Video games, headphones, virtual reality, it pretty much goes without saying that I have a fun job. I often tell people that I get paid to play with all the toys. Only now, that job also involves playing with adult toys. Yes, I'm talking about those toys: the vibrators, the dildos -- all of it.
My most recent outing had me meeting with Crave, makers of the Vesper necklace. If you're unfamiliar, it's basically a slim, but powerful vibrator designed to look like a rather stylish necklace that's plated in 24K gold. It's with these fine folks that I got the chance to build my very own vibrator.
In addition to the Vesper line, Crave also has a more traditional-looking vibe called the Duet. Priced at $149, it targets clitoral stimulation with a pair of tongs that resemble some a sexy tuning fork. But sometime in March, the company will be launching the Crave Duet Pro, a stronger, programmable vibe. When it launches, it will cost $149 while the original will drop to a lower price point. Crave was kind enough to let me take a stab at building the Pro.
Build a vibe
Based out of San Francisco, Crave actually hand makes every vibrator that comes out of the shop. And to show potential customers how fun and nonthreatening sex toys can be, the company has a van while they invite people to build a vibe (Yep, just like Build-a-Bear). The van is warm and inviting and during this occasion was manned by Crave's electrical and mechanical engineers who helped make my own Pro.
To start, I was given a kit that doesn't look dissimilar to a model plane kit. But instead of plane parts it's a vibe. The process starts by picking the color of the sheath for the tongs. Made from body-safe silicone, this is the business end of the vibe that will have the most contact with your nethers. It's silky smooth to the touch and is pulled down over the tongs like a pair of skinny jeans (slowly and with a lot of prayer).
Once that's done, you start piecing the vibe together, placing tiny screws, adding sealant and stopping every now and then to make sure your creation is air and water tight. All in all, the process took about 30 minutes with a few mistakes and plenty of naughty puns. When I finished putting the Duet Pro together, all I had to do was hit the translucent bottom-mounted power button to make sure it worked.
After holding the button for several seconds, the device sprang to life, happily buzzing away. The plus and minus signs on either side of the power button allowed me to change the rhythm, speed and intensity of the vibration. From there, I was handed a cute little black leather case to store my new toy in with a couple more naughty jokes and more than a few knowing smiles.
Customize your vibe
In its default mode, the Duet Pro comes with four modes (wave, pulse, constant and alternating pulse) and power levels similar to its predecessor. And similar to the original Duet, consumers will have the ability to tweak each of the settings online. All you have to do is remove the top of the vibrator and plug the USB Type-A input into a waiting port on a desktop or laptop. From there, you go to a special Crave website, which is listed on the directions included with the toy and start tweaking your vibe’s settings.
What I especially appreciate about this functionality is that you don’t have to give any potentially identifying information when customizing the Duet Pro. Towards the bottom of the USB dongle is a serial number which is used to identify the product, not the owner. It gives you a level of anonymity which is great when dealing with such an intimate product.
Bottom line
Choosing a vibrator is a personal experience that varies from person to person. But I gained a new appreciation for the people that bulid the devices designed to deliver pleasure. It was really cool to see the inner workers of this so-called toy and see all the engineering expertise that goes into it. And making it in such a welcoming environment like Crave’s Build a Vibe van, takes all the squick and potential embarrassment away from the experience.
The vibe itself is waterproof, compact, quiet and plenty powerful — and the Crave Duet Pro is the most personal and customizable product of its kind yet.
