Lelo Tiani 2: Design Edition

Lelo is a company that changes their sex toys based on consumer feedback. Many have been changed. The Ina‘s clitoral arm was made less pinchy. The Mia was made more powerful and rumbly. So this review is a comparison review of the original Tiani vs the Tiani 2. If you’ve never read my opinions on the original Tiani, you might want to jump over to that review. Likewise if you’ve never heard much about SenseMotion or the Tiani before, you should start with my original review. This review will not be detailing the minute details and basics of how it works, packaging, etc. That’s all been done.

As I said, based on feedback from customers and reviewers, Lelo made changes to their SenseMotion line. All items in the SenseMotion line and just about every aspect of them has been revised – from the remote to the vibrations. But the real question is – do these updates and revamps make the Tiani 2 worth purchasing? As told by Lelo, the changes made to the Tiani are:

1. Enhanced Motor: Quieter, and 50% more power than the original line
2. Intelligent Memory Chip: No interruption of vibration if the remote and vibrator lose connection
3. 3X Greater Wireless Range: Signal travels up to 48 feet with less interferrance from other wireless devices
4. Enjoy with or without a Remote: Power on the vibrator and cycle through 6 modes without the remote
5. Two Wearable Attachment Options: Classic looks the same as before; Contoured has a fuller flare for g-spot stimulation and a concave arm design

Lelo Tiani 2’s Enhanced Motor

From what I can see, the Tiani 2 itself is not any quieter, but it didn’t really need to be. What is quieter is the remote. It’s a noticeable difference, and a good change. The 50% power increase is not only correct, it’s selling itself short. Frankly I’d say that the Tiani 2 is three times more powerful than my original Tiani. The original was so surface-buzzy and weak that I could barely even feel the so-called vibrations. The Tiani 2 is an improvement with more rumbly vibrations that are more powerful. They feel pretty identical to the updated Mia. However…..while the vibrations are improved in both intensity and type, it’s still not powerful enough to me. When you make a vibrator with variable speeds, it stands to reason that you should make the top speed a little more powerful than what half of the women would prefer – this will appeal to a greater audience. Those who require something extra are satisfied while those who are more sensitive can keep it on a lower setting.

The vibrations are, however, not at all irritatingly buzzy. They are substantial enough to be felt. I can imagine that this would provide a great public tease, but perhaps is not enough power for many women to orgasm with it alone. The vibrations are without a doubt much more pleasant and powerful than the overhyped Fixsation; it is also more powerful than the We-vibe 1 or 2. At the moment I’m going strictly from memory¹ but I feel pretty safe in saying that the Tiani 2’s vibration intensity is just about equal to the We-Vibe 3.

Intelligent Memory Chip / 3X Greater Wireless Range

The very first run of SenseMotion remotes absolutely sucked. If you were in any position other than legs splayed wide, the remote would lose connection and the Tiani would quit vibrating. It wouldn’t transmit through flesh. Then I found out that Lelo had fixed the remotes but were not exactly making it public knowledge. If asked, they would replace your remote for free though. The new remote was indeed much better with transmission; I was able to put my pants on and be 2 rooms away with it still vibrating. With the new & improved SenseMotion, the range is much farther (up to 48 feet) and best of all – if you do lose signal, the vibrations won’t die out. I tried to test this but so far have been unable to lose signal! Basically though if you do lose signal, it will simply revert back to straight vibrations. When the signal can be picked up again it does this automatically; you don’t have to do anything. I gave up reviewing wireless remote control vibrators because inevitably the remotes lacked something; range, ability to tell the remote holder what is going on, etc. This new SenseMotion remote does answer all of those problems.

No Remote Required!

One thing that the original Tiani failed on in comparison to the We-Vibe 3 was that the We-Vibe 3‘s remote wasn’t necessary, it was simply an enhancement. While the remote is still necessary for SenseMotion type play, you can use it without the remote. This is especially handy when you just want to use it during sex and you don’t want a remote buzzing away on the headboard. It’s also handy for those times when you run out of AAA batteries. The little invisible button on the top of the clitoral arm is where you turn it on and then can change settings. The location of this button is an improvement over any of the We Vibes whose button was located on the very tip of the clitoral arm, making it difficult to access when in use.

