Buying your first vibrator? A plain-English guide to shapes, power, materials and what actually matters, from a real Adelaide adult shop.
There are hundreds of vibrators in this shop and that is genuinely unhelpful when you are buying your first one. So here is the short version: there are about four shapes worth knowing, power matters more than the number of settings, and the material matters more than either.
The four shapes
Bullets. Small, quiet, inexpensive. They do one thing well, which is precise external stimulation. If you are unsure about any of this, a bullet is the lowest-risk purchase in the shop and it stays useful even after you buy something bigger.
Classic or straight vibrators. A simple shape that works internally or externally. Versatile, easy to understand, and usually the cheapest way into internal use.
Rabbits. An internal shaft plus an external arm, so you get both at once. Brilliant when the fit is right, frustrating when it is not, because bodies vary and the arm has to land in the right place. Worth trying in person if you can.
Wands. A broad head with deep, rumbly vibration. The most versatile thing in the shop, genuinely doubles as a muscle massager, and the easiest one to explain if someone finds it in a drawer.
Rumbly beats buzzy
This is the thing nobody tells you. Cheap motors produce a high, buzzy vibration that sits on the surface of the skin and goes numb quickly. Better motors produce a lower, rumbly vibration that carries deeper and stays interesting for longer.
You cannot tell from a spec sheet. A long list of patterns is not a substitute either. If a toy has one strong, low, steady setting, that is worth more than twenty flashing modes you will never use.
Materials: the short version
Look for body-safe silicone or hard ABS plastic. Both are non-porous, which means they can be properly cleaned and will not harbour bacteria. Avoid anything jelly-like or strongly scented, which usually means a porous material.
One rule with silicone: use a water-based lubricant. Silicone lubricant degrades a silicone toy over time.
Features that actually matter
- Rechargeable. Better motors, no hunting for batteries, and usually quieter.
- Waterproof. Easier to clean, and it opens up the shower or bath.
- Quiet. If you share walls, this matters more than almost anything else.
- A travel lock. Small thing, saves an awkward moment in a suitcase.
What we would actually suggest
If you want one purchase that will not be wasted: a rechargeable bullet or a wand. Both are versatile, both stay useful once you know more about what you like, and neither commits you to a shape that might not suit you.
Then add a small bottle of water-based lubricant. It is the cheapest thing on this page and it makes the biggest difference.
Any questions?
If you are still not sure, ask us. Call the shop or come in to 177 Unley Road, Unley, open seven days from 10am until midnight. We give straight, shame-free advice and we will happily talk you out of something that is wrong for you.
Everything ordered online ships in a plain, unmarked parcel with nothing on the outside. Free delivery on orders over $100, Australia-wide.