We-Vibe Nova

We-Vibe Nova I side-eyed the We-Vibe Nova pretty hard when it came out, tbh. There’s a few sex toy styles that I roll my eyes at and reserve great skepticism for – shitty until proven otherwise: the “Rabbit” (or dual stimulator) and basically any remote-controlled vibrator. Both are usually expensive, with affordable options nearly always ending in deep disappointment. Both must meet a laundry list of requirements to be worthy of collecting, and most won’t meet your requirements. Most will merely sit in a drawer as an occasional reminder of that time you had high hopes. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard from someone who it using only one part of their rabbit vibe. It’s maybe all they’ve got, or that one part is better than the few other things they have – but if you’re using only one part of a dual-stimulation sex toy….what’s the point? I recommend very, very few of both styles so today I’m pretty pleased to tell you that I’ve found one that I enjoy almost as much as my current favorite.

The List

For a rabbit/dual-stim vibe to work for a person it must meet these requirements (the specifics of which vary for each person):

  1. The vibrations in both “arms” need to meet your requirements in intensity and type (buzzy or rumbly)
  2. The clitoral arm needs to sit where you prefer on/near your clitoris – to the side, nudging up from below, directly above, hugging both sides, etc.
  3. The clitoral arm needs to provide the correct amount of pressure
  4. The internal arm needs to be the right length AND width
  5. The internal arm needs to be curved to meet your g-spot or a-spot (or prostate, because dual-stim vibes can be used for that, too)
  6. The handle needs to be easy to hold with buttons that are easy to use without looking at them
  7. It should probably not sound like a kitchen appliance
  8. It should be made of silicone
  9. And if we’re getting into wishes and dreams territory, it should not be a budget-buster

Can you see why I’m super reluctant to recommend a rabbit vibrator, even though it’s one of the most asked-for types of sex toys? I have reviewed 14 dual-stimulation sex toys and have tried out at least 10 others. Out of those ~ 25 specimens two of them were close and okay for me, and two are really awesome for me – a few of the others aren’t terrible and might be good for others (just not me). We-Vibe Nova surprised me and is something I’ll probably recommend now if someone’s budget can tolerate it and they really, really want a dual-stimulation rabbit vibrator.

Why I Like the We-Vibe Nova

Herein lies the problem with me liking such a finicky breed of sex toys – I could go on about why I really like the We-Vibe Nova but this testimonial doesn’t mean it’s the right vibrator for you. Not everyone who has reviewed it likes it. I can’t promise you it will work for you. Of course, I can’t really promise you that any sex toy I love will work for you but most of them are a little easier to recommend.

We-Vibe Nova vs L'amourose DeniaTo understand why I like the We-Vibe Nova, I need to tell you a bit about other rabbit vibes I have. I once had a love-hate relationship with the Jopen VR6; the internal arm was powerful and rumbly as fuck but the external arm was weak, buzzy and didn’t quite hit my clitoris right. I once thought that the Lelo Ina 2 was pretty good but again, the clitoral arm was meh. Then came the Denia which showed me what I was really needing – a greater range of flexibility than most dual-stimulation vibrators can provide. It also helped that the Denia had amazing, rumbling and powerful vibrations all around and a base that I loved.

So while the We-Vibe Nova lacks the flex-y shift-y movement that the internal arm of the Denia has, it makes up for it (for me) with a pretty unique design. One downfall of the rabbit vibe has often been that you can’t thrust with it or the clitoral arm will lose contact with your clitoris. I need constant contact and the clitoral arm of the We-Vibe Nova is extra long but curls up to stay in place. Ok – Stick out your index finger; no, seriously. Like you’re doing that “come here” motion. You see how your finger curls up? That’s what the clitoral arm on the We-Vibe Nova does. You really need to check out the video here to fully get what I mean, but it really does maintain constant contact for me. The clitoral arm is rumbly and powerful – something we nearly never see with rabbit vibes. The internal arm is moderately powerful and somewhere in between buzzy and rumbly.  On its own the internal arm doesn’t hold a candle to the Rave (or to the internal arm of the Denia) which has me a bit disappointed.

It’s also waterproof, with a great magnetic charger – it stays where it needs to for charging and doesn’t get bumped off easily.

