Almost one year ago, when it was brand new, I wrote a Spotlight on the Crave Duet. I loved the idea of the new little vibrator and was very curious about trying one out but never had the chance. Since then, Crave has redesigned the Duet and made some interesting changes.

If you remember, the Crave Duet was a nifty project that I happened upon when it was on ckie.com looking for additional funding. The Duet is a small dual motor vibrator made by a California-based company who designs and assembles the vibrator on site. You all know how I love locally made products. Anyway, after launching the original Crave Duet last year, along with the Duet Lux, Crave took a long hard look at the little vibrator, and after listening to feedback from users, did a revamp.

If you take a look at the Crave blog you can see they actually designed four new tips for the second generation Duet before narrowing down the final product to two. Rather than having the same edge on both tips, as with the first generation, the new Duet has asymmetrical tips. There is now also a wider gap between these two tips. Giving this dual tipped toy two different types of edges should allow it to fit more women much better. Additionally, the new Duet has a wider range of power, with the lowest power setting actually decreased, along with an 25% overall increase in power. Not only did Crave increase the power by 25%, they also added a turbo boost to the steady vibration mode. While I do not have a clit of steel, I always appreciate a significant amount of power in my vibrators, so turbo sounds good to me.

As with the original Crave Duet, the second generation has dual motors with four modes of vibration and four levels of power. It is waterproof and rechargeable and uses your computer’s USB port to charge. The dual motor tips are made of silicone with an electroplated metal base. Not only that, but there are two Lux versions of the Crave Duet that are actual flash drives as well. You can select either 8GB or 16GB of memory in your vibrator. How cool is that? I’m still not sure I would feel comfortable whipping it out in front of my mom, for example, even in the guise of a flash drive, but I would love to have that option.

You can find the Crave Duet at the following stores:
Babeland
EdenFantasys
Good Vibrations

Lovehoney also carries the 8GB Crave Duet Lux and the 16 GB Crave Duet Lux, as does Babeland.

Happy New Year and welcome to Bean Fiddler’s Best of 2012. I remember having a really tough time writing my Best of 2011 post last January. I had reviewed so many great products over the course of the year. This year it’s a slightly different issue. I don’t seem to have loved nearly as many products in 2012 as I did in 2011. I don’t think this is necessarily a comment on the quality of sex toys and sensual products in 2012, as much as it has to do with me being less cavalier about handing out those five bean scores. In fact, I only rated one product a full five beans in 2012. Shocking!

Due to the way things played out in 2012, I am doing something a little different than last year. I decided to go with 10 different categories and choose my favorite product of the year in each category. So, without further ado, on to Bean Fiddler’s Best of 2012.

LELO Insignia Tiani 2

Best Sex Toy for Couples: LELO Insignia Tiani 2
In 2011, I reviewed the original LELO Insignia Tiani and thought it was OK. Certainly, I thought the new technology was cool but there were issues with the actual vibrations of the toy and communication with the remote. LELO did a very quick turnaround on revamping the Tiani and came out with the LELO Insignia Tiani 2 which has much stronger vibrations and communicates very well with its remote. They included two g-spot attachments and you can also use the wearable part of the Tiani 2 on its own without the remote, which was not possible with the original Tiani.

Jenna Haze Swallow Fleshlight

Best Sex Toy for Men: Jenna Haze Swallow Fleshlight
This really in Beanpole Fiddler’s category and I know he only does a review here and there so there’s not a lot of competition in this category. Still, the Jenna Haze Swallow Fleshlight was his favorite toy that he reviewed last year. He loved the feel of the Fleshlight Superskin material and found the Swallow texture to be very enjoyable. He also really liked the experience of looking down and seeing Jenna Haze’s lips wrapped round his cock. He reported that when warmed up, the Jenna Haze Swallow Fleshlight was pretty great.

