electric vibrator

Review: Doxy Wand

Kate Sloan

imageAround Christmastime, Carolyn from Betty’s Toy Box delivered me a Doxy Wand and some homemade holiday cookies, in a big gift bag with a kitten on the front. It was honestly one of the best Christmas gifts I’ve ever received – and not just because her cookies are off the chain. No, as good as those cookies were, the real star of the show was the vibrator. It turned out to be even better than I’d hoped.

See, I’d been hearing increasingly good things about the Doxy. JoEllen, Lilly, Potter and David all raved about this wand’s power and ease of use. Plenty of reviewers have said they prefer their Doxy over the Magic Wand, which is a bit like saying “This ketchup is better than Heinz” – I won’t entirely believe you, but I will at least listen to your reasoning.

The Hitachi Magic Wand kickstarted the entire wand genre of vibrators, and let’s be real: few of them even approach the excellence of the Hitachi. I like the adjustable dial on my Bodywand, but its ridged head annoys my clit and it’s louder than I prefer. The Lelo Smart Wand is elegant, ergonomic and rumbly, but mine died completely after about a year so it’s basically just a beautiful paperweight at this point. I like the small size and comfy handle of the Jimmyjane Iconic Wand, but its controls are in a weird spot and the rounded head makes pinpoint stimulation impossible.

As you can see, many companies have tried to improve upon the Magic Wand, but it never seems to go quite right. The Doxy, on the other hand, actually does feel like a better Magic Wand in many ways. That’s pretty remarkable.

A caveat: the Doxy’s never going to dethrone the Magic Wand Rechargeable as my go-to wand, simply because it’s not rechargeable. You’re chained to an outlet while you’re using the Doxy. The length of its cord is generous, but I still prefer the cordless experience of the MWR. That said, the Doxy’s fucking rad, and let me tell you why…

First off: it’s RUMBLY AS HELL. This is so, so, so important to me, and to many other vibrator users I know. My main complaint with the original Hitachi is its numbing buzziness – I like to be able to feel my genitals while I’m having an orgasm, thank you very much! – so I adore and appreciate rumblier wands. The Doxy’s vibrations stimulate my internal clitoris, not just the skin on the surface, and that results in deeper, stronger orgasms and less numbness. Yum, yay, yes please.

The buttons on the Doxy are huge, clearly labeled, and easy to press. They are like the “large-print books” of vibrator buttons. One turns the toy on and off, and the other two increase and decrease the speed. Occasionally my “+” button gets stuck if I press it too hard, which makes the vibe skip up a couple settings instead of just moving to the next one; this is mildly annoying but seems to happen less often the more that I’ve used the toy.

The head of the Doxy is made of a squishy PVC. It’s probably porous, so you should put a condom (or silicone attachment) on it if you want to share it with non-fluid-bonded partners. The head has a lot of give to it, so if you like to press vibrators hard against your body, you might find the squishiness annoying. I tend to hold my vibes very lightly against my clit so I haven’t run into this issue, but it’s something to keep in mind.

We need to talk about the various settings on the Doxy. The first one has been a particular source of fascination for me: it’s so low, it’s laughable. If you judged the wand’s value by this speed, you’d think it was poorly designed, because the toy’s handle conducts the vibrations waaay more than the head does. But that first speed is the only one for which that’s the case. (Don’t ask me why, I’m not a vibrator engineer!)

The second speed is the one that makes me come, 90% of the time. It’s a significant jump up from the first, which annoys me sometimes, but then I just hold it adjacent to my clit until I’m ready for more direct vibration and it works out fine.

I’m not typically a “power queen,” so the second speed is usually as much power as I need. But there are several stronger settings above it, and it’s good to know they’re there. Everyone should have a super-strong vibrator around, in case of those days when your genitals just aren’t very responsive and you want to blast yourself into orgasm.

The Doxy is basically what would happen if the Magic Wand and the Wahl had a baby together. It’s got the shape and controls of a standard wand, and the jackhammer-y rumbliness that I love about the Wahl. I still prefer vibrators with a more pinpointed shape, because my clit is an attention hog and would rather have all the vibration to itself than share it with my labia. But if you like broad stimulation and rumbly vibration, I think you would adore the Doxy Wand. It is the high-powered, effective, sleek, modern wand vibrator we need – nay, deserve – in 2016.

 

Thanks to Betty’s Toy Box for hooking me up with this toy!

