SEX TOY REVIEW: Rabbit vs wand
aka my vendetta against rabbit vibes
“I heard you like magic
I’ve got a wand and a rabbit
So baby, let’s get freaky, get kinky
Let’s make this bed get squeaky”
Ever since I heard this lyric from Chappell Roan’s Red Wine Supernova, I’ve been meaning to make a post inspired by it (yes, it’s been a long time) – because it mentions the exact two toys I usually contrast against each other in my workshops.
The rabbit, despite perhaps being the most well-known type of vibrator (thanks to its feature on Sex and the City and the subsequent hype in pop culture media), placed on the “nay” end of my chart.
And the wand, despite often being mocked for its clunkiness and vintage porn associations, being a 100% “yay.”
So, why is that?
Let’s start with (a lot of) praise for the wand, because I think it’s such a shame it doesn’t get the recognition it rightfully deserves – and I say that as someone who also used to think it looks too bulky, awkward, old-fashioned, and unsexy!
A lot has happened since the wand was released in 1968 (!) by Japanese manufacturer Hitachi, later sold under the name Magic Wand. Nowadays, many more brands offer their own version of the wand, some even focusing on selling solely them, such as LeWand (on the right side of the photo) or Doxy. You can choose from various sizes (incl. mini travel sizes), colors, types of charging (cordless/with cord/battery operated), rigid or bending heads.
And the reason why I love them so much?
Simply put, wands are brilliantly powerful, versatile tools.
They’re the perfect introduction toy for those who are curious how much vibration they can take, and where to apply it too. Because, contrary to the common belief that wands are *only* for vulva owners, they can be used by anyone regardless of the shape of their genitals. Plus, a wand can be used in other areas too (perineum, nipples, inner thighs,…), and in worst case scenarios, they can double as a massage gun for those stuck back muscles. Many come with a bendable head, which allows you to reach all the spots you want, and fit to any body type. A proper win!
On top of that, you can get a lot of attachments for certain types of wands (e.g. LeWand) that can transform it into a vibrating dildo, butt plug, or even a penis ring. That way, the wand is merely a base for another toy, and we love such versatility, don’t we?
Last but not least, the wands you can get from Magic Wand, LeWand, and Doxy are incredibly high quality, and feature a really big range of vibration intensity.
In comparison, rabbits, at least those that are the most accessible and most known (like the purple one on the photo), are incredibly low quality, sometimes to the point of being literally unsafe.
Many of the cheap but commonly sold (esp. in mainstream sex shops) are made of hard plastics of questionable origins and quality, often full of TPEs, and soft jelly for the top part. Both these materials are often porous, meaning they can absorb bacteria they are exposed to during use. Yes, that includes STIs. Yikes!
The cheap quality also comes at the cost of many of these toys breaking after a few uses (that’s how I got the one pictured, after a friend bought it and never managed to even turn on, eek).
But here’s their main offense: the design simply doesn’t work for most people.
You see, every single person has a different body, and therefore a different shape of their genitals too. But most rabbits have a fixed design that only actually works the intended way (vagina being penetrated by one prong while the clit is stimulated by the other, shorter) for very few people. Often, for the shorter prong to even reach someone’s clitoris, the other part has to be inserted quite deep into the vagina, which is of course not comfortable for everyone.
In short, it’s just not a case of smart design, because it doesn’t consider how varied human anatomy is.
Luckily, the sex toy world is vast, and there are designers who have considered this flaw and came up with remakes of the OG rabbit.
These feature bendable prongs that can be adjusted to everyone’s personal anatomy (for example, pictured on the very right, WeVibe Nova), which makes them possible to use for anal penetration with simultaneous perineal stimulation too. God bless innovation!
Still, I would say that rabbits are not as universal, capable, and creativity-encouraging toys as the my beloved wands are. These new designs can be better, but their use is still fairly limited, and they really don’t deserve all the hype they have.