We-Vibe 4 Review

UPDATE: The We-Vibe 4 has been replaced by the We-Vibe Sync.

I’ve been reviewing the We-Vibe ever since it first came out, so it’s been interesting to watch the changes they’ve made over the years. The first We-Vibe was simple–no remote, no patterns–but lacking in vibration strength. We-Vibe 2¹ added in a bunch of patterns. We-Vibe 3 added in a remote and a bit of a power increase, along with an easier method of charging–the induction base–which also made it waterproof. So far though, We-Vibes 1 through 3 all looked about the same. Finally We-Vibe 4 is out and the changes are significant². I admit that the We-Vibe has historically never had enough power for me, although I’ve read plenty of reviews from satisfied people. I’ve been hoping that one of these versions, the changes will be significant enough for me to finally love it as much as I want to. 

New Silicone–Finally!

Previously, We-Vibe had used the shiny silicone that attracts dust/fur/lint like a magnet. You couldn’t keep it clean. The We-Vibe 4 features their new, silky-smooth matte finish silicone which stays clean! It’s much nicer during use, too, it glides against skin better. With the previous We-Vibes there was a drag to the silicone and much lube was required. Another aspect of the silicone that helps is that is isn’t so slippery anymore when wet with fluids or lube, which makes it much easier to press the button on the We-Vibe during use if you don’t have the remote handy.  In the photos below comparing the We-Vibe 3 and the We-Vibe 4, I purposely didn’t clean either one of them before taking pictures. I wanted to show you the drastic difference the silicone makes in how clean it stays. The We-Vibe 3 wasn’t hiding under the bed, as the fur and dust might suggest. I’d gotten the We-Vibe 3 out of storage two days before taking these photos. It sat on my desk for those two days.

New, Better Design

According to the site:

Clitoral stimulator  ~Curved to fit her body  ~Contoured to gently rest between the labia  ~Maintains contact to deliver deep, rumbling vibrations

Mid-section  ~Slim design allows for penetration  ~Snug fit for direct vibrations

G-spot stimulator  ~Shaped for stability  ~Rests in place behind the pelvic bone ~Comfortable for both partners

We-Vibe 4 features a more streamlined design, and the U-shape curve is also tighter. It gives a more snug fit which is beneficial if you’re wearing it solo and for public play, or just during PIV sex. The tighter curve combined with the new silicone and streamlined design makes it less likely to move around wildly during sex–but it can still move around a bit. We had a little bit of an issue with that in version 4, still³, but not as much as we did previous versions. I do vastly prefer the new, more snug fit. Even with my full, “chubby” outer labia it is comfortable. I completely surround the We-Vibe 4 but that’s fine. If your g-spot is located deeper inside the vagina, you might not love the redesign. For me personally it’s a better fit, though.

Another design change is the location of the power button. It’s always been a tiny button; the first We-Vibe was a switch rather than push-button which was even more difficult. And the button has always been located on the very tip–this means it would be buried in the labia, and made it difficult to turn on/off/change settings during use. But now, the button is slightly bigger and it’s moved back just enough from the tip so that everything is so much easier to use.

 

Still a Lack of Power

For whatever reasons, be it how I’m wired, how I’m built, dopamine levels….my external clitoris (and g-spot, for that matter) aren’t very sensitive. I require MORE. More power, sure, but more rumblies. If the We-Vibe had the same motor as the Tango–not the same power, it can be only as powerful as level 2 of 4 on the Tango otherwise it might overwhelm everyone–then the We-Vibe might be something I rave about.  Not even g-spot stimulation can make the vibrations of the We-Vibe 4 bring me to a clitoral orgasm during penetration. It can’t even do it solo. In fact I drained the charge one day trying in vain for 45 minutes to draw out even the tiniest of orgasms. It does have vibrations that are more rumbly than buzzy, but it just isn’t powerful enough for me. Currently even level 1 on the Tango is more powerful than the top level on the We-Vibe 4.

So, that’s it. If the We-Vibe 4 had the same motor as the Tango, we’d be in business. Of course I say that about many toys, because the Tango is my holy grail of vibrators, but surely the possibility exists for Standard Innovations to utilize that same motor? The bottom line here is that they’ve made some really great changes to the We-Vibe 4. Every change is necessary. Every change is good. But that one thing….the vibrations….keep me from being able to really recommend it to most. I think that if you’re more sensitive, you will really like it. We-Vibe does listen to customer feedback, as you can see with all the changes they’ve made.

