Two Vibes from Good Vibes a Product Review by Melissa A. Bartell

In the world of sex toys, few stores are more iconic than San Francisco’s Good Vibrations, which is celebrating thirty years of doing business this year. Whether you visit their physical store, where the staff is always friendly, well-informed, and non-judgmental, or click through their online catalog, located at http://www.goodvibrations.com, you will find a variety of products, that might not always come at the cheapest price, but are always of the highest quality, with user-provided reviews, and staff commentary to help you choose the toy that’s best for you.

As half of a very busy dual income couple, and as someone with a husband who is preparing for trips to both Hong Kong and Tokyo that I’m not able to tag along on, having a so-called “battery operated boyfriend” at my disposal is crucial to both our sanity. Men may be able to cheerfully wank in the shower every morning, but I’m a lounging-against-a-pile-of-pillows, or reclining-in-a-tub-of-bubbles type of girl.. As such, my own preparation for my husband’s upcoming Asian adventure includes the recent purchase of two new toys, one that requires an electrical outlet, and the other that is decidedly unplugged.

The plug-in model I chose is the current incarnation of another classic name in “personal massagers,” the Hitachi Magic Wand, but I bought the Good Vibes (the nickname is an official one) package called the “Super Silicone G-Spotter Kit” ($99) which includes the wand itself, as well as a soft silicone g-spot dildo that is designed to fit over the tennis ball-esque massage head of the vibrator itself, and a bottle of “Please” lubricant, which I like because it’s non-greasy, and scent free. Nothing is worse than having a toy permanently reeking of fake florals because you used a scented lubricant. While I like the intensity of the vibrations that the wand offers (without the g-spot attachments it does wonders for the crick in my neck I get from too much computing), the motor is much too loud for discreet use. My husband has no issues with me using toys, or with using them with me, but if your relationship doesn’t have that comfort level, this is not something you want to use without adequate sound proofing.

The g-spot attachment is quite comfortable, and the soft silicone transmits the vibrations quite well, but it’s important to recognize that it’s green. Very green. So green, in fact, that I’ve nicknamed mine “the super schlong of Slytherin.” (We won’t discuss my fetish for certain fictional potions professors.) I definitely recommend putting a condom over it before you use it, both because it’s easier to clean, after, and because static is an issue and within five seconds of being out of the box, mine had already attracted stray pet hair and lint.

While the Hitachi is great for use on dry land, the need to be plugged in gets a bit tiresome if you’re a bathtub mermaid like me, so I also purchased the waterproof “Power Dancer” ($32, uses two AA batteries, not included). It’s a happy purple piece of plastic that twists one direction to open the battery compartment, and the other direction to turn on the gentle but constant, vibration.

At roughly the same size of a purse-sized Mini MagLight, this is something you could easily tuck into a purse for instant cramp-relief in the women’s room (oh, come on, we ALL do that), but it’s best use, at least for a bathtub mermaid like me, is under water. It’s not as intense as the Hitachi, of course, and while it’s small enough for penetration really isn’t meant for it, but for a bit of bath-time buzz it does the job quite nicely, and the battery life is pretty decent. I’ve had mine since January, use it pretty regularly, and am still on the first set of batteries.

Either of these toys, and many others, are available from Good Vibrations, where the staff will answer questions if you have them, and where the items really do arrived in plain brown wrappers.

Freelance writer, blogger, improv comedian, and caffeine addict, Melissa A.Bartell writes in her pajamas most of the time. Her previous incarnations include amateur cellist, mortgage underwriter, and cafe barista. She shares her home with her husband and two dogs, and likes froufrou pink drinks, dark chocolate, and microbrew beer. Her website is www.melissabartell.com