Salsa - discreet massager discontinued by We-vibe - review by - Kira -

Do you like bullets but find yourself disappointed with the lack of power found in many of them? Enter the Salsa, We Vibe's premium bullet style clitoral vibrator. While the Salsa is geared towards direct clitoral stimulation, those that don't need a lot of size may be able to use this internally as well. Because of it's small size, you won't be able to get very much of it in, but it could be used for vaginal external play outside of just clitoral use. Since it is small and has no flare, anal use is a no go. It can also be used to stimulate any area you find vibrations to be pleasurable.

Beginners and advanced users alike will find the Salsa easy to use and enjoyable. The Salsa can be used for solo play or with a partner. Since it's small and slim, the Salsa tends not to get in the way during sex and is ideal as a nice addition to partner play.

The Salsa is made of plastic, bringing it in at an 8 on the safety scale. The plastic of the Salsa is hard, as plastics tend to be, but is not the most unforgiving plastic I've run across. It doesn't have give to it per say, but it's not at glass or steel levels of hardness either. It is a smooth plastic with no added texture to it. Any beginner or advanced user that likes smooth texture will be able to enjoy this material.

There is no discernible plastic odor or taste to the Salsa. Even upon opening the packaging I could not get a whiff of that sometimes overwhelming plastic smell.

The Salsa's design is basically that of your average pinpointed bullet. The design is meant to hone in on the most sensitive areas that you are trying to stimulate, and send the vibrations directly to that area through the tip of the vibrator. If you've seen a traditional bullet design, you've seen the design of the Salsa.

When I first saw the stock picture of the Salsa, I actually thought it was a regular vibrator and not a clitoral vibrator. Don't ask me why. The Salsa is actually quite a small little vibrator coming in at only 3.5 inches long and .5 inches wide. It's about the same size as an average bullet, but the size did take me aback for some reason just based on the stock pictures.

Salsa and Average Bullet:


Though it is not designed to be ergonomic, the Salsa does fit nicely in my hand based on the smaller size. You do have to hold it by the base during use, which can get uncomfortable over an extended period. This will vary from person to person. If you hate holding regular bullets, than this will hold true for the Salsa as well as the design is identical.

Salsa in Hand:


As a girl that loves pinpoint stimulation, I really liked the design. It worked well for my body and the type of stimulations that I enjoy. If you're a little more sensitive, the very centered vibrations might be a little too much to handle on this vibrator.

I found that the size was perfect as well. Though I was expecting something a bit larger, I liked the way it fit in my hand and the amount of space that was left from the base to tip during use. There was enough to adequately maneuver around comfortably.

Like most bullets, the Salsa doesn't particularly scream sex toy. Those that are acquainted with sex toys will likely know right away what it is, but for others it could be part of a makeup collection or a keyring perhaps. The small size helps in making it a bit more discreet, as it's fairly easy to hide if you know your friends will be able to figure out what it is.

Keeping in line with traditional bullets, the Salsa operates on a one button control. Press the button once to turn on. Press the button again to cycle through the speeds and patterns. The Salsa does have a memory though, and will pick up where you left off last time if you don't want to cycle through every time. To turn off, you can either cycle all the way through, or hold the button down for about two seconds. As a personal preference, I pretty much hate one button controls. However, on a small bullet style vibrator, I really don't see how there's much of an option aside from taking up half the side of the vibrator with buttons. I understand why it's done this way. That doesn't mean I have to be thrilled about it.

The Salsa has four vibration settings which start at a high level two/low level three and work their way up to a pretty intense level five. I gotta say, for such a small vibrator, this thing is really quite a powerhouse. I didn't expect anything major to come from a bullet style vibrator, especially after being disappointed bullet after bullet.

The vibrations are slightly high pitched, but not overly buzzy like many bullets. There is a hint of buzz to them, but nothing that should shy anyone away. When pressure is applied, it will lose some intensity, but it's not a ton. Most bullets I have will knock at least a full vroom if not more off when pressed down. Salsa stays within the same vroom level, it just goes to the lower end of the scale.

There are five pattern options on the Salsa. (The package says eight total, but I counted four vibrations and five patterns?) The first one is a medium level pulse. The second one goes through the speeds from fast to slow. As most luxury vibrators, you cannot feel the jump from speed to speed. The third is a quick pulse. The fourth is a pulse that goes slow and then fast and repeats. The fourth is a pulse that has a pattern in itself that beats 1-2-1-2-3 at a medium tempo. Patterns are one of those things I never bother to use, so I have no idea if these are worthwhile or not.

The vibrations start in the center of the vibrator and work their way down to focus in on the tip. Hardly any of the vibrations hit the base, and even after extensive use, I had no issues with my hand going numb. The vibrations are strong where they need to be. When I hold it in my hand, it seems like they are stronger in the center, and it doesn't detract from how strong they are at the tip.

One odd thing I noticed is that the sound level seemed to go up and down randomly. One minute it would be super quiet, and then randomly it would get louder. The vibration levels didn't change at all, just the sound. When it was quiet, it couldn't be heard through a closed door or through covers. At its louder times, it could be heard through covers but still not through a closed door. This was all on the highest setting. I'm not sure if this is also true on the lower settings.

Nice features of the Salsa is that it's completely waterproof for fun anywhere you might like to have some, and easy cleaning. The only issue I noticed in a submersion test is that it did seem to heat up a bit in the water, where I didn't have this issue anywhere else. I'm not sure if this could cause a long term issue or a short in the vibrator, so I thought it was important to mention.

