This month, BuzzFeed and Bellesa, the combination porn site and sex toy shop, announced their collaboration on a sex toy: the BuzzFeed AirVibe. It's a dual clit sucker and G-spot stimulator that folds up into a clamshell case, which doubles as a charging unit.
This isn't BuzzFeed's first foray into branded merchandise. They have a line of Tasty kitchenware, for example. The AirVibe, which retails for $59, is a part of BuzzFeed's initiative to "become an authority of sexual wellness," according to Digiday. Both the AirVibe and its case are coral red, similar to BuzzFeed's logo. According to an email sent to customers, the toy "nearly" sold out in 72 hours, and Bellesa limited sales to one per customer.
This is a first in terms of a publisher collaborating with a sex toy manufacturer. Michelle Shnaidman, CEO of Bellesa, told Mashable that reception for AirVibe has been overwhelmingly positive. "We're...seeing AirVibe all over social media," she wrote in an emailed statement. "We're extremely excited about the early indicators here. Big things ahead for the Bellesa X BuzzFeed partnership."
"Big things ahead for the Bellesa X BuzzFeed partnership."
The reviews on Bellesa's site support Shnaidman's assessment. At the time of publication, the AirWave has a 4.95/5 star rating on its website based on 44 reviews, The site also boasts that the toy gave "our [Bellesa's] shortest orgasm time ever." One review that BuzzFeed used in their write-up of their own toy is that the AirWave "made [the reviewer] O in under four minutes."
Skeptical but curious about the AirVibe, I asked Bellesa if I could review the toy. A few days later, it was in my hands (and elsewhere).
What is the BuzzFeed AirVibe like?
My favorite aspect of the AirVibe, really, was its packaging. The toy bends to fit perfectly in its clamshell case, which I find both cute and discreet. The case is also the AirVibe's charging port, which is the first time I've encountered that with a sex toy.
I have many USB-rechargeable toys, but they all plug directly into the toy itself, which means you have to leave it out in the open (unless you can put it in its pouch) while it charges. The clamshell charger is inconspicuous, should you be wary of others seeing your toys. It also makes the toy easy to toss in a bag or purse — though if you intend on playing for over an hour and a half, you'd need the charge cord as well.
Unfortunately, though, packaging alone doesn't make a good sex toy. It's not the only plus to the AirVibe I saw. As advertised, the toy is small (specific specs: 3.9 inch by 3.75 inch by 1.8 inch) and quiet. Like many sex toys it's made with body-safe silicone and ABS gold plastic. It's waterproof and has three buttons: on/off; "suction" (for the clitoris stimulator); and "vibration" (for the G-spot stimulator).
While the AirVibe helped at least one reviewer reach orgasm in four minutes, that certainly wasn't the case for me. I'll break down why.
Image: bellesa / buzzfeed
The Downsides of BuzzFeed's AirVibe
First off, its bendable structure. While the AirVibe's size and curve may benefit some anatomies, it didn't fit too well with mine. As with MysteryVibe's bendable vibrator, I couldn't find an angle for actual dual stimulation. Either the G-spot stimulator was hitting the right note, or the clit sucker was doing its best, but never both at the same time.
This brings me to my next point: the clit sucker. My colleague Jess Joho is more familiar with this kind of toy, having reviewed some such as Lora DiCarlo's Osé (which looks like the AirVibe's older, more-expensive cousin), but I have tried LELO's Sona 2. Both the Sona 2 and the AirVibe have a similar "mouth" as the clit stimulator/"sucker," and in both cases the suction didn't do much for me in terms of pleasure. Coupled with trying to maneuver the toy to receive both g-spot vibration and clitoral suction, the AirVibe didn't get me to that highly sought-after blended orgasm.
While g-spot vibration was the better part of the AirVibe for me, the toy's functionality left me confused and often pressing the wrong button. A card in the package explains how to turn on the toy (as well as how to charge and clean it), and it specifies that the toy has five continuous vibration speeds and 10 modes — but doesn't go into what they are.
The buttons themselves and their position on the toy don't help. If I use it while lying down, I can't see the buttons. They're engraved so as the toy vibrated, it was impossible to tell whether I pressed the suction or vibration button (or the on/off button!). Perhaps this would become more intuitive with use, as would the different speeds and modes, but it's a learning curve I didn't expect.
For all of these reasons, I wouldn't recommend the AirVibe to a beginner user despite its relatively-affordable price. I also wouldn't recommend the AirVibe to someone who isn't a fan of clit suckers, or bendable toys. If you are, then give this one a shot — it's $59 and comes in a cute case. Otherwise, I'd skip the AirVibe.
After using the AirVibe, I thought of the "four minute orgasm" review. Not only was that not my experience, it's also not the experience I'm going for. Maybe if you're in a rush but, especially for sex toy beginners, the goal isn't to climax as fast as possible. The goal is to provide yourself literal self-love, to learn about what makes you feel good, to take time for your own pleasure. If your version of that is a fast orgasm, that's fine — but it doesn't have to be. I also doubt the AirVibe's ability to provide such a speedy orgasm for everyone.
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