When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Alyssa Powell/Business InsiderI’m not being facetious when I say that buying your first vibrator is a major rite of passage.
Not only are sex toys an incredibly intimate purchase but they can be the first step in figuring out what makes you feel good sexually — both with or without a partner. That last part is especially important as I’ve always been a big proponent of one thing: You can’t tell a partner how to satisfy you sexually if you don’t know how to do it yourself. Using a vibrator helps bridge that gap, allowing you to figure out how to reach climax on your own while also providing an opportunity for a partner to learn along with you.
But not all vibrators are designed to function the same way. Some are meant for external use while others are intended for penetration or G-spot stimulation. To help narrow down the best, I tested a variety of vibrators all with their own specific use case.
There were couples’ vibrators and bullet models, as well as finger-worn vibes and suction models. I’ve also included some insight into how I tested each vibrator, as well as why orgasms are good for your health, at the end of this guide. Here are the best vibrators:Best overall: Maude Vibrator, $49 available from MaudeThe Maude Vibrator is slim, discreet, and super powerful, giving you the feel of a standard-sized vibrator with a more streamlined look.
Best for couple’s: We-Vibe Chorus, from $190 available from We-Vibe and Bellesa BoutiqueWhile most couples’ vibrators are incredibly bulky, the We-Vibe Chorus is small and slim — and comes with a squeeze remote for added ease of use. Best finger: Dame Fin, $85 available from DameThe Dame Fin is a slim finger vibrator that’s powerful enough to use on your own, but also minimal enough to use during penetrative sex. Best suction: Satisfyer Pro 2, $59.
95 available from Satisfyer and AmazonWith its proprietary Air-Pulse Technology, the Satisfyer Pro 2 provides the feeling of sucking without, well, actual suction. Best bullet: Tenga Iroha Temari KAZE, $79. 99 available from TengaShaped like a small egg, the Tenga Iroha Temari Kaze is an incredibly discreet bullet vibrator that isn’t a pain to hold.
Best G-spot: LELO Gigi 2, $123. 67 available from LELOWith its flat, ergonomically-bent head, the LELO Gigi 2 is hands-down the best vibrator for delivering deep G-spot stimulation. Best vibrator overallMaudeThe Maude Vibrator is slim, discreet, and super powerful, giving you the feel of a standard-sized vibrator with a more streamlined look.
Pros: Powerful vibrations, a streamlined design, and a carrying case for extra discretionCons: A little on the louder sideWhether you’re a beginner or own several vibrators, the Maude Vibrator is a must-have toy for your goodie drawer. It’s designed to have a slim, cone-shaped silhouette that vibrates at both the tip and the rounded base. But what’s most interesting about this vibe is its size.
It sits somewhere between a bullet vibrator and a standard-sized vibrator, making it discreet and easy to carry. The Maude is also a perfect starter vibe because of how minimal it is. Instead of a dozen vibration modes, it features just three: Slow, medium, and fast.
Don’t let that dismay you. I was shocked by how powerful the highest vibration speed was, and how quickly it got me to the finish line. Its vibrating tip is perfect for pinpointing your clitoris or your nipples but also feels great against your G-spot, too.
The Maude Vibrator charges up quickly and holds that charge for at least 2. 5 hours. In fact, I’ve only charged it once since I received mine, and it’s been put to use several times since.
The Maude vibe is also latex-free, phthalate-free, and waterproof. Though I don’t have specific data to back it up, I’d go so far as to say this vibe is more waterproof than any others in this guide. Its thin USB charging port is even surrounded by silicone to protect it from any water slipping through, too.
The only con? It might be a touch louder than other vibrators I tested, but not so loud that you’ll wake someone in the next room while you’re using it. Best vibrator for couplesWe-VibeWhile most couple’s vibrators are incredibly bulky, the We-Vibe Chorus is small and slim — and comes with a squeeze remote for added ease-of-use. Pros: Super powerful, quiet, and comes with an innovative squeeze remoteCons: The Touch-Sense feature is hard to figure outWe-Vibe accomplished something incredibly rare with its Chorus vibrator: It created a wearable toy that doesn’t get in the way during sex.
Its flexible design fits virtually anybody, and its nearly-flat inner arm ensures that a penis won’t get snagged on it mid-thrust. Both arms vibrate to four speeds and six patterns, although the outer arm has decidedly more oomph that the inner arm. Still, this little toy buzzes against your G-spot, your clitoris, and your partner’s penis, giving them a pleasurable sensation as they thrust.
And those vibrations are the deep, rumbly kind instead of the topical buzzing that a lot of vibrators have, which is great for penetrative use. The toy also has something called Touch-Sense, which is meant to change the speed of the vibrations depending on your movement. For the life of me, I just couldn’t figure out how to make this work, making it one of the trickier components of the Chorus.
