Review: Magic Wand Micro

I keep showing the brand-new Magic Wand Micro to everyone in my life, like, “Look at it!! Isn’t it so cute?!?”

And it is cute, but it’s also a pretty fucking great vibrator. Let’s discuss.

L to R: the Magic Wand Rechargeable, Magic Wand Mini, and Magic Wand Micro

How the Micro fits into the existing Magic Wand lineup

There are currently five toys in the Magic Wand lineup, and they are as follows:

  • The Magic Wand Original ($70) is the one that’s been around the longest, and the one you’ve probably seen in porn. It’s a full-size wand (12″ long by 2.25″ wide) and it plugs into the wall. It’s very powerful, but you only get 2 vibration speeds (sometimes affectionately referred to by sex toy reviewers as “fuck” and “holy fuck”) and no vibration patterns. It’s also got a porous head (all the other Magic Wands have a body-safe silicone head), so I wouldn’t recommend it, because the porosity means it’ll cling onto bacteria and get discolored over time.
  • The Magic Wand Rechargeable ($133) is, if you ask me, the best toy in the lineup, and the one likeliest to work well for most people. Like the Original, it’s full-size, but unlike the original, you don’t need to plug it into the wall, as it’s, well, rechargeable. That being said, you can use it while it’s charging, meaning that if it dies mid-session, you can just plug it in and keep using it. It has 4 speeds: the two high ones from the Original and two additional lower ones, which makes it a better pick for people who are more sensitive, more easily overstimulated, etc. It also has 4 vibration patterns.
  • The Magic Wand Plus ($80) is basically a hybrid between the Original and the Rechargeable. It’s a full-size wand with the same 4 speeds as the Rechargeable but no vibration patterns. It plugs into the wall and can’t be used wirelessly. If you’ve got a limited budget and can’t afford the Rechargeable, I’d suggest the Plus over the Original, because the silicone head and additional speeds make it well worth the extra ten bucks. That being said, I’ve found that it’s a bit louder than the Rechargeable.
  • The Magic Wand Mini ($76) is, of course, smaller (9.6″ long by 1.9″ wide) and lighter, which can be attractive qualities if you want to use your wand during penetrative sex and/or if you have difficulties with muscle strength, dexterity, etc. The Mini is rechargeable and it cannot be used while it’s charging. It has 3 speeds and no patterns. Despite its motor offering comparable RPMs (revolutions per minute) to the larger wands, the Mini feels less strong and less rumbly than its larger siblings, although it’s still plenty powerful for a wand of its size.
  • Finally, the Magic Wand Micro ($65) is indeed quite small, at 4.5″ long by 1.3″ wide, so it’ll fit between bodies during penetrative sex more easily than any other Magic Wand. It’s rechargeable and it can’t be used while charging. It has 3 speeds and 4 patterns to choose from. Its vibrations are less strong than those of the larger wands, but it still packs a punch for its size and is surprisingly rumbly. It’s not waterproof (none of the Magic Wands are). It also comes with an optional/removable wrist strap for added dexterity/grip during use.
L to R: the Magic Wand Micro, We-Vibe Tango X, Lelo Lily 3, and Lovense Exomoon

How the Micro compares to other small vibrators you might know

  • The We-Vibe Tango X ($79) doesn’t have quite as much power as the Magic Wand Micro, but it is rumblier for most of its speeds, so it can effectively feel stronger at times because it reaches deeper clitoral tissues and doesn’t cause temporary numbness as easily/quickly as buzzier vibes. The Tango X also has more speeds to choose from (8 vs. 3), is waterproof, and is quieter than any Magic Wand even on its highest speed.
  • The Lelo Lily 3 ($79) is of comparable rumbliness to the Magic Wand Micro, but is not as strong. The Lily 3 is waterproof, has more speeds, and is noticeably quieter than the wand, but it also vibrates your hand a lot more because it’s smaller/slimmer, and the buttons are harder to press in the heat of the moment.
  • The Lovense Exomoon ($79) is rumbly, quiet, and waterproof, but doesn’t get near the Magic Wand Micro in terms of vibration strength.