Pjur Original Body Glide

Best Lubricant: Pjur Original Bodyglide
Pjur Original Bodyglide Lubricant is the first, and so far only, silicone-based lubricant I have reviewed. A big part of this is that the majority of my sex toys are made of silicone, and if you read my reviews you know that using silicone-based lube with silicone sex toys is generally a bad idea. The silicone of the two can interact with each other and cause a chemical reaction that leaves the toy feeling tacky. Nevertheless, I do have a handful of toys in materials such as glass, plastic, and metal, and decided it was high time to review a silicone-based lube. I was thoroughly impressed with Pjur Original Bodyglide. It is soft and slippery and provides a variety of perks aside from just using it sexually.

LELO Smart Wand

Best Wand: LELO Smart Wand
There was a lot of fanfare about the brand new LELO Smart Wand being released last year. I think due in part to the fact that it was the first “massager” type of product released by LELO. It comes in two sizes and three colors. The Smart Wand is rechargeable and sleek, and though I wanted it to be stronger, it is very effective. (I might actually pull it out and use it on my neck which is in a lot of pain right now.) I liked that it has multiple uses and didn’t really look like a sex toy. I was also impressed that some mainstream stores, like Brookstone, have started stocking it.

Tantus Cush Dildo O2

Best Dildo: Tantus Cush O2
While I do want to give a shout out and honorable mention to the Fleshlight Freaks Drac Dildo, I must say my favorite dildo of the year was the Tantus Cush O2. With its dual density squashy outer layer and firm inner core, the Cush O2 was a new experience in dildos for me. Not only did I love the color, but it just feels awesome during play. I must agree with all those fans of dual density out there and say I really do prefer it overall to regular old silicone dildos. Not only is the Cush O2 a great dildo, Tantus is a great U.S.-based company that makes all of its products on site in Nevada.

PAPAYA Toys Tattoo

Best Traditional Vibrator: PAPAYA Toys Tattoo
My pick for this category actually comes from a very recent review. The PAPAYA TOYS Tattoo is a good-looking, not to mention flat out good, vibrator. It has great rumbly and strong vibrations that my body loves, wrapped in vivid green silicone. The PAPAYA Toys Tattoo is waterproof and has a very cool memory chip that allows it to turn on at the same level of intensity and same mode it was in when you turned it off. It’s a bit girthier than a lot of traditional vibrators out there and its shape keeps it from being average. The head creates a nice popping feeling during thrusting and the silicone is particularly nice. Though it is a bit noisy, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives for me on this one.

Jopen Vanity Vr5.5

Best Rabbit Vibrator: Jopen Vanity Vr5.5
After my less than thrilling experience with the Vanity Vr3 and the Vanity Vr10, I was pleasantly surprised by their newer cousin, the Jopen Vanity Vr5.5. Not only is it rechargeable, but it is waterproof and fully immerseable. I had high hopes but strong doubts about the Jopen Vanity Vr5.5, because while the shape looked interesting, it didn’t really seem like it would effectively hit my clit. Turned out that what I liked best about this redesigned vibrator was how deep and rumbly the vibrations are, and how perfectly its unlikely shape fit my body. Jopen did a great job with this one, even if it does come with an unnecessarily ginormous storage bag.

LELO Nea

Best Clit Vibrator: LELO Nea
I realize this is the third time LELO has shown up on my Best Of list this year and I don’t want to be a LELO whore or anything, but what can I say? Their toys work for me. Not only that, but they’re made of high quality materials. In general, I prefer silicone vibrators and I love LELO’s silicone in particular. Nevertheless, I just happen to adore the LELO Nea’s plastic body. The flowery design is adorable, but more importantly, the plastic is perfectly slippery and slidey for a clit vibe so I don’t need to use lube. I also find the vibrations to be both rumbly and strong enough to get me off quickly, and the small size of the LELO Nea fits perfectly in my hand without causing it to get buzzy or crampy.

