Bendable vibe by California Exotic

California Exotic’s Bendable vibe has been a pleasant surprise. Admittedly, I tend not to put much stock in inexpensive vibrators. I’m either put off by their too-loud vibrations or the smelly materials they’re usually made of. Neither of these issues were concerns with the Bendable vibe.

The vibe’s vibrations are quite discreet and probably wouldn’t be heard through a closed door. That’s always a plus for me because I’m a college student sharing a suite with friends. I’d rather not let them know what I’m up to all of the time. However, these quiet vibrations come at the expense of the power of the vibe. It’s definitely not the most powerful vibrator I own, but packs enough punch to bring me to orgasm (both clitoral and g-spot). Perhaps they are not as strong as they could be because the vibrations come from the bullet at the base of the vibe, not the head. As for the vibe’s material, it is made out of Crystalessence. That’s the trademarked name for thermoplastic rubber. This means that the material is non-porous (so it can be cleaned easily) and it can be used with both water and silicone-based lubes. It does give off a slight sweet plastic smell but it is not overpowering. [Editor's note: this material is not phthalates-free, however, so we still recommend covering with a condom for use.]

The Bendable vibe’s gimmick is it’s bendy spine that is visible through the transparent Crystalessence housing. It does not bend as much as I expected it to. The vibrator really does not bend more than thirty degrees in any direction but that was enough for g-spot stimulation. It’s also quite petite, at about 1 1/4 inches in diameter. When bended it actually reminds me of my go-to vibe, LELO’s Gigi. It’s about the same size and when inserted, it hits at the same angle with a flat angled head. This would be a much less expensive alternative with fewer bells and whistles.

Interestingly, the first thing I noticed when I took the Bendable vibe out of its packaging was the instruction pamphlet. I believe this speaks to quality because in my experience vibrators, especially ones of the inexpensive variety, usually don’t include instructions. While this is does not present a problem most of the time, there are times when a vibrator’s design might leave one puzzled. In this case, I found the vibe’s design so simple and intuitive that the instructions weren’t necessary at all.

I found this vibrator to have almost nothing but pluses. The operation is quiet, it’s easy to clean, it has a dial base for ease of use and it includes an instruction manual for first-timers.