We tried these teeth whitening strips. Here are the best ones.

iWhite natural dissolving whitening strips (28 strips), $40.90, Watsons

Credit: Aaron Kok

1/4

What to expect: Made from 100% natural ingredients, these whitening strips are enamel-safe and free of bleaching agents.

Ease of application: 7/10

Application is easy enough. you start by wetting your teeth with saliva or water so it's moist, then apply a strip to your top and bottom rows. Fold the excess over, and in about 15 to 20 minutes, it dissolves and leaves your teeth looking whiter and glossy. As it dissolves, it releases a mild strawberry-like flavour, which makes the experience of using it that much sweeter (pun intended).

That being said, it does take a tiny bit of effort to make sure the strip sticks to your teeth. As I was applying my bottom strip, my top was already coming off. I read on a reviews site that dabbing the strip with water helped, and found that it worked for me.

Appearance-wise, it's completely discreet as it dissolves so this means you can do it on-the-go.

Lasting effect: 8/10

The whitening power lasted for about an hour, which was pretty great. It survived a few gulps of water and a fruit snack.

Cost: 9/10

At $40.90 for 28 strips, it may seem like the priciest option of the lot, but each box gives you much more strips than most other brands.

Final verdict: 8/10

Definitely a good buy if you're not planning on using this daily.

ZenyumBright™ invisible whitening strips (14 Strips), $39.90, Zenyum

Credit: Aaron Kok

2/4

What to expect: Powered by Zenyum's Tri-Action ZenWhite Brightening technology, these best-selling strips are reported to whiten teeth by up to 4 shades lighter, and are suitable for those with sensitive teeth.

Ease of application: 9/10

I tried this last, and was fully prepared to wrestle with the strip to get it to stay down. So imagine my surprise when it adhered upon first contact with my teeth. No awkward motions of pressing it down with my tongue. The fit was snug, and didn't lift off the surface of the tooth.

Each strip dissolves relatively quickly – 15 minutes and it's barely visible – and releases a subtle minty flavour to freshen up your mouth. And it's completely discreet too, so you can wear it on the morning commute without attracting stares.

Lasting effect: 10/10

I applied one at 10am, and by 2pm and after a lunch, I could still see the glossiness in my teeth. Again, another pleasant surprise.

Cost: 8/10

I feel that it's pretty value for money. Sure, you only get 14 strips (which translates to a week's worth if you use it daily), but for the convenience, discretion and efficacy, it's a good product that's worth every penny.

Final verdict: 9/10

It's not a best-selling product for nothing, and these strips definitely live up to the hype.

Teeth Whitening Strips (Dry, 14 strips), $14.90, FeelFresh

Credit: Aaron Kok

3/4

What to expect: Local brand FeelFresh's teeth whitening strips are enamel-safe and designed to minimise sensitivity amongst its users. The company touts that their strips are designed to remove "deep stains and discolouration caused by coffee, tea, wine, tobacco", so let's put it to the test.

Ease of application: 6/10

So the thing about this strip is that your teeth have to be completely dry when applying. Which, if you think about where teeth are located, is a little challenging given all the saliva that surrounds it. Naturally, I tried to adhere to the instructions as best as I could, which meant actually dabbing my teeth dry with a face towel.

It did not help the application.

The strip continued to lift off the teeth multiple times even as I strived to keep my teeth as dry as I possibly could. Funnily, I found that using the method of dabbing water on the strip actually helped it to stick, so I wonder if there may be a disconnect between the instructions and the user experience.

It's also not a strip that dissolves, so it's pretty obvious – both in appearance and feeling – that you've got two pieces of strips stuck to your teeth.

Post-wear, upon removal, I felt my teeth had a sticky residue. A second try for the strips the following day yielded the same after-effect.

Lasting effect: 6.5/10

It didn't survive water. Half an hour after removing the strips, I drink a glass of water, and the glossy whitening sheen disappeared down my throat.

Cost: 8.5/10

At under $20, it's easy on the wallet, so if you're in a financial pinch but want white gleamers, this could help.

Final verdict: 7/10

It wasn't particularly impressive, yet not terrible that I wouldn't use it again.

3D white gel teeth whitening strips (28 strips), $5.25, Shopee

Credit: Aaron Kok

4/4

What to expect: As per the Shopee seller's page, the strip is claimed to fit snugly to your teeth, apply and remove easily and come with a non-slip grip that keeps them in place until you manually remove them.

Ease of application: 3/10

Non-slip grip? Non-existent. They kept slipping the minute I let go of holding my upper lip while applying the strip. Snug fit? The strip kept lifting and even fell out my mouth at one point.

It's also not discreet, but you wouldn't have to worry about that since it barely stays on.

Lasting effect: 5/10

You could see some kind of whitening effect, but much like FeelFresh's product, it didn't last beyond some water and some nosh.

Cost: 6/10

It's cheap, so I suppose you get what you pay for? Yet, how cheap is too cheap when it comes to the appearance, safety and condition of your teeth?

Final verdict: 4.6/10

If you're going to already pay $5 for it, you might as well top up some more and get FeelFresh's one instead. That being said, if you're still keen on trying these strips, knock yourselves out with the shopping button below.