When Tantus announced that they were dipping their toes into the world of the wand vibrator, I was instantly captivated by the very idea of it, and before long people were starting to talk about the Tantus Rumble all over social media. Questions were being asked, by me and everybody else who was eagerly anticipating the day when it finally reached the market. Questions like, would it rival the Doxy, and did Tantus even want it to?
Soon enough, comments started appearing on the likes of Twitter, and they weren’t what I’d expected to see. In my starry little eyes Tantus can do no wrong, so what I was reading baffled me. What was it that I was reading? Grumbles. Grumbles that the Rumble wasn’t what people had been hoping for at all.
Then I received a review package from Tantus in July, and inside sat my very own Rumble. Was I ready? Yes, I was.
Even though I hadn’t read any reviews (I like to form my own opinions about toys I want to review, so avoid reading others’ reviews until mine is written), I couldn’t avoid the deluge of comments on social media, or the email from Metis Black that explained Tantus’ intentions concerning the Rumble. Because of those things, I went into my first encounter armed with the knowledge that I wasn’t about to experience a wand of Doxy standards, and I think that could be one reason for me falling a little bit in love.
My first impressions of the Tantus Rumble were definitely positive. The packaging is solid, clean and accessible, which is exactly what I would expect from a company who wanted to make ‘a vibrator for every body’. Even the Fella picked it up and said, “That looks funky, what is it?”, and packaging doesn’t usually catch his alpha male attention unless it’s covered in boobs.
Inside of that gender friendly box, nestled in a hunk of grey foam, sat my lovely Rumble. Even just looking at it, I found myself enamoured by the shape, and the gorgeous blue colour put a big smile on my face. Even though I do have a soft spot for the usual blacks and purples, it’s nice to see an uncommon colour, and the shade of blue chosen for the Rumble is perfect.
I could scarcely believe how light it was when I plucked it from its box. I’d heard it was light, but I wasn’t expecting it to be feather light. That has the potential to work really well for those who struggle with their grip, or with the muscles in their arms when stretching to get at hard to reach places. At just 9 inches in total length, it’s pretty small for a wand, but it’s big enough for me to reach everywhere I need to without too much effort.
The Tantus Rumble is rechargeable via usb, and the port is found right in the end of the handle. This makes it a cordless option, which is great for anyone who doesn’t have access to electrical points near their place of play, and also for those who dislike being tethered to one room by a corded wand. We’ve started in the dining room and worked our way up to the bedroom a few times using the Rumble.
One of my favourite features of the Rumble is the head. The entire the wand is made from abs plastic – a gorgeous glossy blue on the front, a matte black on the back, and a white head – but the head is swathed in a black silicone sheath. That silicone is Tantus’ own 100% Ultra-Premium Silicone, and is softer to the touch than a bag of feathers. The silicone cover is removable, and there are three other heads available to buy separately. There’s the Spoon Head, which looks ace for g/p-spot stim, the Dorado Head, which I can well imagine would be a treat for the clitoris or nipples, and the Convertible Head, for use with all Tantus vibrating dildos.
So many options, and they all begin with just one toy! But I don’t have those three interchangeable heads, so on to what my Rumble has to offer.
The control panel is situated on the front of the wand, and comprises of an ON/OFF button at the top, and plus (+) and minus (–) buttons at the bottom that let you switch back and forth between the three speeds and four patterns. All of the buttons are instant response, so you don’t have to be pressing the off button for 3 long seconds while someone is knocking on your door, wanting to be in.
Now, as I said above somewhere, many people on social media found themselves disillusioned with the Rumble, because they were expecting the vibrations to be, well, rumbly, but they’re not. They’re quite buzzy, truth be told, but that by no means makes them rubbish. There’s actually plenty of power on offer here, and I’ve had no problem reaching clitoral orgasms using the Rumble alone.
My favourite way of using it is to hold it side-ways and slowly roll the edge of the head back and forth over my clit. The neck is super flexible, so I can make this approach work for me in a number of positions. If I’m playing alone, I like to use the Rumble to massage out any of my kinks and awaken all of my skin before I even think about touching any of my erogenous zones, and once I’m aroused enough, I linger on my boobs and nipples for ages, cos the edges, sides, and flat top of the head all offer something different in terms of physical sensation and vibrations.
The Fella loves to have the Tantus Rumble used on him too. If you’ve read many of my reviews, you’ve probably learned that he’s not a lover of strong vibrations, and much prefers buzzes over rumbles. He really enjoys the Rumble when I use it during oral sex, especially when I push the flat top of the head quite firmly against his perineum and rock and roll it slowly in one place.
Just as I do, he enjoys having it used on non-sexy parts of his body, but unlike me, he likes to have his feet massaged with it, especially after a long day at work. I can’t abide feet, though, so I let him see to that business himself.
For those who like using a vibrator during penetrative sex, you may find you struggle with the Rumble. It’s great for clit stim while using an insertable toy, or for missionary type positions where he’s on his knees rather than lying belly to belly, but I found that the boxy head is too broad for me to find the right spot that gives me the kind of stimulation I need in any other position.
The Rumble isn’t waterproof, so no bath-time shenanigans are possible, and careful cleaning is essential. I pop off the head and wash that in soapy water, but the body of the wand gets a scrub down with toy cleaning wipes, or a cloth sprayed with a bit of toy cleaner. There isn’t a storage bag included, so if you don’t want to keep your Rumble in its box like I do, you’ll need to sort one out yourself.
I really do think the initial discord surrounding the Rumble was caused by nothing more sinister than a poor choice of name. I know that if I hadn’t been exposed to the social media complaints and Tantus’ response, I would have been just as disenchanted as everyone else, but because I knew not to expect anything like the Doxy, I was prepared for what the Rumble actually is.
What it is, is a fantastic option for anyone of any gender who’s looking for a cordless, rechargeable wand that offers a gentler type of stimulation than the big corded wands. It looks great, is well made, and is easy to use and hold no matter what your physical status may be. You can keep it as is, or you can purchase a different head and transform it into an entirely different beast… we have choices with the Rumble, and I definitely plan on exploring mine.
The Tantus Rumble was sent to me by Tantus in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my opinions, which are now, and will forever be, my own. Affiliate links have been used in this post.