A vibrator, sometimes described as a massager, is a sex toy that is used on the body to produce pleasurable sexual stimulation. There are many different shapes and models of vibrators. Most modern vibrators contain an electric-powered device that pulsates or throbs. Vibrators can be used for solo play, partnered play by one or more people, or in an orgy. Devices designed for use by couples as tools of genitals stimulation have been developed. They can be applied to erogenous zones, including the vulva, vagina, penis, scrotum, anus, or rectum, to stimulate the sexual response of both partners. The application of these devices can be used for the purpose of sexual stimulation, the release of sexual frustration, and the achievement of orgasm. Vibrators are a recommended treatment by sex therapists for women who experience difficulties reaching orgasm through masturbation or intercourse.
Types
Vibrators often generate their vibrations using eccentric weights driven by a conventional electric motor, but some use electromagnetic coils. Some vibrators are marketed as "body massagers" – although they still may be used, like the ones sold as adult sex toys, for autoeroticism. Some vibrators use batteries, while others have a power cord that plugs into a wall socket. There is also a vibrator that uses the flow of air from a vacuum cleaner to stimulate the clitoris.
Modern versions of old musical vibrators synchronize the vibrations to music from a music player or a cell phone. Some luxury brand vibrators are also completely covered in medical-grade silicone with no exposed control panels or seams. Although proper cleaning is required for any sex toy, having fewer places for bacteria to grow reduces the chance of infection. While some companies sell significantly larger dildos and vibrators, most that are marketed for vaginal or anal insertion are sized around the average penis size.
There is a wide range of vibrators, but most of them fall into several broad categories:
Clitoral: Powerful wand vibrators externally stimulate the clitoris. The most common type of clitoral vibrator is small, egg-shaped, and attached to a multi-speed battery pack by a long cord. Variations include vibrators shaped like narrow bullets, animals, ergonomic forms, miniature rockets, and large human tongues. Regardless of the design, the main function of the clitoral vibrator is to vibrate at varying speeds and intensities. Dildo-shaped: These approximate a penis shape and size and can be made of plastic, silicone, rubber, vinyl, or latex. Vibrating dildos can be used for personal pleasure or for mutual pleasure with a partner. They may be used for vaginal and oral penetration, as well as anal penetration. They come in different sizes, colors, and textures, and they may be double-ended, so that both anal and vaginal stimulation can be performed at the same time. Love egg: An egg- or bullet-shaped vibrator for clitoral or penile stimulation and vaginal or anal insertion. Wired and wireless variants are both common. Rabbit: Two-pronged for stimulation of both the vagina and the clitoris simultaneously. It was featured on Sex and the City in the late 90s. The rabbit vibrator actually consists of two vibrators of different sizes. A phallus-like-shaped vibrator is intended to be inserted into the vagina to stimulate the vagina, while a smaller clitoral stimulator is placed facing forward onto the main vibrator. The rabbit vibrator was named after the shape of the clitoral stimulator, which resembles a pair of rabbit ears. G-spot: Similar to the traditional vibrator but with a curve and often a soft, jelly-like coating. The curve is designed to stimulate the G-spot. This type of vibrator is made of materials such as silicone or acrylic. It can be used with or without the vibrations. P-spot: Similar to a G-spot vibrator with a curve to stimulate the prostate. The use of vibrators to regularly stimulate the prostate can help improve prostate health. Anal vibrators: These are designed for anal use and have either a flared base or a long handle to grip to prevent them from slipping inside and becoming lodged in the rectum. Anal vibrators come in different shapes, but they are commonly butt plugs or phallus-like vibrators. Butterfly: Vibrator strapped around legs and waist for hands-free clitoral stimulation during sexual intercourse. It comes in three variations: traditional, remote control, and with anal or vaginal stimulators. They are made of silicone, plastic, latex, or jelly. Cock ring: Vibrator (usually cordless) inserted in or attached to a cock ring, usually for stimulation of the clitoris during sexual intercourse. Dual/triple area: These vibrators are designed to stimulate multiple erogenous zones simultaneously or independently. They are usually in the form of a clitoral stimulator and vaginal stimulator; an example is the Sybian. For men, some vibrators stimulate the prostate and perineum at the same time. Triple-area vibrators are designed to stimulate three erogenous zones simultaneously or independently. These provide stimulation to the vagina, clitoris, and anal regions in women. The designs for men stimulate the anus, perineum, and scrotum. Pocket rocket: Shaped like a cylinder, with one of its ends having some vibrating bulges. It is meant to stimulate the clitoris or nipples, not for vaginal insertion. A pocket rocket is a mini-vibrator that is typically about five inches long and resembles a small, travel-sized flashlight. These are described as discreet sex toys that may be carried around in one's purse or briefcase but are not one of the most silent vibrators. Due to its small dimension, it is powered by a single battery and usually has only one speed. Suction/Rose: Vibrators that are designed to provide suction and vibration to the clitoris, they first entered the market in 2014. A popular example is the "Rose toy", this vibrator is shaped like a hybrid tea rose. Suction toys can also be used to prevent mastitis for breastfeeding mothers.
