The Hitachi Magic Wand: guest review by David M. Pittle, Ph.D.

“Where are the reviews of sex toys for men?” you keep asking me.
 
My books and blog are not just for women – I’m happy that I have many
male readers, and I’m thrilled when men as well as women fill the room at my
talks and workshops. But how do I, a woman, review a sex toy for men?
 
Obviously, I do that by inviting a smart, articulate, candid,
sex-positive man of our age to review it – a man like David Pittle.
 
I first met David when he attended one of my talks and introduced
himself as a therapist in San Rafael, CA, saying that he has been buying copies
of Naked at Our Age for his clients. Since then, he has attended several of my
events, and we’ve had many lively and honest conversations about sex and aging.
When he told me that the Hitachi Magic Wand is his favorite sex toy, I invited
him to write a review from his male perspective. Lucky for us, he was happy to
oblige. Here it is:
 
The Hitachi Magic Wand
reviewed by David M. Pittle, Ph.D.
 
Most sex toys are designed for either women or men. However, one wonderful item
which is bisexual is the magnificent and venerable
Hitachi Magic Wand
 
The Magic Wand has been
around for over 30 years in several constantly improving versions. The current Hitachi
Magic Wand HV250R is a vibrator that can wake up your libido no matter how
jaded you might be.
As we men get older,
some of us have more difficulty getting a good erection. For many men that’s
enough of a put-off that we quit trying. It can be embarrassing and
disappointing. It is easy to begin to forget the joy of sex. But on a health
level, getting off is important. A large, recent study, published in the
Journal of the American Medical Association (April 2004), showed that men who
have an active sex life–twenty or more times per month–were about one-third
less likely to develop prostate cancer. Of course sex for its own sake is
worthwhile.
Why would men use a
vibrator? “If I don’t have a partner, I always have the natural vibrator, my
hand,” many men say. And while that is true, it’s like saying that just because
I like spaghetti, I can’t also enjoy a baked potato with my meal. Variety is
the spice of life and a good vibrator is very spicy indeed.
The Magic Wand is
large, about 12.5 inches in length. It resembles nothing so much as an old World
War I potato masher hand grenade. Like a hand grenade, when it goes off, it
provides a very big bang. The business end is 2.25 inches across, with a
shallow v-slot that will hold your penis even in its flaccid state, and keeps
it captured as you get hard. With two different speeds—L(ow) provides a
relatively gentle ride and H(igh) gives a powerful, “let’s get going now” experience—the
Magic Wand handles all the needs for most men.
Doctors sometimes
recommend the Magic Wand, ostensibly for massaging back and shoulder muscles.
But that size makes it perfect for massaging a man’s testicles and perineum,
the area between the anus and the testicles, an area which is very erotically
sensitive.
Another nice feature
is that the head is easy to clean, as every sex toy should be, though not
immersible and not for use in the tub or shower. The Magic Wand is corded and
must be plugged into a wall socket. It is perfectly safe electrically when used
in bed or other dry environments, but obviously one would not use it in the
water any more than a hair dryer.
One accessory that
may be useful to some men, though I haven’t felt the need for it, is a variable
speed controller.  It can slow down the
Magic Wand, if even the Low speed is too much, but I notice that reviews are generally
not positive. If it isn’t needed, save the money and get a vibrator that is
less intense.
I’ve tried a few of
the sex toys specifically designed for men, but I always come back to my MagicWand!
David Pittle
David M. Pittle, Ph.D., is a therapist in San Rafael, CA, who has been helping people with sexual issues for over thirty years. Many of
his clients are age 50-80, when good sex is important, and dissatisfaction may
lead to loss of shared intimacy that can threaten the total relationship. David
specializes in helping women who are not experiencing sexual satisfaction and
men with non-medical and medically-related erectile dysfunction or other
issues. Visit his website
here.
 
(I am sad to tell you that my friend, sex therapist David Pittle died December 2017. We value his sex toy reviews. Read his other reviews here.)
 
 
Read Joan’s review of the Magic Wand for women. You’ll also find references to the Magic Wand in reviews of many other sex toys, because the Magic Wand’s intensity is the gold standard!
 

Note from Joan: Please see my other vibrator reviews by clicking here. Keep scrolling down — there are many! I love to hear from you and welcome your comments about any sex toys reviewed here, because our experiences are all different, and your experience will help other readers decide which toy is right for them. (However, if you’re a sex toy retailer, I don’t permit links that compete with the retailers I endorse — spammy, highjacking comments and links won’t see the light of day.)

Size My Sex Toys, Please!

 Women have their choice of sizes for bras and shoes, which is a good thing, because obviously our breasts and feet are all different shapes and sizes. So why haven’t sex toy designers/ manufacturers realized that our genitals are all different shapes and sizes, too?

Okay, it’s obvious that we are, and it’s also obvious that good sex toys would cost even more than they do now if they either came in a variety of sizes or were made to be adjustable.

But let’s say we’re buying a “rabbit” vibrator — a.k.a. “dual action” — which means that one vibrator has an innie for vaginal/g-spot stimulation and an outie for clitoral stimulation. Since I review sex toys, I get to try many different varieties, and I’ve sampled at least a dozen rabbits that don’t work for me at all. If they hit the spot internally, the clitoral-stimulator doesn’t land where I want it, and vice versa.

Unfortunately, the information details on the retailers’ sites generally include only length and circumference or diameter of the insertable part, but no way to gauge how close the two parts are, or anything else that might impact our enjoyment of a particular toy.

