TL;DR: I would buy the Sidekick again and recommend it to others, but I also would recommend that buyers carry a tube of super glue when they travel in case the tip of the stylus breaks off. Overall, this is a positive review, since I really like the Sidekick. The -2 stars are for the design flaw, which, as other reviewers have noted, is that the tips are integrated into the hose and handle as a “stylus.” What this means is that, if the tip breaks off, as mine did on my first trip, the whole stylus apparatus must be replaced. For that, I could find replacement styluses only on the Waterpik site ($9.95 + tax + shipping), which was expensive (1/10 the cost of replacing the entire unit) and not time-effective, so I bought some super glue (3M Scotch, $2.59 + tax at Target) and used it to glue the tip back on to the handle, which so far has held after several uses. But the fact that complaints about this problem started showing up in product reviews four years ago makes me wonder why Waterpik hasn’t changed the design to match that of the standard units, which have replaceable tips. Maybe Waterpik is not changing it because the company makes more money from consumers having to replace the whole stylus, but I’m guessing that Waterpik has aesthetic reasons for not changing it. I think this because the Sidekick is at a high price point and comes packaged like an iPhone, which suggests that Waterpik is aiming the product at an upscale market, so maybe the designers think that replaceable tips will interfere with the “look” or “lines” of the unit. On the up side, the Sidekick packs down well for travel and is listed at the same max force (100 PSI) as the Waterpik Aquarius that I use at home, and to me, if feels like the same force (at least one other reviewer disagrees). Apart from the breakage, which certainly is in part user error, it has performed very well in the week or so since I’ve had it. Before closing, I would like to address three other issues that reviewers have raised. The first two issues are, for me, non-issues, while the third one seems legitimate. First, any space problems arising from the fact that the cable is on the back of the device rather than on the side generally can be resolved, on most countertops or sinks, simply by turning the unit forty-five degrees. Second, any “sanitation” problems from the lack of a cover on the water reservoir can be resolved by rinsing out the reservoir before use and/or storing it upside down when not in use. But third, the handle/stylus is, in fact, considerably smaller than the ones on the non-travel models, which may cause problems for people with larger hands. Again, the only serious issue that I have with the Sidekick is the non-replaceable tips. And so, I’m hoping that the seller and/or a Waterpik rep will read and respond to my review, since I’d like to see a redesign or at least hear why Waterpik has not and/or does not plan to redesign the unit. My guess is that either there have not been enough complaints about this issue to warrant a redesign and/or it would cost too much money. Update 01/15/2022: I currently am staying in a 20s-era guest house for the month, and the Sidekick has been working great, both as a water flosser and in the tight bathroom space. I've attached a couple of photos to give you a sense of how I made it work. As you can see, the placement of the plug does not really make any difference regarding economy of space.