Things I like about the Magic Wand Micro

  • First and foremost, it really is impressively rumbly and powerful for its size. On a sensitive day, I can get off using the first speed of the Micro. For reference, I can also sometimes get off on the lowest speed of the Mini and Rechargeable, largely due to the low pitch (i.e. rumbliness) of their vibrations, which makes the vibrations feel more impactful and pleasurable than buzzy ones (for me and many others, anyway) even at low settings.
  • The aesthetic is really fucking adorable. Like, I know you’ve seen the pictures, so I won’t harp on it about it for too long, but I absolutely adore the miniaturized look of this wand. It makes me smile and giggle with glee. I think many people who are familiar with the full-size Magic Wands – whether as a user, the partner of a user, or even just a fan of porn featuring these wands – would have a similar reaction.
  • Like all the Magic Wands (setting aside the porous head of the Original), the Micro feels really well-made. The quality and construction are beautiful, the mechanics work as they should, and there’s a 1-year limited warranty incase that changes.
  • The addition of a wrist strap is interesting and (I think) wise. Smaller vibrators can indeed be harder to keep a good grip on, especially when your fingers are lubey, and looping the strap around my wrist helps a lot with that.
  • As you might expect, the Micro is decidedly the quietest of all the Magic Wands. It’s certainly not silent, but I never feel like anyone in the next room might overhear what I’m doing, which I can’t say about any other Magic Wand.
  • Like the Mini, Rechargeable, and Plus, the Micro has a silicone head with just the right amount of squish to feel comfortable during use, but not so much as to soften the vibrations significantly. It’s also got that same rounded-squarish shape that I like about the other Magic Wand heads, which means I can narrow the vibrations into a smaller, more focused shape by tilting the vibrator 45° to the right or left, thereby positioning just the corner of the head on my clit. I love this versatility, as someone who usually (but not always) prefers a more pinpointed sensation rather than a broad one.
  • Naturally, because the Micro is so small, it never gets in the way of any dildo or butt plug I might be using at the same time, even ones with quite bulky bases. Likewise, it would fit between bodies during penetrative sex much better than the larger wands (I haven’t gotten to test it this way yet because my partner and I are currently 500 miles apart, but I’m sure it’ll happen at some point).
  • The Micro charges via USB-C. I actually have mixed feelings on this because, while I was originally excited to be able to conveniently charge a vibrator with the same cable I use for my laptop and Kindle, you actually aren’t supposed to use charging cables other than the provided one (which is, annoyingly, VERY short), and I found that the Micro wouldn’t even charge when I briefly connected it to my USB-C laptop charger (probably something to do with the wattage?). But it is good to see more sex toy companies moving toward using common charging systems rather than their own proprietary ones.
  • I like that the Micro is cheaper, at $65, than a lot of its direct competitors, like the other rechargeable clitoral vibes mentioned above. I think you’re getting quite a bit of bang for your buck for that price.
  • This might be a niche point to make, since obviously most people don’t have a zillion different sex toys like I do, but sometimes I really like the Micro as a warm-up for using the Magic Wand Rechargeable. Even on its lowest speed, the Rechargeable can be a bit intense for me to start with, especially if I’m not already aroused, but it feels like a perfect continuation from the Micro if I decide mid-session that I want more power or that I want the vibrations to be spread out across a larger surface area. That being said, as I’ve mentioned, the Micro works perfectly well for me on its own, too.
L to R: the Magic Wand Rechargeable, Magic Wand Mini, and Magic Wand Micro

Some potential issues to keep in mind

  • Most importantly: while Vibratex clearly has worked very hard to make the Micro a true Magic Wand, in that it’s good-quality and quite powerful for its size, it won’t satisfy true power queens/kings/monarchs. Its highest speed is about as strong as the 2nd speed of both the Magic Wand Mini (which has 3 speeds total) and the Magic Wand Rechargeable (which has 4). It’s about as rumbly as the Mini but definitely not as rumbly as the full-size Magic Wands.
  • Notably, the Micro also gets buzzier as you turn it up. For me, it never gets so buzzy as to cause the annoying itching or irritation that some super-buzzy vibes can cause, but it can lead to some of the temporary desensitization I associate with buzzier vibes, so sometimes I have to move the Micro up and down or in circles during use to get enough stimulation to reach orgasm. 3 steady speeds also just isn’t very many, and I wish there was even one more.
  • Because the Micro is so small, its vibrations are transmitted into your hand more than they would be with larger Magic Wands. I don’t personally find this too annoying/distracting (and it’s certainly not as bad as the vibration transfer on, say, the original We-Vibe Tango) but it might annoy some people.
  • There are only two buttons on the Micro’s control panel: a power button to turn the toy on or off, and a “Mode” button that cycles through its 3 speeds and 4 patterns. This means that if you reach the top steady speed (for example) and want to go back to the first steady speed, you either have to press the Mode button an additional 5 times to get back to the beginning, or hit the power button twice to turn the toy off and then on again, which brings it back to the first speed. Again, this isn’t something that annoys me too much personally (which might be because I used to constantly use the aforementioned original We-Vibe Tango, which had the same issue), but if you like to move up and down through speed settings a lot – or if you hate vibration patterns and never want to encounter them – then you’d probably prefer one of the Magic Wands that has “+” and “–” buttons (the Mini and Plus) or a wand where the patterns are accessed through a separate patterns button (the Rechargeable).
  • The neck of the Micro is very bendy, which could be a pro or a con, depending on how you like to use vibrators. If you like to apply a lot of pressure, you’re better off with a wand that has less give, like the Rechargeable.
  • Although I haven’t gotten to try it this way yet, I have a feeling the Micro wouldn’t work as well on penises as, say, the Rechargeable does, because it just covers less real estate. But who knows. Maybe I’ll update this review when I have an opportunity to put the Micro on my partner’s dick and ask them what they think. (Also, I recently spoke to the dominatrix Lady Pim about this and she pointed out that the Micro might be the ideal toy for penis-possessing folks who like small penis humiliation, so there’s that…!)

 

Final thoughts

I’m delighted with the Magic Wand Micro. It’s tiny, portable, and adorable. It serves up rumbly vibrations worthy of the Magic Wand name (although true power hounds should still spring for a bigger wand). It makes me smile every time I look at it, and makes me come every time I use it. I have a feeling it’ll become a bedside staple of mine, just like its larger siblings have been for years.

 

You can currently preorder the Magic Wand Micro from SheVibe and it’ll ship to you once it’s available. The expected release date is October 31st, 2023 (happy Halloween, lol!). I would recommend ordering it this way, rather than on Amazon, because there are a lot of Magic Wand knockoffs on there.

 

Full disclosure: Vibratex sent me this product for free, and I am also currently working with them on a Magic Wand-related project (which will be announced at some point!), but as always, I only write stuff I actually believe. This review is as accurate and unbiased as I know how to make it, because I believe my readers deserve my honest opinions, and I know you only trust me because of my consistent honesty about products, including this one.

Review: Fun Factory Vim wand vibrator

Well, it finally happened. Fun Factory made a wand vibrator.

