Wand-style vibratorsThe Dame Com wand vibrator has an appealing ergonomic shape (it curves toward the body), as well as an easy-to-clean all-silicone body. However, we did not find its vibrations to be as powerful as those of the Magic Wand Rechargeable, and the vibrations were strong all through the handle, which made this toy unpleasant for testers to hold for an extended period of time.The corded Doxy Number 3 is a smaller, quieter version of the Doxy Original. Although this sleek wand is both aesthetically pleasing and powerful, it costs more than our Magic Wand picks and the original Doxy.Pleasing’s The Pleasing Double Sided Vibrator is one of the few rechargeable vibrators we’ve considered that does not have vibration patterns. While its vibrations (in seven intensities) are strong, they’re somewhat dampened by the thick silicone. Helpfully, you need to press two buttons in order to power this toy down — reducing the likelihood of accidentally shutting it off during use.The We Vibe Wand 2 is waterproof and easy to clean, has a nice ergonomic shape that is comfortable to hold, and offers a “smart silence” feature that indeed makes it run more quietly than the competition. However, we found the head to be large and awkwardly shaped, plus the buttons were confusing and overly sensitive (it’s easy to activate them accidentally). The vibrations, while rumbly, weren’t as powerful as the Magic Wands’ and could be felt strongly in the handle.Like our pick for precise stimulation, the Nu Sensuelle Alluvion XLR8 Wand can work as either an external wand vibrator or a flexible insertable G-spot toy. Although the two sides feature separately controlled motors, we found that too much vibration could be felt in the handle to make this toy comfortable to use for longer sessions.The Goop Wellness Double-Sided Wand Vibrator offers two distinct types of stimulation: The round, Magic Wand–like head offers broad, diffuse vibrations, while the pointed end provides more targeted stimulation. Our testers found that the sensations from the round end, while powerful, were not as intense as those of the Magic Wand’s and may feel too diffuse for some people. Although the pointed end can work as an insertable toy, for our testers it was not an ideal shape for G-spot stimulation; still, the pointed end is an excellent vibrator. One drawback is that strong vibrations are felt through the entire toy when either motor is switched on.The Le Wand Original is almost virtually identical to the Magic Wand Rechargeable in both function and appearance, though it offers 10 levels of vibration instead of four, a flexible neck, and three color options (white, silver/gray, and pink). The trade-off is that it’s typically $50 more expensive, and it lacks the quick on/off switch of the Magic Wand Rechargeable. To our testers, level 10 on the Le Wand Original did not offer significantly more intensity than level 4 on our top pick, and this toy’s vibrations felt somewhat less rumbly. The smaller Le Wand Dive is waterproof but suffers from the same drawbacks we observed in the original Le Wand model.The Unbound Ollie is more aesthetically pleasing and easier to clean than our Magic Wand picks, as it’s completely coated in soft silicone in an appealing shade of pastel turquoise. However, our testers said the vibrations were less powerful than those of both the Magic Wands and the Doxy Original; they also discovered that the Ollie’s flexible head, which initially seemed like an improvement on those of the other wands we tested, had some serious flaws. One tester, who has used the Magic Wand as her go-to toy for five years, reported that after a few uses of the Ollie, she “had it pressed up against [her] clit, hard but not like … Hulk hard,” and “the ‘stem’ between the head and the wand seemed to have snapped.” The tester continued, “It still vibrates, but it’s not connecting enough to make it functional.”The Wahl All Body Powerful Therapeutic Massager is a popular budget alternative to the Magic Wand that features intense power concentrated in a smaller head, but owners report that it breaks more easily.Suction vibratorsThe Womanizer Next is an excellent, quieter-than-most suction vibrator with a few key flaws. First, it typically costs twice as much as our suction vibrator pick. Second, as with many Womanizer toys, the Next’s width makes it more difficult to position than slimmer toys like the Satisfyer Pro 2 Generation 3 or Dame Aer.The Womanizer Enhance has a relatively flat, concave opening, which we found difficult to position to get a good seal. Like other Womanizer models, this toy is wider than much of the competition. It’s also more difficult to clean than other air-suction toys with removable nozzles.The Beso Plus is our least favorite of the clitoral-suction/G-spot dual-stimulator vibrators we’ve tried. Our tester found the “mouth” of the toy to be uncomfortably firm and irritating.The Lelo Sila is an easy-to-grip, puck-shaped suction vibrator with a wider-than-most mouth. However, like other suction vibrators we’ve tested from this company, the Sila feels extremely strong