Business 101: Introduction to Vibrators

I was pretty nervous when I first decided to buy a vibrator, but I ended up settling on this one for a few reasons: reviews said it was supposed to be quiet, yet pretty powerful; it was cheap; it was made of fairly body-safe materials; it was small, simple, unassuming, but still had multiple settings; and it was turquoise and adorable. I'm happy to say that I made an excellent choice.

This definitely isn't the strongest vibrator you'll ever have, but if you're okay with moderate buzzy vibrations, it's a pretty solid choice. I love that it has multiple settings, though they all have the same pattern of vibration (a constant bzzzzzzzzz). It really is quiet, so it's definitely safe to use even in a dorm setting (though someone in the same room could almost certainly hear it, it can't be heard through a closed door even on its highest speed). It's also small enough that it's very easy to hide, though I don't think it's discreet enough to be able to leave it out without getting funny questions. It's also got an o-ring so it's supposedly waterproof; I know for a fact it is shower-proof, but I'm a bit paranoid and probably would not use it in the bathtub. It's worth a try, though.

I think it works best as a clitoral vibe. It does have a bit of a pinpoint on the end, though it's not very pointy, so if you're like me and really concentrated vibrations are uncomfortable and overwhelming, it's pretty nice. You can also just lay it lengthwise inside your labia, lean the side of it against your clit, and grind; that's usually what I end up doing, and it feels great on both my clit and my lips. The TCB's also really great on other erogenous zones. I haven't really ever tried to insert it vaginally (partly because its insertable length is very short), but I'm sure you could use it that way if you wanted. It would also go well paired with a second vaginal or anal toy. The TCB's definitely not anal-safe, though! Overall I think beginners could probably orgasm with this toy if they enjoy clitoral stimulation, but if you need a lot of power to get off, this probably isn't the best choice. It could be a very solid teaser toy though.

I would have to say that if I were ever going to try to introduce vibrators into my coupled sex life, this would be an excellent toy to do it with. It's very easy to work (just one button for everything!), it's totally unintimidating, and even though it's really cute I'd say it's gender-neutral enough that my boyfriend would not be freaked out by it.

The TCB is coated in Velvet-Cote, a kind of ABS plastic that is very soft and smooth and very pleasant, though it has more drag to it than normal hard plastic would. I can't detect any taste to the velvet-cote, but it does smell a little plasticky (though not gross) right out of the box. A washing mostly gets rid of that, but it does tend to pick up the smell of whatever soap you use to wash it, so make sure it's a soap you really like! Velvet-cote is phthalates-free, and as far as I know it's not porous. It will pick up a bit of lint, though, so you might want to store it somewhere where it won't be exposed to open air.

The TCB is completely rigid and inflexible. It's got a slight point near the end that allows for mild pinpoint vibrations and probably easier insertion, and it bulges out just a tad in the middle. Between its very smooth coating and its simple shape, this is a very beginner-friendly toy.

I think this is a great toy design overall, as long as you don't want anything very exciting or innovative-looking. It's pretty sleek and simple, and very cute. (I will say that it's not actually the color it looks like in the photos; it's a much lighter turquoise-y color, which I actually really like.) I think it does exactly what it's designed to do efficiently and pleasantly. It might be too small or boring for some experienced users, especially if they want something that can be used both on their clit and vaginally. As I mentioned, it also does not have a very pinpointed end, so if you need really intensely concentrated vibrations to get off, you'll want to look elsewhere.

Since the TCB is so small, it's pretty easy to bring with you in a purse or bag. There isn't a travel lock or anything to prevent it from being bumped and turning itself on, though, so you'd probably want to either make sure it'll stay stationary or take the batteries out before traveling just in case. However, the button isn't actually that easy to push unless you mean to push it, so I wouldn't be too concerned.

The TCB has one button to do everything, including change speeds and turn it on and off. This is a major turn-off for a lot of people, since it means that you have to cycle through every setting before you can actually turn the toy off (a big problem if you have to stop in a hurry!). Fortunately it doesn't take very long to go through all the speeds, since there are only three. Still, if that's something that would bother you, you should probably avoid this toy. The button itself is not difficult to press, but it takes just enough force that it's hard to bump it and accidentally turn it on.

When turned on, the toy goes from the lowest vibration, to the moderate one, to the highest, and then back off. At least, that's what it's supposed to do. And that's what mine did, when I first got it. At some point, though, I must have jostled it a little too hard or something, and the settings got a bit messed up. It doesn't have any real effect on my use of the toy, but when I first turn the toy on now, it spends about a second on the very highest speed before slowing back down to the lowest. The rest of the speeds operate as intended, and this isn't a big flaw by any means, but it might point to the toy breaking or "glitching" a little more easily than you might want. It's a bit of a moot point now, though, since I don't really use the lowest setting much anymore unless I'm having a very sensitive kind of day. The highest setting is fairly strong if you aren't super used to vibes, but I doubt anyone but the most sensitive people would find it too intense.

The vibrations of this toy are located down near the tip, though they spread up through most of the toy. However, the section of the toy above the silver ring (the part with the button that comes off when you unscrew the toy to put in batteries) does not vibrate nearly as intensely as the rest of the toy, which is nice since it means your fingers don't go numb nearly as quickly. This is a very buzzy toy, though, so if your fingers don't go numb eventually, your clit might. I personally like buzzy vibes, but a lot of people don't, so it's something to keep in mind.

The box says the TCB is waterproof (specifically waterproof, not "splash-proof"), and it functions very well in the shower. It's got a nice tight seal with an o-ring, so it's probably safe to use in the bath, but I'm a bit of a nervous Nellie, so I've avoided that so far.

The TCB uses 1 AAA battery, and it seems to last an okay amount of time. I don't use it very often, though, so if you plan to use it a lot it might turn out to be a bit of a battery-eater.

Velvet-cote is non-porous (as far as I know), so the toy can be cleaned and shared. It's very easy to clean: just use a toy cleaning wipe or antibacterial soap and water. You definitely can't boil it or anything, though, because of its internal machinery.

Any kind of lube is ok to use on this toy, and there shouldn't be any problem storing it with toys of any other kind. I just use the box it came in to store it, though it's really not a great permanent solution since the box is made out of cheap plastic. It's not fragile at all, so it doesn't need any special protection when you store it; you could just throw it in your bag and be totally fine.

The packaging was just a small purple plastic box that definitely wasn't discreet (there are photos of the toy on the sides and back, and a see-through panel to the toy on the front), but at least the box doesn't have any scantily clad people in sexy poses on it--there are no people on it at all. The box does say "personal vibe" and lists the important characteristics of the toy, like what kind of batteries it uses and how many speeds there are, whether it's waterproof, etc. Inside, the toy is held in a plastic mold insert, so it's not just rattling around loose. Because of this I still store my TCB in the box it came in, though you probably won't want to do that because it's pretty ugly and the box will fall apart eventually. The box also does not appear to be recyclable.

Now that I've got a few other toys in my toybox, the TCB has recently spent a lot of time collecting dust on my dresser. Every so often, though, when I want something sweet and simple, I pull it out and give it another go. I've had enough experience now where I know this is a fairly weak toy compared to a lot of what's out there, but this toy still manages to hold up as a solid buy. I often look back fondly to the very first time I used it; I remember my orgasm was phenomenal, but it didn't make me scream. I just went, "Oh!" and grinned.