The One Flicker Vibe
$59.50
from Babeland
I’ve been using sex toys for nearly two decades now and reviewing them here since 2008, so it’s safe to say that I am rarely surprised by one these days. Intrigued? Sure. Disappointed? More often than not. But surprised? That’s not so common.
Needless to say, I found the One Flicker Vibe intriguing enough to try it. I wasn’t sure if it was going to do much or if the design was mostly a gimmick that is trending. But if I was going to be disappointed by something, why not be disappointed by something new?
I was surprised to not be immediately disappointed when I realized that this is a dual-ended vibrator. The base also functions as a standard internal vibrator, and I think the shape works well for clit stimulation, too. I wouldn’t call the vibrations super deep or strong, but they’re deeper than they are buzzy and inoffensive.
The vibrations aren’t really the star of the show, however–or what I want to talk about. I anticipated that using the flickering side might hurt because my body hasn’t been super receptive to penetration lately, including the traditional vibrator end of this toy. The design is wide and flatter, with a frame surrounding the flickerer to allow it to work. While the flickering arm is flexible enough to bend with your fingers, the frame is more rigid to keep its shape and does not vibrate. So if you’re looking for a toy that does both, look elsewhere. However, I found it surprisingly easy to insert this toy.
Using it is also easy because the button simply changes the speed of the flicking arm. Because I’d never experienced anything like it before, I don’t know if the slowest speed should be slower, but it starts pretty zippy and only gets faster from there. I found all but the first speed to be uncomfortable or painful.
But as it turns out, I don’t think I need more than one speed. While I can usually control when I squirt with fingers or a toy, including vibrators, the Flicker pretty much gave me no choice and forced me to squirt. I noticed it when I switched to a faster speed, but I think that was just a coincidence, and it would have happened anyway. I have to say the sound the flicking arm made when covered in fluid was ri-di-cu-lous.
I was taken entirely by surprise by this. I’ve never had such an experience before, and while it wasn’t accompanied by an orgasm–which I don’t have when I squirt–it felt like an obvious win to me. What I thought was a gimmick turned out to be pretty effective, and I bet some people would be able to orgasm from the Flicker.
So I tried to turn it off as fast as possible, but not before it cycled through a few more modes. I found the slower pulsation-like setting interesting. Flicker replicates the escalation and pulsation we’re used to, but instead of vibration, it’s a fast flickering increasing in speed or separated by pauses. But I already find most settings on vibrators unnecessary because they don’t offer much more for me, and the same is true for the flickering speeds.
The buttons leave a little to be desired, however. There are only two, and I must assume that more buttons mean more complicated and expensive to make. But it’s not intuitive to me that the same button you hold to turn this toy on and off is also the button you need to click to operate the vibrating end, while the other button only serves to control the flickering. Especially because while you can turn off the flickering with one button, you still need to press the other to turn the toy off completely. A third button to control power would make more sense.
I also wish that the buttons were a bit further apart. Perhaps it’s due to them being closer to the vibrating end, but if I’m using the toy internally and want to adjust it, I find myself hitting the wrong button almost exclusively, even though the buttons face in the direction of the part of the toy they control. If the silver band in the center of the toy is only for appearance, I would rather do away with it so the buttons could be more centered.
I also prefer buttons with nice feedback–a bubbly or clicky button, for example, is much more useful than backlit buttons–and the Flicker buttons fall short. However, I didn’t have trouble using the buttons with my fingernails, which is sometimes the case.
With that said, this toy is still functional, even if not perfect. I’m also glad this toy is fully waterproof–thanks to the magnetic charger–not because I like to use toys in the shower or bath, but because it would soon be ruined if it weren’t. Of course, this aspect also makes cleaning Flicker easier. You really want water to get into all the nooks and crannies around the flicking arm because there are places where you can’t fit a finger, although you may be able to use a small brush for cleaning. Fortunately, these spots are all covered in silicone.
If you’re interested in novel G-spot stimulation, especially one that I’ve found effective, then give the Flicker a try. Right now, this toy is a steal because it costs less than $60. But that’s a steep sale that won’t last forever, so time is limited.
