I’ve been shopping at SpectrumBoutique a few years now so when they released their own inhouse line I was so excited for them and looking forward to trying it out. They have released two models so far, a G-spot vibe and a compact vibe and both of them come in three colors: black, blue, and purple. I purchased the Spectrum Essentials Compact Vibe in purple, which is a shade I would call periwinkle, and I’m quite fond of it. SpectrumBoutique orders always come in a plain brown box that doesn’t give away what’s inside, so discretion is not an issue.
The Essentials Compact Vibe is small at 3.7 inches tall and 1.7 inches wide, with a profile of just 0.87 inches at its widest point and 0.73 inches at its narrowest, which is the end where the charger goes. The silicone that it’s made with is very smooth and it never catches or drags on my skin so long as I am producing enough fluids of my own or using enough lubricant. I chose this design because I was intrigued to see how its slim profile felt, and I figured the tip would be small enough to produce a mix between pinpoint and broader sensations, which are sometimes easier for me to maneuver during partnered sex. I really like how they chose a design that wasn’t just a basic bullet shape, because while there’s nothing wrong with bullets, this design adds some variety to my toy box, and the general market.
The very first thing I noticed when I used this toy is how easily it slid over my clit and labia, and really just fit my body well. I love to turn the toy sideways and really take advantage of its slim profile and very subtle edge to stimulate along the entire length of my clitoral shaft. It slides between my labia minora expertly, splaying them in a way that rarely happens without fingers being involved. The tip of the toy is small enough that I can press it against the head of my clit and keep the sensations very focused on it, and while it’s not pinpoint in the way something shaped like a Zumio is, it’s definitely more focused and pinpoint than completely rounded bullet vibes. It’s like the middle ground between a sharp lipstick-shaped slant and a round bullet, which I am always excited about more subtle variations like this. The silicone that covers the toy is fairly thin, but it does have a bit of squish at the tip and the sides, but not so much that I lose any sensations when I apply pressure. I am a very heavy-handed person when wanking, so I put a lot of pressure on most of my toys, especially my external vibrators, and this toy bends in the middle. The flexibility hasn’t prevented me from putting enough pressure, and it actually allows me to hit my clit from different angles than something stiff may. The only issue I’ve had with the flexibility of this toy is occasionally when I press the button to change the intensity the toy flexes and I don’t actually press the button hard enough to change the toy, but that’s an easy enough work-around.
The Compact Vibe has 5 steady vibration speeds and 7 patterns, all controlled by the one button that turns the toy on/off. I’m not a big fan of the one button layout because I like being able to go up and down on the intensity levels without having to cycle through all of them or turning the toy off and starting over. If I’m going to use a pattern in a toy it has to be a consistent feeling to me, it can’t have a lot of peaks and valleys or feel unpredictable, like Morse Code. The first two patterns (6th and 7th overall settings) meet this criteria best; the first feels like a steady thumping, and the second feels similar to the first but like a quicker tapping, but I really only enjoy the first one. Unfortunately these patterns don’t have their own individual intensity settings and they feel like they’re at the stronger side of intensity this motor offers. I can’t reach orgasm with patterns, but I do think they’re good for warming up, and just mixing in for variation sometimes, but it’s hard to use something for warm up when it’s using most of the strength of the toy’s motor already. That being said, if you like patterns in your toys this one has a good variety, and a couple of the patterns have a change in intensity so you’re not stuck at the highest level the whole time.
Now onto the steady vibrations, which are mainly what I use the Compact Vibe for. Right away, it’s stronger and more rumbly than motors such as Calexotics toys, but it’s not as rumbly as a We-vibe Tango motor. The Compact Vibe feels like wide-spread vibration, and it does penetrate deeper than just on the surface of the skin, but I have to apply pressure to the toy to really get the most out of it. It’s the type of vibration that feels fast, whereas certain rumbly motors feel thuddy and slow. As you turn the motor up the power definitely increases, and around the 4th and 5th speed it loses most of its rumble, but the vibrations aren’t a pitch that are unbearable either. My vaginal opening and urethra are both very sensitive (in a good way) and they’re super close together so I love to circle this around them and penetrate very shallowly, which is where the shape of this toy is a great benefit. Once I work my way to the 3rd setting it’s where I stay mostly until I am ready to orgasm because it does contain a decent amount of rumble and power. I’m someone who enjoys a good mixture of rumble with certain pitches of buzz, but sheer power is also definitely needed for me. I will turn to the 4th and 5th setting when I’m ready to orgasm, but since they do lose most of their rumble, especially on the 5th setting, I am relying mainly on the power of the motor to push me over the edge, and it does a good job. I will say the vibrations can sometimes be drowned out if I am using an internal vibrator, or thrusting really fast with a dildo, so sometimes it’s best used by itself, but this will really depend on your masturbation style, too. Overall, I would say the Compact Vibe’s motor is on the more powerful end, and it’s a mix of rumble and buzz. It is also quiet, even when turned all the way up so I wouldn’t be concerned about discretion.
Now, despite the fact that I don’t always enjoy pairing the Compact Vibe with other internal vibrators I do love including it during partnered sex. I don’t include all of my toys during partnered sex because some just aren’t suited size wise, and some I worry about breaking, but this toy excels during partnered use. It’s the perfect size to fit between two bodies, and easy to hold on to, and stimulate where I need to. While I love pinpoint stimulation during solo play, it can get tricky to include during partnered play because it’s easily knocked out of place, and smaller vibrators can be harder to hold onto. This Spectrum Essential Compact Vibe bypasses those problems for me, and it also is one my partner likes including, too. Certain toys can be too powerful, and drown out the more subtle sensations of a penis thrusting, or they can turn my vagina into nothing more than a vibrator tunnel that pushes my partner to the edge really fast. As someone who rubs their clit during penetrative sex every time I do love having toys that work for this, too. All of the perfect gliding and clit targeting that I described for solo use transfers over to partnered use, which isn’t the case for every toy.
I mainly hold this toy like I would a writing device to press its tip where I want, or sideways to glide its narrow profile between all my folds. If you’re going to press this flat against your body with your palm or multiple fingers, similar to a grinding toy, you’re going to get a lot of vibration transfer and I’ve found that this does dampen the vibration frequency some. No matter where you hold it the vibrations can be felt in this toy, with a slight change between the front (the tip) and the back (charging end), but it hasn’t caused the itchy hand sensation or pain for me. If you’re someone who deals with these problems the Compact Vibe will probably cause more issues for you.
The Spectrum Essential’s Compact Vibe is a toy I’m glad to have added to my collection, especially because its shape gives me variety, and allows for vaginal entrance stimulation in a different way than bullet vibrators do. The Compact Vibe is made of silicone so it’s entirely body-safe (not anal-safe, don’t stick it in your butt), and is USB rechargeable with a pin jack charger. It is rated as water-resistant so cleaning is super easy, but it is not submersible so do not use it in the bath. SpectrumBoutique says this vibe is compatible with water-based and hybrid lubes, so do not use silicone lubricant with it. The battery runtime and charge time are not listed on SpectrumBoutique’s website so I ran my own tests; the toy takes 63 minutes to charge, I get around 70 minutes of play time during my typical use, and it runs for 1 hour and 43 minutes on the lowest speed, and 52 minutes on the highest speed. Overall I have been impressed with the battery and haven’t had issues with it dying on me before I reach orgasm. If you’d like to get your hands on your very own Compact Vibe you can purchase it at SpectrumBoutique for $59 (Prices are at the time of writing and are subject to change.)
