Review: Bestvibe Licking Stimulator

The two biggest trends in sex toys right now is sucking and licking, as the industry continues to move away from penetrative toys to instead focus more on clitoral pleasure, much to my delight. So I suppose the challenge for manufacturers out there today is simply deciding which one to use, since only a suction pump-style toy, like the Honey Play Box Scioness, seems to have succeeded in doing both at once. But then, of course, there’s nothing this industry loves more than multi-use toys, and so today we’re looking at a product where the brand has decided to well and truly throw out the rulebook and say “what’s stopping me from making both?”. That’s right, it’s the Bestvibe Licking Stimulator.

Product Description

The Bestvibe Licking Stimulator, or “Bestvibe Electric 7 Sucking Licking Stimulator” / “Lolita-Electric 7 Sucking & Licking Baby Octopus Vibrator For Beginner” as Bestvibe’s UK and US websites call it, is a clitoral stimulator that offers both suction and flicking stimulation. Rather than trying to combine the two, however, as the Sohimi Suction Vibrator did unsuccessfully, they’ve instead opted to have two separate nozzles, allowing you to choose the stimulation type you desire, or switch between them during use. With a round body featuring just one button, the suction nozzle protrudes only slightly, whilst the tongue has an entire mouth-like growth surrounding it, which in turn is bordered by a reflective silver strip of plastic. On this note, the Licking Stimulator is only available in pink, which is a lovely cotton candy shade, and is fully covered in a silky smooth body-safe silicone. Plus, being fully waterproof and USB rechargeable, this product also uses metal plates, which are located on the opposite side of the tongue, to magnetically connect to its cord. Finally, the reason for its “baby octopus” name is in its display stand that it comes with, which is a small piece of pink plastic that when placed under the Bestvibe Licking Stimulator (particularly when the tongue is facing downwards) gives the appearance of an octopus, which is very cute and a fun twist.

Packaging

My order with Bestvibe for the Licking Stimulator was placed on the 22nd of February and it finally arrived on the 7th of March. Then, while there was no mention of who sent it, the package was unfortunately listed as containing a “Plastic massage”. As for the item itself, this came in a simple but nice box that lists the toy as the Octopi Pro from S-HANDE. I, of course, understand that Bestvibe are a white-label retailer and often resell other company’s products as their own, but for anyone else it may be a pretty weird experience to receive a product with a completely different name and brand than where you bought it from. With multiple pictures of the toy on it and various information on what it can do, this box can then be opened up to reveal the Licking Stimulator safely resting in plastic, alongside its display stand, charging cord, and small instruction manual.

Charging

Charging the Bestvibe Licking Stimulator is easy since it is USB rechargeable. Simply plug one end of the cord into a USB port and the other end can then be placed over the magnetic plates on the toy. The connection strength here is fairly strong, but being magnets occasionally things may disconnect, so a good way to ensure it’s stable is to first place the Licking Stimulator into its display stand since this will keep it from rolling around. Once charging, a light will flash on the toy, and this will become solid upon completion, although how long to expect this to take is a little more questionable. Whilst vague, the instructions seem to indicate charging will take only 30 minutes, giving you 90 minutes of use, however on the website Bestvibe specify that the Licking Stimulator has a runtime of 60 minutes, with it taking 120 minutes to reach a full battery. Either way, I have only had to charge my toy once across all my testing, so at least the battery is stable. Additionally, Bestvibe recommends charging the Licking Stimulator prior to first use.

Controls

The biggest immediate concern with the Bestvibe Licking Stimulator is that, despite having two very different functions, it only has one button. Which means that they cannot be controlled independently and are always going to be running at the same time as each other, even if you only want to use the suction function and vice versa. To turn the toy on, simply hold down the button for three seconds, which will turn both motors on at their lowest levels. You can then continue clicking the button to increase the speed over six more levels, and then the Licking Stimulator will enter a stand-by mode before repeating the cycle. Finally, to turn the toy back off simply hold down the button again.

First Impressions

The first thing I noticed upon receiving the Bestvibe Licking Stimulator is that its suction nozzle looks unlike any other I’ve tried, as rather than being closed off, you can see white plastic and a hole within it. Turning it on, the suction does at least create a pressure seal around my finger, although there isn’t much variation between the seven levels. I also quickly realised that when the suction hole is covered, the tongue slows down and sometimes stops altogether, so the two functions are clearly connected on a deeper level than just sharing a button. In fact, every time the tongue does flap, the suction has a thud sensation, which can result in spluttery and inconsistent air pressure waves. As for the tongue itself, this works well when the suction isn’t being used and runs quite quickly despite being mechanical, although as with most stimulators of this kind the tongue will slow down or stop if too much pressure is applied. The real downside is the noise, which is quite loud and not great if you need to be discreet, although an upside is that this is significantly reduced when the suction nozzle is in use, being one of the quietest air pressure wave toys I’ve tried. Finally, the nozzles for both modes are nice and soft, and make a nice change after being absent from my last two suction reviews.

My Experience

While I adore suction toys, I am not the biggest fan of licking tongues, as I prefer constant and uninterrupted stimulation. So I went into this review assuming I would love one side, but not the other. You can imagine my surprise when the opposite very nearly happened. Starting with the flicking stimulation, I find this works well and is quite stimulating, enough to bring me to orgasm, but it’s nothing special. Then, moving on to the suction, while the nozzle can successfully make a seal and I can feel the air pressure waves, it is far too weak to enjoy. Plus, whilst my typical response to something not being strong enough is to press it against me more firmly, doing this only lessens what little stimulation there is, as for some reason it causes the tongue to turn off, losing any thuddy-ness that the toy had. It’s as if the Licking Stimulator barely changes across its seven intensity levels, so that whilst level one does feel as expected of a suction toy, it’s then practically the same at level seven, so that you’re left wanting a lot more. And to make matters worse, having it suddenly stop and then start at level one again if you click the single button too many times is not fun, and shows why most suction toys have multiple buttons to control the intensities. Whilst I can ultimately orgasm from it, I find it very unsatisfying, so much so that I end up wishing I’d just used the “nothing special” tongue instead.

Cleaning & Care

Cleaning the Bestvibe Licking Stimulator is easy since it is waterproof. Simply place it in some warm soapy water after use, give whatever side you used a little wash, and then rinse and leave to air dry. Afterwards you can store it however you want since it’s for external use, including on display in its little stand. Additionally, make sure to not use silicone-based lubricants with this product, as it may affect the material it is made out of.

Final Thoughts

Despite having two different functions and a display stand, the Bestvibe Licking Stimulator is at heart a simple toy, which I appreciate. You might as well throw away its instructions, because it’s ridiculously easy to just pick up and start using, and while there are issues with its single-button approach, I can understand the convenience it provides as well. Plus, with a price tag of just $60 AUD / $40 USD at the time of writing, we’re looking at something that is perfect for those on a budget. All it had to do is provide good sucking and licking stimulation. It didn’t have to be great, since its price doesn’t warrant that, it just had to be good. But sadly, the Licking Stimulator has failed in even that respect, with suction that is more likely to turn people away from air pressure waves than introduce them to its unique sensations. The only thing I can say is that maybe the flicking stimulation is worth it, because as someone who doesn’t enjoy it even on luxury products, I am probably not the best judge. But considering you can get the amazing Satisfyer Pro 2 Next Generation for only slightly more money (and, depending on the sale, maybe even the same price or less), I think you’re likely going to be a lot better off just sticking with that.

You can get the Licking Stimulator directly from Bestvibe for just $61 AUD / $40.99 USD!

This post was sponsored by Bestvibe, but as always, all opinions are my own.