Snail Vibe Review: Dual Stimulation Vibrator

The Snail Vibe’s concept seems great, but the reality is much more awkward. Basically, the Snail Vibe is a metaphor for every failed relationship I’ve ever been in! 😆🤪😢 This dual-stimulating vibrator is strong! And it promises to “simulate intercourse”! I’m all about simulating intercourse, let me tell you: I’ve got oodles and toodles of realistic-dick-action guides and reviews. Minor problem: The Snail Vibe is a hard-AF, nonphallic vibrator that feels absolutely nothing like penetration by a human partner. OOPS. (The Snail Vibe’s creators might want to work on that overblown marketing claim.)

With that in mind, I’ll review the Snail Vibe as a normal dual-stimulating vibrator. I’ll also compare the Snail Vibe to the bestselling We-Vibe Nova 2 rabbit vibrator point by point — because Nova’s design is so much smarter, it’s unreal. Easier to hold & position, easier to control, and easier to thrust, the We-Vibe rabbit is. Still, given how powerful it is, I believe the Snail Vibe may be successful for a very specific set of preferences: skip to the end for that recap.

What Is the Snail Vibe?

The Snail Vibe’s concept is well-grounded (but not revolutionary): a clitoral stimulator that flexes as the user / their partner thrusts the vibrator in and out. The flexible “wand massager” head truly curls. So that it maintains contact with at least some part of the vulva as the Snail’s “shaft” moves in and out of the vagina.

Snail Vibe tells us:

For a long time now, the world leaders in the sex toy industry have been trying to create a universal vibrator with a movable clitoral stimulator. However, there’s no single model that can boast the vibrating power of a wand massager, the insertion depth of a dildo, and the dual stimulation of a rabbit vibrator.

First, I’ll tell you that I find “the world leaders in the sex toy industry” a simply hilarious phrasing. As if there’s some high council of sex toy overlords, instead of many thousands of different companies (from Big 5 giants, to noobs pouring silicone dildos & retailing on Etsy) all fighting tooth and nail to one-up each other and make more sales, more profit. But I digress.

Anyway, so the above quote is telling us the Snail Vibe is supposed to pack (1) wand vibe power, (2) dildo insertion depth, and (3) dual stimulation all into one toy. That’s one statement I am not arguing with: the Snail Vibe actually has the power of the Magic Wand Rechargeable (with a head-feel more like the PalmPower Extreme), it does deliver up to 5.5 inches insertable length (median penis length), and it stimulates both vaginally and clitorally — depending. I have a difficult time getting the large clit ball to rub my clit like I’ve enjoyed with two other rabbit vibrators, my favorites: more on that later.

They also say this vibrator is science-based. I don’t know WTF that’s supposed to mean. I do know that science hasn’t pinned down the existence of the G-spot 100%, so perhaps that’s why the Snail Vibe’s makers also seem unaware of that primary vaginal erogenous zone. Because the Snail Vibe is straight and hard; lacking the forward curve and/or prominent ridge characteristic of any effective G-spot sex toy.

Again, the Snail Vibe works by having a huge ball of a wand vibe head, that curls in and out as you move it. Check out Snail Vibe’s gif if you scroll past the product description in this SheVibe listing. It looks really awesome in that image; however, the image doesn’t accurately portray vaginal structure. It’s way oversimplified, lacking the ruggedness, the bone structure in front, the fornices that surround the cervix, and so much more. In my experience, the way the Snail Vibe moves in reality also does not reflect the imagery; real life is simply more nuanced — which means I’m having dual-stimulation fit issues here due to the Snail Vibe’s super-hard and inflexible shaft, plus mondo-sized clit stimulator that’s supposed to fit in.

For illustration, this is what science looks like:

This is what the Snail Vibe wants us to think science looks like:

Snail Vibe Vibration Functions

The Snail Vibe has two independently controllable motors. One is centered in the “clit ball”; the other vibrates the insertable “shaft.”

The external motor is strong. Indeed, it is wand vibrator strong: among the strongest rechargeable toys I’ve felt, vying with the power of PalmPower Extreme. That’s near a 10/10 on my power scale. The vaginal vibrator motor is slightly less powerful, and a little buzzier to start, but still packs a good punch.

Each motor has 5 steady intensities, then a few vibration patterns. It houses, according to Snail Vibe, “5 Speeds, 5 Modes, 600+ Combinations.” What that means is that each motor has 5 vibration functions (1 steady + 4 patterns), and each of the 5 functions has 5 intensity levels, so you can make each one stronger or weaker. That’s 25 possible combos per motor.

OK, so I’m annoyed again here: The Snail Vibe has no “up and down” intensity-change buttons. You have to cycle through all 5 speed levels, to back down one intensity.