Common features
Although many vibrators are marketed as waterproof, most should not be submerged. The ones designed for underwater use may be used in the swimming pool, while bathing, etc. These vibrators may be recommended to be used with a water-compatible lubricant, such as a silicone-based lubricant. This is not the case for all waterproof vibrators, as silicone-based lubricants can degrade silicone vibrators. Multi-speed vibrators allow users to customize how fast the vibrator's pulsing or massaging movements occur. Depending on the specific type of vibrator, the speed change is made by simply pushing a button a certain number of times, allowing users to change speeds several times during use. Bendable vibrators can adapt to the body shape and are used to find and stimulate hard-to-reach erogenous zones. They can be shaped to act like other vibrators, such as G-spot, anal, penis, or dual.
Programmable and remote-control vibrators can be worn in or against the genitals, which can be pre-programmed or controlled remotely. Other vibrators come with a handheld remote that can be used to adjust speed and intensity. Smart vibrators can connect to mobile applications via Bluetooth LE connections, allowing features like long-distance remote control over the Internet, vibration in sync with music, and programmable vibrations. Certain manufacturers, including Lovense, incorporate functions such as long-distance control, sound synchronization, and app-based operation.
Some vibrators, designed to be discreet, are shaped as everyday objects, such as lipstick tubes, cell phones, or art pieces. Occasionally, some women use actual mobile phones in this function. The undercover vibrators are usually relatively small, and most of the time they have only one speed and are powered by a single battery.
History
Early development
The electric vibrator was invented in the late 19th century as a medical instrument for pain relief and the treatment of various ailments. It was marketed for decades without any sexual connotations, for example, to be used against the skin for wrinkles, the scalp for headaches, or the stomach for indigestion. One account gives its first use at the Salpêtrière hospital in Paris in 1878, with Romain Vigouroux cited as the inventor. English physician and inventor Joseph Mortimer Granville, who also developed an early model, asserted his own priority in the invention and has been described as the "father of the modern electromechanical vibrator." Mortimer Granville's 1883 book Nerve-vibration and excitation as agents in the treatment of functional disorder and organic disease describes the intended use of his vibrator for purposes including pain relief and the treatment of neuralgia, neurasthenia, morbid irritability, indigestion, and constipation. These early vibrators became popular among the medical profession and were used for treating a wide variety of ailments in women and men, including hysteria, arthritis, constipation, amenorrhea, inflammations, and tumors; some wounded World War I soldiers received vibrotherapy as treatment at English and French hospitals in Serbia.
Vibrators began to be marketed for home use in magazines from around 1900, by brands such as White Cross together with other electrical household goods, for their supposed health and beauty benefits. An early example was the "Vibratile", an advertisement that appeared in McClure's magazine in March 1899, offering a cure for "Neuralgia, Headache, Wrinkles".
Mail order was the standard method of marketing vibrators between 1900 and 1920. However, in the mid-1920s, vibrators began to appear in erotic films and photography, effectively driving them out of "respectable" publications. Vibrator ads virtually disappeared until the modern vibrator resurfaced in the 1960s as a frankly sexual device.
1960s onwards The vibrator re-emerged during the sexual revolution of the 1960s. On June 30, 1966, Jon H. Tavel applied for a patent for the "Cordless Electric Vibrator for Use on the Human Body". The cordless vibrator was patented on March 28, 1968, and was soon followed by such improvements as multi-speed and one-piece construction, which made it cheaper to manufacture and easier to clean.
As of 2013, rechargeable vibrators were beginning to be manufactured to reduce the environmental impact of battery-operated vibrators.
In 2017 Lynn Comella, associate professor of Gender Studies, noted that "sex toy packaging... has been replaced by softer and more sanitized imagery. It's now possible to buy a vibrator at many neighborhood Walgreens". The UK pharmacy Boots followed the US pharmacy's lead and since 2019 has been selling sex toys both online and in some stores.
Adoption Research published in a 2009 issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine demonstrates that about 53% of women in the United States ages 18 to 60 have used a vibrator.Debby Herbenick, Michael Reece, Stephanie Sanders, Brian Dodge, Annahita Ghassemi, J. Dennis Fortenberry, Prevalence and Characteristics of Vibrator Use by Women in the United States: Results from a Nationally Representative Study. The Journal of Sexual Medicine July 2009: 6(7):1857–1866. A 2010 study in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy found that 43.8% of heterosexual males in the United States had used vibrators. 94% of these men had done so as part of foreplay with their partner, and 82% had done so as part of sexual intercourse. Among non-heterosexual men, 49.8% have used vibrators.
Medical use
Vibrators have been found to be effective solutions for sexual dysfunctions such as erectile dysfunction, sexual arousal disorder, and pelvic pain, among others. Notable companies developing vibrators for medical use are MV.Health, Reflexonic and Intimate Rose.
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