Any discussion of vibrators needs to address power. (For…obvious reasons.) Vibrators powered by batteries fall into three groups: those that take watch or button batteries; those powered by ordinary batteries like C’s or AAA’s; and those that take rechargeable batteries. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages—probably more than you would think—so we’re going to take a look at all of it. 

Button batteries
Vibrators have been using these more and more as the batteries themselves have gotten cheaper. If a vibrator comes with batteries included it is going to be button batteries more often than not. Honestly I am not at all fond of these. The only advantage to button batteries is that they are small and cheap. The problems are: they can burst, they leak and corrode, and they don’t last very long.

Ordinary batteries
Ordinary batteries like AAAs are way easier than watch batteries and you can get rechargeable versions! The real advantage to these is they are instant gratification. If you were very much enjoying a session with your rechargeable vibrator and it runs out of charge you are going to have to wait for it to recharge. If it’s powered by plain old batteries you can just change them. Not a huge advantage…until it happens to you. The disadvantage to these is simply that they are not as powerful and don’t last as long as a rechargeable battery will.

There is an old “marital aids” tale that you can’t use alkaline batteries with vibrators because it will break the vibrator. This was true in the past but most don’t have this problem now with one exception, if the vibrator can only be turned off by removing the battery cap it will not survive an alkaline battery. It will also be one speed and not waterproof so avoid those anyway.

Rechargeable batteries

Built-in, rechargeable batteries can make vibrator play absolutely amazing. They provide more power and they last longer than other batteries. That said, they have their own disadvantages. I already mentioned the charging time thing, which can be a problem. The other primary issue is that regulation of sex toys is not always as rigorous as it is for less risqué items. Unreliable toys with flakey batteries are not unheard of, so it’s important to make sure you are buying from a reputable company. My favorite brand is Evolved because they will take a toy back for just about any malfunction, but Sportsheets has a similar policy, and so do other companies. Some retailers will also exchange nonfunctional vibrators if it’s within a certain time period—you just have to check with them. When in doubt, ask the person at the store. They’ll know which vibrators are highly rated and which are problematic. 

For a first vibe, I usually recommend regular batteries because of the instant-gratification factor; most folks want to use a new toy ASAP! But it’s really up to you. Next, we’ll take a look at how to control that battery power.