That “having to cycle through all the speeds” is forgiveable in a $39.99 vibrating dildo, or a $21 mini-bullet vibrator. It is inexcusable in a $150 sex toy, where user experience should be top priority. Perhaps Snail Vibe should’ve relied less on “science” and more on “educated user feedback” during its prototyping.

Truth: I almost feel like the Snail Vibe’s design is a joke. Like, some guy was like, “HEY, let’s create a vibrator with big balls! TWO BIG BALLS! And we’ll tell women it’s ‘science based’! They won’t know the difference!!!”¹

Snail Vibe Vs. We-Vibe Nova 2: Comparison

A comparison to the We-Vibe Nova is inevitable, given (1) Nova’s popularity and (2) the fact that it operates based on the same concept: a highly flexible clit stimulator that maintains clitoral contact during thrusting.

Vs. the Snail Vibe, Nova 2 boasts:

1. A much easier-to-grip, less-bulky design.
2. More easily accessible control buttons, including the ability to back down 1 level among the 12 possible intensities.
3. Softer silicone in the second version, so that Nova 2’s shaft actually replicates the firmness of an erection at 10A Shore durometer (preferable for many but not all users).
4. A G-spot curve that’s adjustable. 

Still, the Snail Vibe does excel for having more power. I would rate the Snail Vibe a 9.8 / 10 for strength, vs. only 8 / 10 for the Nova 2. The Snail Vibe starts A LOT bolder than Nova 2, for sure! Nova 2 is consistently rumbly throughout, whereas the Snail Vibe begins to move into “sheer power” at vibration intensity level #3 out of 5, getting higher-pitched.

The Snail Vibe’s hardness (≈ 40A Shore durometer) may be a benefit for some: folks who love glass dildos or orgasm hardest on metal do enjoy a lot more pressure, vs. the realistic give of the Nova 2.

I just wish the Snail Vibe allowed for some G-spot stimulation. A forward curve, a ridge, or a semi-phallic head, something. If you enjoy only vaginal introitus stimulation (having the first two inches inside massaged) or you like firm cervical pressure, this may be OK for you. But me: I know why G-spot dildos are so popular… My full experience follows.

My Snail Vibe Experience

So I got the Snail Vibe, tested it out once, and was confused. Later that week, I decided to bring it to a swingers dinner party, hosted by a friend,² to get unbiased opinions on the Snail Vibe’s look from a surely sex-positive crowd.

Eight of us were hanging around the kitchen area as dinner was being laid out. I said, “Oooh, ooh! Let me go get this thing!” So I ran in the other room and retrieved the Snail Vibe, then returned to the kitchen brandishing it. “What do you guys think about this thing???”

First guy (a smart-ass): “Does it play music???” [He thinks the Snail Vibe looks like a treble clef rather than a sex toy.]

Second guy (an engineer): “What does it do?” [I explain that the long part inserts vaginally, and the curly ball stimulates the clit] “Ooh… They should’ve had that part [*points at the big control ball*] curve downward, to stimulate the asshole!” [He thinks the huge ball protrusions don’t look ergonomic.]

Third guy (who just wants to fuck me all the time): “I’ll use it on you later!” [He has no opinion, but will do anything for sex 😆.]

All the other women in the room: *crickets*

Suffice it to say, popular opinion in this group ranged from confused, to skeptical, to indifferent. And that’s fine, sometimes a bit of education is needed in order to help folks understand what a new kind of sex toy does. The problem is when dual-stim vibes have been popular for decades (“rabbits” having become a sex toy staple in the 1990s), but folks are still confused by a new one’s design.

My previous solo session, I just couldn’t stop thinking about how clunky the Snail Vibe is. Thrusting the Snail Vibe is actually painful for me, in multiple ways.

First, this thing is long!!! 9.5 inches. I have to reach forward to try to wrap a hand around the straight-out extended length, with its control ball at the end. I’m propping pillows up behind me, trying to get better reach. I got a remote control bed, folks, I’m tilting it upward for more lift and still having issues holding and thrusting the Snail. It’s like the length of the Velvet Thruster Mini except I’m not thrusting the Velvet Thruster by hand, it’s doing the work instead.

It’s also hard! This entire website is founded on the fact that silicone can be a range of different firmnesses (“densities”), from super-squishy to plastic-hard. Because soft silicone increases comfort, for many people. Anyone who wants more realism in their sex toy, or who is sensitive to vaginal/anal pressure, will be better served by a silicone toy that is not rock solid.

Then, the spring action. Yikes. I was trying to use this toy exactly like I use the We-Vibe Nova 2 at first: thrusting it in and out of my vagina. Holding the handle, while the clit stimulator curves beautifully and tugs on my clitoral hood as the G-spotting head curves around… The Nova is so gratifying for me when I move it faster and faster and I steer toward a great orgasm.

In contrast, when you move the Snail Vibe fast — so the hard, straight shaft is really fucking you — then the clit-stim ball leaps and knocks into my pubic bone. I just cannot get this ball to sit in the right place, not with the way the shaft is so rigid. The Snail Vibe is not adjustable enough to line up for my body during motion.