I love Fun Factory, and I love wand vibrators, so obviously I was hugely excited about this news. So excited that I texted my sex-blogger group chat in a frenzy. So excited that I sent my partner a cavalcade of pictures. So excited that I replied to the press release begging to be sent one, even though I wasn’t going to be able to attend the exclusive launch party at the Museum of Sex. (Fun Factory’s PR people were nice enough to send me the goodie bag I would have received if I’d gone, which included the wand itself as well as a scented candle, branded matches, and a bottle of Sutil Rich. Perfection.)

I’ve been testing out the wand these last few weeks, not just in dedicated testing sessions but also during phone sex with my partner. This is rare – the toys I get sent to review are usually bad-to-middling, and thus not worthy of inclusion in the lineup of toys I actually use in my “personal life.” But the Vim made the cut, and it’s probably going to be one of my go-to vibes from now on. Let’s talk about what makes it so great – and what I wish was different about it.

 

Things I like about the Fun Factory Vim

  • The most important thing to know is: it’s really fucking rumbly. Fun Factory talks a big game about how the Vim has a “unique weighted motor” which makes it feel rumbly from the lowest setting to the highest – and they’re actually telling the truth when they say that. It’s veeeery rumbly, meaning that its vibrations feel low-pitched, stimulate clitoral structures (or other erogenous zones) in a way that isn’t just skin-deep, and don’t cause the annoying numbness or irritation that buzzier vibes can. I have strong, deep, surprising, breathtaking orgasms with this toy, because it stimulates the deepest parts of my clit, not just the part on the outside.
  • The Vim’s 5 speeds start very low – a mild, barely perceptible trembling – and top out at a wildly powerful, jackhammer-esque intensity. For that reason, I think this would be a great first wand for someone who’s curious about them but worried they’ll feel too overpowering. A lot of other wands start strong, strong enough to scare off beginners and sensitive folks, but this one has such a wide range of intensities that just about anyone could enjoy it.
  • The majority of the wand’s weight is concentrated in its head. This allows it to feel rumblier and also means it’s not as tiring to hold onto the handle. As someone with chronic pain and muscle fatigue issues, I appreciate this.
  • The textured handle of the toy makes it easier to grip onto, even when I’ve got lube on my hands. Fantastic.
  • The shape of the Vim also makes it easier to hold than many other wands, because of how it curves inward toward the middle. I also just think this looks better/sexier/cuter than a straight-up-and-down wand.
  • I really love the aesthetic of the Vim. It’s friendly and fun, and the contrast between the matte silicone and the shiny plastic (or metal? not sure) on the neck and control panel is quite pretty. The one I got is a delightful shade of electric orange, and the other color option is a dignified deep blue. Both of these colors feel pretty non-gendered to me, too, which is always good to see.
  • Even at its highest speeds, the Vim is still reasonably quiet. Someone would definitely be able to tell you were using a vibrator if they were in the same room as you, sure, but behind a closed door (or with music on) it would be nearly imperceptible. This is extremely rare for a wand vibe this strong.
  • Most people seem to like when wand vibes have a bendy neck, so I’ll mention it here even though it’s not all that important to me personally. I will say, though, if you like to press down hard when you use vibrators, you might find that the neck of this toy has too much “give” for you to get the amount of pressure you want. (The head itself is firm, though, not squishy.)
  • As with most Fun Factory toys, the buttons on this wand are rounded, easy to locate, and make a satisfyingly responsive “click” that you can hear and feel when you press them. This is way better than toys that sometimes just don’t respond to button-presses (I’m lookin’ at you, Doxy) or that make you question whether you actually pressed the button or not. The Vim’s buttons also light up when the toy is in use, so you can find the button you’re looking for even in the dark.
  • The rumbliness of the Vim feels really good when held against the base of a dildo or butt plug that’s inside me, which can conveniently be done even while the vibe’s head is also stimulating my clit, because it’s big enough to reach both at once.
  • The Vim has an almost-unprecedented SIX-HOUR battery life. Absolutely wild. (For reference, the Magic Wand Rechargeable‘s battery life is about 3 hours.)
  • It has a travel-lock function, so it won’t turn on in your suitcase or backpack, etc. This is an uncommon feature in wand vibes of this size/strength, so it’s worth noting.

 

Things I don’t like about the Fun Factory Vim

  • My #1 annoyance with this toy is that once you reach the top speed, if you press the “+” button in the hopes of increasing the intensity further, it just moves on to vibration patterns. This can really kill the momentum of a session and could even ruin an orgasm if you weren’t expecting it. I have a strong preference for patterns being accessed via their own button that is separate from the buttons which control vibration intensity, for this reason. I almost never like vibration patterns or want to use them, and I’d love if it was impossible to switch to one accidentally.
  • The Vim starts at a medium intensity when you turn it on. This happens every time you turn it on. I strongly prefer when vibrators start at their lowest setting, because that is generally where I’ll be starting my session at, so I find it annoying that I always have to hit the “–” button a few times to get back to the lowest setting when I start using the Vim. However, if you tend to skip over the weakest settings on wand vibrators anyway, you might not mind this and might actually prefer it.
  • I don’t really understand how the Vim’s “customizable” speed adjustment works, and the manual doesn’t clarify sufficiently. The instructions seem to indicate that you can either short-press the “+” and “–” buttons to move between preset speeds or hold them down to “micro-adjust” until you reach your exact preferred vibration level, but sometimes holding them down doesn’t do anything and sometimes short-pressing them doesn’t do anything, and I don’t know why. 🤷🏻‍♀️
  • As with many wands, the bulkiness of this one means it’s not well-suited to missionary/face-to-face sex positions unless you adapt the position to make room for the toy. Its head is also large enough that it can get in the way a bit if I’m using a dildo that has a wide base.
  • While I mentioned above that I enjoy the wand’s center of gravity being in its head, there are times when this is somewhat annoying – mainly, when I’m trying to move the wand around my vulva (or to use it for general body massage), which can feel more tiring for my fibromyalgia-afflicted body than it would with a more balanced wand.
  • Fun Factory designed this toy so that the vibrations will mostly stay focused in the head, rather than vibrating the handle as with some other wands (which can be irritating, numbing, and even painful for me at times). If I hold the vibe by the end of its handle, the vibrations are indeed barely perceptible in my hand – but, when I hold it where it makes most sense to hold it – where the controls are located – some vibration definitely travels into my hand. It’s a minor issue but worth noting.
  • The textured head, which is designed to hold onto lube (which it does indeed do well), can be harder to clean than the smooth head of something like the Magic Wand Rechargeable.

