Little Chroma: tiny, elegant, and waterproof

By Joan Price | May 25, 2010 |
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.

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G-Swirl: If you can get it open!

By Joan Price | April 10, 2010 |
[This vibrator is no longer available, but I thought you’d still enjoy reading about my trials and tribulations trying to use it.]
I’m no vibrator novice, and I’ve opened many a toy to insert batteries. I have never had the trouble I did with the G-Swirl.
I do understand how this is supposed to work. I read the directions. You squeeze the indentations, you hear a click from each side, and the top pops off. I reviewed a similar toy — the G-Twist — and had no problem popping its cap with one hand.
But I couldn’t open my purple G-Swirl with one hand, two hands, or even a jar opener. There were no clicks, nothing loosened.
Thank goodness, the good folks at Good Vibrations agreed that my product must be defective. They quickly replaced it with a new G-Swirl — this one bubblegum pink.
Hurray, this one opened. But it still took both hands squeezing the indentations (I couldn’t photograph that endeavor because I had no hand left to work the camera). Even with both hands, it took several tries.
For that reason alone, I hesitate to recommend the G-Swirl to women my age who may have arthritic or weak wrists. I type all day and lift weights, so you’d think I’d have found this task easier. If you’re young — maybe you wring diapers on a regular basis or build houses– and have the hand strength, maybe it won’t be an issue.
Good Vibrations, to their credit, sprang into action. They wrote me, “We put up a video on Youtube about changing the batteries of the G-Swirl here — while filming it we definitely saw how tricky it can be for a first time user.” (That’s okay, I’m not bristling at the “first time user reference.) You’ll notice that even in the demo (no longer available, sorry), she has to use both hands.
I apologize for taking this long to get past my tale of trying to open the cap to arrive at my actual review of the G-Swirl in operation. I’m happy to tell you that this internal vibrator is designed very well. The silicone is velvety smooth and just soft enough to give a little. The shape conforms to the vagina, with the curved bulb at the end just right for g-spotting.
The size starts small at the tip and increases with each new ridge, so you can decide how deep and full you want it. Holding the G-Swirl is comfortable, and the flared ridge is a good place to rest your hand. I read another review call it “hands-free,” but I didn’t find that to be true for me.
The vibrations are controlled by a daisy-shaped dial — you dial until you find the intensity (light to medium-strong) you want. I didn’t love that if you dial past the highest intensity, it decreases again, but I got used to making sure I didn’t do that.

Thank you, Good Vibrations, for sending me the G-Swirl.

Read all my vibrator reviews here. There are many, so click “older posts when you’ve scrolled to the bottom.
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ViboKit: Build your own rabbit

By Joan Price | March 30, 2010 |

[10/18/12 update: I learned that this product has been discontinued
(sorry!), but I thought you’d get a kick out of this review anyway,
so I didn’t remove it. Enjoy!]

 I love the idea of a “rabbit” vibrator that operates vaginally and clitorally at the same time. But if you’re like me, getting a vibrator designed for dual-action is hit or miss. If it hits the g-spot right, it misses the clitoris altogether. If it hits the clitoris just right, the vaginal action is all wrong. We’re all built differently. Wouldn’t it nice if you could build your own “rabbit” to your own dimensions?

With the ViboKit Upgrade Kit from Babeland, you can! This genius idea consists of a bullet (small, compact vibrator) in a rubbery home attached to a stretchable ring that fits around your dildo of choice. So you take the innie that works best for you, attach this outie, and voila — you have a rabbit vibrator that fits you. So cool!

That’s the idea of the Upgrade Kit, and it mostly works.

This isn’t in the instruction sheet — oh wait, there is no instruction sheet, just a diagram on the side of the box — but before use, you have to remove the bullet from its snug home (just twist and pull a bit), open it, and remove the little paper over the watch batteries that is keeping it from vibrating in the UPS truck during shipping. The first time, I got a faulty bullet which wouldn’t turn on, whatever I did, and then when I left it alone for a while, it turned itself on and wouldn’t turn off. It just skittered around the room on its own. I had to unscrew it it to make it stop.