Leaf Fresh

Best New Product: Leaf Fresh
I was lucky enough to be amongst the early testers of the new Leaf line and apparently even luckier to select the Fresh. From what I heard around the water cooler, it seemed not all of Leaf’s vibrators were winners. Fortunately for me, the Leaf Fresh is a pretty great little vibrator, and I do mean little. It’s almost as small as the LELO Nea, which is tiny. The atypical shape of the Fresh fits comfortably in my hand and nestles right up against my labia to hit my clit. Oh, did I mention that it’s made of green silicone?? Any sex toy that’s green is already a step above the rest. I was so pleased the Fresh actually lived up to its potential.

Liberator Fascinator Throe

Best Standout Product: Liberator Fascinator Throe
The only review product to get a full 5 beans from me in all of 2012, which is quite something considering all the beans I handed out in 2011, was the Liberator Fascinator Throe. The Liberator Fascinator Throe is a great all around item to have in your arsenal. While it really doesn’t double as a comfy throw blanket like I hoped it would, it is a must have for all your reindeer games. It truly works as promised and has saved my sheets from many a mess, keeping me from having to change them at an awkward/exhausted moment. It washes and dries well, and is soft and silky to lay upon. If it was just offered in smaller sizes it would make storage, solo play time, and tossing it in the back of the car a lot easier.

Considering the shift that seems to have occurred from 2011 to 20912, I am very curious to see what happens in 2013 with my review choices and how I approach rating products. As always, I hope these reviews are helpful and provide clarity to my readers. Thank you to all those who have made my reviewing these great products (and even the not so great ones) possible. Let’s hope that 2013 brings some interesting and exciting new products to our attention! So far, so good considering my first review of the year, the Whipspider Rubberworks Jellyfish Dildo. **Spoiler Alert** I may have already found my favorite dildo of 2013.

I notice that I focused much more on sex toys than sensual products last year, and reviewed more vibrators than any other sex toy. My focus appeared to be on clit vibrators, with a handful ending up with 4 and 4.5 bean reviews. I only reviewed one anal toy in 2012, which is astonishing to me, and did I not review any nipple toys. 2012 was a very different year when it comes to reviews.

I have now been exposed to so many sex toys that something which would have blown me away when I first began this journey may now seem very blah. The longer I review sex toys, the better I get at distinguishing quality toys from those that are merely mediocre. I think this maturation as a reviewer is a very good thing for you readers. My exposure to all these products allows me to provide you with a better understanding of how well a sex toy actually works for me, as well as assisting me in answering many of your questions, on and off the site.

Additional honorable mention is deserved by the following sex toys that received 4 and 4.5 bean ratings:
LELO SIRI
Jimmyjane Form 2
Lovehoney Realistic Oh! Rabbit
Lovehoney Tapered Prober Orgasmic Glass Dildo
Tantus Goliath Vibrating Dildo
Toyfriend Starlet

There are a good number of sex toy manufacturers out there, and as a reviewer, I try to gain some experience with a wide variety of them. Having not run across Great Kingsland before, I was curious what their toys might be like. Having nothing else really new on my radar, it seemed like a good time to try out the Pretty Love Bunny carried by We Love Toys.

You know how you order something and even though you know what the measurements are before it arrives you are somehow surprised by the size anyway? That’s what happened with the Pretty Love Bunny. I pulled the box out of the padded envelope and thought, “How can the vibrator possibly fit in a box so small?” Yet it does, and do you know why? Because the Pretty Love Bunny is kinda tiny.

The Pretty Love Bunny is only 5″ from its base to the tips of its ears. It is made mostly of burgundy silicone and has an adorable little face with eyes and a nose. The silicone has a lovely silky feel to it and it does not attract lint like most silicone. The top half of the Pretty Love Bunny is bendy, while the bottom half, with the motor, is made of ABS. It has three ridges across its front that make gripping it easier and more comfortable.

The Pretty Love Bunny is waterproof which makes cleaning easy. I just wash it in the sink with antibacterial soap and water, but you can also use a sex toy cleaner. The silicone portion can be disinfected with a 10% bleach solution.

As there is very little drag with this smooth silicone I don’t require much, if any, lubricant. However, if you do use lube, be sure to use water-based lubricant rather than silicone-based. Silicone-based lubricant can cause a chemical reaction with the silicone of the Pretty Love Bunny damaging it and causing it to become tacky.