Big Sex Toy News! + Massager Vibes

Kate Sloan

Ladies and gents, are you sitting down? Because I’ve got some earthshattering news for you…

The Hitachi Magic Wand is no longer called the Hitachi Magic Wand.

I’m just piecing together tweets from the International Lingerie Show to try to figure out what happened, so forgive me if I’m off the mark, but it seems that the Hitachi brand decided it no longer wanted to be associated with the Magic Wand and almost stopped production, before Vibratex took on the responsibility of continuing the Wand’s legacy.

It has apparently been renamed simply the “Magic Wand” (how hard is that going to be to get used to?!) and the motor has been updated to be smoother and more reliable (but still just as strong, so don’t worry).

I have extremely mixed feelings on the Hitachi – whoops, I mean Magic Wand – but they were mostly negative, I guess, because I gave mine away months ago. It was too buzzy and numbing for my tastes.

My wand-style massager of choice is the Bodywand, which is stronger and more adjustable than the classic it’s modeled after. It also has a cuter aesthetic.

I hear good things about the large Lelo Smart Wand, too, though I haven’t had the pleasure of trying one yet.

My very favorite massager-style vibe, though, is always and forever the Wahl 2-Speed. It’s heavy and awkward to hold, but it makes up for those shortcomings by being stronger and rumblier than the Magic Wand. Amazing.

Are you perplexed by the Hitachi news? Will you buy the new Magic Wand? What are your other favorite massager vibes?

Photo via Laura Anne Stuart.

Review: Bodywand

Kate Sloan

The Bodywand is trying to compete with the Hitachi, and when you do that, you better be damn good. And guess what? The Bodywand holds up.

Like the Hitachi, it’s electrically powered, about a foot long, incredibly strong, blue and white, and super buzzy. However, there are reasons why you should get a Bodywand instead of (or in addition to) a Hitachi, and I’m going to list some of those reasons now.

1. It’s stronger. No, seriously, it is. I did a side-by-side test with both vibes on their highest setting (frankly, I’m shocked I didn’t blow a fuse) and the Bodywand wins. Not by much, but by enough to be significant and noticeable. Power queens, rejoice!

2. It has a dial instead of a switch. This is excellent news for vibrator users who, like me, prefer to move up in small increments rather than just flicking from low to high. The dial lets you move exactly as gradually as you like. This is the factor which makes me prefer the Bodywand over the Hitachi – I can get just a little more power, when that’s what I need, and I can also back off just a tiny bit when I start to get overstimulated. And it’s all as easy as a quick, intuitive turn of the dial. All vibrators should be like this.

3. It’s easier to hold. I don’t know the exact weight of either toy, but the Bodywand feels about two-thirds as heavy as the Hitachi, maybe less. Definitely a plus if you like to use your vibrators for a long time or if you have physical issues that make heavy toys inconvenient or impossible to use. The Bodywand’s shape is also more ergonomic; it tapers at either end and the blue plastic in the middle is textured for easier gripping. Bravo!

4. It’s cuter. A lot of people say the Hitachi is ugly, and while I don’t agree, the Bodywand absolutely wins in the looks department. The design is feminine without being cloying. The combination of white and robin’s egg blue is adorable.

5. It’s safer. Well, presumably. It has air vents on the back, so it doesn’t ever overheat, unlike the Hitachi which can start to get warm after prolonged use, especially under a blanket. I’ve never been seriously afraid that my vibrator might cause a house fire, but for all you worrywarts out there, the Bodywand seems less likely to set your bed aflame mid-wank.

The only good reason I can think for choosing the Hitachi over the Bodywand is if noise is a big factor for you. On its lower settings, it’s a lot quieter than the Hitachi, but when you get up to the higher settings, it’s louder (despite the website’s claims that the toy “never sounds louder than an easy hum” – sorry, but that’s bull). I have to say, though – if you’re considering buying a wand-style massager, odds are good that you’ve already accepted loudness as par for the course.

At $70, the electric version of the Bodywand (as opposed to the rechargeable or mini versions) is a bit pricier than the Hitachi, but I think it’s worth it. It’s more appealing in every way that matters to me. And it can get me off, no problem, every single time.

I’ve Succumbed to the Hitachi Cult

Kate Sloan

This isn’t a review. Zillions of people have reviewed the Hitachi Magic Wand. I’m sure you don’t even care anymore. You know it’s strong, you know it’s ugly, you know that most people who try it love it, and you know there’s a vocal minority who can’t stand the damn thing. So this isn’t a review, exactly, but… I wanted to write about my Hitachi.