even at the lowest setting. It’s also pricier compared than our picks.The Lovehoney Mon Ami Silicone Pleasure Air Suction Stimulator contains Womanizer tech, but like several Womanizer toys, it’s notably broad at the top. If you like how Womanizer vibrators fit and feel, this may well be your best budget option for suction and vibration.The Nancy Lem Clitoral Massager is a small, citrus fruit-shaped suction vibrator with eight levels of suction intensity and four wave patterns. It has a smaller mouth than most suction toys we’ve considered, which could impact fit and function for some. Overall, the Lem’s small, smooth shape can make it slippery and difficult to hold.The Romp Switch X requires two AAA batteries. It’s great as an inexpensive introduction to suction vibrators, but be prepared to replace the batteries after every five or so hours of run time.The Womanizer OG has a larger suction mouth designed for G-spot stimulation, though it can also be used externally. Unfortunately, the suction felt somewhat weak to our testers. However, in customer reviews some buyers who say they have a large clitoris, prefer more gentle stimulation, or like toys with longer handles note that they’ve found this toy to be good for external stimulation.The Womanizer Premium is significantly more expensive than the Classic; we’re not convinced that its added “autopilot” and “smart silence” features are worth an additional $60 or so.Precision vibratorsThe Cal Exotics Chic Jasmine has a small, flexible, vibrating “tongue” set in a loop that is supposed to encircle the clitoris. Though this toy provided powerful, focused stimulation, we found such pinpoint stimulation to be more intense and easier to position with the Nu Sensuelle XLR8 Vibe Baelii.JimmyJane’s Focus vibrator, which has the appearance of a small enema bulb, emitted a loud, high-pitched buzzing noise and an equally buzzy and too-intense sensation from the hard plastic tip, even when we covered it with one of the three included silicone sleeves.The Romp Pop’s charging port and power button (on the toy’s flat base) are difficult to locate without a flashlight.The Satisfyer Twirling Fun is relatively quiet, but the silicone-coated tip felt hard to our testers, and the vibrations were too buzzy for it to be satisfying as a pinpoint vibrator.Before the Nu Sensuelle XLR8 Vibe Baelii and Lelo Dot, we recommended the Zumio S for precise stimulation. We still love this toy, but we have encountered some issues with battery longevity during long-term testing. Although Zumio covers the toy with a two-year warranty, all three units we’ve long-term tested have exhibited a decline in battery life toward the end of their warranty periods. Additionally, the Zumio S — which is designed to be stored in its charger — has a longer-than-usual charging period of 16 hours. After two years of occasional use, one Zumio S we tested barely retained a lasting charge if we charged it for less than the full 16 hours, and even on a full charge, it stopped running after 1 hour 45 minutes, well under the promised two-hour run time.Like the Zumio S, the Zalo Bess has a narrow tip for precise stimulation. It comes with three attachment tips, which in our tests failed to produce significant functional differences. The Bess’s handle can technically serve as an insertable vibrator, as well, but we found that feature impractical. This toy’s primary drawback is its control panel. Whereas most vibrators offer multiple vibration levels that you can cycle through before the pattern settings begin, or a separate button for the pattern settings altogether, the Bess has three levels of continuous vibration strengths mixed in between five vibration patterns at random. If you are not interested in the patterns, cycling through this hodgepodge of settings to find your desired level of vibration can be confusing.Vibrators under $75In an earlier version of this guide, we named the CalExotics Silver Bullet as our budget pick. Subsequently we concluded that the pricier but cordless Satisfyer Purple Pleasure offers stronger vibrations, is made of better-quality materials, and is more aesthetically pleasing.The Romp Wave, a leaf-shaped rechargeable silicone vibrator, is cute, but its quiet, buzzy vibrations were fairly weak in our tests.While we appreciated the addition of a finger grip on the Wellness by Blush Palm Sense vibrator, it still transmitted a lot of vibration into the hand. Overall, this toy felt wide and bulky, and it was difficult to position comfortably. Additionally, the thick silicone tip seemed to dampen the vibrations.Two long-term testers encountered issues with the Maude Vibe’s lithium-ion battery bricking within or just after the one-year warranty period, particularly if they didn’t keep the toy consistently charged.The Satisfyer Dark Desire is quite similar in size and power to the Purple Pleasure, but we found its wider tip to be less convenient for positioning and its textured silicone to be more irritating than pleasurable. We loved the strong vibrations and easy-to-hold loop handle on the company’s White Temptation but