The sign of a great sex toy retailer is its customer service. The moment I reported the problem to Babeland, a new one was on its way to me. The new one works perfectly — it turns on when I press the button, stays on if I hold it down for a few seconds, and turns off the moment I press it again. So that first one was indeed defective and a fluke. I include this not to embarrass Babeland or ViboKit, but to assure you that the retailers I recommend stand behind their products 100%.

The kit has more than the bullet attachment, though that’s the whole reason I wanted it. It also has a nubby ring to put around your dildo for more sensation, and a suction cup (!) so you can attach the whole business to the bathtub or to a wall (I suppose) for hands-free operation for a photo op or to delight a partner. (“Honey, open the door verrrry slowly!”)

I didn’t trust the suction cup — I didn’t want it to come loose and break either the mood or my toys. So I tested it attaching my newly created rabbit to the shower wall with my hands ready underneath. It stayed on the wall. I turned on the bullet — it stayed on the wall. I turned on the dildo also — it stayed on the wall! I truly expected that it would shake loose and fall, and I would scoff at the whole idea — but it actually stuck. Hmmm! I have no wish to make love to the shower wall, so now all I need is some reason that I’d want to stick it to the wall.

“Forget the shower wall!” I hear you shout. “How did your homemade rabbit work?” It worked fine for what it was — a bullet attached to a favorite vibrator. It was easily adjustable and stayed where I wanted it. But the bullet itself just isn’t strong enough for me. It might be for you, though.

Thank you, Babeland, for helping me build my own rabbit. And at only $28 for the whole kit (as long as you already have a favorite dildo), how can you go wrong?

See all Joan Price’s vibrator reviews here.
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Hitachi Magic Wand: strong enough for seniors

By Joan Price | October 4, 2009 |

The Hitachi Magic Wand is exactly that: magic. I discovered its gift-that-keeps-on-giving qualities at least thirty years ago and enjoyed it often. It lasted for decades, but finally its head hardened and a rough ridge appeared, and I had to say goodbye. Thank you, Good Vibrations, for sending me a new Hitachi Magic Wand for review. It’s not just as good as I remembered — at this time of my life, it’s better. I’ve been complaining throughout my vibrator reviews that I wished they were stronger. This one is!

When I used the Magic Wand as a young woman, I remember I had to cushion it with a washcloth to diffuse the sensations and temper the intensity just enough. At age 65 (one month to 66, hardly seems possible), I no longer need the washcloth. The wand is comfortable with just lubricant for cushioning, and the intensity is exactly right for flying to the moon.

I found it hilarious that the instructions that come with the Magic Wand have a diagram with numbers indicating the safe and effective places to “massage” — however the pelvic area is devoid of numbers! I guess we have to number our own….

(FYI, as I proofread this review, I discovered I twice mistyped “Magic Want” instead of “Magic Wand.” Now what does that tell you?)

If you googled “Hitachi Magic Wand review” you’d get 70,000 hits — but I’ll bet this is the only one you’ll read aimed at the senior/elder user. The Hitachi is the best-known (and best-loved) vibrator ever made, but I realize that many women in our age group grew up without sex toys being part of their experience.

Now that we’ve reached our age, an extra boost of intensity is really important for the stimulation our hormone-depleted bodies require to fire. If you haven’t incorporated sex toys into love play — with a partner or solo — I hope you’ll open your mind to it. Simply put, it’s far easier to reach an orgasm with the buzz from a clitoral vibrator than on our own. That’s just fact, at this stage of our lives. If you’re a woman who no longer reaches an orgasm easily — or at all — realize that you can recapture the sensation with some help — a Magic Wand, so to speak. (If you’re new to the idea of sex-toy-assisted stimulation, please read Senior Sex & Vibrators: Myths & Facts.)

Hitachi Magic Wand at GoodVibes.com

 

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