Besides, how many of us know our own measurements? Can we ask our gynecologist, “Hey, could you measure the distance from vaginal opening to clitoris?” And since I can’t bear a cervix battering toy, I’d also ask, “While you’re in there, how deep is my vagina from entrance to cervix?” (Readers: don’t tell me to insert a ruler, please, and yes, I know we’re expandable, but still….)

This rant started out as the prelude to a review of an absolutely gorgeous and expensive vibrator that fits all wrong, but I think I’ll stop here and see what you have to say. 

Your comments are welcome. (Please don’t use this as an opportunity to promote vibrator retail sites other than the ones I endorse on this blog, though. I delete comments that try to hijack my readers to sites I haven’t checked out and endorsed.)

Enjoy my other sex toy posts here.

I first posted this in November 2010 and am posting again, hoping to get more comments from you. Any sex toy designers who want to work with me, please let me know!

LELO Mona: Elegant Instrument of Pleasure!

LELO sex toys are beautifully made, both functional and artistic in design, and absolutely made for pleasure. The LELO Mona  is curvy, sleek and sexy, and practically silent. Thank you, Tabu Toys, provider of sex toys, for sending me the beautiful and elegant LELO Mona for review.

The Mona can be used as either a clitoral vibrator or a G-spot seeking insertable vibrator. For clitoral stimulation, either touch the tip to your sweet spot, or position the whole curve over your vulva–the vibrations seem to make the whole vulva sing, with of course a special focus on the clitoris. I didn’t find the vibrations quite strong enough to take me to the finish line this way, but I enjoyed it as a most pleasurable warmup.
The Mona shines — or should I say glows? — as an insertable vibrator. It has an unusual shape: a tapered tip that bulges to about 1.5″ in diameter, then thins considerably. Besides being pretty, that shape let’s you insert it, then let go and use it hands-free (or practically — you may need to touch it lightly to keep it from turning). Once inserted, it’s not likely to pop out at inopportune moments. If you prefer thrusting, the shape gives surprising sensations–its curvy bits are not at all penile, which you might like or not. It feels really good, just not like a penis, if that’s your shape of choice.
It’s rechargeable, which means you plug it in for a while to charge the toy, then it will go unassisted for hours. No cords or batteries to fuss with while you’re concentrating on your sensations. 
For those of us older folks with arthritis, the ergonomic design makes it easy to hold comfortably, no gripping, no weird angles. The only problem is that it’s easy to accidentally press a control button, changing mode or intensity.
The Mona is a mid-sized vibrator, larger than my favorite LELO toy, the Gigi. Here they are side by side for comparison.

Yes, the Mona is expensive. It’s a luxury toy: beautifully designed, easy to hold and a pleasure to use, made of medical-grade materials, velvety smooth, quiet, with six modes of stimulation and a variety of intensities. If you can afford to give yourself a special gift of pleasure, go fot it. Or direct a generous friend to this review!

Little Chroma: tiny, elegant, and waterproof

The Little Chroma is an elegant vibrator from Jimmyjane. The shape may make you think it’s supposed to be inserted vaginally, but although it can be used that way, it is best used on the clitoris where it can touch, rub, or roll against your sweet spot.
This lovely toy is really small — 5-1/4″ long and just 5/8″ in diameter. See how nicely it fits in my tiny hand? If you do want to use it vaginally, the cap has two small holes where you can thread a string to pull it out, just in case you can’t get a grip on it later on.

The Little Chroma claims that although it has only one vibrational intensity, it’s the only one you need. I don’t go along with “one speed fits all” any more than “one size fits all,” but it is a very nice intensity, despite being powered by just one AA battery. I’m spoiled by my super-strong vibrators, but this one is stronger than I expected — maybe a 4 out of 5. The motor is replaceable should it give out after many uses, so although the price is hefty, you’ll get a lifetime of pleasure from it.

Here’s what I expecially like about my Little Chroma:

  • It’s beautiful. It’s slim, designed to please the eye and hand as much as the pleasure spots it touches.
  • It’s made of aluminum and holds temperature well. So if you like it cold, as I do (is that weird?), or hot, you can warm or cool it first under running water.
  • It’s very smooth, feels splendid against tender tissues.
  • If you want to use it in your vagina and you are one of the many women our age who experience vaginal tightness, this can be a lovely way to re-open up an arena of pleasure. 
  • The slim design makes it perfect for clitoral stimulation during partner intercourse — it won’t get in the way.
  • It’s small enough to travel with you, even in a purse.
  • It’s waterproof!
 

Although other reviewers have said this toy is silent, I didn’t find it so. It’s much quieter than most vibrators, yes–just a subdued hum–but it would probably wake up a lightly sleeping partner, if that’s your concern.

It’s always recommended to remove batteries when a toy isn’t in use, to prevent the toy from accidentally turning on and wearing itself out. I don’t usually bother to do that, but I certainly have to remove the battery from this one, because the vibrator turns on just by closing the cap. There’s no on-off switch — no controls at all, in fact. Open is off; closed is on. (That’s why the cap is partially unscrewed in the photos; otherwise it would be buzzing away.) That’s not a bad thing —  the tight seal and lack of seams make it waterproof.

It’s also sturdy, despite its delicate look. I was testing it in the shower, and accidentally dropped it. It buzzed away on the floor until I picked it up without missing a beat. Of course I don’t recommend dropping it on a hard surface, but I was pleased that I did no damange.

Many thanks to Eden Fantasys for sending me this lovely toy to review.