But where this toy really shines is with its squeeze remote. While the controller does have up and down arrows, you can also squeeze and hold the outer, squishy part. This increases the speed of the vibration for as long as you’re holding it, which I found to be a highly enjoyable alternative to fumbling with specific controls while in use.
The vibrator also connects to We-Vibe’s app which, when connected to WiFi, can control your vibrators from anywhere in the world. Aside from the bells and whistles, the Chorus is just a really great vibrator. It’s waterproof, easy to clean, and totally rechargeable.
I even enjoy it sans-partner. Best finger vibratorDameThe Dame Fin is a slim finger vibrator that’s powerful enough to use on your own, but also minimal enough to use during penetrative sex. Pros: Easy to pull on and off, removable tether, and strong vibrations that are whisper-quietCons: The pointy end can be intense, so you may need to switch between that and the squishy sideFinger vibrators of the past used to be dinky and weak, which is why the Dame Fin is so revolutionary.
It’s versatile with strong vibrations and an ergonomic design. The finger tether is removable, so you can slip it on and off, depending on how you use it. And you can wear it with the vibrator tip pointing up or down.
And even when the tether is off, the vibe stays put, thanks to a squishy finger notch that doesn’t vibrate your fingers numb. The Dame Fin has three different vibration speeds, with the highest speed being super powerful. I was actually shocked by how rumbly it was — it stimulated just as well as some of my larger vibes.
And it’s slim enough that you can slip it between you and your partner during sex. The Fin’s tether also easily slips off even if you’re in the middle of using it, and the buzzing is quiet enough that it won’t distract you (or wake the neighbors). It’s water-resistant, too, and made of medical-grade silicone, making it great for anyone with sensitive skin.
Its pointy side can be a little intense with its targeted vibrations, though. I found myself feeling over-sensitive and needing a break after a few minutes of extended use. Best suction vibratorSatisfyerWith its proprietary Air-Pulse Technology, the Satisfyer Pro 2 provides the feeling of sucking without, well, actual suction.
Pros: 11 vibration modes, no direct contact with your clitorisCons: A little noisier before it creates its sealThe Satisfyer Pro 2 delivers a completely different sensation to standard vibrators in that it provides suction. It’s ideal for people who love the feel of oral sex over the sometimes-intense buzzing of a traditional bullet vibe. The Satisfyer Pro 2 uses a pulsing sensation that provides the feel of sucking against your clitoris.
In fact, it has a little notch that slips over your clitoris and creates a bit of suction, giving you a true-to-life mouth feeling. My favorite part about the Satisfyer Pro 2 is the shape — it almost looks like a hairbrush with a small nose on the top. The only part that really vibrates is that little nose, so your wrist or hands don’t feel numb from the vibrations.
The Satisfyer Pro 2 has 11 different speeds and an easy-to-access control panel on the handle, so it’s easy to start off slow and cycle up into the more intense settings as you play. And since there’s no direct contact with your clitoris like other vibrators, you don’t get over-sensitive, which is great if you’re someone who likes longer sessions. It’s even slim enough to slip between you and your partner during sex for some super intense stimulation.
The Satisfyer Pro 2 is waterproof and easy to clean, though it is a bit loud before it creates a suction, so you may want to use this toy under some covers. Best bullet vibratorTengaShaped like a small egg, the Tenga Iroha Temari Kaze is an incredibly discreet bullet vibrator that isn’t a pain to hold. Pros: 11 vibration modes, no direct contact with your clitorisCons: A little noisier before it creates its sealI rarely use bullet vibrators for one specific reason: Their entire bodies tend to buzz, which can be painful on my hands and wrist.
So, I was pleasantly surprised when I used the Tenga Iroha Temari Kaze. It’s a bullet vibrator that’s actually shaped like an egg in an egg dish. This design isn’t just cute as the way the egg floats in the dish makes it so the egg is the only thing that vibrates.
That means the outer dish doesn’t buzz, which is great considering that’s the place where you hold the vibrator and control the buzzing. The Tenga Iroha provides four speeds and two patterns, and it is hands-down the quietest vibrator in our guide. It’s not as powerful as any of the other vibrators, although bullets rarely are.
Its rounded tip also feels great against your clitoris. It comes with its own little carrying case, too, which is a small dome cover that pops right on top of the egg dish. I love this because it means that I can keep the vibrator out while it’s charging and no one will be the wiser.
In fact, it’s so well-designed, that you might actually want to keep it out on your nightstand. A small nitpick would be that the Tenga was a little tough to clean since the silicone around the egg puckers a bit. I found myself having to get in there with a Q-tip to ensure that everything was fully clean — although, I will admit I’m a little obsessive when it comes to toy cleanliness.
