Order online from £69, no orthodontist appointment needed
from £69from £350Save up to 80%
Every order includes:
Made to measure in 1-2 working days at our UK lab (£39.99 value)
Tracked UK delivery included (£12.00 value)
Protective storage case included (£9.99 value)
Remade free within 60 days if the fit is wrong*
Wear schedule and care guide for life after braces
*Subject to our 60-day fit guarantee terms. Covers fit-related manufacturing issues;
remake-first. See our refund policy.
What Is an Orthodontic Retainer?
An orthodontic retainer is a custom-made dental appliance that holds your teeth in their corrected position after braces or clear aligner treatment. Retainers at Home makes clear, removable orthodontic retainers in a certified UK dental lab from impressions you take at home, from £69 per arch with free UK delivery and a 60-day fit guarantee (terms apply).
Our removable orthodontic retainers, also called clear ortho retainers or Essix retainers, are made from the same BPA-free, medical-grade PET-G thermoplastic used by NHS and private orthodontic practices across the UK. Order orthodontic retainers online, custom-made from your own impressions, virtually invisible when worn, and delivered in around 7 to 10 working days at a fraction of orthodontist costs.
Clinically reviewed by Dr Hani Mostafa BDS · GDC No. 75107
60-Day Guarantee UK Lab Made Same Essix Material
Types of Orthodontic Retainers: Removable vs Fixed
Orthodontists use a few different retainer types to hold teeth in place after treatment. Here is how the main options compare, and which one we make.
What we make
Clear (Essix) retainer
A removable, transparent retainer that fits over your teeth. Virtually invisible, comfortable for night-time wear, and made from medical-grade Essix PET-G. The most popular removable orthodontic retainer in the UK.
Removable
Hawley retainer
A removable retainer made from an acrylic plate and a visible metal wire across the front teeth. Durable and adjustable, but more noticeable than a clear retainer and usually supplied only through a practice.
Permanent
Fixed (bonded) retainer
A thin wire bonded permanently behind the front teeth. It cannot be removed at home and needs a dentist to fit, repair or remove it. Many people pair a fixed lower retainer with a removable clear upper retainer.
Retainers at Home makes custom removable clear orthodontic retainers from £69 per arch. If you need a replacement after braces or Invisalign, see our clear replacement retainers and retainers after braces pages.
How to Order Your Orthodontic Retainer in 4 Steps
1
Choose Your Retainer
Pick upper, lower or both arches and your preferred thickness. Whether you have just finished braces or aligners, ordering takes about two minutes.
2
Impressions at Home
An impression kit lands on your doormat with everything needed to capture your teeth as they are now, plus a prepaid return envelope.
3
Made in Our UK Lab
Qualified dental technicians cast a model from your impressions and vacuum-form your orthodontic retainer over it, typically within 1 to 2 working days.
4
Tracked Delivery
Your finished retainer ships on a tracked service in a protective case, ready to start your nightly retention routine straight away.
Orthodontist-quality retention at a fraction of the cost
Same materials as your orthodontist
The identical BPA-free Essix PET-G sheet your orthodontic practice orders from its lab, without the practice mark-up on top.
Hand-finished by UK dental technicians
Nothing is outsourced overseas. Each orthodontic retainer is trimmed, polished and quality-checked by hand in our own certified UK laboratory.
Moulded to your exact tooth positions
Your retainer is formed over a stone model cast from your own impressions, so it grips every contour of your post-treatment alignment.
Remade free if the fit isn't right
Report a manufacturing fit problem within 60 days and we remake your retainer at no cost, no quibbling.
No appointment, transparent pricing
Skip the orthodontist waiting list entirely. One clear price covers the kit, the retainer and tracked UK delivery.
147
5★ verified reviews
How we compare
An orthodontic practice typically charges £150 to £400 per arch for the same removable clear retainer, made in an external lab from the same Essix PET-G. Ordering direct from our UK lab costs from £69 per arch, with no appointments and a 60-day fit guarantee*.
Retainers at Home
Orthodontist Practice
Price per arch
from £69
£150–£400
Material
Professional Essix PET-G
Professional Essix PET-G
Made in UK dental lab
Yes, our own
Usually external lab
Appointments needed
None
2 or more visits
Turnaround time
1-2 working days in lab
1–3 weeks
Delivery
Free tracked to your door
Collect in person
Fit guarantee
60 days*
Varies by practice
Spare sets
Keep on File add-on
New impressions + visit
Feature
Retainers at Home
Orthodontist Practice
Price per arch
from £69
£150–£400
Material
Professional Essix PET-G
Professional Essix PET-G
Made in UK dental lab
Yes, our own
Usually external lab
Appointments needed
None
2 or more visits
Turnaround time
1-2 working days in lab
1–3 weeks
Delivery
Free tracked to your door
Collect in person
Fit guarantee
60 days*
Varies by practice
Spare sets
Keep on File add-on
New impressions + visit
*Subject to our 60-day fit guarantee terms. Covers fit-related manufacturing issues;
remake-first. See our refund policy.
Orthodontic Retainer Customer Reviews
4.9 out of 5· 147 customer reviews
Over 140 verified UK customers trust Retainers at Home for dentist-quality clear Essix retainers, delivered to their door. Every retainer is custom-made in our certified UK dental lab from professional PET-G material, identical to those supplied by orthodontic practices.
"Needed a new orthodontic retainer after my braces and didn't want to pay my orthodontist's prices. These are the same clear removable type and fit perfectly. So easy to order online."
