Differences between battery & electric powered vibrators

General Differences

Besides the difference in appearance, battery powered vibrators and electric powered vibrators perform differently. Simply put, electric vibrators typically produce stronger vibrations. We don't mean to imply that battery powered vibrators are "weak". They can produce strong vibrations, but the nature of electric models simply makes them more powerful. There are several reasons for this difference in power.

To start, the motors used in electric models are larger than those used in battery models. They have to be larger to be able to perform their body and muscle massage functions for which they were initially marketed. Secondly, the power source is a 120V wall socket (in the US), which produces significantly more power than a set of AA batteries ever could. Thirdly, the head of an electric vibrator is connected directly to the motor resulting in virtually no loss in vibration between the motor and the user. Battery vibrators are usually constructed of plastic or metal which transfers the vibrations very well, but the motor is "encapsulated" by the vibrator and is not necessarily an extension of it. The result is stronger vibrations from electric models.

The users of electric powered vibrators often describe the sensations as significantly more powerful and intense than the sensations they get from battery powered models. The sensations can be so intense in fact that many women find them to be too much to take and have to place a small towel between themselves and the vibrator to tone down the vibes a bit.

The good news for people who find the stimulation too intense is that electric vibrators come with attachments which slide over the head. Not only do the attachments increase the functionality of the vibrator but they can also soften the vibrations. If you want to maintain the strong vibrations look for attachments made of plastic. However, if you want to decrease the vibration level you can get attachments made from softer material such as silicone, jelly or rubber. These materials absorb vibrations, resulting in a softer & more gentle experience.

Portability

Do you want to carry your vibrator with you or are you content to use it at home?

Electric vibrators are dependent on a power source to function. Of course, you can use a battery powered model in all the same places you can use an electric one, but battery vibes have the added flexibility of not requiring a wall outlet to work. This limitation does not apply to battery powered vibrators.

This might be an issue for some people. For example, let's say you and a partner are using a battery powered vibrator in the bedroom and you decide to move yourselves onto the couch. No problem. Just do it. However, there might not be an electrical outlet by the couch or maybe it's unavailable because it's being used by the TV, lamp, stereo etc. If you were using an electric model you'd be out of luck - unless you wanted to crawl behind the couch and unplug the lamp which is not particularly romantic and might douse the spontinaety of the moment.

Vibrator Quality

Electric vibrators have a reputation for being some of the most solid sex toys on the market. Manufactured by companies such as Hitachi, Wahl and Acuvibe, the electric vibrator has a firm footing in today's market

Electric vibrators were initially designed and marketed exclusively as electric body and electric muscle massagers, but people figured out pretty quickly that they could be used in other ways. At first the manufacturers were reluctant to admit that their products were being used as vibrators, but they've come around recently to the idea. They still market their products as "muscle massagers" but they seem to be more open to the idea that they double as sex toys. By the way, they do a great job of massaging aching muscles, in case you were wondering.

To address the quality issue, it's probably best to say that there are some high quality vibrators on the market, and there are some lower quality ones. Electric vibrators tend to be built better due to the fact that they have to double as body and muscle massagers. If they weren't put together well they wouldn't perform as intended. On the flip side of that, it's easy to manufacture a lower quality vibrator because it won't undergo the stresses and strains of a full body muscle massage. There are plenty of manufacturers who subscribe to the idea that sex toys are "novelties" and don't have to be well made. Thankfully, there are manufacturers who produce fine quality battery vibrators that are intended to last a long time. Of course we'd love it if you bought all your sex toys at Body Vibes, but if you're shopping somewhere else we want you to know what to keep an eye out for. If you find any sex toy that looks like it's a lower quality item it probably is. You can also check the price - a $5 vibrator is a great deal only if it lasts for more than a week.

Price

As you may have guessed the high quality of electric vibrators is reflected in the price. Electric vibrators are typically more expensive than battery powered models. It's tough to generalize because there are some very high quality battery powered vibrators on the market, but it's safe to say that the average electric vibrator will be more expensive than the average vibrator.