Choosing a vibrator is a completely personal decision. What works for you isn’t going to work for someone else, and what someone else hates may be your personal favorite. Once you find your favorite, though, it opens a new type of pleasure and a new way to experience sensations – so the exploratory process is half the fun!
Vibrators are available in a huge variety of …well, everything, really! They are made from different materials, in different designs, in different colors, with different motors, with different power methods, with different control systems, and with different special features. The only thing that it really has to do is vibrate! (If it doesn’t vibrate, it tends to be classified as a dildo . ) This is why you might have to experiment to find the perfect vibrator for you – after all, with so many choices out there, it makes sense that you’ll have to “shop” around a bit to understand exactly what you like and exactly what you want. (To put it in perspective, if you only drank soda and never tried anything else, would you know that you actually like Apple Juice too? Or that water is tasty to you also? You really wouldn’t.)
So, when you’re starting to narrow down your choices to find your perfect vibrator, here are some things you should keep in mind. As you start to narrow down you requirements and learn your preferences, it’ll make it even easier to buy a vibrator that really works well for your body:
Understand the Material: The material is one of the most important aspects of the vibrator. Why? Well, because, material can make a huge difference. For one, you should look up “phthalates” and understand that many sex toys may be made with them. Phthalates aren’t particularly good for you, so if you get a toy with phthalates (the cheaper, non-plastic toys tend to have phthalates), make sure to cover it with a condom during use for the sake of your health. Allergic (and painful) reactions to phthalates have been reported in many women – and a burning sensation is not what you want in that area.
Aside from the phthalates issue, though, material isn’t quite as important unless you plan on keeping your vibrator for life or plan on sharing your vibrator with other people. You see, porous materials (such as PVC, jelly, and similar materials aside from silicone) don’t clean up as well, bacteria-wise, as non-porous materials (such as silicone or plastic). This means that you won’t want to keep a non-porous sex toy around for a lifetime – and you certainly don’t want to share it as it can’t be 100% sterilized. If you’re on a budget, though, the cheapest non-porous material tends to be plastic. Other non-porous materials include wood, silicone, and stainless steel.
Know the Power Source: Vibrators tend to be powered by three different methods: either by batteries, by wall electricity, or by a rechargeable lithium-type battery. Wall electricity-powered vibrators are, by far, the strongest, but they also require being tethered to an outlet. Rechargeable vibrators can have a good chunk of power, but if it dies mid-use, you’re stuck without a toy until you recharge it (but it also saves money from purchasing batteries). Disposable battery vibrators are really simple to use, usually extremely cheap to purchase, and can have a good amount of power, so I usually recommend that a beginner try out a disposable battery vibrator first. This way, it’s cheaper to try out a variety of shapes, sizes, and powers before you figure out what type of toy you like – after you know that, I usually recommend upgrading to a rechargeable-type of vibrator since those are usually made of higher-quality materials, tend to last longer, and help you save money on disposable batteries. This is definitely up to your personal preference though. (As a note, more powerful batteries and a larger quantity of batteries usually equals more power. So a C battery vibrator will tend to be more powerful than a vibrator powered by a AAA battery.)
Single Stimulation or Double Stimulation?: Vibrators can come in single stimulation or double stimulation. In other words, the vibrator is designed to stimulate one area at a time or designed to stimulate two (or more!) areas at a time. Most double stimulation vibrators are called “rabbit vibrators” – and I’m sure you’ve seen their iconic shape in the past that allows for both vaginal insertion and clitoral stimulation at the same time. Depending on what you think you’ll enjoy, you may want to try the dual stimulation type of vibrator. Be forewarned that finding a rabbit vibrator that’s perfect is more difficult than finding a single-stimulation vibrator though (because it requires more things to “match up” correctly), so it may be easier and less disappointing to try finding a single-stimulation vibrator first.
Internal or External: If you’ve decided you just want your sex toy to provide a single stimulation type at a time, you’ll then want to decide what type of single stimulation you’ll be wanting from it. Will you be wanting it purely to put inside you vaginally? If so, seeking a soft material or seeking a g-spot curved vibrator might be best, but stronger vibrations may not be important. Do you want that single stimulation to be clitoral stimulation? In that case, the vibration strength may be the most important thing. Would you like to sometimes use it internally and sometimes use it clitorally? In that case, you’ll probably want to find a toy that has equal-parts clitoral strength while still possessing a pleasurable design for insertion too.
Think About the Design: Is it important to you that your vibrator be discreet? Do you particularly love a certain color? Or would you be creeped out if your vibrator was in the shape of an animal? Those are all things to consider when purchasing a vibrator. You can get a vibrator in a ton of shapes, thicknesses, and colors, and you can even find lime green or hot pink vibes if that’s what you want. So if you want something to blend into your room (such as a vibrator that is hidden inside a lint roller) or you want something that looks less threatening (such as a vibrator in the shape of a dolphin), those are all options that you have.
Look Into the Special Features: Vibrators can come with a whole range of special features. One of the most common features is waterproof capabilities. If you see yourself enjoying your sex toy in the shower, waterproof capabilities is definitely recommended. Other common features include back-lit LED controls, discreet designs, included storage cases, glow-in-the-dark designs, bendable portions, wirelessly-controlled toys, attached suction cup, and more. If you have some particular use in mind, just make sure that your potential vibrator’s special features meet up with your intended use.
Read the Reviews: I definitely still stand behind what I said earlier (about each particular person being unique in their vibrator requirements), but reviews can be so helpful. They may not tell you if the vibrator will be perfect for you, but if you read a good review, it can tell you if the battery compartment is a pain, if it’s really easy to control, if the vibrations are barely-felt, if the vibrator hits the g-spot like it claims, if the batteries will shortchange you, if the charging port is finicky, and many, many other things. While reading a review usually won’t be able to tell you, 100%, if a vibrator will be perfect for you, it will tell you if the vibrator possesses some annoying feature or something that will be hard for you to tolerate (loud vibrations, finicky charger, etc.).
Once you start narrowing down those categories, though, you’ll really understand what to look for in your future sex toys. There are hundreds upon thousands of various vibrator options out there, and a vibrator can be an amazing purchase when you get the one that works best with your preferences. Keep these tips in mind when you’re shopping for a vibrator, and you’ll have a lot more success than if you’d just randomly select them each time you purchase a vibe. Happy shopping!