How does the Vim compare to the Magic Wand Rechargeable?

  • The MWR has 4 speeds and 4 patterns. The Vim has 5 speeds and 3 patterns, although you can hold down the “+” and “–” buttons to “micro-adjust” the speed in any of its modes, a feature that the MWR doesn’t have.
  • The two are similar levels of rumbliness. The MWR feels stronger on its highest setting than the Vim does, but I think this is mostly because the MWR gets buzzier on its highest speeds (while retaining a good foundation of rumbliness at the same time), whereas the Vim stays pretty rumbly throughout. This is up to personal preference, but if I was masturbating on a particularly desensitized day (e.g. I’d already come twice that day, had used other powerful vibrators recently, or was on SSRIs), I’d probably pick the MWR over the Vim because that extra “top note” of buzziness is sometimes what I need to push me over the edge. However, for general/everyday use, I prefer a rumblier vibe, so I’d stick to the lower levels of the Vim or MWR and wouldn’t notice much of a difference, vibrations-wise.
  • The MWR is significantly louder than the Vim, especially on its higher settings.
  • Both the MWR and the Vim are not waterproof and should not be submerged in water, but the Vim’s instructions re: cleaning are much more chill/permissive about water getting on the toy. You’re supposed to wipe the MWR’s head clean, not wash it with water, but you can safely wash the Vim with soap and water as long as you don’t fully submerge it.
  • The MWR can be used while plugged in, which is a game-changer, especially if your vibe dies mid-session and you want to keep using it. However, as mentioned above, the Vim’s battery life is about twice as long as the MWR’s.
  • The MWR’s neck isn’t as bendy as the Vim’s, so it’s better if you like to apply a lot of pressure with vibrators.
  • The Vim is lighter, at 0.95 lbs to the MWR’s 1.3 lbs.
  • The Vim is a bit shorter: 12.3 inches, versus the MWR, which is 13 inches long.
  • The Vim’s handle is skinnier (about 4.25″ in circumference, measured around where the controls are located, versus the MWR’s 5.75″), which might make it better for you if you have small hands.
  • The Vim’s head is slightly longer and slimmer than the MWR’s. The difference is minor enough that I think some Magic Wand attachments would work on the Vim, although they wouldn’t fit perfectly/securely.
  • I tend to tilt my MWR on an angle when I use it, so the vibrations are focused into the corner of the head, making for a more pinpointed sensation, which my clit prefers. This isn’t possible with the Vim because its head is rounded; however, tilting it does narrow the area of contact somewhat so it’s not that much of an issue for me.
  • The Vim retails for $169 (nice) while the MWR retails for about $130.

 

Final thoughts

To be honest, I’m pretty attached to my Magic Wand Rechargeable. I think it’s hands-down one of the best wands on the market, in terms of engineering, vibration strength and quality, and even aesthetics (I mean, I got it tattooed on me, for heaven’s sake!).

But the Fun Factory Vim really gives it a run for its money. It’s sexy-looking, wildly rumbly, quiet, has an astonishingly long battery life, is easier to clean, and has a travel lock. If these features matter to you, I think you’d love it.

I might suggest you get an MWR instead if any (or multiple) of the following things are true for you:

  • You prefer (or don’t mind) a little buzziness at higher intensity levels
  • You prefer being able to use the wand even while it’s charging/even if it runs out of battery mid-session
  • You don’t want to pay $169 but can stomach paying $130
  • You like to press down hard with vibrators when you use them
  • You want a wand that will definitely be compatible with standard wand attachments and accessories
  • You have sensory issues, vulvodynia, etc. which would make a smooth wand head more appealing than a textured one
  • You prefer an aesthetic that’s more clinical/non-sexual or toned-down

But if you’ve got the cash to spare and you want a mega-rumbly, ultra-beautiful rechargeable wand, I can proudly recommend the Fun Factory Vim. It’s everything I hoped it would be.

 

This review was not sponsored, I just really like this toy.

I Got a Tattoo of an Iconic Sex Toy!

This year, more than any other year of my career so far, my work has focused almost exclusively on sex toys. Whether I was writing for GQ, MEL, SELF, smaller clients, or this blog, most of the articles I’ve cranked out this year have been about vibrators, dildos, butt plugs, cock rings, and the like.

