A Could-Be-Betterfly

Something about the Butterfly Kiss just comes across as friendly. It certainly looks less intimidating than many other dual-stimulation vibes. It doesn’t require contortions to get a good fit, as it’s very flexible and plays well with curves. The insertable portion is small: the g-spot stimulator is about the size of a cherry tomato. The butterfly-shaped clit stimulator is flatter and wider than many, so it doesn’t require a lot of wiggling to get and keep in place. The Butterfly Kiss is simple: it’s basically “tab A goes in slot B” and you’re set, no acrobatics needed. (If you prefer acrobatics, thrusting, or a lot of variety, this isn’t the vibe for you. It’s built with a specific purpose and just doesn’t adapt well to other uses or positions without awkwardness.)

Sound boring? Never fear. For all its “buddy vibe” qualities, the Butterfly Kiss can provide decent stimulation, especially in the clit area. (And the qualities that may make it sound ho-hum for veterans make it a fair choice for newbies. It’s inexpensive enough that it’s fine for learning and experimentation, even if it doesn’t become a favorite. This was my first vibrator and it wasn’t a bad choice.)

The Butterfly Kiss is made of a smooth and flexible TPR, which warms quickly to body temperature. It’s certainly comfortable, but it’s too pliable to carry vibrations to the g-spot stimulator effectively. The g-spot shaft may need a little lube to help with insertion, as it tends to bend instead of dive. The flexible material is nice for the clit vibe as it’s easier to get in place than stiffer versions, and it will conform to your body rather than you having to try to fit around it.

The handle is a comfortable size and has the same soft TPR as a coating, but with a bit of extra texture for grip. The vibe has no odor and isn’t sticky.

The butterfly shaped clitoral stimulator is definitely the better designed and more effective part of this vibe. It’s fairly wide and mostly flat, with the wings angled up slightly. Extra thick TPR under the butterfly's body keeps it upright without stiffness. This and the extra width in the wings make it easy to position the butterfly and keep it on target. For me, the wings actually tuck slightly beneath my outer labia, so the butterfly feels both quite natural and secure. While the butterfly’s antennae are the actual clit stimulators here, the vibrations travel throughout its body and wings. So those may work for you if the antennae are a little off, as they are for me. While I orgasm slightly faster with the antennae right on the spot, the difference isn’t so significant I feel a need to constantly adjust the vibe. If you do want to add some movement, the handle is large enough to let you do so comfortably and without hand stiffness, even during longer playtimes.

The only disappointing area of the Butterfly Kiss clit stimulator is its power level. For some, the power is just going to be too low. For me, it’s usually painfully close but not quite. The first couple of times I used this vibe, I orgasmed right away, though not with a lot of intensity. After that, I’d get almost there, and need just a bit more to push me over the top. So I’d hit the button to cycle to high speed, and turn the silly thing off because I was already at the max setting. In addition to the power level being on the low side, it can start decreasing noticeably within a single use, due to battery drain. So, while the power level with brand new batteries may be just right, 15 minutes later you may be setting aside the toy and grabbing another. There’s just no practical way to keep this one operating at maximum power for long. Even at max power, this is more of a relaxing before bed vibe for me than an earth shattering one.

In contrast to the butterfly, the g-spot stimulation aspect of the Butterfly Kiss feels like a bit of an afterthought. The best thing I can say about it is that it’s comfortable. It doesn’t feel awkward when inserted, and helps keep the vibe in place. You can actually use the vibe hands free with a little experimentation. Unfortunately, the flexible material that makes for a cuddly butterfly makes for a terrible insertable shaft. It’s just not stiff enough to carry vibrations up its length with any power. Even if you’re sensitive enough to find the vibrations adequate, you may not find them in the right place, or the g-spot stimulator large enough to put pressure on the right place. So whether or not the g-spot stimulator works for you largely depends on your anatomy. The Butterfly Kiss just wasn’t designed with much “wiggle room” for different body types. Though the insertable length of the vibe is listed as 3.5”, you’re unlikely to have that whole length inside you once the clit stimulator is where you want it. For some, there just may not be enough length to keep both parts in place without a great deal of adjustment.

I found the best way to compensate for the inadequate g-spot stimulation was inserting another vibe along with it. This pushes the g-spot stimulator a little closer to home and makes up for lack of size and/or vibration. (The TPR is squishy enough that adding a second vibe isn't actually as extreme as it may sound.) You can also ignore the g-spot arm completely and just use a different vibe for insertion.

Those reviewers calling the Butterfly Kiss a battery hog are obviously kind people who don’t want to hurt its feelings. I’m not that nice. This vibe is a battery mastodon, a battery brontosaurus. It will drain batteries still in the package. One to three sessions with this vibe and you’re better off without it, because the power level drops so quickly. I have half-a-dozen partly drained batteries here because running the Butterfly Kiss with anything but brand new batteries just slows it down too much for me. Maybe I can’t expect glory on two AAA’s, but what power they do provide could at least be stable. If you compare the number of orgasms I’ve had with this vibe with the number of batteries I’ve gone through trying, it evens out to about one per battery.

Additionally, my Butterfly Kiss overheats, and needs to have hot batteries swapped out for cool ones frequently. Changing batteries does get the power a little closer to normal, as does letting the vibe itself rest a bit. But that shouldn’t be necessary just to get through a session of normal use.

As far as controls, they're basic but fine. The Butterfly Kiss has the common single-button control which cycles through three speeds. One nice thing about this button versus some others is that it has to be pressed all the way down until it clicks in order to change speed. It won't change just because you brushed against it. The vibe is also fairly quiet. It shouldn't be noticeable when used under a blanket except perhaps on the 3rd setting.

The Butterfly Kiss is supposed to be waterproof, but I haven't tested that aspect. Mine has a few areas that collect a little water during washing, and just don't look like they wouldd do well with submersion.

Cleaning this vibe is simple with just soap and water. The butterfly’s body & under its wings might need an extra swipe with a Q-tip due to small crevices, but nothing major. The Butterfly Kiss can collect a little hair and fuzz, but it’s not sticky, so just run water hard over it and any fluff should come off. Be sure to use a condom if you plan on sharing the toy, since the TPR material is porous and can’t be sterilized.

Questions for readers: I don’t see as many of the reviews of the Platinum version mentioning battery issues. Has anyone used both and found that to be improved with the newer version?

Since the motor of the Butterfly Kiss appears to be a pretty standard 4 inch bullet shaped vibe, I’m curious if anyone has tried replacing it with something that runs a little stronger and/or doesn't drain batteries as badly?