Review: Sohimi NORMA

If there’s one thing sex toy manufacturers love doing, it’s jamming their products full of as many features as possible. It means that these days, shopping for a vibrator isn’t too far off from buying dishwashing tablets or laundry detergent, as even though they couldn’t be more different, I still somehow find myself sorting through every possible variation of the phrase “X-in-1”. The upside to sex toys, as opposed to cleaning products, is that at least the different functions are actually identifiable and give you more options for use (sometimes I think the detergents are just all the same except with different labels). Which brings us to today’s review, which, of course, is all about a 4-in-1 thruster vibrator called the Sohimi NORMA.

Product Description

The Sohimi NORMA, or “NORMA 2023 New 4 in 1 High Frequency Vibration ball and Smart Heating Vibrator” as the Sohimi website calls it, is a rabbit-style dual stimulator with two twists. The first is that its shaft also works as a thruster, whilst the second is that it has heating abilities. These two features, combined with the dual motors of the rabbit (located in the internal and external shafts), are what make up its 4-in-1 nature. After this, it then has two other aspects to its design that make it fairly unique. Rather than using the traditional rabbit ears, Sohimi have instead opted for a small ball on the external arm, with the hope of it providing constant contact with the clitoris, similar to dual-stim legends like the Snail Vibe or We-Vibe Nova 2. Then, in place of a regular handle, they’ve used a hoop inlaid with a rose gold reflective plastic. This is a feature I’ve never tried before on a rabbit, but a key element of many Fun Factory toys, and something recently adopted by Satisyfer as well. Subtly ribbed for added texture along the shaft, one of these ridges flows down the entire length of the NORMA, and this combined with the curvature of both shafts and the hoop handle makes for quite an elegant looking product. With a colour on the edge of pink and red (Sohimi calls it red, but I think it leans more towards pink), the toy also comes in a dark purple, and it uses a body-safe silicone that is smooth to the touch and mostly firm along the shaft. The exception to this is a slightly soft area at the very tip, to aid insertion, and a hollow area that is about 1cm / .39″ in length at the shaft’s mid-point. I’ll talk more about this later, but feeling its sharp 90 degree corners through the thin silicone is not pleasant, and there’s even a small yet hard lump just above this which interrupts the otherwise smooth shaft. Three buttons then rest on the front of the handle, whilst just above this on the back of the shaft you’ll find the hole for the charger to plug into. Finally, the Sohimi NORMA is both USB rechargeable and water-resistant, and whilst it is also anal-safe, it is not intended for this use.

Packaging

My order for the NORMA was placed with Sohimi on the 20th of June and I received it on the 28th. The package was then 100% discreet, with no mention of the sender or the contents. As for the NORMA itself, this arrived in a plain black box which is the norm for these kinds of white-label products. The only thing on it is a small sticker saying “NORMA RED” and a few addresses which just lead to shipping companies. This means that whilst the NORMA may not be ideal if you care about packaging or plan on giving this as a gift, it will be perfect for those who just want something discreet, as the only way to know what’s contained within is by opening it. Inside, you’ll then find the NORMA resting safely in a plastic shell, alongside its charging cord and instruction manual. In addition, the Sohimi NORMA also comes with a one year warranty.

Charging

Charging the Sohimi NORMA 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 plugged into the hole on the back of the toy. You will need to press quite firmly with this until it goes all the way in and the lights on the NORMA start flashing, something I didn’t realise when I was initially trying to charge the toy. Once on charge it should take around two hours to reach a full battery, which will be indicated by the lights becoming solid, and this should give you around one hour of use. Additionally, Sohimi recommends charging the NORMA before first use.

Controls

With four functions and only three buttons, and with one of these appearing to just be a simple power button, the Sohimi NORMA is definitely a product you’ll need to read the instructions of before use. Once you do so, however, it doesn’t really take that long to pick up, and the symbols on the buttons also help somewhat. Essentially, to place the toy in stand-by mode you can start by holding down the middle button with the power symbol for two seconds. From here, you can access all other modes, and these can either be used independently or combined, the choice is yours. Press the same button again to turn on the internal shaft’s vibrations or press the button below it (with the zigzag symbol) to turn on the external shaft’s, both of which have ten modes, three being steady and seven being patterns. The final top button with the up / down arrows then controls the thrusting, which has seven modes, two of which are steady and five of which are patterns. Finally, with the exception of the internal vibrations (due to being linked to the power button), you can hold down the related button again to turn off any of the modes, and when you’re completely finished just hold down the power button again to turn the NORMA off. Overall this all works well, the only downside is that the buttons can be a little tricky to press, not working if they are used on an angle.

Heating

To activate the Sohimi NORMA’s heating mode, simply press the two lower buttons together whilst the toy is in stand-by mode, with success being indicated by a small red light turning on. The Sohimi website then lists the product as reaching a temperature of 50°C / 122°F, which is far greater than any of my other heated toys, as these are normally around 42°C / 107.6°F. I was a little concerned as some toys can already feel quite hot to the touch, and questioned whether the NORMA would be uncomfortable during use. However, despite the website’s claim, the NORMA has to have one of the weakest heating functions I’ve tried. It takes quite some time to heat up, and even when it does, the heat is fairly subdued. It also only targets one small spot on the toy, just below the head, which doesn’t help matters, because even once this gets hot enough, the rest of the toy will still be cold.