As such, when my nearly-annual craving for a new tattoo hit me, I began to wonder why I hadn’t yet gotten a sex toy tattoo. I think there were a few main reasons for this:

  1. I am always worried about incorporating actual brands or products into my tattoos incase their creators do something egregious in the future. Like, imagine if I got a dildo tattooed on me and then its maker was outed years later as a misogynist, homophobe or transphobe. If you think that sounds unlikely, that’s sadly probably because you haven’t been in this industry for as long as I have. I’ve seen some shit, man. ☹️
  2. Since they’re gonna remain on my skin for the rest of my life, I’ve been relatively careful about only getting tattoos that were “appropriate” enough that I wouldn’t be embarrassed if, say, a member of my extended family was to see them on me during a beach day. Sex toy tattoos don’t quite fall into that category, although I’m nowhere near as embarrassed about them now as I would’ve been a few years ago, because of the success I’ve attained writing about them and the internal work I’ve done in therapy on confidence and agency. (And also, I can’t say that I do beach days with my extended family very often.)
  3. I didn’t know which sex toy I wanted to get tattooed on me. Many have been meaningful to me in different ways.

The more that I thought about it, though, the more that the Magic Wand made sense to me as a potential tattoo. It’s a truly iconic sex toy, one that is deeply entangled with the history of sex-positive feminism. From its popularization at Betty Dodson’s Bodysex workshops in the ’70s and beyond, to its prevalence in queer and straight porn alike, to the dramatic takeover of its distribution by Vibratex in 2014-2015 when Hitachi wanted to stop making it, this vibrator has a story that is so much bigger than just the toy itself – which is part of why I felt like it’d still be okay for me to have it on my skin even if its makers fucked up in some major way. (Having interviewed the lovely Shay Martin, owner of Vibratex, though, I doubt that would ever happen.)

So I emailed my go-to tattoo artist, Laura Blaney, who’d previously done the pink bows on the backs of my thighs, the flowers on my right arm, and the pen and pencil on my left arm. I told her I wanted to get the Magic Wand with some flowers I associate with love and joy, roses and daffodils. (Flowers are one of Laura’s specialties as an artist.) We had to put off the appointment for a few months because she was on maternity leave, which just gave me more time to sit with the tattoo idea and decide that I did indeed really want it on me.

Immediately after finishing the final session. And yes, of course I wore underwear that matches the tattoo. Who do you think I am?!

As it turned out, this tattoo is the largest and most involved one I’ve ever gotten. It takes up most of my thigh, but is positioned such that I can easily hide it with a skirt or shorts if need be.

Process shots: stenciled, outlined, and what it looked like at the end of the first session

Because it’s so large, it took two sessions to complete: three and a half hours were spent on outlining all the shapes, doing the daffodils and the shading on the wand, while another five-hour session was devoted to the roses and filling in color on the wand. I had initially wanted the wand itself to be light pink, because I thought white seemed a little boring for my tastes, but in talking to my spouse about it, eventually I decided it made more sense to leave it white; it made it more instantly recognizable as the iconic sex toy that it is, and also contrasted nicely with the brightness of the flowers.

As per always, the tattooing process with Laura was smooth and easy. There were definitely times when it was painful but those were few and far between; for the most part I was able to just breathe through any discomfort and focus on various distractions instead. (I was reading a Nick Drake biography during our first session and Leslie Jamison’s addiction recovery memoir during our second session; the other tattoo artist also put Back to the Future and then Seinfeld on the TV while we were working and those were enjoyable too.)

I’m absolutely in love with this tattoo, as I’ve been enamored with every other tattoo Laura has given me. Her work is just beautiful, and she’s extremely detail-oriented and focused on clients’ comfort.

What it looked like before and after removing the Saniderm (you can see that there’s some dried excess ink under there, which is normal)

She used Saniderm on my freshly-done tattoo, which I’ve had used on me a few other times before; it’s a clear bandage that goes over the tattoo and keeps bacteria out while still letting the skin breathe, so that it’s protected during the first few crucial days of healing. I would highly recommend Saniderm if your artist offers it as an option; it’s always amazing to me how close the tattoo is to looking healed by the time I gently and carefully peel off the bandage with the help of some Dove soap on the third or fourth day after getting inked.

I’m thrilled to have a permanent reminder on my skin of the importance of self-love, self-care and self-pleasure, as well as the history of the sex-positive feminist movement which is so close to my heart (and, now, my junk). Thank you to Laura and also to everyone involved in the Magic Wand’s storied ascent to being one of the most popular and iconic sex toys of all time!

 

Previous posts about my tattoos:

Review: Magic Wand Mini

The Magic Wand franchise turns 54 this month. Yep! Can you believe it? In 1968, around this time, a vibrator was being launched that no one knew was going to change the world. In fact, it seems that no one knew it was even a vibrator; for decades after its launch, the toy’s makers, Hitachi, still insisted it was merely a “body massager.”

Brief primer on Hitachi Magic Wand history (which someone should really pay me to write a book about one of these days – don’t think I haven’t pitched it!): While officially billed as a non-sexual device, the Magic Wand’s popularity for pleasure first picked up steam in the late great Betty Dodson’s legendary masturbation workshops, so I’ve been told. The story goes (and I believe it to be true) that she would hand out wands to each workshop participant when the time came, and that many of them had their lives changed in an instant by their first taste of genital vibration. In the years since, the Magic Wand has gained nicknames like “the Cadillac of vibrators,” has showed up in countless porn videos (especially those featuring queer performers), and has become one of the most instantly recognizable vibrators in the world.

There was some drama around 2015 when Hitachi almost pulled the plug (so to speak) on producing the wand anymore. I don’t know why for certain, but I’ve been told by sources in the know that the company is relatively conservative and didn’t like having their name associated with a world-famous sex toy. An American sex toy distributor called Vibratex, then best known for their Rabbit Habit vibrator which was featured in a memorable episode of Sex & the City, stepped in and offered to take over marketing and distribution of the wand. They also overhauled the mechanics, making the toy safer (it had previously been known to overheat or even burst into flames) and adding a rechargeable version to the lineup but otherwise leaving it as close to the original as possible. As far as I’m aware, still to this day, the wand is physically produced by Hitachi but officially it is a Vibratex product.

