Connected sex toys: testing the We Vibe 4 Plus

We tested the We Vibe 4 Plus, a connected version of We Vibe’s famous couples’ vibrator.

Until now, the We Vibe 1, 2, 3 and 4 have more or less been improved versions of the same sex toy, released over time. A V-shaped vibrator with a remote control, worn during penetration or discreetly under your clothes to stimulate the clitoris and G-spot. The shape changes and the power increases from one model to the next, but the concept stays the same.

Visually, the We Vibe 4 and 4 Plus are identical. It’s their features that make all the difference. The We Vibe 4 Plus is, in fact, a connected sex toy. You can still use it during sex, but it’s primarily aimed at couples separated by miles but connected by their smartphones.

Here’s our review of the We Vibe 4 Plus.

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Packaging

The cardboard box containing the We Vibe 4 Plus looks like the one for the We Vibe 4, only less colourful. You’ll notice the word “New” and a Bluetooth logo.

 

Inside the box, you’ll find the sex toy and its remote control, the charger (which also doubles as a case to store the device in when closed), a micro-USB cable (but no adapter), and an instruction manual.

The sex toy

What the connected vibrator looks like

Apart from its colour, there’s nothing to distinguish the We Vibe 4 Plus from its non-connected predecessor at first glance.

The We Vibe 4 only comes in pink and mauve, while the 4 Plus is available in a new shade as well as those two: slate grey. We received the grey model.

Texture and materials

On this point, nothing has changed compared with the non-connected version: it’s made of 100% medical-grade silicone, with a matt, very soft surface.

The We Vibe 4 and 4 Plus

 

The OhMiBod blueMotion is made of completely rigid hard plastic, whereas the We Vibe 4 Plus, with its flexible arms, has a much nicer texture.

How flexible the sex toy is

Power

Charging is done by magnetic induction. There’s no socket on the sex toy. You simply place it on the charging stand, which is plugged into a USB port with its cable, and it charges through its silicone skin. The result is a completely waterproof seal.

The We Vibe 4 Plus and its charger (well, er… it’s upside down on its charger in this photo)

 

The chargers for the We Vibe 4 and 4 Plus may look the same, but they don’t seem to be interchangeable. I accidentally tried to charge the We Vibe 4 Plus with the charger for the 4, but no lights came on.

Controls

There’s just one button on the sex toy, used to switch it on and off (by holding it down) and move from one mode to the next (with short presses).

The remote is the same as the one for the We Vibe 4: four buttons, two of which switch the sex toy on and off and adjust the strength of the vibrations, while the other two move from one mode to the next or back to the previous one.

Using the We Vibe 4 Plus

Using it “offline”

The We Vibe 4 Plus can be used just like the We Vibe 4, worn in the vagina during penetration. Without a smartphone, you can control the vibrations with the remote, or just use the button on the front of the sex toy, as you prefer. The smaller arm, inserted into the vagina, stimulates the G-spot, while the other vibrates against the clitoris.

The vibrations are just as powerful as those of the We Vibe 4: at the highest setting, they’re easily strong enough to make you come.

The We Vibe 3, 4 and 4 Plus and the Lelo Tiani 2

Downloading the app

We-Connect, the app for controlling the We-Vibe, is available to download free of charge from Google Play or the Apple Store (we didn’t have an iPhone to hand, but we were able to check that this was indeed the case on Google Play).

Connecting to a smartphone

Connecting the We Vibe 4 Plus to a smartphone is incredibly simple. There’s no need to fiddle about with the settings to switch on Bluetooth and pair the device with your phone.

In the app, as soon as you try to make the We Vibe 4 Plus vibrate (by starting a vibration sequence in solo mode or inviting a partner to take control), if the sex toy isn’t connected, you’re immediately redirected to a screen with instructions for pairing the We Vibe with your phone.

You hold down the power button until the sex toy gives two pulses. Then you tap “Pair the We-Vibe”, and after a few seconds, that’s it.

 

Similarly, if Bluetooth hasn’t yet been switched on on the phone, a notification tells you and asks for permission. Everything else happens automatically.

 

 

The app in solo mode

In solo mode, your smartphone acts as a more sophisticated remote control than the one supplied.

You can adjust the strength of the vibrations independently for the clitoral arm and the G-spot arm, as well as choose the vibration mode.

