Power Rating: Effective - Just enough to get me there.
Noise Rating: Quiet - Buzzes discreetly.
Texture and material construction: It comes in three different color sets: fuji-lemon (yellow and purple), ume-anzu (a lighter and a darker salmon pink), and sora-mikan (mine, orange and pale blue). Even the pinks are not the traditional pink–more salmon or coral, and they’re whimsical and yummy-looking. They’re made of ABS plastic covered in thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), both of which are body-safe. Since this toy does have a motor, don’t boil it to sanitize it–a 10% bleach solution will work better. The seam between the colors is kind of a pain to clean, but a little soft toothbrush action does the trick.
The mini takes a single AAA battery, and it comes with one already installed; however, the manual advises that it’s simple to check to see if the product works, and for proper use I should replace it before using it. Since I wanted to see how easy the battery was to replace, especially since it’s a waterproof vibe (waterproof, according to the stats, for a foot and a half of depth).
Replacing the battery is easy, but requires some pretty deliberate force; you only twist the top counterclockwise and it clicks open, coming apart. From there, the battery insertion is simple. The one worrying thing is that the manual says the two pieces then click back together–however, there isn’t really a clicking sound or any way to tell it’s firmly in place other than it looks like it’s firmly in place.
Review Details: holding it in my hand and pushing the button, I was thinking this might be a hand-numbing sort of vibe. The vibrations sounded buzzy but were surprisingly strong, even when I tried to muffle them with my hand, and to be honest, I was really excited to use it.
The mini has one button, and one vibration speed. It’s not fancy–but it is inexpensive. You push the button, and turn it on. You push it again, and it turns off. This was kind of weird at first, because I kept forgetting you only need to push it to turn it off, not hold it down, but it’s easy enough. There isn’t a travel lock–but removing the battery is simple enough that it would make for easy travel usage.
The first time I used the mini was good. It took me a long time to come–I’m not a power queen, by any stretch of the imagination–but when I did come, the vibrations were light enough that I could hold it to my clit and just…keep coming. I had a long, lazy, blissful orgasm, because I didn’t have to pull the mini off me.
It has also been good for second orgasms, when I’m more sensitive but want to stretch out an orgasm. But it’s never the strongest vibe I’ve ever had. Even with a brand-new battery, it’s too weak for anyone who considers themselves a power queen, or even people who might like stronger vibrations. And as I’ve used it, it’s become noticeably weaker. To the point where recently, hovering on the edge of an orgasm for a few minutes, I said “Fuck it,” aloud, turned it off, and switched to my fingers. With the additional stimulation of a dildo in me, I can still come with it, but sometimes it takes way too long and is generally a pain. The vibrations being pretty buzzy, it can be hand-numbing, especially since it usually takes a while for me to come with it. However, the vibrations aren’t ever clit or vulva numbing, which is a plus. It’s definitely a buzzy toy. But it’s not the buzziest toy.
However, I also have times during my cycle where my clit is really sensitive. Sometimes too sensitive for the Hitachi or even a good rumbly vibe like the Tango. At those times, when I crave vibration, I do turn to the mini. It’s ergonomic, if I’m looking for pinpoint stimulation I have the tip, but I often like a little broader stimulation (especially during those sensitive times), and it’s easy to use any wider edge too. It still takes a while to come, but it’s not overwhelming like most of my stronger vibes are. I also like to stimulate my vaginal opening/urethral area without insertion sometimes, and I will say that the mini is the best vibe I’ve had for that particular usage.
The other place it’s been good is in the shower (I don’t have a bathtub), where the addition of water moving off the mini enhance the vibration a little bit. Also, fully submersible to a foot and a half (unlike the larger Iroha vibes)! Whoo!
So, to sum up, the mini is adorable. It’s inexpensive (less than $25 at full price). It takes a single AAA battery, and that lasts for a long time (according to Tenga, five hours. I haven’t had to replace it yet). It’s easy to hold, very cute, and easy to operate. However, the vibrations are, while stronger than I initially expected, pretty weak, get weaker as the battery weakens, and are buzzy and, since it takes a while, can be eventually hand-numbing. But, for the price, it is a small, high-quality-material vibe. If you aren’t a power queen, and you don’t mind buzzy vibrations, and you need something a little cheaper, you might like this guy. If you also don’t need a lot of clitoral stimulation to get off during penetrative sex, this might be a good toy for you. Its small profile could be good for getting between two people, and it’s easy to travel with and discreet enough that it could be good for a quickie. I really do like this toy a lot. It’s cute, it’s cheap, it’s body-safe, Tenga is a good company trying to get into the world of vibrators. But I really can’t recommend it with confidence unless you don’t need strong vibrations to get you off.