(If you’re wondering why I know all this, it’s because in my last year of journalism school, they let me spend a semester writing a feature story on anything I wanted, and I wrote it on the Magic Wand. In the process, I interviewed, among other people, Vibratex’s VP and several people who had owned multiple wands, having immediately bought a new one when their old one died. Some interviewees even allowed me to sit in on real-life sex or masturbation sessions where they used their wands; I sat in the corner fully clothed with a notebook and pen, rapt. Truly don’t know why my professors let me do this but hey, it led me here.)

Anyway, I bring this up because there’s a new member of the Magic Wand family: the Magic Wand Mini. And it’s fucking ADORABLE.

Before we get into pros and cons, let’s briefly go over the basic differences between the Mini and the other versions, so we know what we’re talking about here.

  • The Magic Wand Mini is rechargeable, like the Magic Wand Rechargeable. It does not plug into the wall like the Magic Wand Original or Magic Wand Plus (except when it’s charging, obviously).
  • The original wand is around 12″ long; the Mini is only 9.6″ long.
  • Of course, it’s also lighter – 9.7 oz, which is less than half of what the other wands weigh.
  • The Magic Wand Mini’s head is made of silicone, like that of the Magic Wand Rechargeable and Magic Wand Plus – as opposed to being made of porous vinyl (which is a health hazard and also just gross), like that of the Magic Wand Original.
  • The Mini uses a different charger than the Magic Wand Rechargeable.
  • The Mini does not have vibration patterns, as the Magic Wand Rechargeable does – it only has steady speeds.
  • The Mini has 3 different vibration speeds, as opposed to the Original which has 2, and the Rechargeable and Plus, which both have 4.
  • Unlike the Rechargeable, the Mini cannot be used while it’s charging – so if your wand dies mid-session, you’re out of luck. It has battery life indicators though.

Okay, now let’s talk about what I actually think of this vibrator, shall we?

 

Things I like about this vibrator

  • First of all, I have to commend Vibratex for keeping the exact same aesthetic and basic proportions as the original wand, just in miniaturized form. I truly cannot overstate how cute this toy is. It’s like if someone made a Magic Wand for a doll. (Uhhh, that actually sounds like a very kinky dollification scene I need to do, like, yesterday.) It might not have quite the same appeal if you’ve never seen an original Magic Wand in person, but every sex toy nerd to whom I’ve showed this toy has shouted “IT’S SO CUUUUUTE!!” because it really fucking is.
  • The first speed of this toy rules. Vibratex should be very proud of this speed; as far as vibration speeds go, it is primo. It’s got a lot of rumble to it, and is strong enough to get me off easily on an average day, provided I use it in ways that work for me (more on that below). There are very few vibrators that can comfortably make me come on their lowest speed; one of the only other ones is the Magic Wand Rechargeable. So, at least on this one speed, Vibratex has succeeded in evoking a full-size wand experience in a smaller package. The rumbliness is such that I can definitely feel it in my internal clit, whether I’m holding it on the external part or even just my outer labia. This leads to orgasms every bit as intense – and almost as reliable and easy to achieve – as those I expect from other Magic Wands. I should note here, though, that I’m not a person who commonly uses wildly strong vibrators on high settings to get off. I think diehard fans of true power would be vastly disappointed by this toy (more on that in the “things I dislike” section).
  • One of my fundamental problems with full-size Magic Wands is that they cause some temporary numbness if I leave them in one place for a while. I prefer to move them around my vulva, staying in one spot for a minute or two and then packing up and moving on like a circus runaway. Granted, this is true of most vibrators, but it becomes more obvious with big wands because they’re so heavy that moving them around becomes a chore. But the Magic Wand Mini is much more nimble, and it makes a noticeable difference: I can move it around my inner and outer labia, come at my clit from various different angles, use it to stimulate my vaginal opening or perineum, etc. and my arm doesn’t get tired. As a person with chronic pain and strength issues in my hands/arms, I really appreciate that the wand is less than half the weight of the original.
  • When I use a regular-size Magic Wand, I usually tilt it so that only the corner/edge of the head is against my bits. This is because I like more pinpointed clit stimulation than the full width of the head can offer. The Magic Wand Mini is sufficiently small that I don’t really have to do this, and can target specific areas of my vulva as needed.
  • The smaller form factor would also make this toy better for using during PIV, I suspect. (Tragically, I cannot find out at the moment because my partner is 500 miles away from me.) I do notice that the vibrations are slightly dampened when pressure is applied to the head of the toy – which, incidentally, may also be an issue for people who like to push vibrators very firmly against their body – but it’s not so much as to cause problems for me. I’d still be likelier to use this in rear-entry positions, though, because wands – however petite and adorable – are just not well-suited for missionary.
  • Speaking of my partner being 500 miles away from me – I do a fair amount of travel (or did, when there wasn’t a pandemic happening), so I appreciate a wand I can comfortably fit in a purse or small suitcase. I think this would be a terrific vibe for hotel sex.
  • The buttons are super intuitive. There’s a power button and “plus” and “minus” buttons, which all do what you’d expect them to do. They make a satisfying click when pressed, but require just enough force to do so that I never press one accidentally. Kudos, Vibratex.
  • There’s some flexibility in the neck, similar to the amount offered by the Rechargeable. I’d still be worried I’d break it if I bent it too far, but it flexes enough to be comfortable when you’re applying pressure. This isn’t super important to me because I don’t apply much pressure when I use vibrators, but I know a lot of people feel strongly about this.

