A Brief Lesson in Vibrators

From Sex Toys 101: "Most women absolutely require direct clitoral stimulation to achieve orgasm - and the powerful, consistent stimulation of a vibrator delivers like nothing else can. The extra oomph on the clitoris that a vibrator provides is just what many women need to come - whether alone or with a partner."

There are several things to consider when choosing a vibrator. In fact, there are entire chapters devoted to it in The 5 Things Every Woman-of-a-Certain-Age Should Have Under Her Bed, Sex Toys 101, and Good Vibrations Guide to Sex, (and it makes fascinating reading) but here's a short version:

We think it's best to think of vibrators in three categories: Serious, Novelty & Travel, and Specialty.

A Serious vibrator will have a good powerful vibration and it's important that it has multiple speeds so you can learn to "work" with different levels of arousal. A Serious vibe is one you keep by your bed that'll last you a decade or more.

The Novelty & Travel vibes are fun and less expensive. They are usually single-speed, which isn't usually a good thing for a beginner, but they are discreet and/or waterproof, making them ideal for travel and adventures away from the bedroom. The Lipstick Vibe is surprisingly powerful and couldn't be more discreetly fun and the InnerVibe fingertip Nanovibe and the InnerVibe Vibrating Penis Ring are fun.

The Rabbit Habit and the Lelo Ina are our top specialty vibrators. Both stimulate the vaginal g-spot and simultaneously tickle the clit.

The three characteristics we consider most important, besides "oomph" power are Power Source (plug-in electrical or battery), Ergonomics/Handle-ability, and Cost. With vibrators, it's especially true that you get what you pay for and the more you can budget for a vibrator, the higher quality of product you'll get.