N
Niamh O.
Glasgow · 2 weeks ago
"My fixed retainer failed so I switched to a removable clear orthodontic retainer from here. Identical to what my orthodontist offered for a fraction of the cost."
M
Marcus B.
Sheffield · 1 month ago
"Brilliant. The impression kit was simple and my orthodontic retainers arrived in about a week. Exactly the same as the Essix ones my dentist made years ago."
A
Aisha K.
London · 3 weeks ago
"Good quality removable retainers at a fair price. Took around 10 days start to finish. Packaging could be a touch nicer but the retainers themselves are spot on."
E
Ethan P.
Cardiff · 1 month ago
"Ordered a spare set of orthodontic retainers to keep on file. Reordering is effortless now and I saved a fortune compared to my orthodontist."
G
Grace L.
Nottingham · 6 weeks ago
"Sceptical at first but these clear orthodontic retainers are genuinely professional quality. Same material, perfect fit, much cheaper."
D
Daniel R.
Leeds · 2 months ago
Helpful Questions About Orthodontic Retainers
What is an orthodontic retainer?
An orthodontic retainer is a custom dental appliance that holds your teeth in their corrected position after braces or clear aligner treatment. The most common type is a clear removable Essix retainer, made from medical-grade PET-G that fits over your teeth and is virtually invisible when worn.
What is the difference between removable and fixed orthodontic retainers?
Removable orthodontic retainers, such as clear Essix or Hawley retainers, can be taken out for eating and cleaning and are usually worn at night. Fixed (bonded) retainers are a thin wire glued permanently behind the teeth. Retainers at Home supplies custom removable clear orthodontic retainers from £69 per arch.
Can I order orthodontic retainers online in the UK?
Yes. You can order custom removable orthodontic retainers online from Retainers at Home without a dentist appointment. You take impressions at home with our posted kit, and our certified UK dental lab makes your clear orthodontic retainers from £69 per arch, with free tracked delivery.
How much do orthodontic retainers cost in the UK?
Custom clear orthodontic retainers cost from £69 per arch with Retainers at Home, or £109 for a full upper and lower set. A dentist or orthodontist typically charges £150 to £400 per arch for the same removable retainer.
Are clear orthodontic retainers as effective as the ones from an orthodontist?
Yes. Our clear orthodontic retainers use the same BPA-free, medical-grade Essix PET-G material and dental-lab process used by UK orthodontic practices. They are made by qualified dental technicians from your own impressions, so they provide the same retention as a dentist-supplied removable retainer.
Will an orthodontic retainer stop my teeth moving back?
Worn as directed, a well-fitting orthodontic retainer holds your teeth in their post-treatment position and helps prevent relapse. Retainers maintain alignment rather than actively moving teeth. If your teeth have already shifted significantly, see your dentist or orthodontist before ordering.
An orthodontic retainer is the final stage of any tooth-straightening journey. Whether your treatment was fixed braces, Invisalign or another aligner system, the teeth need to be held while the bone and ligaments around them stabilise, or they begin drifting back towards their old positions (orthodontic relapse). A removable clear retainer worn at night is the standard way UK orthodontists manage this retention phase.
We make ours from BPA-free, medical-grade Essix PET-G, the same sheet material orthodontic labs supply to NHS and private practices. Because you order direct from the lab, you skip the practice mark-up and the waiting room entirely.
Choose 1.0mm standard for the most discreet nightly wear, or step up to 1.5mm if you clench or grind, and order a single upper, single lower or the full set. Many customers add spare sets while their model is on file, so a lost retainer never means starting over.
Before anything is manufactured, our lab team inspects your impressions. If a margin is unclear or an arch has dragged, we ask you to retake it with a fresh kit rather than produce a retainer we would not stand behind. Production itself takes 1 to 2 working days, and the whole journey from ordering the kit to wearing your retainer is usually 8 to 10 days.
Our retainers hold teeth where they are; they are not aligners and will not straighten teeth, and they are no substitute for professional orthodontic assessment. If your teeth have visibly moved since treatment, speak to your dentist or orthodontist first. Every order carries our 60-day fit guarantee (terms apply).
How Long Do You Need to Wear an Orthodontic Retainer?
UK orthodontic guidance is to wear a removable retainer every night, indefinitely. The British Orthodontic Society advises that teeth can move at any age, so retention only lasts as long as retainer wear does. Most orthodontists recommend full-time wear for the first 3 to 6 months, then nightly for life.
That means your retainer is a long-term companion, and it will eventually wear out. A clear Essix retainer typically lasts 6 months to 2 years depending on grinding and care, which is why replacements and spare sets matter more in the retention phase than most people expect. See the BOS guidance on retainers for the clinical detail.
Replacing a Fixed Retainer with a Removable One?
Yes, this is common. Bonded wires debond, snap or collect calculus over the years, and many patients switch to a removable clear retainer when that happens rather than paying to rebond the wire. As long as your teeth have not shifted since the wire failed, a clear retainer made from fresh impressions will hold your alignment from the first night.
Act quickly though: once a fixed retainer fails, nothing is holding your teeth, and movement can begin within weeks. Have any remaining bonded wire removed by your dentist, then take your impressions once your teeth are wire-free so the retainer captures their true positions.
Custom removable clear retainers made in our UK dental lab, from £69 with free tracked shipping.
Free UK shipping · 60-day guarantee · UK-made
We use cookies
We use analytics cookies to understand how you use our site and improve your experience.
You can choose to accept or decline non-essential cookies.
Privacy Policy