Things I don’t like about this vibrator

  • It has to be said: the vibrations are not as powerful or as rumbly as you may be used to if you’re a Magic Wand fan. The first setting is excellent, but the other two are pretty disappointingly buzzy – so, even though they supposedly have the same RPM (revolutions per minute) as the original wand, they just don’t feel as impactful and can cause temporary numbness. I think this probably has a lot to do with the smaller size of the toy, not just the motor.
  • Like all the Magic Wands, it’s kind of loud. It’s certainly quieter than the high settings of any other Magic Wand, but it has a shrillness to its tone that makes the noise seem louder somehow, even if, decibels-wise, it’s not. I don’t like using this vibe late at night, for example, lest it disturb my roommate… through a wall. (I have anxiety and some past trauma around being punished for being disruptively noisy, though, so take this with a big ol’ grain of salt.)
  • This wand won’t work with most classic Magic Wand accessories/attachments, because of its smaller size. Some companies do make attachments for smaller wands, though. Those made for the Le Wand Petite or the Mystic Wand, for example, should fit the Magic Wand Mini, albeit maybe slightly tightly or loosely.
  • I miss being able to use the toy while it’s charging, like you can with the Magic Wand Rechargeable.

 

Final thoughts

I’ve tried a bunch of smaller wands – including the buzzy-AF Le Wand Petite and the gorgeous Bodywand Midnight – and the Magic Wand Mini certainly ranks as one of the best. Vibratex and Hitachi clearly both care about vibration quality and have tried to make a smaller toy that still does the Magic Wand name proud, by prioritizing motor quality and strength above any extraneous bells and whistles.

It just seems that the smaller size and lighter weight of the Mini make its vibrations feel too buzzy on the higher end of the speed spectrum. I might use one of those two higher speeds as a “finisher” – there are times when it takes a dash of buzz to push me over the edge – but the first speed is really the only one that satisfies me in the way that Magic Wands usually do. It’s a damn good speed, but it wouldn’t be strong enough for true power aficionados, who’d be better off sticking with full-size wands.

I would pick up the Magic Wand Mini instead of a larger wand if I was having a pain flare-up or just feeling lazy, because it’s much easier to maneuver around my vulva. I’d also reach for it if I wanted a wand to use during penetrative sex. I would not, however, use it if I was craving a lot of power or a lot of rumble – the Magic Wand Rechargeable is still king for that. But, I mean, look at this cute little wand. It’s doing its best. And I think its best is pretty decent.

 

Thanks to LuxuryVibrators.ca for sending me this product to review! This post was sponsored, meaning I was paid to write a fair and honest review of this product. As always, all writing and opinions are my own.

Reviews: We-Vibe Tango X, Satisfyer Curvy 3+, & Lelo Smart Wand 2

I was sent these three toys recently while researching some pieces for the Insider about the best sex toys for couples and long-distance play. Here’s what I thought of each!

We-Vibe Tango X

I’ve long been loud about how much I love the original We-Vibe Tango. It has most of the qualities I’d ever want in a clitoral vibe: small, rumbly, powerful, firm, versatile, quiet, and waterproof. But it was missing a few key features – namely, it lacked a travel lock, had only one button you had to use to scroll through all 8 modes, and had a notoriously bad battery that was finicky as hell to charge and would tend to die completely after 1-3 years of use. Hence me owning several Tangos in my time.

The new Tango X has fixed all of those issues: We-Vibe added buttons for navigating between settings, provided a travel-lock option, and equipped the toy with a better battery that charges more easily. They also added an ergonomic silicone finger grip, something I hadn’t known I wanted but that makes the toy a lot easier for me to use on bad hand pain days.

The vibe is just as rumbly and strong as it ever was, albeit with more steady vibration settings to choose from so the jumps between settings don’t feel as abrupt as they used to. The addition of extra buttons, in particular, makes this toy much less annoying to use during partnered sex, because I don’t have to scroll through aaaaall the settings to get back to my fave, thus interrupting the action with some ill-timed vibration patterns. I’ve used the Tango X with my partner several times now and it is even more intuitive and well-suited to partnered-sex applications than it used to be, plus it remains a trusted choice for masturbation, whether I’m pairing it with a dildo or using the Tango X on its own.

I find it impressive that We-Vibe managed to keep the Tango X relatively affordable – $75 at time of writing – despite all these upgrades. (Canadians, that’s about $99 for us.) It remains an absolute staple in my toy collection, and because it has such rumbly and variable vibrations, I think it’d make a great gift for any vulva-possessing person in your life who has expressed wanting a clitoral vibrator but doesn’t quite know what to look for. Bravo, We-Vibe – bravo!

Satisfyer Curvy 3+

This ultra-sleek pressure-wave toy looks to me like something a grown-up Regina George might use. It’s cool, modern, and ergonomic as hell.

I was interested in the Curvy 3+ because Satisfyer gave me its predecessor, the Curvy 2+, back at ANME, and I loved it more than I expected to. The softly rounded edges of the “mouth” made it more comfortable around my clit than a lot of its pointier-edged counterparts, it had a broad range of settings and patterns, and its shape and matte silicone made it easy to hold onto, even when lube got involved. The “handle” end also vibrates and is insertable, incase you want to switch back and forth between clit stimulation and G-spot vibration – great if you’re travelling and don’t have access to other toys, I guess – but I didn’t end up using that feature much because, well, I own many, many dildos that feel better than the Curvy 2+’s handle.