First Impressions

As soon as I turned the Sohimi NORMA on for the first time, I had big concerns. Initially I thought this product would work like a stretch thruster, meaning the electronics inside of it extend and the silicone simply stretches to accommodate that. However, the way it functions is actually the opposite. Instead of extending, the NORMA contracts, which is only possible because of the hollow space in the shaft that I mentioned earlier. I’ve never seen anything like this before and was worried it could cause pinching or other issues during use. As for the rest of it, both motors are unfortunately fairly buzzy, with the smaller of the two understandably being the worse. Plus, the noise level is also a downside, with each function being louder than I’d hoped, meaning that combining them together isn’t ideal. With this in mind, I wouldn’t recommend this toy to those who need to be discreet, but at least it is slightly improved during use, and not as loud as many of the other thrusters I’ve tried lately.

My Experience

With the Sohimi NORMA only being 3.7cm / 1.44″ in diameter and featuring a squishy tapered tip, insertion is quick and easy. With a little effort, I can then position it right over my G-Spot, providing some excellent stimulation. When doing this, I find I don’t make use of the loop handle, instead choosing to hold its sides in order to get enough force to really hit my G-Spot (which can be tricky, since I need to avoid hitting the buttons). Although at all other times, I find the loop helpful to use. The external arm is then comfortable against me, being flexible enough to not cause any restrictions, and I find the bulb is able to sit on my clitoris pretty easily. The downside, though, is that this contact is lost when stimulating my G-Spot most effectively, but dual-stimulation is still possible with some effort (to the detriment of my wrists). Turning on both vibration motors, they then add another layer of pleasure to everything, although overall they are still fairly weak, and this is most noticeable on the external arm, since the motor isn’t directly in the part of the arm that makes contact with my clit. Last up to try was the thrusting, and I am glad to say my concerns about pinching were unfounded, as my vagina can’t seem to feel the difference between this and a regular stretch thruster. I like the speed, and unlike many other thrusters, it doesn’t slow down despite how deeply it is inserted. Plus, it’s easy to use hands-free, which is always a win. The only problem is how small a range of movement it has, feeling more like something is simply rocking back-and-forth within me rather than replicating the sensations of PIV sex. Because of this, I tend to find it more enjoyable to just thrust the toy myself, and with the adequate amount of internal and external stimulation I find orgasms come easily, and satisfyingly, with this toy.

Cleaning & Care

Numerous times on the Sohimi website the NORMA is listed as being waterproof. There’s even images of it in water and references to it being suitable for the bath and swimming pools. But in reality this product is only water-resistant, which becomes apparent when you look into its IPX6 rating, which only covers being splashed with water, not being submersed. Not only is this misleading advertising not great, but I don’t think any quality sex toy in 2023 should be non-waterproof. Regardless, this just means that you’ll need to be careful when cleaning the NORMA, making sure you care for it straight after use since you won’t be able to soak away any dried fluids. Plus, to make matters worse, Sohimi have opted to place the toy’s legal symbols (the CE marking, the universal waste symbol, etc) and charging hole over the first third of the toy’s shaft, when they could have easily just put them on the handle. With this in mind, you will need to put extra care into cleaning these areas, and my recommendation would be first going over them with a spare soapy toothbrush. Then, for the rest of the toy, simply wipe it down with some warm soapy water, before rinsing and leaving to air dry. Afterwards you can store it in a zip-lock bag to keep clean, as its silicone will attract dust. Additionally, make sure to not use silicone-based lubricants with this product, as it may react negatively to the toy’s material.

Final Thoughts

I didn’t realise it until I started writing this review, but it’s actually been a few years since I tried a traditional rabbit-style vibrator like the Sohimi NORMA. And I’ve really missed it, because for all their difficulties and body compatibility issues, when you find one that works for you, it’s always going to be something special. And whilst the NORMA certainly had its fair share of issues, I actually really enjoyed it when it came to use. For a 4-in-1 toy, I do think we can mostly rule out two of those, as I was less than impressed with both the heating and the thrusting functions. They were there, and are still an advantage that this product has over others, but I wouldn’t recommend purchasing it purely based off their presence. Instead, its G-Spot stimulation and clitoral vibrations were the highlight, primarily because of its shape rather than their motors, and combined the two gave me some great orgasms. The other exciting thing about this toy is its price, which is just $135 AUD / $90 USD at the time of writing, making it far cheaper than many of my other beloved dual-stimulators. The exception to this is the Lovehoney Fifty Shades of Grey Greedy Girl, which is an even better rabbit for slightly less. However, Sohimi regularly provides big discounts, and so there’s a good chance you’ll be able to get the NORMA for even cheaper than the Greedy Girl (right now it’s on sale for just $85 AUD / $55 USD!). Either way, while there’s still plenty of work Sohimi can do to elevate the NORMA, for now it’s still a fun toy that’ll make a good first dual-stimulator, especially if you can grab it at a discount!

You can get the NORMA directly from Sohimi for just $135 AUD / $89.99 USD!

Last updated: 30/7/23

Price at the time of writing: $135 AUD / $89.99 USD

This post was sponsored by Sohimi, but as always, all opinions are my own. Affiliate links have been used in this post.