I cannot find anywhere in the instruction manual where it says how long a charge is supposed to hold. The initial charge takes 90 minutes as per the manual. Usually a 90 minute charge toy will last quite a few hours. My Salsa lasted maybe two or three. I've had the worst luck with vibrators holding charges lately. I don't know if this is just mine, or if this is how long this line holds the charge in general.

The Salsa charges on a cute little circular port. The silly thing is that the port doesn't stand up, so you have to lay the port down. The way the port looks, it seems like it should stand straight. The concept would be much cooler if it was vertical.

The Salsa is easy to care for as it's waterproof. Simply wash with soap or toy cleaner and you're done. The plastic does not attract any lint or dust. It's also not a fingerprint magnet (and I have this in black which always seems to want to collect fingerprints).

A few side notes. While plastic is usually compatible with all types of lube, the instruction manual for the Salsa states that only water based lube should be used. I have no idea why this is, but when in doubt, I tend to err on the side of caution and go with the instruction manual. You're welcome to do what you like, but personally I'm sticking to water based lubes on this one.

The Salsa comes with a storage pouch, but can be stored just about any way you see fit. Plastic does not tend to react badly with other materials, so it should be safe just about anywhere. I always advise against keeping toys stored with lube as a rule of thumb though, so things don't get sticky and gross.

We Vibe has really cute packaging for the Salsa. It's a white package with a picture of the Salsa on the front. The words "We Vibe" are on top with "Salsa" and "Personal Massager" on the bottom. The back has "intimate pleasure for solo or couples play" written in different languages. Not particularly discreet given the fact that it explicitly states what it's for and all, but the design is aesthetically pleasing which always gets bonus points from me.

The back has this purple tag that says "pull up" to open. My clumsy self listened and completely ripped the box in half. The cardboard the box is made out of isn't super high quality, but it isn't junk either, so I'm blaming this partially on myself. When you pull the "pull" part, just be careful if you want to keep the packaging intact.

Front:


Back:


The inside has the Salsa and it's charging dock at center stage with the manual below it. The Salsa is wrapped up to avoid any damage. The instruction manual is minimal to say the least. It includes very little information on the vibrator or how to use it. It is just one button though, so I guess they know people can figure it out.



The box itself cannot be used for storage. One, because it's easy to rip. Two, because once you open it, all the little shelving wants to fall out, and just generally doesn't make for easy storage. Luckily We Vibe thought of that, and was nice enough to include a little white pouch to store it in. The pouch is pretty low quality though, so if you're picky, you might want to pick up something nicer with your order. The material is very scratchy on the skin.

Beginners and advanced users should be able to use the Salsa with no issues. The controls are easy to learn (I figured them out in about two seconds) and operate. Those who are on the sensitive side may want to stay away because of the higher vibrations and intense pointed tip. Those who love bullets but looking to upgrade to a luxury version will be pleasantly surprised with the Salsa. Girls who need a lot of power will be happy to find a small bullet that will actually do the job. It's not a Hitachi by any means, so if that's all that will do it for you, pass. For those power queens who need just a step below, this will be a nice addition to a power collection.

Aside from the lackluster charge time, I really can't find anything not to like here. I'm not sure if I like this so much because my expectations were so low, or if this really is just that great, but either way I'm really impressed. After years of avoiding We Vibes, I just might be picking up a few more things from the line.

I swore I'd never buy another We Vibe after a less than stellar experience with the We Vibe II. I was underwhelmed with the design and vibrations. Assuming the whole product line would be equally disappointing, I pretty much ignored everything We Vibe produced since that purchase. After a few ladies on the forums recommended the Tango and the Salsa, I finally decided to cave. I still had pretty low expectations on this because I just didn't trust the We Vibe name.

I'm happy to report that my mistrust of We Vibe is mostly gone. While the II didn't do it for me, the Salsa came through. I need some serious kick to my vibrators, and I was completely unconvinced that a bullet style vibrator, even in a luxury line, would be able to live up to my needs. Coming in at a solid five vrooms, the Salsa managed to give me some intense orgasms.

The great thing I found about the Salsa was that I had no learning curve. Because I've tried so many bullets in the past, I knew exactly which spots to hit that would create the most intense orgasms. Most times I used this, I was able to cum in under three minutes. When I'm in a rush and need to get everything done fast, that's a major bonus.

I really liked the tip of this vibrator because I love intense, central vibrations. I was able to center vibrations to exactly which areas I wanted with a very small margin of error. I don't find a ton of pinpoints that I'm in love with because most are wider than I would like, but this one was just the right size for me.

I also found this was a great addition to sex because of it's small and slim design. Unlike wider clitoral stimulators, this was easy to maneuver and keep in place without getting in the way.

I do wish there was a silicone option to the Salsa as well, because I would own both in a heartbeat. Sometimes you like something a little softer, you know? Every now and again, hard plastic just doesn't do it for me.

There has been some talk about the Salsa in comparison to the MiMi. I would say that the main difference is the pitch levels between the two. The MiMi has a much deeper pitch than the Salsa, and gives me a much different orgasm because of this. Both produce intense orgasms, but they are unique. While MiMi is rumbly, Salsa is a little on the buzzier side. In terms of vibration levels, they are very similar.