These are the only two “rabbit” dual-stimulating vibrators that are flexible enough for me to keep awesome clitoral AND G-spot play going at once:

• Nova 2, my love
• Alive Shine, a sucking sensation

Since I was having such a tough time reaching forward, I got a man to thrust this toy for me, the aforementioned dinner party dude. Unfortunately, the man turned out to not be especially responsive nor a great match with me sexually, so maybe that’s part of it. But, do be careful with Snail + partner play if you’re sensitive, because when he starting thrusting the Snail Vibe into me, suddenly “the insertion depth of a dildo” feature was a downside. My cervix was getting pummeled by an over-firm shaft, while my mons was getting hammered by a rolling ball. Would not recommend.

So I tried it a couple more times alone, and I learned this is key with the Snail Vibe. It’s all about the power of the clit ball. You get that thing positioned right, and then you move slow. Sloooooow. That way, I was really close to orgasm. The clit ball was still kinda malpositioned, big and round, not rubbing me off like the Nova 2’s curved-finger-like stimulator; but the Snail’s vibrations are so strong, they’re everywhere, so it was fine. But I felt teased. Because NO G-SPOT STIMULATION. I imagined what it would’ve been like, when I was playing with my favorite lover a few days previously, he’d reached up into me while standing beside me — and instead of curving his fingers and finding my G-spot and making me unable to support my full body weight and walk afterward, he just went straight in only two inches deep. Because I can’t get more than 3 inches insertable, really, if the Snail Vibe’s clit ball is really in the right place for my clitoral positioning.

As I’ve often discussed, pelvic floor spacing does vary a lot, and my own clit-to-vagina distance is apparently non-standard. Still, if you want a guaranteed fit — let’s say you’re buying your first “dual stimulating” vibrator — it’s a safer bet if both the clit and the vaginal parts of the toy are adjustable. The Snail Vibe fails by only allowing adjustability with the external stimulator. It’s also not well-designed for anyone who prefers precise clitoral stimulation, due to the 1.8-inch diameter of the clit ball.

Finally, my experience is that cleaning the Snail Vibe is a pain in the ass. Even if I wash it right after use. Fluids get trapped in the “split” here in the shaft — which, remember, is quite rigid and tough to pry apart. Then fluids also get trapped in the Snail vibe S logo imprinted in both sides of the silicone clit ball. I’m never getting that detail clean again, and I’ve tried. I just photographed the toy with gunk inside the Snail Vibe logo for this review, because that’s my reality.

Snail Vibe Recap & Ranking

The Snail Vibe is a noble concept that I believe fails ergonomically in a multitude of ways:

• The shaft is extremely nonphallic, which is counterintuitive given the Snail Vibe’s claim that it “simulate[s] intercourse.”
• Similarly, the shaft is very rigid and firm. I find it uncomfortable vaginally, as someone who is looking for realistic-intercourse toys. 
• The control buttons could be improved. All luxury vibrators with multiple steady speeds need + and – intensity buttons, so the user does NOT have to cycle through in order to simply back down one speed.  
• Poor G-spot stimulation. No curve, no head, no ridge. 
• It’s bulky. Long, and difficult to reach forward and thrust. (I had to find a man to thrust this for me, and then he was hitting my cervix too hard with the firm shaft.)
• Relatedly, the ball at the end is difficult to grip. Needs a more traditional handle with a curve. 
• The way the clit stimulator springs back during thrusting makes it collide with the pubic bone. Certainly not for sensitive users; problematic for vigorous thrusting.
• The Snail logo in the sides of the clit-ball is unnecessarily hard to clean one’s fluids out of, while adding no benefit to the user. 

It is a powerful vibrator, though, and if you fit the following criteria, it’ll likely suit you better:

1. You like big-power, big-head wand massagers.
2. You enjoy firm vaginal stimulation.
3. G-spot stimulation is not the best thing ever for you. (Perhaps you like cervical stim instead.)
4. Your pelvic floor spacing is a more standard 2 inches between your clit and your vagina when something is inside the vagina / or you’ve had luck with traditional, non-flexible rabbit vibes in the past.

I don’t hate the Snail Vibe itself (only its BS marketing claims), but I think you have better options if you’re anything like me: if you enjoy a more comfortable and realistic feel, or G-spot stimulation, or easy button control and grip.

If you think it’s right for you, pick up a Snail Vibe here.

Save 10% on it, or the We-Vibe Nova, or most other toys by typing code FELICITY during checkout at Peepshow Toys.

NOTES

1. Don’t @ me, y’all, this is a parody quote. One can be a trans woman without a vagina, or have a vagina and not identify as female. Phallophile Reviews supports all gender identities and sexual orientations that enhance any human’s life.
2. Several kinds of friend, you know it.