Sunday, April 28, 2013

iGino One Review

~I received this item from iGino for free in exchange for an honest review.~

Companies more and more are recognizing vibrators can come in more shapes than have already been explored.  Rianne S came out with the Matryoshka, a small vibrator that resembles Russian stacking dolls.  Lelo has the Mia 2, shaped like a lipstick. Fun Factory has a UFO.  Joining the tradition of it's-not-what-it-looks-like is the new iGino One.


A little bit about it:  The iGino One is a compact, rechargeable clitoral vibrator (external use only) that at first glance looks nothing like a vibrator.  It's rectangular in shape (about 4 inches long by 2 inches wide), and has a removable cap. Under the cap is a little vibrating nub, which is the business end, so to speak, of the vibrator.

The iGino One comes with a USB extension cord, an EU wall adapter, US wall adapter, storage pouch, extra gaskets that go between the vibrating head and the body, and one SkinTouch head.  The SkinTouch head (made of EVA, aka foam rubber) is an optional attachment that gives the vibrating head a different feel.  According to the manufacturer, the vibe is compatible with water based, silicone, and "natural oil" lubricants.
SkinTouch head attached to the iGino


The iGino One charges via a USB port, is splash-proof but not waterproof, is one speed, and does not have a travel lock function (what keeps vibes from coming alive in your suitcase at embarrassing moments).

A brief note about the type of vibration.  iGino is equipped with "vibraMoove," which combines vibrations with movement.  They claim this is a unique sensation when compared to other vibrators.

Packaging:  The iGino One comes in a heavy duty, pink and white cardboard box.  You know how I feel about pink.  But more on that later.  The box itself is nice, simple, and classy.  It's neither discreet nor particularly indiscreet.





What I loved: The shape of the iGino One is truly unique.  It's roughly the size and shape of a smartphone or mp3 player.  The hinge the USB plug swings on even looks vaguely like a camera lens. In short, when the cap is on it looks nothing like a sex toy, so no need to panic if you leave it out and someone sees it.  Unless of course they pick it up and turn it on.  It's pretty obvious what it is at that point.  Anyway, it's a completely different design that doesn't follow traditional bullets or phallic-shaped vibes.

The vibrations, though only one speed, are relatively strong.  Seriously, for a rechargeable vibe, I'm impressed with the strength.  In fact, it is one of the strongest compact rechargeable vibrators I've seen. The vibrations are somewhere between buzzy and rumbly, but lean toward buzzy.  I usually can't (or don't) orgasm with buzzier vibes, but the iGino has just enough mix of rumbly that it isn't a problem.

The shape is easy enough for me to hold comfortably, although the comfort level of holding it will vary from person to person.  I do have to say, though, that most of the vibration stays in the head instead of the body.  Although the body does vibrate somewhat, it's not so much that it is particularly bothersome.

What I didn't: I'm going to start with the obvious.  If you've been reading my reviews, you know one of the big things that annoys me is assuming that women love pink.  Some women love it, not all.  I hate that pink is the go-to color for toy manufacturers.  I would have loved to see the toy in an accent color that was more neutral as far as stereotypes go.  Like yellow.  Or green.  Or grey.

The tagline, "What women want," which is written on the package, is kind of annoying.  To be honest, I really find it kind of insulting.  It's like saying, "Here, try this.  You'll love it.  If you don't, there's something wrong with you."  No one knows better than me that not all toys are for every body, and no toy should pretend to be.

The SkinTouch head didn't particularly do anything for me but dampen the vibrations.  For those that find the vibrations too powerful, the head is an excellent attachment.  For everyone else, skip it.

The iGino One is supposed to be slim enough to fit between lovers during intercourse.  I will say that yes, it is slim enough, but when Husband and I tried to use it during lovemaking, the vibrating head didn't hit my clitoris.  It just sort of hung out in the netherspace between us, not really vibrating anything except diffusely when the head somehow managed to hit something.

I was particularly excited by the idea of the "vibraMoove" technology, but was disappointed in it's implementation.  Although the vibrating head does move, it does so at such a rapid pace that it feels like most other vibrators.  In short, to my clitoris, the fact that the head is moving as well as vibrating doesn't feel any different than just vibrations.

Since the iGino isn't waterproof, that leads to the question of how to clean it.  I asked and was told that alcohol-free wet wipes are the way to go.  I happen to have a collection toy wipes that work great for this, but not everyone has toy wipes on hand.  Further, I prefer to wash my toys whenever possible instead of wipe them down.

The iGino is only one speed, and they told me:
The "Vibramoove" allows to vary the intensity of the stimulation simply by changing the inclination of the contact surface. This is the reason why the first version of the iGino has only one speed.
 Eh...I'm still going to say multi-speed is better, but it looks like they are still working on the design.

The last thing I really need to say is that the iGino is loud.  Like, really, really loud.  It sounds like electric hair clippers.  It's great that the shape is discreet, but in a situation where you would need the shape discreet, there is a really good chance you need the sound to be as well.  The good news is that iGino is aware of the sound issue, and they are working on it.

Final thought: The iGino has a lot going for it, but there is still a good deal of room for improvement.  It will retail for a cost of approximately $99, which is pretty standard for a high quality vibrator.  However, most luxury vibes of this price point tend to be multi-speed and often have a pattern function, a travel lock, are waterproof, and are extremely quiet.  The iGino is very new to the market, and doesn't have any of these features.  A vibe of that price that can only be used for clitoral stimulation should be, at the very least, multi-speed, waterproof, and quiet to be able to hold its ground against more well known manufacturers like Lelo, Fun Factory, and We-Vibe.  In my opinion, either new features need to be added, or the price needs to come down.

If the iGino One sounds like it might be for you, you can purchase your own from iGino.

~I received this item from iGino for free in exchange for an honest review.~

2 comments:

  1. Although the vibrating head does move, it does so at such a rapid pace that it feels like most other vibrators. In short, to my clitoris, the fact that the head is moving as well as vibrating doesn't feel any different than just vibrations.

    EXACTLY. Yes. You hit so many of the important points about this... thing.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, yes. It's a decent attempt at making a vibe that is unlike the others, but it definitely needs some work before the price can be justified.

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