The way the remote and SenseMotion works is identical to the original Tiani. If you need a refresher on this or somehow have never heard about the Lelo SensMotion line, I will direct you to my original review of the Lelo Tiani, rather than spend 4 paragraphs here re-telling the details of exactly how it works.

Tiani Now Has Two Wearable Attachments

A complaint of the original Tiani was that the internal arm didn’t provide any g-spot stimulation. Since the design of the Tiani is so similar to the We-Vibe, people expect a little more action from that internal arm other than to just hold it in place. With the Lelo Tiani 2 Design Edition² they’ve given you a choice of two internal arms. The new design is supposed to provide g-spot stimulation. This is where I have to criticize. While many users of the We-Vibe thought that the internal arm was *too* bulky, I think that the internal arm of the Tiani is not enough. This new flared end is a little bit thicker, yes. But the design will not work for everybody. Your g-spot would have to line up exactly with this spot and mine does not.

They also have changed the silicone of the arm, ever so slightly. With my first Tiani I’d complained that the arm was a little too floppy and that it provided no pressure to the clitoral portion. The new Tiani 2 is even more pliable. The silicone is a little more squishy and the thinner portion at the middle of the c-shape is very flexible and pliable.

The upside though to including both internal arm designs is that it will appeal to a larger variety of women. The design differences are not huge but it’s enough that some women will drastically prefer one style over another.

What Else Has Changed?

Another complaint I had with the original Tiani was when you screwed the internal arm on, the threads wanted you to turn it a quarter-turn more for a more secure seal, but the design clearly did not agree with this. This has been fixed, mostly. The two halves are together a little better. While the threads still want to keep going, it’s not as much as the original. You wouldn’t think this a problem, but with the original I would get lube and fluids inside. I’d clean the outside, thinking that was good enough only to unscrew it another day for recharging to find it covered in gunk. Nice, eh? A little bit still gets in, but as you’ll see in the photos, it’s not nearly as bad.

As I said, the remote and SenseMotion functions are identical from the original (except that the vibrations of the remote are quieter). You still need that plastic key to get the remote back off. Many people had no issues getting the remote back off without the use of the included tool; these people proclaimed people like me to be whiners and complainers. Now, perhaps I lack finesse or strength in my hand. Perhaps you don’t. Perhaps I happen to have a remote that is more cantankerous than yours. But I have even more trouble than before getting the remote battery cover off. It will be really hard to see in the photos, but I already chipped off metallic paint (and a teeny sliver of plastic) trying to get mine open with the key. Your mileage may vary.

Changes I wish they’d made but didn’t: I hate that faux-metal band. It’s part of the design, I know, but I hate it. It’s hard to keep clean and the line between plastic and silicone can get gunked up. I wish that the remote were rechargeable. I wish the remote was smaller. These are minor gripes, and fixing them (along with the vibration intensity) would only serve to make the Lelo Tiani 2 practically faultless. As it is, it’s now a vibrator I will recommend for those seeking a wireless remote control vibrator.

So…What’s the Verdict?

If you’re reading this review in the years since I originally wrote it, you may notice that the original Tiani isn’t for sale anymore. There’s the Lelo Tiani 2 and Tiani 3 now, and I’d say that you should pick the Tiani 3.  I recognize, though, that this sex toy isn’t for everyone. For me it would only serve as a teasing toy out in public; it doesn’t enhance sex for me and it is not strong enough to bring on a clitoral orgasm. The We-Vibe 3 is about $20 cheaper, but that $20 is all in the remote. If you really enjoy patterns and pulsation functions, and if you don’t require the power of the Web-Vibe Salsa³ then I can actually recommend this. That’s really saying something, because I would not have recommended the original Tiani to anyone. Lelo has definitely worked out all the kinks in the SenseMotion remote; it’s actually fun now!

Thanks to Lelo for letting me review the new & improved Tiani 2, and proving that they do listen to us!