Reviewing sex toys isn’t always easy. Sometimes you get your hands on something you think will be a piece of crap and it turns out to the be the holy grail of sex toys (literally and figuratively speaking). Other times you get something you’ve lusted after for years, only to have it let you down at the push of a button. This wasn’t either of those times, if it was, this review would have been easier to write.
Don’t get me wrong, cramming stuff in your bits and sharing it with the world is certainly a fantastic exercise in humility and confidence, but there are side effects that come with it over the years.
In the case of the We-Vibe Thrill, I found myself oddly sitting on the fence; on the one hand it lived up to my expectations… on the other, I wasn’t really expecting much. Which is harsh for me to say, especially since almost every product they’ve made has left me thoroughly impressed (if my dog didn’t tear it to shit, the We-Vibe Touch would still be one of my ‘go-to’ vibes). Fortunately I don’t totally blame the product for my view… citing everything it’s been through, my vagina just isn’t easily “wowed” anymore, I guess with over 100 product reviews under my belt it was bound to happen sooner or later.
Packaging
I’ve never been disappointed with the packaging We-Vibe creates; it’s professional, classy, discreet in appearance, quality, and often luxurious. You’ll rarely find anything that’s potentially embarrassing or tacky, instead the choice wording is mature and thoughtful, with a large portion of their imagery being consistently straightforward, add to that the fact that the actual box(s) is fully reusable and you have yourself some quality stuff right there.
As for the Thrill; placed within the easily removed white cardboard sleeve sits a basic but sturdy red wine colored box, and with the exception of a simple “Thrill by We-Vibe”, there’s absolutely no information pertaining to the product. Instead, the key information is placed on the outer sleeve, including little diagrams and specifications in 7 different languages. Once opened, the product is nestled within a white foam holder, with the pouch, instruction manual and charger found underneath. It’s clean, simple, well thought out and something more manufacturers should aspire to.
*For those that don’t have many storage options removing the inner foam is a great idea, as the box is large enough to hold everything plus some lube, condoms, and if small enough, a few other sex toys.
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The Good
Sadly for me the ‘bad’ outweighed the good, but that isn’t to say it didn’t have some redeeming qualities…
- The supple and squishy silicone makes it fairly easy to insert, while also allowing it to bend and flex with the body – great for those of you that like to move around/grind about when diddling.
- It’s hypoallergenic, hygienic, non-toxic, phthalate and latex free, as well as being non-porous (so it won’t absorb bodily fluid, lube or bacteria), giving it a longer life span than the cheap jelly crap you’ll often find.
- It’s 100% Waterproof, not ‘splash proof’ like many other vibes, meaning you can fully submerge it in water.
- It comfortably (and sometimes ergonomically) fits in the hand, sitting rather perfectly so it’s easily turned on and off with the press of a thumb.
- Although it may not be strong enough for some, others will likely find that there’s quite a bit of power packed in the small body. On that note, the vibrations are fairly deep and rumble rather than being surface level and buzzy.
- If it takes you a while to get off, not to worry, with a full charge offering up to 2 hours of playtime, depending on the vibration setting of course, you’ll likely quite before it does.
- Side Note: One of the things I have always loved about We-Vibe it’s the fact that the customer service they offer is above and beyond anything you’d expect. After a few hours of relentlessly searching for the lost tiny
and stupidUSB adapter, I emailed them to let them know and asked for a replacement, even offering to pay for one. Within an hour or so someone responded and had one out for me the next day. Bravo We-Vibe! Bra-fucking-vo!.
Regarding size you’re looking at a total length of 7.5″ (stretched flat), with 3.5″ of that being fully insertable. At its thickest (the g-spot bump) it’s 1 1/8″ in diameter and has a circumference of 4″. If you’re someone that likes girthier things you’ll probably find the Thrill to be a little on the small size, however if you prefer that type of thing, it’ll likely be a nice addition.
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Operating Instructions
In theory the C/U shaped Thrill is pretty basic: intended for solo use, the small end is inserted vaginally with the “bump” offering g-spot stimulation, while the other end rests on the clitoris providing external stimulation. If this sounds familiar, it’s probably because there are quite a few products with similar configuration, the Original We-Vibe, Lelo Insignia Tiani, Lelo Noa, and PicoBong Mahana being the first that come to mind. Fortunately they’re not all entirely identical (can we say Patent lawsuits for EVERYBODY!?), allowing each to provide slight differences in stimulation.
To turn it on simply press the button (located between the two silver charging prongs) and it will begin to vibrate at the lowest setting (3200 rpm), press it again and you’ll jump to the next highest setting (3600 rpm), once more and you’ll be at the second highest setting (4200), and finally, one last press and you’re at the highest steady vibe (4800). After that each press will take it through the 4 different patterns. Rather than trying to explain them, because I can’t, I’m just going to post images from the We-Vibe website below. Hopefully they’ll make better sense than I ever could. To turn it off simply hold the button for 3 seconds and it’ll quickly power down.
