Ever since I received my Hitachi Magic Wand I’ve felt the need to own and review every hand held massager I can get my hands on. So far I’ve managed to try 3 different products in the Fairy line (Fairy Mini Wand, Fairy Miniature, Fairy Pocket Mini), the Ideal by Natural Contours and with the recent package I received from California Exotics to review as one of their “Sexperts”, I finally got to try the Couture Collection Inspire.
To say I’m impressed is an understatement!
Unlike a lot of the packaging that California Exotics products come in this one is rather discreet, respectful and professional in appearance. There are no half naked men or women cavorting around, no suggestive statements or hints that could come across as “inappropriate” and definitely no other imagery that could be considered crass.
While the box it comes in could be very easily recycled, I think it could also be used as a make shift storage container as you could easily remove the insert and place the massager inside. Fortunately it’s large enough to hold the product, power adapter and even has some room left over for a small bottle of lube and/or condoms.
*In all fairness, every California Exotics product I’ve seen in the Couture Collection has been professional and discreet. I just wish they did that with more of their packaging.
The massager is made of a hard ABS plastic with PU Cote causing it to be both body safe and velvety to the touch. In total length it measures 7.5” inches by 1.5” inches around, allowing it to be rather small and not too intimidating. The head is slightly flexible and looks to be about the size of a large golf ball, being neither too large nor too small.
Located on the head is a removable silicone cap that supposedly makes cleaning easier, however I would have much rather preferred they made the cap non removable as it’s just one more thing to have to worry about losing. Aside from that, once you remove the cap the internal design has many crevices and ridges where debris could get lodged which actually makes cleaning harder than it needs to be.
*also on that note, I can’t see a situation where anyone would use it without the cap so it just seems silly to take it off.
The handle of the Inspire graduates upward in size getting larger as you get closer to the head making it easy to hold onto as it fits comfortably in your hand. To my surprise it was rather light (especially compared to the Hitachi) and didn’t have much weight behind it.
*For those of you wondering why I’m mentioning the above; I’ve recently begun getting messages from women that are older in age who are just coming into their sexual exploration (better late than never) many of which having expressed that they have arthritis or other muscle/hand/wrist issues. I’ve also begun getting messages from others (men and women) who complained about having carpal tunnel that makes their wrists hurt after holding heavy objects for a prolonged amount of time (don’t pun that). As someone who also suffers from carpal tunnel I can completely understand the pain they feel and where they are coming from. With that in mind, I found the lightness of the Inspire to be both comfortable to hold and a refreshing change of pace from many other hand held massagers.
Operating the Inspire is extremely easy as there is only one button (located on the handle) to worry about; to turn it on simply press the button once, to increase the speed hold down the button and as you do, the Inspire will speed up. To turn it off just press the button one more time and it quickly shuts off.
When you first press the button the Inspire will begin vibrating at a low pitched rumble, holding it down for 5 seconds takes it to the next speed which is quite a bit faster and definitely stronger, another 5 seconds and it moves to a much faster vibration (almost hand numbing after 10 seconds), 5 more seconds and it goes up another notch (very intense) and finally another 5 seconds and your dealing with a speed that’s seriously extreme (my hand went numb in record time – though I’m not sure that’s a good thing lol).
*Unfortunately I’m not too sure if my experience is common as I can’t state how many speeds there actually are since it only goes up when you hold the button down. I think it would have been a much better design had they made it so that you had to keep pressing it for stronger speeds but I guess they had their reasons.
If there is one thing that did impress me about the Inspire it’s the high speed it gets up to, especially for those of you with nerve damage or in need of very, very strong vibrations to reach orgasm. While I may be someone who needs high vibes to get off, I found this way too strong on the highest setting, having to instead settle for something more in the lower to middle range.
For as strong as it is the volume of the Inspire it’s surprisingly not as loud as I would have expected. That’s not to say it’s quiet, because it’s not, it’s just not as loud as others I’ve tried. On that note, if you’re looking for a quiet hand held massager, one that wont be heard through a door or by people in the next room I’d suggest the Fairy Mini Wand or Fairy Pocket Mini over the Inspire.