I prefer rechargeable vibrators because, in the long run, they are less expensive and better for the environment. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on batteries and find ways to dispose of them. Therefore, the fact that the Pretty Love Bunny is rechargeable makes me happy. It has a small charging port on its bottom that is covered by a removable silicone plug. This plug comes off completely. I don’t like this at all because it is very small and easy to lose. I discovered this because it popped off during my first charge. Losing this silicone plug would not exactly kill the waterproof factor of the Pretty Love Bunny but I would certainly not want to take it into the bath or shower with the port completely open.

As the Pretty Love Bunny does not come with a user manual, I really don’t know how long it takes to get fully charged. During charging, both the charger and the Pretty Love Bunny glow red and the Love Bunny goes dark when charging is complete. I charged mine for a few hours which did the trick. I have not run down the battery yet, so I’m not sure how long that takes. It will run down more quickly if you use it on the higher intensity levels.

The control panel is on the back of the Pretty Love Bunny and blends in well with the body. It is an oval shape with four button areas. These are not distinct buttons but is easy to press the control you want without hitting something else. The trick is getting the vibrator to do what you want. You actually have to press these buttons with such force to change settings, that I don’t think it’s possible to turn the vibrator off accidentally. You also may have issues with the force required to push the buttons during play. I have a very difficult time changing modes and intensity while I’m using the Pretty Love Bunny.

There are + and – buttons as well as up and down arrows. It took a few minutes to figure out how it works as there are no instructions. The up arrow turns the Pretty Love Bunny on and the down arrow turns it off. The plus and minus buttons scroll through the five levels of intensity. What’s weird is that when I turn the vibrator on it seems to be on the third level of intensity. I’ve never run across this before. Most vibrators start at the lowest level of intensity and I have a few that start on the highest, but the middle is just strange. I wouldn’t have thought to try to scroll down after turning the Pretty Love Bunny on, but it just seemed awfully strong for a low setting so I gave it a try.

If the website hadn’t mentioned that there are seven vibration modes, I would have totally missed the patterns. This is why we need manuals, people. Once you’ve set the Pretty Love Bunny on the level of intensity you want, you hit the up arrow to scroll through the seven pattern modes. To turn the vibrator off when you are in the pattern modes, press and hold the – button for a few seconds.
1. Long , slow pulse
2. 2 short then one long pulse
3. Medium pulse
4. Sets of 3 fast pulses
5. 3 short and 3 long pulses
6. Fastest pulses
7. Fast pulses

Just like with the weirdness of turning on at level three intensity, the Pretty Love Bunny’s pattern modes are in a kinda wacky order. I generally find similar patterns are grouped together and arranged by speed, which is not the case here. The order just seems wrong. I suppose this isn’t necessarily a problem, but I find it annoying anyway. Of course, I have more sex toys than any one person needs so I am getting pickier and pickier.

I find the Pretty Love Bunny to be loud for a vibrator of its size. This is not an issue for me, but I know it is for some. The frequency of the vibrations are not deep and rumbly, but they’re not really buzzy either. They feel sort of…light. I think this is partly because the little flexible ears are flicking against my clit as opposed to something solid being pressed against my body. Still, the vibrations are powerful, unexpectedly so. Without having a lot of pressure against my clit I need this added power and I think it will make many people happy.

How do I like the Pretty Love Bunny in use? I love the silky smoothness of the silicone against my skin. It’s versatile because I can use the ears to tickle and tease my clit and if I want more pressure, I can use the nose. The ears also feel great against my nipples and labia. They flick back and forth so quickly I can get pinpoint precision on my clit if I want. While I like the way the Pretty Love Bunny feels on my body, I don’t like actually using it that much because of the control panel. The layout is fine but you have to press so hard on the buttons to make a change that half the time I have to stop what I’m doing to hold it with both hands so I can get enough pressure on the buttons. Granted, I do have long nails and it’s possible this is part of the problem.