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6. Wave  |
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8. Cha-cha  |
As for charging you’ve basically only got the option of using the USB it comes with. I hate this! Not only does it make charging a pain in the ass, but since I often use my laptop (my PC hates me!) it tends to get in the way. There is no point in time when I want to sit writing or watching a movie while the We-Vibe Thrill is charging beside me. More than that, the magnet, much like the ones used by Fun Factory, doesn’t stay put long enough fully charge without breaking connection. To make things even more annoying, the cord isn’t very long; no matter where you are, there it is. *sigh*
Finally, the magnetic USB that connects to the actual product is a separate small piece – meaning, it’s not actually attached to the cord (as you can see in the picture to the left: all separate pieces! Ugh!). Why they did this I have no damn clue – it should just be one piece. Period. Maybe if it worked with other things I wouldn’t be so pissy, but since I can’t use it with anything else, not my Blackberry, camera, my husbands cell, nor anything else, it’s totally useless. If they were trying to create something that could potentially be multi-purpose they failed. Stupid magnetic We-Vibe charger is stupid.
End rant.
The Bad
Like I said, the bad far outweighed the good… bare with me, I’ve got a lot of ground to cover.
First and foremost, even though it packs a bit of a punch it’s not quite as strong as it should be. You see, at the highest setting it’s the same vibration speed as both the Tango and Salsa, yet it feels as if it doesn’t quite compete. The reason for this… the thicker silicone works against the product by diluting the power of the vibrations. That isn’t to say it’s not good, just that it should be better. And it’s not.
I love silicone products for a variety of reasons, but they’re not all created equal. The silicone I often find We-Vibe using is more of glossy texture, causing it to drag on the skin, which can be uncomfortable if you don’t have enough lube. And it attracts lint and pet hair. Unfortunately the handle is also coated in silicone, making it very slippery when lubed hands try to keep control. I honestly would have liked to see something a little softer or matte in texture just so it was easier to hold onto.
Speaking of lube, whether it’s your own or manufactured, once you get it in place don’t expect it to stay there. Instead what you’ll likely find is the We-Vibe Thrill slip sliding around in your vulva while you clamp onto it like a banshee in heat. It’s awkward in a way that’s hard for me to fully describe. Let’s just say that if Duct Tape wasn’t so painful to pull off I might have taped it in place just so I could maintain long enough to get off without having to continually stop and reposition it.
*note: the best position I’ve found to work with it is sitting while watching porn. Sounds weird, I know. Maybe it’s just me and my body but I find that between the angle and closing my legs I’m able to keep in it in place decently while I focus on other things without being too preoccupied by it shifting around. Of course this isn’t an ideal situation, but it works, and in the case of Thrill, that’s what matters.
Although the design is meant to offer both clitoral and g-spot stimulation I often find it coming up a tad short… I can get the g-spot portion in perfectly but then the clitoral portion doesn’t seem to fully cover the clit. Alternatively, when the external portion is properly in place the g-spot part leaves me wanting. All that said, it’s pretty clear that it’s not going to fit the body the way it should , especially for those that have a g-spot that sits a little deeper or those that require something with a pretty intense curve (G-Ki, Njoy Pure Wand or Lelo Ella – even though they don’t all vibrate – would be much better options). Elongating the clitoral portion would have been a great idea, who knows, maybe they’ll make that change with the next round of adaptations.
Because the external portion has some weight to it, letting it go will likely lead it to slowly slip out… sure it’s a great way to streghthen your kegels, but that’s not what it’s for. And it’s kind of fucking annoying.
Last but not least, the handle could be a bit larger. Maybe it’s just my fat little Greek sausage fingers but I cannot get anything in that space comfortably without a fight (no pun intended). It’s usually a little too late before I realize I’ve crammed in my fingers while trying to maintain control, only to have them get stuck or slowly go numb with pins and needles. They could have made it a bit more stretchy, wider, thinner, flexible or open, but they didn’t and I’m not impressed. Not everyone has skinny fingers, that’s something that needs to be taken into consideration.
Care & Cleaning
Even though it’s made of silicone I wouldn’t suggest boiling it since you’ll likely kill the motor. Instead just give it a good wash with liquid soap and water and rinse it well. Like all silicone it’s non-porous and therefore won’t absorb lube, bacteria, or bodily fluids, and therefore won’t require the same heavy duty cleaning lesser products would. Once dry I suggest keeping it in the box or wrapping it in a lint free cloth, it collects lint/pet hair like a mofo.
As for lubes I’d only suggest a good water based lube as a silicone one would likely ruin it with time.
Final Verdict
Even though I have my complaints I can honestly say it’s not completely horrible. And yes, I’ve had better, but I’ve also had much worse. For the most part it’s easy to use, discreet, body safe, offers dual stimulation in non “rabbit” form, is fully waterproof, rechargeable, travels well, has a variety of vibration settings, is professionally packaged, and may be exactly what you want… if you don’t mind fighting to keep it in place, diluted vibrations, have fat little sausage fingers, or have a lower sitting g-spot, that is.
I can also honestly say it needs some work before it lives up to the standards I have for all We-Vibe products, but being that they are a company that listens to customer feedback and makes changes as they deem necessary, I wouldn’t be surprised if the next round of manufacturing stomps a few of the issues and creates something a little more lust worthy. Personally I think you’d be much better off waiting for an improved version, but in the meantime, get your hands on the Touch, Tango or Salsa, trust me – they’re some of the best on the market and definitely worth the money!
To get more info, or get your hands on any of the other products We-Vibe makes, head over to one of my all time fave online shops, SheVibe, where you’ll likely find yourself spending countless hours going through the incredible graphic novel style pages, and saving a few dollars in the process.
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