While it is meant to be a hand held massager, you know, the kind for sore backs, shoulders, feet and other tired and aching muscles, it doesn’t mean you can’t use it in more creative and orgasm inducing ways 😉
- *If you like clitoral stimulation during masturbation this would be a great product to try as it’s easy to use, comfortable to hold and has a range of speeds. I wouldn’t suggest inserting it vaginally or anally, it’s not made for that and could really hurt during removal.
- *Because of its unique and small design it fits comfortably between partners during intercourse. With that in mind, for those of you that prefer positions like “doggy style” or “cow girl”, where there is more room to maneuver (since there isn’t a body on top of you), the Inspire can be used to directly target the clitoris by either partner.
- *For those that enjoy teasing, taunting or torturing your partner with foreplay (in the good way and the bad) the Inspire could be very easily run over the erogenous zones to bring on a heightened level of arousal to your lover. Now add that insane high speed and you’ve got one hell of a “torture” device. (Reminder: if you engage in S&M play make sure you have a ‘safe word’ before starting and are listening to your partner should they need to say it.)
In regard to power, the massager runs on a 120/240 volt Power Adapter that plugs into the bottom of the wand eliminating the need for batteries. While I understand the need for something that can be easily removed from the wand (minimizing the possibility of a break in the internal connection which could ruin the product) I found that the connection came apart when any slight tugging occurred, quickly turning the Inspire off and ruining the moment.
*I think it might have been a better idea to make the product rechargeable where the charging occurred the entire time it was plugged in (meaning that it would charge while you used it). That way, even if it did become unplugged it wouldn’t be that big of a deal since the product would still keep going.
When it comes to lubes I would only suggest a good water based lube, especially considering the cap is made of silicone. I know I’ve said it a hundred times over but I’d rather have you be informed than make a mistake and ruin your product.
As for cleaning, since the product *isn’t* waterproof I would suggest you either wipe it down with a damp cloth then let it air dry, use a toy cleaning wipe to disinfect it or use your favorite brand of spray on toy cleaner.
The Bad
While there was much that I did like about the product, there were a few things that I didn’t;
1.) Maybe it’s just me but I think there should be a limit to how powerful the vibration on a product can be. Having said that, I do understand that for some women the need for an extremely powerful product is an absolute must (me being one of those women), but the Inspire just seems too much. Way too much. Even for me.
2.) Keeping in line with the issue listed above, the fact that you can’t go backward in speeds is a definite drawback as the only way to lessen the vibe is to turn it off and start all over again. To be honest, it’s a bit of a pain in the ass.
3.) While I love that you don’t need batteries, the fact that you have to plug it into the base of the wand, making it also easily removable, means that you run the risk of having the product stop should you thrust or pull in the slightest way. Again, it’s a pain in the ass.
4.) Even though I don’t think it’s that big of a deal, the fact that it’s not waterproof is a bit of a drawback.
5.) This is just a simple pet peeve from the perspective of someone who loses everything – the fact that the head cap is removable is just plain stupid. Seriously, it’s just one more thing to worry about losing, and considering the internal structure of the head has bumps, ridges and basically looks like something you wouldn’t want to use on it’s own, the cap is something you definitely won’t want to lose. They should have just made it a permanent fixture.
Final Verdict
While there are most definitely other and better options available when it comes to hand held massagers (Hitachi Magic Wand, Fairy Mini Wand, Fairy Pocket Mini being some of them) that doesn’t necessarily mean it should be automatically ruled out.
It’s light weight, body safe, easy to use, rather quiet compared to other wands and is extremely powerful (some of you might need that). It isn’t very big or overwhelming, doesn’t require batteries, has an easy off function, multiple speeds and is rather affordable. With all of that in mind I just couldn’t place it on my “unapproved” list, especially considering the positive reviews I heard from others regarding their experiences with it.
If you’d like more info or to purchase the product head over to my online sexual wellness store where shopping for discreet vibrators, hand held massagers and other quality sexual products is easy, safe, discreet, affordable and your privacy is always respected.
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