I bought it because I had a bunch of sex shop gift cards saved up. First on my list was the Hitachi – not because I thought I’d love it (in fact, I thought I’d hate it), but because, as a sex toy aficionado, I pretty much need one. I need to know what people mean, exactly, when they say that something is “Hitachi-strong,” and I need to be able to make that comparison myself, when it’s relevant. So I threw a Hitachi in my cart (along with some other weird shit like the Boosty and the absurd Love Bone) and paid for my swag, hoping for the best.

When the package arrived, I immediately took the Hitachi out of its hilariously G-rated box and plugged it in. I held it to my pubic mound, practically trembling in anticipation of its purported Epic Power, and turned it on.

It was buzzy and high-pitched. It sounded like a food processor. When I held it to my clit, I went numb within a minute or two. I was not impressed. With practically no sensation left in my junk, I grabbed my Eroscillator and it finished the job for me a few minutes later. Then I laid back, exhausted, and glowered loathsomely at the buzzy behemoth on my bedside table.

Subsequent attempts went similarly. I’d press the toy’s giant head into my vulva, turn it on, and lose sensation within seconds. Frankly, it sucked. I wrote an angry review and tossed the Hitachi in the bottom drawer of my storage unit so as not to be reminded of its colossal failure.

…But something in me wanted to give it another shot. So, on a particularly horny night, when my Wahl and Eroscillator were both unexplainably not quite doing the trick, I pulled out the reproachable Hitachi again.

While using the Mustang to give my G-spot adequate attention, I turned on the Hitachi and decided to try out a different technique. This time, I spread my legs wide so my outer labia opened up somewhat and my clit poked out even more than usual. I placed the Hitachi’s head very lightly on my vulva, so that it laid just on my clit and nowhere else. And guess what? It actually felt really, really good. A few minutes later, I had a super intense orgasm that left me shuddering and writhing. I fell asleep still clutching the vibrator in my arms.

Of course, by the end of that session, my clit felt a bit like a dead circuit. But the more that I get off with my Hitachi, the less I notice this desensitization. It’s almost like it’s made me more sensitive. These vibrations, which used to feel so buzzy and surface-level to me, now feel deep and penetrating and immensely pleasurable. What gives?!

I don’t think I’ll really recommend the Hitachi to many people, partially because I’m still mystified about why I like it. It’s too broad, it’s super buzzy, it’s heavy and bulky, it’s made of questionable materials. But if you want a classic vibrator that’ll get the job done, and you’re not picky about aesthetics, and you don’t care about rumbliness… dude, you probably need one of these.

She Died and Left Me Her Vibrator

Kate Sloan

A few weeks ago, my great-aunt passed away. This blog isn’t the right space to talk about death and mourning, so I won’t get into all that, but it was a sad time.

While we sat around at the hospital, letting it sink in, my aunt (who knows I review sex toys) said to me, “When we were clearing out her apartment, we found a vibrator from the 1960s. You should have it for your collection.” I laughed, sort of thinking she was joking, but sure enough, a few days later, she dropped by with said vibrator in a plastic bag.

I was immediately struck by how much it resembles my Wahl. In fact, I initially thought it was an older model of the Wahl, until I saw the name branded on the side, “The Body Machine.” It was manufactured by a Canadian company called Charlescraft, whose website features autoplay music (ugh) and various appliances and contraptions, but no massagers. I guess they stopped making them around the time that people realized they could get real sex toys and stop repurposing their innocent muscle massagers.

While I had no intention of using the Body Machine (sorry, can’t get onboard with using my deceased relative’s instrument of lust on my genitals), I wanted to test how its power compared to the Wahl. I expected it to be stronger, but actually, the Wahl easily wins out. The Body Machine’s low speed is akin to the mid-range on a contemporary rechargeable vibe, and its high speed is barely any higher. I guess my great-aunt was less choosy about her sex toys than I am (although, I guess if it were the ‘60s, you’d have to be).

So what’s the point of all this? I guess it just served as a reminder for me that practically everyone is sexual, even the folks you wouldn’t think of in that way. With few exceptions, we all want to get our rocks off and have fun doing it. I’m just glad I live in a time and place where I can buy products specifically designed to give me orgasms, rather than relying on a home appliance.