The packaging of the Pretty Love Bunny is simple and sweet. It comes in a very hard and sturdy small black box, which unfortunately is not discreet. It doesn’t say vibrator on it but it has an image of the Love Bunny on the front that sort of screams sex toy to me. Inside the box, the Pretty Love Bunny sits in a bed of molded foam and underneath this foam is the charger. I think the funniest part of this toy is the included storage bag. It’s a rough sheer black material that feels low end and it closes with a ribbon that says “sex toys” on it. Hilarious. I usually don’t single out the storage bag but this just cracked me up so much. What this packaging lacks is a user manual and I always find this irritating. I’m plenty experienced with sex toys and can figure out how they work pretty easily, but what about someone who is purchasing this as their first vibrator? Granted, it’s not rocket science, but why make it more difficult and uncomfortable for someone? Nonetheless, this box is really great for storage because it doesn’t take up a huge amount of space. You can also remove the foam and use it to store other things, multiple chargers (labeled), batteries, condoms, etc.

Pretty Love Bunny Pros:
• Strong
• Versatile
• Good shape
• Rechargeable
• Waterproof
• Very silky silicone
• Not a lint magnet

Pretty Love Bunny Cons:
• Difficult to change modes during use
• Loud
• Charging port cover comes off easily
• Starts on level 3 intensity
• Weird order on patterns
• No user manual

The Pretty Love Bunny has me conflicted. I like the way it feels but I don’t like the actual process of using it. I think the Pretty Love Bunny has some flaws with how its vibration modes are set up, but as I admitted, I am picky. I would prefer it start on the lowest level and ramp up from there and I would like the patterns to be more orderly. However, that’s really not a make it or break it issue. I also kinda hate the control panel. It’s just very difficult for me to press the buttons firmly enough.One of the big issues for me is that the charging port cover comes off so easily. That is a big no no. I know I’ve complained more than ever before about the lack of user manual, but I really think this vibrator needs one. Even if I like the vibrator, I’m not sure what good that is if it’s a pain in the butt to use. Still, it does have redeeming qualities, hence my indecisiveness. To a certain degree, the pros and cons cancel each other out leaving me to go with a middle of the road rating. You can find the Pretty Love Bunny at We Love Toys.

Bean Fiddler Rating

Before I start this review, I just want to wish Everyone a Happy 12/12/12!

Ever since I found myself in the midst of the sex toy world, I have been hearing about Jimmyjane products. They have a very strong reputation for making high quality sex toys and sensual items. Over the past two years I’ve kept my eyes open for an opportunity to review something Jimmyjane but it never seemed to come together. Of all the Jimmyjane products, the Form 2 interested me the most. I even posted a Spotlight on it way back. The shape just tickled my fancy and it seemed to have a lot of positive things going for it. As it did not appear anyone would ask me to review it for them, I finally just went for it and picked one up.

I did a lot of research on the Jimmyjane Form 2 before purchasing one. If I’m going to be spending over $100, I want to be reasonably convinced I’m going to like the sex toy I’m investing in. I had read numerous reviews that the Form 2 has a glitch in its motors causing it to make a loud, high-pitched whine when pressure is put on them. Apparently, this is an issue with most Form 2 vibrators and is not something that is fixed by replacing the unit. Nonetheless, I really wanted it so I took the risk. Turns out everything I read was true of my Form 2, but more on that annoying whine later.

The Form 2 is a cute little vibrator that reminds me of a tooth. It is a mere 3″ long and approximately 1.75″ in diameter, not that the diameter matters much as it is not an insertable. There is a motor in each of the little legs giving the Form 2 an extra boost of power. This vibrator is covered in silky smooth silicone that has a minimal amount of drag to it so it doesn’t require a ton of lube. As the Form 2 is silicone, you want to use water-based lubricant with it as silicone-based lubes can create a negative chemical reaction.