There Has to Be Cons…

Here’s my biggest problem: The app feels more necessary than I’d like. I hadn’t used the Nova in a few months so when I turned it on I thought I’d imagined my previous very enjoyable sessions with it. The internal arm was weak and under-powered. The external arm wasn’t as great as I remembered. Did it need a good charging? Nope, that didn’t fix it. Then I connected the We-Vibe Nova to the app and suddenly, all was right in the world. I cranked both sides up to full power and was assured that I hadn’t just had a wonderful dream. I don’t know why this happened; I don’t recall ever connecting the Nova to the app before which would be (I think) the only reason why it would be giving me problems. Otherwise though I don’t really give a crap about the app. I don’t fancy having someone else sit there and control the vibrations for me (but you might), whether they’re in the same room or in another country. I also would really rather not use the app as a remote control for the vibrator. However, even though my phone’s screen times out quickly and requires my thumbprint and the phone ends up covered in vag fluid and lube, it’s still probably a little easier than using the buttons. You see, the handle, when I’m holding it in use, curves slightly away from me. It curves like that right where the buttons are, so it makes it harder for me to change the intensity during use just using the buttons.

For me personally the shaft could be a little shorter, and maybe a little thicker at the head. But because I can thrust with it, I’m able to overlook the shaft length. Also, like with other rabbit vibrators that combine 2 rumbling, powerful motors there can be dissonance sometimes which can feel like a rapid pulsating. I don’t experience that frequently, but it may bother some.

A Bit of Comparison

Let’s briefly talk specs here, and compare. The We-Vibe Nova is thinner than the L’amourose Denia at the widest point of the internal arm. I generally find that the Denia is a better match for my g-spot. I usually don’t measure like this but the Nova is 4.2″ circumference and the Denia is 4.6″ circumference which works out to mean that the Nova is about 1.33″ wide and the Denia is 1.46″ wide. Not a big difference but as you can see from the photo above the Nova is more slender overall than the Denia.  The internal arm of the Denia has the most strength and rumble, whereas the external arm of the Nova has the most strength and rumble. I realize though that many people don’t need the heavy-duty strength of the Tango so even though the external arm doesn’t quite meet the intensity of the Tango (at least on Tango’s higher speeds) it’s still high-powered enough that many will love it.

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All in all I’m probably more likely to recommend the L’amourose Denia over the Nova but I’m even more likely to recommend one of my few top favorite clitoral toys in conjunction with one of my favorite dildos or g-spot vibes because this way it’s easier to come up with a combination that suits your body. Of course, this method actually could be more expensive than the Nova or even the Denia (which are $149 and $169, respectively). Yes, even though I personally really enjoy the We-Vibe Nova I’m still reluctant to recommend it because it’s one vibrator doing one thing and replacing two vibrators (both of which could potentially work well on different body parts and in a larger variety of couples-centric situations). If you already own multiple vibrators and really want a twofer for the days you can’t be arsed to hold two sex toys – go for it. If you’re trying to find The One To Rule The Whole Vulva because you can’t buy 8 sex toys? Oye I am physically manifesting my wishy-washy attitude as I think about that sentence; sorry you can’t see it. DON’T MAKE ME CHOOSE FOR YOU.

 

I was given the We-Vibe Nova in exchange for an honest review by the wonderful folks at We-Vibe. You can buy your We-Vibe Nova (or Tango, or Touch, or Rave) at the best sex toy shop on the planet – Shevibe.com.

1 Response

  1. Sara Testarossa says:

    Meant to thank you for reviewing this when you first posted it, so, belated thank you! I’ve referred to it several times in between testing out my Nova, which I was unexpectedly gifted by a We-Vibe rep after a training. I’d mostly given up on rabbits (used to love one of the ovo ones but now need stronger vibration and prefer rechargeability). But this one actually does what a dual stimulator is supposed to, for me, which is pretty awesome. A rabbit that can be thrusted and maintain contact with the clitoral stimulator is something it shouldn’t have taken so long to develop.

    I also experienced the “weaker without the app” phenomenon, which was definitely annoying. Still, I came to appreciate the app, mainly because of the ability to control the arms separately. I can’t be the only one who prefers different levels of internal and external vibration. Also I sometimes fail at pressing the right buttons because of where I put my focus, so the app having a visual representation of the levels helps my brain if it’s hazy. That said I know many people don’t want an app and will be annoyed at the fact the Nova doesn’t do everything it can if you don’t use the app. Lubey screen indeed.

    Anyway, glad you reviewed this one.