How to Choose a Vibrator

by by Rachel Venning and Claire Cavanah

The truly amazing array of vibrator styles, sizes, and materials can be both inspiring and a little daunting. Finding the perfect vibrator may take some self-loving homework. Answering these few simple questions can help cut through the information overload and prevent buyer’s remorse.

1. What do you want to use it for? Do you want to use it on your clitoris? Do you want to put it in your vagina or anus? Since just about anything that vibrates feels good on or around the clitoris, phallic-shaped vibrators suitable for penetration can also be used outside the vagina if the vibration is strong at the tip. Do you want both the full feeling of penetration and that all-important clitoral buzz? Dual-action vibrators, like the Rabbit Habit, mean never having to choose one feeling at the expense of the other. Electric vibrators are the most powerful, so if you have a more difficult time achieveing orgasms, you may want to try one of those first. If you intend to use a toy for anal insertion, make sure it has a flared base so it doesn’t slip all the way in. While there are vibrating sex toys made especially for anal use, most are not, so it’s best to get one specifically designed for anal play if that’s what you fancy.
2. How strong do you want your vibration to be? If you’ve never used a vibrator before, this is a tough question to answer with certainty, so prepare to experiment! If you masturbate with a firm rub on the clitoris rather than a light touch, you’re more likely to appreciate a strong vibration. Plug-in models like the Magic Wand or Wahl 7-in-1 vibrate the most powerfully, and jelly-rubber vibrators that use one AA battery vibrate the least intensely. Pick a toy with a variable speed control so you can play around until you discover just what amount of vibration starts your motor. After some initial investigation, you’ll be ready to hone in on your vibrating dream date orgasm.
3. How much do you want to spend? Though the Babeland Bullet is the least expensive vibrator we sell, it’s quite strong and very good-looking. Some people like to start with a few of the cheaper vibrators and test them out. But if the deluxe, spinning, fluttering dual-action Japanese vibrator is in your budget, and you have a sense that it will float your boat, by all means skip the preliminaries and go for it!
4. How big do you want it to be?  Discreet purse-sized sex toys hold a lot of appeal for orgasms on the go. If it’s never going far beyond your bedside drawer, size may not be a concern. Plug-in vibrators are not portable, but offer the most bang for the buck by outlasting their battery-powered cousins by years. If you plan to use the vibrator for penetration, the girth of the toy may be as crucial as the intensity of the vibrations. If you’re not sure how much girth you want, go smaller rather than larger so you know your new vibrator will fit.
5. What’s your aesthetic? Say you’ve whittled the choices down to two or three contenders, using all available information; now it’s time to cast rational thinking aside and pick the one that tickles that sexy part of your imagination. It may be the prettiest one, the kinkiest one, the most luxurious one, or the most comforting and familiar one. Desire and aesthetic are deeply personal and entwined; pick the vibrator or vibrators that speak to you.

Excerpted from Sex Toys 101: A Playfully Uninhibited Guide,by Rachel Venning and Claire Cavanah