One great thing about the Jimmyjane Form 2 is that it’s waterproof with no open ports so it is super easy to clean. You can use warm water and antibacterial soap, a sex toy cleaner, or a 10% bleach solution. Something else I like about this particular silicone is that it is not a lint magnet, which is excellent, as most silicone tends to be. There is a very small seam in the silicone running around the outside of the vibrator but I do not feel it in use at all.

The Jimmyjane Form 2 is rechargeable and the way it charges is super cool. It has a metal circle on it’s base so you it charges when you sit in the charging cradle, like a cordless phone. As I mentioned before there are no open ports, nothing for water to penetrate, which makes me totally comfortable using the Form 2 in the shower and submerging it in the bath, though I do not actually spend much time masturbating in my bathroom.

The control panel of the Jimmyjane Form 2 consists of three teeny buttons on the face of the vibrator, +, -, and ~. These buttons are very straightforward and simple to use. The + button turns the Form 2 on and increases the intensity of the vibration. The – button decreases the intensity of the vibration and turns the vibrator off. The ~ button switches modes and cycles through them. You can increase and decrease the intensity of the vibrations in each mode, which is great. The Form 2 also has a memory chip so it remembers what mode and intensity you were on when you turned it off and starts back in the same place when you turn it back on.

The Jimmyjane Form 2 has five levels of intensity and four vibration modes. They are as follows:
1. Steady vibration
2. Ramp up from motor to motor*
3. Ramp up
4. Fast pulse
*I’m not sure exactly what is going on with the second pattern, but I like it a lot.

I already told you about the mysterious and annoying high-pitched whine and mentioned that my Form 2 does have this glitch. However, it doesn’t happen consistently. I can see no rhyme nor reason as to why sometimes I can put more pressure on the legs without an issue and other times less pressure sets it off. When it does happen it’s annoying, but it doesn’t happen all the time so I can live with it. One thing I find surprising about the Form 2 is that it is louder than I expected. I figured it would be whisper quiet as it’s so small, but it really isn’t. It’s not insanely loud. You can’t hear it through a closed door, but you can hear when it’s under the covers.

Aside from all the hullabaloo about noise, the Form 2 is a joy to use. I love how the little legs surround my clit with their dual motors. I don’t know how other women use their Jimmyjane Form 2 but I like to hold mine sideways so that one leg is on top of my clit and the other is underneath it. It fits my body perfectly this way and provides more than adequate power to get me off quickly and easily. As long as you remember where the buttons are, which comes with practice, it’s a snap to use. Just as I was hoping when I went out on a limb with the Jimmyjane Form 2, I really like it. In fact, it’s pretty great. The power is awesome, especially for a vibrator of this size. It even rivals my most favorite We-Vibe Touch and that, my friends, is not easy to do.

The packaging of the Jimmyjane Form 2 is a bit of a disappointment. It comes in a very large box with images of the vibrator on all sides. It also says “vibrator” right on the front, totally indiscreet. Inside the box the Form 2 sits within a flexible plastic container that also holds the charging cradle. Underneath this container is another smaller one that holds the charging cord. Also included is a pamphlet on the Jimmyjane family and a little instruction booklet. I dislike that this packaging is huge which means it cannot be used for storage, not to mention that once I removed the components from the box I was never able to get them back in and close it again. I really believe when you spend over $100 on a toy a storage bag should be included. Nothing fancy, just a simple satin bag will do. All of my other high end vibrators come with storage bags. Some even come with boxes too pretty to throw away. I know it’s nitpicky but it just annoys me that I have nowhere to store my Form 2.

Jimmyjane Form 2 Pros:
• Dual motors
• Powerful
• Good shape
• Rechargeable
• Waterproof
• Easy to use
• Not a lint magnet
• Silky silicone

Jimmyjane Form 2 Cons:
• Intermittent high-pitched whining noise with applied pressure
• Louder than expected

When it comes to ratings and recommendations, the Jimmyjane Form 2 puts me in a tricky spot. This vibrator could easily be a top contender for my favorite sex toy of 2012 if it weren’t for the irritating glitchy noise issue. Granted, it doesn’t happen every time I use the vibrator but because it does happen at times, when it does it’s annoying. As much as I love the power of the Form 2 and most everything about using it, it is difficult to decide how to rate it. Of course I would prefer my Form 2 was not at all glitchy, but I can live with it. It really is an awesome vibrator but it’s not my only one, so if I don’t feel like dealing with it I don’t have to.