 

My apologies to the RSS/Email only crowd. The following sections are made to be click-to-see on the site, to make this post less lengthy but you folks will see this no matter what. Since I feel that the opinion is the most important part of the review, that’s the focus. But some want to read more about how it functions, the specs, etc so if you click on each heading, you’ll see that info.

[showhide type=”post5″ more_text=”Charging” less_text=”Show less…”]…

For some reason the charging base is a little different from the We-Vibe 3. The vibrator goes down into the wells in a certain way. If you get it wrong, it won’t charge. If you get it really wrong, it’ll turn on while it’s in the base. After using it a few times, you’ll soon remember just how you’re supposed to put it on the base. If the yellow light doesn’t come on and start blinking after a few seconds, try pushing the top portion of the We-Vibe down a little further into the base. There is a spot in the base for the remote, but it doesn’t charge the remote. Unlike the We-Vibe 3, the remote for the We-Vibe 4 has a standard, removable battery.

As with all We-Vibe products, the We-Vibe 4 charges via a USB cable. A USB-to-AC wall adapter can work just fine if you prefer old school charging methods or your outlet doesn’t have a USB port.[/showhide] [showhide type=”post3″ more_text=”Packaging / Includes” less_text=”Show less…”]…

I really love the new aesthetics of the newer We-Vibe boxes. Really pretty watercolor artwork! The boxes are apparently made for retail because they’re all about framing the vibes and holding them securely. You’ll likely end up tossing all of the inserts.

The We-Vibe 4 box contains: 1 We-Vibe (of course), 1 remote with a battery already in it, and a 2-piece charging base (it has a removable cover for travel) with a USB-to-micro-USB charging cord. Plus a manual, naturally.[/showhide] [showhide type=”post4″ more_text=”Detailed Specs” less_text=”Show less…”]…

There are 3 vibration intensity settings and then 3 patterns – pulse, wave and echo. Echo switches the vibrations between the g-spot portion and the clitoral portion. The We-Vibe 4 is 100% waterproof; it charges via induction so there’s no charging port. a 6-hour charge delivers *up to* 3 hours of play. When it is consistently on the highest intensity level, I find that it’s more like 1 hour of play. The silicone is of course non-porous and very easy to clean up. We-Vibe recommends using a water-based lube. There’s a 1-year warranty which they are really great about. If you ever experience anything out of the ordinary, just email them.

Sadly, We-Vibe 4 only comes in two colors now: pink and purple. They’ve experimented with other colors in the past, and I wish there were more choices now.[/showhide] [showhide type=”post1″ more_text=”How It Works” less_text=”Show less…”]…

There’s an easy-to-use button on the We-Vibe itself in case you lose the remote, but the remote is very handy to have, albeit a little finicky to use. With the single button on the We-Vibe, you cycle through the 3 intensity levels and then the 3 patterns and then off. With the We-Vibe 3, the remote also had just one button, so it did the same cycling. The 4’s remote has 4 buttons. You would assume that the top button (the one farthest away from the logo) would turn it on; at least I assumed so. But it won’t. You have to turn the We-Vibe on via the power button on the vibrator. It will remember the mode you were in the last time, tool, when you first turn it on. I’d really rather have the remote able to turn the unit on. Since there are only 3 power levels, I would expect that 2 clicks of the top or bottom button would take me through the power levels….but it doesn’t. It seems to take a lot of clicks. You can press and hold the top button to ramp up quickly to the top power level, but if you press and hold the bottom button, it turns the vibrator off completely. The side buttons will cycle from steady through the 3 patterns. If you were on a lower power setting before you clicked a side button, then the patterns will also be in that lower power setting. You can’t get that by using the button on the vibrator itself; this is good in case the user is particularly sensitive.[/showhide] [showhide type=”post2″ more_text=”Public Play” less_text=”Show less…”]…

You’ll want to have minimal clothing on for this. I tried it through a very heavy pair of pants + panties and had to point it directly at my crotch to get the remote to work. Next I tried it with a pair of normal pants, no panties. The remote still had to be in front of me; it wouldn’t work from the side or behind. This could also be due to my labia completely surrounding it–I’m not sure. I’d really like to see a more responsive remote.[/showhide]

 

UPDATE: The We-Vibe 4 has been replaced by the We-Vibe Sync.