 

The We Vibe 4 Plus “Vibrate” and “Echo” modes, on screen

 

By default, the app offers 10 intensity levels for each arm and 10 modes: “Vibrate”, “Tingle”, “Waves”, “Echo”, “Tide”, “Crest”, “Bounce”, “Surf”, “Peak” and “Cha-cha-cha”. You can also programme new modes by combining existing ones. I’ll go into more detail in the next section.

 

After using it, I left the sex toy lying next to my phone and noticed that the We Vibe 4 Plus switched on unexpectedly a few times, suddenly starting to vibrate on the table. I don’t know what causes this, but switching off Bluetooth on the phone stops it happening.

 

Programming sequences

As I mentioned in the previous section, you can also programme modes, which are combinations of sequences of set lengths in each pre-defined mode.

A new mode is made up of N sequences of M seconds in mode X at intensity Y, with each of these settings adjusted independently. Once you’ve defined the sequence, you can save it to keep it. It will then appear in the list of modes with a heart-shaped logo.

In practice, well… it works perfectly well, but it’s rather laborious. Programming a new mode takes a good five minutes, and the process is pretty repetitive from one sequence to the next. If you’re bored on the Tube, it might keep you occupied, but don’t expect it to turn you on.

Setting up a new mode with the We Vibe 4 Plus

 

Using it connected with a partner

In connected mode, the person wearing the sex toy can let their partner take control remotely.

The first essential plus point: connected use is free. This is a key criterion for a connected sex toy, and it already gives the We Vibe 4 Plus a clear advantage over the OhMiBod BlueMotion (which, let’s remember, charges an extra five dollars on top of the purchase price to access its Wi-Fi Play mode).

What’s more, it’s extremely easy to use. Once you’ve given your consent, the app sends your partner (referred to as your “lover”) a text or an email (your choice) containing a link to confirm the connection. So there’s no need to go through a social network, or deal with weird suggestions randomly picked from your contacts, which means there’s very little risk of choosing the wrong recipient. Or at least, as little risk as accidentally sending a sext to your mum.

Your partner has the same level of control as in solo mode. They can adjust the vibration mode and intensity for each arm as they please.

 

 

The controls are very responsive. But you need to have internet access, one way or another. Responsiveness also depends on the speed of your smartphone’s internet connection, and therefore indirectly on whether or not you have access to Wi-Fi. With Wi-Fi switched off and a 3G connection, there’s about a one-second delay, which is still reasonable.

Of the connected sex toys we’ve tested so far, this is the one that works best, at least technically.

 

The We Vibe 4 Plus, front and back

 

What’s missing (in our opinion, at least)

Functionally, the We Vibe 4 Plus is undoubtedly a success. But it’s still missing a little something: some fun modes. While the OhMiBod Blue Motion and the Smart Mini Vibe offer “gimmicky” modes where the sex toy’s vibrations respond to the sound of your voice, tapping, shaking or the beat of the music, the We Vibe 4 Plus does only what’s useful.

I find gimmicky modes superfluous on most “classic” vibrators, but when I’m using a connected couples’ sex toy, I want to be able to play with my partner. Some fun features wouldn’t go amiss.

Conclusion on the We Vibe 4 Plus

The We Vibe 4 Plus does two jobs in one device. It’s both the very successful couples’ vibrator we already knew from the We Vibe 4, and a connected vibrating “egg” from the future (or rather, the present).

 

The good points:

• It has all the features of the We Vibe 4, plus extra features that make it a connected sex toy.
• The We-Connect app is easy to use. You don’t even need to fiddle about with your phone’s settings to pair it with the sex toy.
• Access to connected mode via the internet is free, unlike with the OhMiBod BlueMotion.
• Connected mode via the internet works as long as your smartphone has internet access, not just Wi-Fi. So you can use it in the street, in a bar or restaurant, out hiking, and so on… You just need to have a decent signal.

The bad points:

• It’s badly lacking in fun “gimmicky” modes. Responding to music, your voice, shaking, your score in Super Mario, whatever…

 

Of the connected sex toys we’ve tested so far, the We Vibe 4 Plus is the most successful. With this one, teledildonics is no longer science fiction or a prototype.

• It’s very easy to use; someone who isn’t remotely geeky will have no trouble controlling it.
• Controlling the vibrator remotely via an internet connection doesn’t cost anything extra.
• And the person wearing the sex toy feels exactly what the person in control wants them to feel. All with a low enough delay.

In short: if you’re looking for a good connected sex toy, this is the one I’d recommend first.

 

 

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