For shape, size, waterproofness, and power, I highly recommend the Form 2. If you are ok with the likelihood that your Form 2 will make this annoying noise, at least from time to time, and it isn’t your only vibrator, then by all means go for it. However, if you need a toy that will always be super quiet, if you find noise horribly distracting, if you’re counting your pennies (and who isn’t nowadays?), I just cannot in good conscience give this vibrator my full backing. Without the noise glitch I would give the Jimmyjane Form 2 a resounding five beans, but that stupid whine won’t allow me to do that. I’m deducting one full bean for it and it would be more if I didn’t like the damn vibrator so much.

You can find the Jimmyjane Form 2 at the following stores:
Babeland
EdenFantasys
Good Vibrations
***TODAY (12/12/12) ONLY Good Vibrations is offering the Form 2 for $99!

Bean Fiddler Rating:

Not too long ago, a local California sex toy company called NS Novelties came out with a a few new vibrators. The Bliss Massager looked colorful and interesting, two qualities I adore in my sex toys. I really wanted to check it out and thanks to PinkCherry Sex Toys I had the opportunity to test drive the Bliss.

The Bliss Massager is a small vibrator that I would classify as a clit stimulator, meaning it is not designed to be inserted into the vagina, or anus for that matter. It measures 4.5″ in length and 2″ in diameter. It is lightweight and fits perfectly in my hand. It comes in two colors, black and burgundy, and white and pink. Both colors are attractive but I prefer my white and pink Bliss Massager. Kinda reminds me of Easter candy.

Made of ABS and silicone, the Bliss Massager is body safe and easy to clean. Most of the vibrator is made of white plastic but the tip of the Bliss is a pink, ribbed silicone and there is a pink silicone stripe that runs around its body. NS Novelties recommends using antibacterial soap and water for cleaning, but you can also use a sex toy cleaner. If you are careful you can use a 10% bleach solution on the silicone tip of the Bliss but I wouldn’t want to get bleach on the plastic body. If you want to use a bleach solution, I would suggest dabbing it on with a soft towel. There is a good amount of drag with the silicone tip, so I do recommend using lube during play. As the tip is really what touches your body, you’ll want to use a water-based lubricant. Silicone-based lubes can have a negative reaction with the silicone tip leaving it tacky. Fortunately, there isn’t too much of this silicone on the Bliss as the silicone that is on there does attract a lot of lint.

The Bliss Massager has two of my favorite features in a sex toy. It is waterproof and rechargeable. On the back of the vibrator, in the pink silicone, is the charging port. You can really tell the Bliss is waterproof by how firmly you have to push the charging pin into the port to secure it. When you pull it out, the silicone seals the hole up which is what allows it to be waterproof. As you can see from the images (or rather not see), the port is practically invisible when not in use. During charging, the control panel flashes red. The flashing stops when the Bliss is fully charged…or so it seems. There is no user manual included with the Bliss Massager so this is just what I’ve experienced. I charged my Bliss for two hours or so which seemed to fully charge it, though i don’t know if it arrived with much of a charge. I have yet to run the battery down so I really don’t know how long it will last before another charge is needed.

As I mentioned before, the Bliss Massager fits comfortably in my hand which makes it very easy to use. The control panel consists of a black silicone strip with three buttons, +, o, and -. The + button turns the Bliss on and increases the intensity of the vibrations. It also allows you to cycle up through the different patterns once you’ve changed modes. You press the o button when you want to switch from steady vibrations to patterns and back to steady vibrations again. The – button decreases the intensity of the vibrations, cycles down through the pattern modes, and turns the vibrator off. All three buttons are easy to press and have good feedback. You have to press on them firmly so you won’t change modes or intensities accidentally, just by brushing your finger across one of them.

