I bought the Vibratex/Hitachi Magic Wand Plus1 because the CalExotics Silver Bullet that was my first vibrator felt good, but it never got me anywhere near orgasm. I figured that it must be a power issue. And if power was the problem, why bother getting a mid-powered vibrator that might not be powerful enough anyway? Best, I thought, to skip straight to the big guns and get a toy in the famed Magic Wand line. I chose to get the Magic Wand Plus over the Magic Wand Original because I wanted the non-porous silicone head and two additional lower speeds that the Plus offers (for a total of four). I had also heard that the Plus has more rumbly vibrations than the Original. I chose the Plus over the Magic Wand Rechargeable because the Rechargeable is considerably more expensive and I have an outlet next to my bed anyway, so plugging in a cord wouldn’t bother me.
Reviews lauding the MWP as the best vibrator or one that everyone should own also pushed me towards my decision to get it. I can’t say whether the MWP is the best vibrator – I’ve only tested three of them, after all. But I can definitively say that the MWP isn’t for everyone, or even for everyone who likes vibration. I was disappointed in its ability to bring me to orgasm and to bring me pleasure. A considerably cheaper vibrator, the Romp Hype, has done a far better job of that. (Review of that one coming soon!)
When I bought the MWP, I already had a very satisfactory masturbatory life based largely on grinding against pillows, mattresses, etc. But I wanted to be able to masturbate with a vibrator because I’m planning to have phalloplasty within the next few years. Phalloplasty will require relearning my sexual organs and how to experience sexual pleasure. I wanted to get a head start on the process of broadening the range of things that bring me sexual pleasure. I’ll also be unable to apply pressure to my genitals for a while after each surgical stage in my phallo process, so I wanted a masturbation method that didn’t require it. I have a long waiting period before my phallo, which makes it easy to feel powerless. There’s little I can do to speed the process up. I’ve been able to feel more in control of the situation by preparing for it, even in minor ways like learning to respond sexually to new kinds of stimulus. And, in some ways, the Magic Wand Plus has worked for that.
The Magic Wand Plus alone is technically capable of giving me orgasms on its third power level. That isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement. If I keep going long enough with the Magic Wand Plus (after warming myself up first with manual stimulation and my favorite vibrator, the Romp Hype), I can sometimes beat my dick into submission and have an orgasm. But by that point I’m forty minutes in, numb, and impatient. The orgasm is nearly pleasureless as my numb genitals finally give in and allow me to come. The orgasms are intense. I won’t deny that. But the intensity is an intensity of muscle-clenching and sensation, not an intensity of pleasure.
For some reason, coming this way nearly guarantees that I’ll be ready for a second round within a couple of minutes. That’s not something I experience with any other kind of masturbation. It’s not worth it to me, though. Even though I easily become aroused again, I struggle to orgasm again with my numb genitals. I need to resort to my standard method of humping/grinding at the highest pressure possible, by doing things like grinding directly on a hardwood floor. Even then, I am only successful about half the time. It’s not fun, and I like my masturbation to be fun.
Using the Magic Wand Plus while I grind is more successful. I can orgasm primarily from the pressure of grinding against the wand, with the vibrations adding an additional layer of stimulation. I almost exclusively use the first power level, which is far rumblier than the faster ones. Unfortunately, the wand isn’t great for that either. The layer of silicone over the head is firm enough to bother my dick and pubic bone. And the numbness issue is still there. The longer I take to orgasm with the vibrator on, the more orgasm recedes into the distance as my dick numbs. Increasing the power to the higher and buzzier levels provides more stimulation, but that’s a complicated trade-off because higher levels also increase the speed of numbing.
I haven’t mentioned noise yet, but the noise the Magic Wand makes is not a minor issue. It’s actually fairly quiet on the first level. The second is a bit noisier, but easy enough to disguise by running a fan at the same time. It’s the third and fourth intensity level where things really start to go wrong. I can’t use the vibrator on those levels when my roommates are home without worrying about them hearing.
Others have praised the MWP for having fewer vibrations travel up the handle than other wand vibrators. That may be true. I haven’t tried any other wand vibrators, so I can’t compare them. But it’s worth noting that vibrations do still travel up the handle. It hasn’t been a major issue for me, especially compared to my problems with the vibrator itself, but it might be problematic for anyone with hand issues.
Cleaning the MWP isn’t easy. The silicone head can be wiped down with a soapy washcloth or toy cleaner, but the wand isn’t waterproof or even water-resistant. I wish it was easier to clean, especially because I use the wand against my anus. I do wipe the head down with a 10% bleach solution after any (external) anal use, but I have to be careful not to get bleach or water on any other part of the wand. Unlike most of my sex toys, it can’t be left submerged in a bleach solution to sanitize it.
The Magic Wand Plus does have one saving grace, though, which is the main reason I still reach for it. It’s powerful enough to press against the base of anal toys and go to town with. How well the vibrations travel depends on the firmness of the anal toy, but even milder internal vibrations from softer toys feel great. I use the second or third vibration level for this purpose. Diffusing the vibrations through the toy seems to reduce the numbing issue. And, even if my ass does get numb, I can still orgasm. Anal toys are a masturbation enhancer for me, but I can orgasm just as well without them.
And, aesthetically, I really like the old-school look of the Magic Wand Plus. I don’t know how to explain why some sex toys trigger my gender dysphoria and some don’t. But whatever the reason, the extremely utilitarian appearance of the MWP works for me.
Overall, the MWP was a disappointing purchase. It made me think that vibrations didn’t work for me at all. That was disproven somewhat by my next vibrator purchase, the Romp Hype. (I’ll cover that in my Hype review.) I do still use the Magic Wand on my dick sometimes, even though the orgasms it gives are unreliable and not pleasurable. I’ve heard about enough people who took time to appreciate the Magic Wand that it feels worthwhile to continue. But I wish I had gone with the Hype as the first vibrator to replace my Silver Bullet instead.
You can buy the Magic Wand Plus at Early to Bed, although I don’t recommend that you do.
- All links to shops in this post are affiliate links. Purchases through them earn me a small commission at no cost to you. ↩︎
