When it comes to appearance, wand vibrators are usually much of a muchness. Long body with controls in the middle and a mains cable or a USB charging point at its base. A broad, rounded head, sometimes with irksome ridges, sometimes without. Colours differ, sizes differ, but in general they’re all pretty similar. But not always. Sometimes they’re very different indeed. One wand that stands out in terms of not only appearance but also function is the Vive Shiatsu Dual Pleasure Wand Vibrator.
This little USB rechargeable cutie caught my eye a while back, but I never got around to buying one. As much as I loved the look of it I was still desperately in love with my Doxy (which I still am and always will be). I didn’t think I’d ever look at another wand again. But needs change and the wonderful folks at Sh! Womenstore gave me the chance to give this little beauty a test drive.
When the Shiatsu first arrived I fell a little bit deeper in love with the way it looks. Lightweight but not flimsy, solid feeling but not cumbersome, the build quality feels great. Made from the silkiest anti-dust deep plum silicone with trimmings of gold ABS plastic, it really is a pretty thing, and so unusually shaped.
Instead of a flat, attachment ready head you have a mushroom shaped dome that is covered with twenty five glorious stimulating bumps. It measures 8.25” in circumference around the edge where the silicone meets the gold trim, and is approximately 2.5” high. The neck between the head and the body of the wand is flexible, the silicone ring there making sure it remains watertight no matter which direction you bend it in.
The upper body of the Vive Shiatsu houses the controls on the front, the self-healing hole for the charging pin is on the back. The 5” body tapers down into a fabulously pointed handle, which also happens to be a 3.5” insertable G-Spot vibrator.
Yep, that’s what sets this wand apart. It’s double ended!
That super slim handle is really easy to hold when using the wand head. Because it’s so light it makes it a great choice for those who struggle with grip. The controls are always within easy reach of a thumb no matter which way around you decide to play. The pointed tip has a lovely flattened out top that dips and curves back out to sneak around the pubic bone and nestle flat against the G-Spot. Again, the shape of the wand head offers something to hold onto while you jiggle and thrust to your hearts content.
The thing is, no matter how lovely or well designed a toy like this is, if the vibes aren’t up to much none of it means anything. So, what does the Shiatsu have to offer?
Well, as you’d expect from a double ended vibe, there’s certainly plenty going on. But not all of it is good. The Shiatsu is a dual motor vibe (one in the head and one in the G-Spot tip) and has 10 functions: 3 constant speeds of vibration and 7 patterns.
When I first switched the thing on I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the vibes emanating from the wand head. They’re decently rumbly and there’s enough power behind those rumbles to whisk me toward a pretty swift clitoral orgasm. Those lovely nubs on the head really help speed things up for me, too. They’re not the best thing ever made, but being able to press one of those bumps up against the right side of my clit while the flat rests against the top of it gets the job done nicely.
However, as much as I liked the Shiatsu as a wand, I couldn’t for the life of me work out what the hell was going on with the G-Spot vibrator at first. It was absolutely shit! It felt like the vibes were travelling from the head like there wasn’t a motor in the handle at all.
That’s cos there wasn’t.
In true Ella fashion, I hadn’t read the instructions. When I did I learned that the two ends can be operated independently, to a degree. Once you’ve fired it up, holding the ON and PLUS button down together turns the head on/off, and holding ON and MINUS does the same for the G-Spot vibe. Eventually, I realised that my Shiatsu had arrived with only the wand head vibes switched on.
It took me fucking ages to figure out how to switch the damned G-Spot vibrator on. Like, literally HOURS, because the user manuals are absolute bollocks. They’re generic and refer to the controls of most but not all of Vive’s models. There’s even a section about a remote control app for smartphones. I’m sure you can imagine my joy and swift disappointment when I downloaded said app and discovered that the Shiatsu isn’t one of the supported models. Sucktacular!
Anyway, after turning off the head I held down the ON and MINUS buttons simultaneously and reactivated the G-Spot vibes.
What a disappointment that was!
Seriously, the vibes in the G-Spot end of the Vive Shiatsu are absolutely dire. They’re so weak the noise they make (which is obnoxiously loud and buzzy for such a poor payoff) doesn’t even change when I put the tip of the Shiatsu on a hard surface. Pressing it against my skin when the vibes are switched on feels exactly the same as it does when I press it against my skin with them switched off. It makes me sad that can’t even whinge and say the vibrations are irritating or buzzy. It would be an undeserved compliment, in my opinion.
I tried so hard to get a G-Spot orgasm out of this toy, but I failed miserably. My girth hungry vagina was so ready to forgive the super small size of the insertable end of the Shiatsu, but the complete lack of sensation the vibes gave me just made it feel like a crappy small dildo. Even the sharp point, which I usually like in a toy, pissed me off in the end. Purely because the rest of the toy wasn’t delivering.
As with most wands, you can use the Shiatsu for more than just intimate massage. All of my body loves it, especially my back and shoulders. The silicone glides well, the nubs help work out kinks and the vibes are soothing and relaxing. Just ensure that you don’t use oils as they could damage the silicone. Same goes for lubes too, use water-based only.
Cleaning the Shiatsu is a simple affair, because it’s waterproof. I dunk mine in a sink of warm soapy water, rinse under running water, then store in its pretty box. Vive haven’t provided a bag, so if you want one of those you’ll have to make your own arrangements.
I’ve honestly never been so conflicted about a toy in my life. On one hand I love the wand aspect and come every time I use it. But on the other the G-Spot vibe is just terrible. I even tried it on the Fella (who you may know lives for rubbish vibes) but even he said it was utterly pointless. He loved the wand, though, so he was as torn between love and hate as I was.
If you’re a lover of strong clit vibes but don’t need a lot of internal buzzing to make you pop, or if you’re into mild slim G-Spot vibrators, this double ended wand could be for you. If you’d like to get your hands on one, click the link below.