found its loaf-like shape awkward to use, preferring the tapered silhouette of the Purple Pleasure.Satisfyer’s Ultra Power Bullet 6 is similar in shape and size to a fountain pen. Unfortunately, we found the toy’s vibrations to be a bit buzzy in comparison with those of the rumbly and similarly shaped We-Vibe Tango. And this model’s handle vibrated to an unpleasant degree.The Unbound Pep is a cute and affordable palm-sized vibrator, but unfortunately its thick silicone seemed to dampen the vibrations, causing them to feel less focused and powerful than those from similar models, including the Satisfyer Purple Pleasure and the Dame Pom.The tiny but super-powerful We-Vibe Tango is a good value for a rechargeable, bullet-style toy that is small enough to fit in a pocket but capable of delivering the rumbly intensity of a much larger vibrator. Although we recommend this model as a starter vibrator, for some of our testers the hard plastic became slippery and difficult to hold when it came in contact with lubricant. This was not the case with the less expensive Purple Pleasure or Femme Funn Ultra Bullet.The restThe Womanizer Vibe is one of the quietest vibrators we’ve tried, but we found its vibrations weak and underwhelming. Compared with the Satisfyer Purple Pleasure, this Womanizer model was somewhat more difficult to position.The Mantric Rechargeable Clitoral Vibrator looks like a sex toy issued by Starfleet: Its dark red asymmetrical oblong shape and flashing multicolor lights give it a retro, sci-fi aesthetic. It’s an attractive and decent vibrator but not as powerful as other small vibrators that usually cost about as much, such as the Femme Funn Ultra Bullet, and its vibrations could be felt strongly in the handle.The tiny, egg-shaped Blush Novelties Aria Flutter Tongue is adorable, but we found the Evolved Tongue Tied to be a better overall choice among tongue-style vibrators. The small, flickering “tongue” on the Aria Flutter Tongue is inset in a mouth similar to that of a suction vibrator such that the tongue’s motion isn’t hindered by excess pressure, but overall we found this toy’s size and speed more irritating than pleasurable.Dame’s original Eva vibrator was appealing in concept as a “hands-free, strap-free, non-intrusive couples’ vibrator.” Unfortunately, our testers found that it failed to stay in place well: “The only issue with the thing is its strapless design, which means that during PIV [penis-in-vagina intercourse] the thing just falls right off unless you’re flat on your back and trying your best not to move too much. Too much focusing on keeping the toy in place takes attention away from the act itself.” Others found it too weak to be satisfying.We found the second-generation Dame Eva an improvement on the original, as it was smaller, easier to position, and more powerful. But it still had the same issues with being “buzzy” and slipping around during partner play.The Evolved Tongue Tied is our favorite of the “tongue” vibrators we’ve tested. Although the results were not as pinpointed as those from the Lelo Dot, we did find that this vibrator’s flickering tongue (measuring about 1 inch long and 0.25 inch wide at the tip) offered powerful, focused sensations. There can be a bit of a learning curve with optimal positioning for using this toy, as applying too much pressure may cause the tongue’s motion to stall.The vibrations of the Je Joue Mimi felt jerky and choppy at the lower speeds and caused the motor to make wheezing noises. This toy works best if you use it at its maximum setting, provided that the maximum setting is not too strong or weak for your personal tastes.Lelo’s Siri 2 is a fine toy, but it’s costlier than the Satisfyer Purple Pleasure, which is more streamlined and less gimmicky. We haven’t tested the Siri 3. We also tested the hard-plastic Lelo Nea 2, which was plenty powerful for its tiny size but did not compare to the We-Vibe Tango and its ultra-intense vibrations. Lelo’s Nea 3 has superseded the Nea 2; we haven’t tested it.The bejeweled pastel Pillow Talk Sassy is affordably priced and offers powerful vibrations that can work for either clitoral or G-spot stimulation. Although our testers liked the sleek shape and size of this model, in our tests it generally worked better as a G-spot toy than as an external vibrator. The Sassy’s sibling, the Pillow Talk Flirty bullet, is designed specifically for clitoral stimulation, but we found that its vibrations were weaker than those of our budget pick.The Tenga Iroha Temari is an exceptionally cool-looking vibrator inspired by traditional Japanese textile designs, with a unique swiveling head, a base designed to reduce the transmission of vibrations to the hand, and a convenient fitted cover that keeps the vibrator discreet and dust-free when not in use. Although this vibrator offers powerful vibrations for its small size, our testers found it to be a bit noisy compared with other models and tricky to clean around the edges of the swiveling head.This article was edited by Tracy Vence and Kalee Thompson.
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