4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Snail vibrator review: the dual stimulation sex toy is a must try
When I first got word that a new sex toy called the 'snail vibe' was the latest viral vibrator to make the rounds online, I immediately volunteered to review it for Cosmo. One byproduct of being a sex editor with access to pretty much any and every sex toy you could dream of is that you tend to get a little jaded — a bit, 'been there, done that', when it comes to supposedly new vibes in town.
It takes a lot for any fresh toy on the market to feel like a truly unique addition to my pleasure chest (AKA, the cardboard boxes of sex toys upon sex toys stashed under my bed). But when I heard 'snail', I thought, 'Okay, weird! I'm in'.
Once my new toy arrived and it was time to take the goods for a spin, I had some second thoughts. I cannot overstate how much this thing truly does look like a snail, and suddenly the idea of putting a snail inside me sounded… less than arousing.
Still, I was determined to branch out of my go-to, wand-forward self-love routine. And, if nothing else, this snail vibe was certainly bringing some novelty to the table. Not to mention, this baby makes some pretty big promises, boasting dual stimulation with the power of a wand vibrator (which — okay, love) paired with the internal stim of a G-spot vibe. And so, I decided to buck up and shove that 🐌 up my 🐱, all so I could report back to you, dear, curious reader. Keep right on reading to hear all about how it went.
But first….
'The snail vibe is a combo vibe that offers deep penetration, clitoral, and G-spot stimulation in one,' explains sex and relationships psychotherapist Gigi Engle, resident intimacy expert at 3Fun. 'It uses two motors — one for internal and one for external stimulation, in combination with a dildo-like shaft.''
There are two main models of snail vibrators: the Gizi, a more compact and more overtly snail-like option, and the OG, which features a longer shaft (and, in the 'curve' model, a curved, more ergonomic handle — neat!).
But they essentially both work the same way. 'You turn on the motors and insert the toy vaginally,' says Engle. 'The internal motor delivers internal stimulation and the external bit gives external clitoral stimulation to the clitoris.'
Makes sense in theory, but when you first lay eyes on the snail vibe, it can seem a little confusing. Allow this viral (SFW!!) video to make it make sense.
Ultimately, the snail vibe is similar to a rabbit vibrator in that it offers dual stimulation, but is unique in its signature (snail-like) 'slide and roll' technology. The toy touts itself as 'a revolutionary vibrator that brings together the impressive power of a wand, full length of a dildo, and dual stimulation of a rabbit vibrator', making it, as Engle notes, 'kind of a one-stop shop — in theory, at least'.
So does it live up to the hype? Let's find out!
When I say I've seen a lot of sex toys in my time, I mean it — so it takes a lot for me to be impressed by what they have to offer. A hint for any aspiring sex tech creators out there: any toy that comes with its own case immediately scores points in my book.
Thankfully, both the Curve and the Gizi do! Each comes in its own hard metallic silver zip case, which has handy velcro tabs inside to hold the toy and charger in place, plus there's an instruction manual in there.
I decided to unbox both at the same time for a true side by side (and because two toys is better than one, let's BFFR). Right off the bat, Curve was pretty intimidating — and it took me a good while of turning it around to figure out which end was which (probs could've consulted the instructions at that point).
Eventually, I realised the loop end serves as a handle, while the end with the larger snail 'curve' unfolds as you push it inside you. The handle is also, thankfully, where the buttons are — two sets, including one to control the five patterns and five speeds for each motor, making it extremely intuitive to use.
Meanwhile, Gizi is a more manageable size and I knew immediately which end I would be inserting — plus I was drawn to the super textured ribs on the external section, as I could only imagine how that would feel rubbing against my clit.
Naturally, this got me excited to get started, so once I'd given the toys a good scrub with my favourite sex toy cleaner, I added a heavy-handed layer of water-based lube and it was time to get into it!
Let me just start by saying that internal toys have never been my go-to. If I want something in me, what I really want is, frankly, dick. When it comes to getting off on my own, my trusty wand vibe is my go-to. (Currently obsessed with the rechargeable Le Wand, if you were wondering.) Still, the snail vibe's promise of delivering wand-like power both internally and externally certainly piqued my interest.
I decided to ease into things with the Gizi — a smaller, more compact option that seemed more beginner-friendly. It also looked more distinctly snail-like, so I (wrongly) assumed this was the original model.
Anyway, this little guy had me immediately… underwhelmed. I felt like there wasn't enough insertable length without the longer shaft/handle of (what I later realised is) the original version, and the 'slide and roll' motion was tricky to replicate without a handle, so I found the toy fell out of place easily.
I quickly gave up and switched to the original snail toy. I have the 'curve' model, which features a slightly curved shaft and a nice little handle.
Here's another bit of snail sex toy lore for you. It is not only snail-like in appearance, but, according to the internet hype, delivers a slow build… followed by a massive orgasm. Once again, as someone who knows exactly what I like and how to get it done quickly, I initially felt kind of impatient with the 'slow and steady wins the race' vibes this vibe was delivering.
This wasn't helped by the fact that the clitoral portion of the vibrator didn't quite hit my C-spot, so I had to hold it in place while thrusting the toy inside me. But once I found the right rhythm and combo of speeds and patterns (the first pattern on a low speed at the G-spot end and faster patterns on the C-spot), I will say this sneaky little snail ultimately delivered.
As someone who 'knows myself' quite well (in the Biblical sense), it takes a lot for a self-administered orgasm to genuinely shake me up. And honestly, this did really feel like a pretty unique, multi-orgasmic sensation.
That said, as a self-proclaimed clit stim slut, I do feel like the external motor — while definitely powerful — failed to deliver the direct clitoral stimulation I'm used to. The roly, external part of the toy kept slipping out of place unless I literally held it down, which was kind of annoying.
For me, personally, a snail vibrator is not going to be my new go-to. That said, the original version did deliver some pretty life-changing orgasms — even if the external portion of the vibe needed a little manual assistance. If you're going to invest, definitely go with the original (or the Curve) over the more compact Gizi.
Overall, if you love dual stim and/or are interested in trying out something that feels truly off-book, go forth and give the snail vibe a whirl.
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With a team of sex editors and writers on hand, we take product testing very seriously, looking for features such as power, speed, battery life, vibration modes, and whether the toy works in the shower or bath (should wet play be your vibe). We also consult sex educators and sexologists for their advice on how to use a vibrator as best we can, and the toys suited to every body, gender, and sexuality.
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Kayla Kibbe (she/her) is the Associate Sex and Relationships Editor at Cosmopolitan US, where she covers all things sex, love, dating and relationships. She lives in Astoria, Queens and probably won't stop talking about how great it is if you bring it up. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