The Bliss Massager has four levels of steady vibration and six patterns, which accounts for the 10 modes stated on the box. The different modes are as follows:
1. Steady vibration
2. Medium pulse
3. Fast pulse
4. Double pulse
5. Escalation
6. Dance Mix
7. Double pulse with escalation

The vibrations are quite strong but they are slightly buzzy; not horribly, but they are certainly not the deep, rumbly vibrations I prefer. I can feel the vibrations in my hand while using the Bliss Massager, which isn’t surprising considering its size. I don’t need to use it for very long before having an orgasm but I suspect those that do may fall prey to buzzy hand syndrome. The Bliss is on the quiet side but it has a weird high-pitched whine in certain modes and when switching between patterns that is rather annoying and louder than the vibrations themselves. I am not sure if it’s just my Bliss or if they all do this.

A totally unnecessary but fun feature of the Bliss is the LED light show it puts on during use. The LED strip down the center of the vibrator lights up when the vibe is on. It increases and decreases each time you increase/decrease the intensity. It also changes colors and flashes in time to each pattern. The only downside of this light show is that you cannot actually see it during use. Your partner might enjoy it though.

In use, the Bliss Massager is a decent vibrator, but not great. I don’t love the vibrations but I don’t hate them either. They aren’t my ideal kind of vibrations, deep and rumbly, but I still have no problem getting off with this vibrator. I enjoy using the Bliss for its shape, comfort, and ease of use but I wish it had better vibrations. They are not so buzzy my clit hurts or tingles but they’re a step in that general direction. Although the tip is ribbed, for what I assume is additional stimulation, I do not feel the ribbing against my clit or labia. The Bliss does a good job on my nipples, though it is draggy without lube, so at least it’s multifunction, which I like. One thing I love is that I can control the intensity of the vibration in each mode. I just increase to the level I want and switch to the pattern mode. A lot of vibrators don’t allow this and I think it’s a big plus.

The packaging of the Bliss Massager is very secure but indiscreet. The outer box has images of the vibrator on the front and back with a list of attributes. There is another box that slides out of this external box. This box has a lid with a plastic window that shows the Bliss. The lid lifts off to reveal the Bliss sitting in a foam cutout. There is a paper flap that hides the charger in its own foam cutout next to the Bliss. The only instructions are on the side of both boxes that tell you how to wash the Bliss and suggest using lubricant, as well as a little blurb on the back of outer box which shows you how to use the control panel. While these directions are sufficient for me, I would like a little booklet to be included. Not only would it be helpful for novice users, but I have no idea how long to charge the vibrator or how long the charge lasts because this information is nowhere to be found. I would applaud NS Novelties for not using the extra paper and going more green by printing everything on the boxes if there weren’t two of them.

Bliss Massager Pros:
• Comfortable in hand
• Can control strength of vibration in every mode
• Strong vibrations
• Easy to use control panel
• Lightweight
• Rechargeable
• Waterproof

Bliss Massager Cons:
• Slightly buzzy vibrations
• Weird high-pitched whine

There are some great things about the Bliss Massager that I expected to like and do. I always love a waterproof and rechargeable vibrator. I love that I can control the intensity of the vibrations in every mode, though it is slightly awkward to have to set the strength first then go into pattern modes. The comfort of the shape in my hand and the ease of use of the control panel make it a pleasure to use the Bliss. What dampens that pleasure is the buzzyishness of the vibrations and the annoying high-pitched whine of the motor. Even though the size might make the Bliss a good travel vibrator, the lack of a travel lock would make me hesitant to toss it into my luggage. Who wants to deal with a vibrating bag in the middle of a crowded airport or jump in the bath with your vibrator at the end of a long journey only to discover it has accidentally been drained of all its power? Head on over to PinkCherry Sex Toys to check out the Bliss Massager, and remember, they offer Free Shipping on your $49+ order.

Bean Fiddler Rating: