after applying the product.” 

“While it’s not an active ingredient, an LED light can help facilitate the whitening process,” says premier cosmetic dentist Victoria Veytsman, DDS. “This is because the LED light kickstarts a chemical reaction to help speed up the breakdown of peroxide, the active ingredient in the solution that gets applied to your teeth. This allows the peroxide to fizzle any stains off the teeth at a faster pace, leaving you with whiter teeth in less time.” 

This kit includes a patented LED mouthpiece with five clinically-backed teeth whitening treatments (enough for three 8-minute sessions over five days). The mouthpiece calls upon the brand’s advanced heat technology to reach an optimal temperature that whitens teeth faster and brighter. In fact, a study conducted by the brand showed that three 8-minute daily applications, over five days, resulted in an average improvement of 10 shades. 

What users say

It’s difficult to choose just one glowing review, but I think this one says it best: “[This] whitening device brightened my teeth and gave me back confidence in my smile again. I am a heavy coffee and tea drinker and felt my smile was not as bright as before. I was ashamed of it. After using this whitening device, I can see gradual improvement day by day. The instructions are super easy to use, and it is convenient to do every day.” 

Some folks are fans of strips, since the adhesive evenly coats the tooth’s surface and leaves little room for error (whereas with a pen or tray, you must manually brush on the whitening gel). And if you’re looking for peroxide-free strips (which are hard to find!), you can’t go wrong with this Lumineux kit: The strips contain natural brighteners, coconut oil, sage oil, and lemon peel oil, while the pinch of Dead Sea salt delivers precious minerals—calcium, potassium, and magnesium, to name a few—to your enamel and gums. 

To amp up your results, feel free to brush with the natural whitening toothpaste and take a swig of the alcohol-free mouthwash—both of which include xylitol to help strengthen enamel.

What users say

“These are the best toxin-free whitening strips I’ve found,” writes one reviewer. “They don’t cause any sensitivity, and you can see a difference with just one use.” 

Some people say the super-thin strips can easily stick to the packaging, but it seems storing them in a cool area helps with that issue. “Store them in a cool place. Not the bathroom,” one shopper writes. That’s the mistake I made at first, and the bottom strip would not come out of the package properly so the bottom strip would then be wasted…when you store them in a cooler place, there are no problems, and boy do they work!”

This “Advanced Whitening” kit includes two types of gels: a standard whitening gel to use with the LED-powered tray (which offers both blue and red LED light), and a “Brite Booster” pen to really elevate your results. Each formula features hydroxyapatite, which is a naturally occurring mineral that makes up 97% of tooth enamel, so it simultaneously strengthens teeth as it whitens. It does come with a steep price tag, but you’ll only have to buy the full device once—the pen refills are $50 a pop. 

What users say

Despite the hydrogen peroxide, reviewers say there’s little to no sensitivity involved with this system. “This is the best whitening system I have used,” one shopper writes. “I have not experienced any sensitivity and usually with other products I get extreme sensitivity. I 100% would recommend.”

And users are notably impressed by the formula’s ability to lift years-long stains with ease. “[I] have always been embarrassed by my yellow teeth and felt like I couldn't even smile with teeth showing,” one reviewer shares. “Now, I feel like I’ve got to show them off…I even had someone DM me on Instagram asking if I had edited my teeth to look whiter.” That’s when you know it’s good! 

This high-quality kit contains three different whitening wands: two silver wands that whiten up to eight shades, and a gold wand, which whitens up to 12 shades. Both work in as little as nine minutes a day! Formulated by a cosmetic dentist, the advanced proprietary whitening gel delivers professional-level results in record time; in fact, the brand notes 97% of participants saw results after just one use! 

What users say

Users definitely notice a change in just a few days. “I drink a lot of hot herbal tea every day, and my teeth were a little stained from the tea. I already can tell a difference after five days,” one shopper recounts. 

Even the nonbelievers are floored! “If I'm being honest, I was skeptical at first [because with] every other whitening product I've tried before I saw no results or it would make my teeth sensitive,” says another reviewer. “This, I must say, I saw results within two sessions [and] no sensitivity at all. I recommend it 100%.”