Best G-spot vibratorAmazonWith its flat, ergonomically-bent head, the LELO Gigi 2 is hands-down the best vibrator for delivering deep G-spot stimulation. Pros: Smaller than other internal vibrators, with a tip that feels good on your G-spot and your clitCons: Takes two hours to fully chargeThe beauty of the LELO Gigi 2 is in its ergonomic shape. It has an oversized, flat tip that sits snugly against your G-spot, and unlike other internal vibrators, this one isn’t so big that you’ll have a hard time getting it in or out.
If using lube, I do suggest a water-based lubricant to ensure everything slips in smoothly. It has eight different vibration settings that you can cycle through via the controls on the handle. They’re somewhat small, so I found myself fumbling with them a bit in the beginning.
But once I knew where the buttons were, this issue was easily corrected. The LELO Gigi 2 is made of super-smooth silicone and is completely waterproof (up to one meter). It does take a while to fully charge — roughly two hours — but it holds its charge for that long, as well.
And even though this vibrator’s tip is designed for your G-spot, it feels great against your clitoris, too. This is especially true if you’re someone who loves direct stimulation. The vibrations also feel great elsewhere on your body, too — especially your nipples or your neck.
How I test vibratorsWorking out which vibrators are best is fun, of course, but it also involves rigorous testing. It’s not just about whether or not a vibe will get you off, too — stimulate yourself enough and you’re all but guaranteed to get some kind of orgasm out of the deal. There are certain boxes a vibrator needs to check and while I looked into those myself, I also reached out to sexologists and sex educators for input.
Here are the main criteria I looked for while testing:Loudness: If you don’t live alone, how quiet a vibrator is can be a major selling point. The quieter, the better. I don’t have a decibel reader, so I chose a test that was a little more true-to-life.
To ensure that all of our vibrators passed the shh-test, I listened to them in two ways: Under a blanket, and then on top of a blanket and behind a door. Scientific? No. But trust me — you want something that you can’t hear through a door.
Discreetness: Gone are the days of huge, penis-shaped vibrators. The best vibrators are discreet, with slim silhouettes you can easily stash. In my testing, vibes also got extra points for coming with their own carrying cases or discreet covers so they don’t look like vibrators, to begin with.
Power: I understand power can mean different things to different people. For me, the highest vibration mode on each toy should pack a serious punch. No tickling here — I’m talking fast, big-time vibrations.
But here’s the rub: Those vibrations shouldn’t extend up the arm of the vibrator. They should stay localized to the tip, so as to deliver maximum impact. Length of charge: I’m less interested in how long vibrators take to charge since I always recommend charging them overnight.
I’m more interested in how long a full charge lasts, as there’s nothing I hate more than reaching for a vibe I charged yesterday and finding it dead. So, I looked for a minimum of an hour charge, so as to ensure my vibrator lasts more than one session. Ideally, I’m looking at a minimum of three sessions before it requires a recharge.
Why orgasms are good for your healthThere are plenty of health benefits to staying sexually active, many of which are backed by scientific studies and research. Masturbating to orgasm has a significant positive impact on one’s mood and stress levels and can even help relieve pain and improve sleep. Reaching orgasm releases hormones like endorphins, oxytocin, and serotonin, helping promote the above-listed benefits.
Other studies show it might even help boost one’s immune system. “One can maintain and even improve vulvovaginal health via regular stimulation or activity,” Dr. Barb DePree, MD and founder of MiddlesexMD, told Insider.
“Genital activity promotes blood flow and helps enhance natural secretions, while penetrative sexual activity can maintain vaginal width, length, and tone. ” Though DePree mentioned penetration, she acknowledged that there doesn’t need to be a partner present and that solo stimulation is just as beneficial. This is where a vibrator (or other sex toys) can help.
“Vibrators are often the primary option for anyone who’s not in a sexual relationship, though they can be used in coupled sex, too,” she said. “Many women find it more difficult to achieve orgasm over time, and a vibrator can be helpful in providing the necessary stimulation. “Our expertsDr.
Barb DePree, gynecologist, women’s health provider, and founder of resource hub MiddlesexMDDr. Sadie Allison, Ph. D.
, sex educator Dr. Jordin Wiggins, sexologist and naturopathic doctorCheck out more of our sexual health guidesThe best condoms for every shape and sizeThe best sex toys for couples, according to expert advice and personal testing of 100+ devicesThe best sex toys for couples in a long-distance relationshipThe 10 best sex toys we don’t hesitate to recommendThe best lubes to upgrade your sex lifeRead the original article on Insider.
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