That said, after trying the updated 3+ version, I actually prefer the earlier one! The 3+ has a flatter design that feels less sexy and more clinical in my hand somehow, and consequently its insertable end is also slimmer and less satisfying; it pokes my G-spot rather than filling me up. Most crucially, the “mouth” of the 3+ is smaller, shallower, and has less rounded-off edges, whereas the 2+ has a mouth that’s a good 0.1″ wider and 0.2″ deeper – which may not sound like much, but can make a big difference for a clitoral pressure-wave toy. I can fit a significant amount of my hooded clit into the Curvy 2+, but pretty much only the tip will comfortably fit into the 3+ and generally I have to pull back my hood a bit (yowch!) to even accomplish that much. The 2+’s mouth also has those gently rounded edges that make it much comfier to use, even when I’m pressing the toy firmly against my body.

Satisfyer’s app functionality is worth mentioning here, because it’s really fucking good. Like Lovense toys, Satisfyer toys connect quickly to their corresponding app and are super responsive when you’re controlling them that way. My partner and I have found my Satisfyer Curvy 2+ useful when we’re 500 miles apart but they want to “go down on me”; short of hiring a cunnilingually gifted sex worker and whispering instructions into their ear via audio call, the Satisfyer app is the closest my partner can get to performing oral on me when they can’t actually put their mouth on me.

While I’m sure some people will appreciate the aesthetic updates and functional differences of the Satisfyer Curvy 3+ versus its predecessors in the Curvy line, it’s the Curvy 2+ that has captured my heart (and my clit’s heart, if it had one), and that’s the one I’ll be reaching for more often in the future.

Lelo Smart Wand 2

Obligatory caveats about Lelo: ethically, they are… not great. They hired a domestic abuser as their spokesperson despite abuse survivors’ outcries against this, produced condoms that seem like a health hazard, sued We-Vibe in a vindictive act of patent-trolling, and released a sex toy excusively for male bankers (????), among other things.

While I do think their products have had a sharp decline in quality over the past decade or so, their Smart Wand line is a rare diamond in the rough, IMO – albeit with some problems of its own. I loved my original Smart Wand, although later it betrayed me by dying after only a year. No matter what I did to try to recharge and revive it, it was simply dead, dead, dead. I was just outside of Lelo’s 1-year warranty period so the best they would’ve done for me is provide me with a 50% discount code to buy another one, which – given how quickly the first one had perished – seemed risky and futile.

When I was at ANME in early 2020, I saw a new version of the Smart Wand on display which was bright turquoise (or “aqua,” according to Lelo). This exact shade is one of my favorite colors ever – in fact, I’m currently typing on a computer whose hard-shell case and keyboard cover are both the same color as my Smart Wand 2 – so I ached for it on those grounds alone. Later I asked Lelo for one, and it is just as glorious a hue as I remembered.

I’m not actually sure what’s different about the Smart Wand 2 versus the original Smart Wand; it’s been too long for me to remember and Lelo’s product copy is annoyingly unclear on this point. I do know that a lot of people reported mechanical issues with the original Smart Wand, most notably that sometimes the vibrations would jump around erratically, suddenly ramping up to a high setting or dropping to a low setting without users’ consent. This glitch was mostly reported as happening on the toy’s highest settings – and unfortunately, some reviewers say the Smart Wand 2 has the same issue.

I personally haven’t experienced this glitch, and didn’t experience it with the original Smart Wand, which suggests to me that maybe I use this vibe differently than the folks who noticed this problem. Pressure is often a culprit when vibes glitch out, but I’ve experimented with various amounts of pressure while using the Smart Wand 2 and still haven’t encountered that particular glitch (though I do notice that the vibe tends to get a bit weaker when you press it into your body, as often happens with vibrators). 🤷🏻‍♀️ Your mileage may vary, and purchase at your own risk!

I actually kind of love the Smart Wand 2, I’m somewhat ashamed to say. It’s gorgeous, smooth, and glamorous. Its handle has an ergonomic curved shape that I find useful when I massage my neck and shoulders with it. It’s reasonably quiet for a wand vibe, especially on the lower end of its intensity levels, and gets very strong and rumbly when you want it to. It’s also 100% waterproof, something that used to not matter as much to me in wand vibes but that matters enormously to me now that I live with chronic pain and thus do some of my best relaxin’ and wankin’ in the tub.

But despite all its glamour and strength, the Smart Wand 2 does have some problems. The buttons annoy me at least once every time I use it; Lelo has a bad habit of designing toys with buttons that somehow seem both oversensitive and undersensitive, sometimes requiring multiple presses to go to the next setting and sometimes skipping a few settings with just one press. I also find that the “+,” “–,” and “pattern” buttons are pretty indiscernible from one another when you’ve got your eyes closed or are using the toy in the dark, so I’ve accidentally started a vibration pattern many times when I meant to hit the “+” button instead, potentially ruining or losing my impending orgasm.

I’m also not especially fond of the rounded head. It works well for muscle massage, but one of the reasons I love my Magic Wand Rechargeable is that it has a more squarish shape so I can use its head’s edges/”corners” to produce a more focused, pinpointed sensation on my clit than the broad roundness the Smart Wand 2 allows for. However, if you like all-over vulva vibration, that won’t be an issue for you.

The Lelo Smart Wand 2 costs a whopping $199, and as stunning and seductive as it is, I don’t think it’s really worth that amount of money, especially when you can get a more dependable Magic Wand Rechargeable for just $130, or We-Vibe’s Wand (which is fully waterproof like the Smart Wand) for $170. The Smart Wand 2 reminds me of a beautiful but erratic socialite – and while that kind of person is fun to spend a night with once in a while, generally I’d rather come home to a reliable sweetheart like my Magic Wand.

 

Thanks to We-Vibe, Satisfyer, and Lelo for sending me these toys to try! Have you used any of these? What did you think?