Vibrators differ far less by motor than by shape. Five shapes cover almost everything sold, and once you know what each is for, the choice is quick. This guide compares the five on where they work, size, noise, charging and price, using the products in this range as examples.
Bullet
A capsule about 5 to 7 centimetres long with a single motor and one button. It is used externally, held in the fingers, and the whole point is that it is small: easy to position, quiet, easy to clean, easy to pack. Ours charges from the USB lead in the box. A bullet is the sensible first vibrator for most people and stays useful after others arrive.
Wand
A rounded head on a flexible neck and a handle. The head spreads the vibration over a wider area than a bullet, which many people find easier to use because exact placement matters less. Full-size wands are mains-powered and heavy; the one here is cordless and double-ended, about 22.5 centimetres long, charged over USB. It is the most versatile shape for external use and also suits shared use because the handle keeps the user's hand clear.
G-spot
A slim shaft with a curved, rounded tip, made for internal use. The curve directs the tip towards the front wall, which is why curve and firmness matter more than motor strength. Length and diameter are the figures to check; the measurements guide explains how to read them. Ours is about 17.8 centimetres long and slim, which suits a first internal product.
Rabbit
An internal shaft plus an external arm, so two places are reached together. Rabbits are the most body-shape dependent product: the distance between the shaft and the arm has to match the user, which is why they are better as a second purchase than a first. The ones here have a gently curved shaft, three colours and ten patterns; on the larger one, the shaft and the arm each have a motor and can run together.
Wearable
A flat shape that sits in underwear with no clip or strap, run from a phone app or a button on the unit. It is the shape to choose if a partner will be involved at a distance, or if hands-free use is the goal. It is also the shape where the app guide matters: read it before pairing.
Comparing on what matters
Size and noise: bullet, then wearable, then G-spot, then rabbit, then wand. No maker in this range publishes a decibel figure, so treat small as quieter.
Charging: every vibrator here charges over USB with a built-in battery. Makers publish charge and run times only for some products here, so the bullets say "not stated" where that is true.
Water: none of the vibrators here has a published rating. The makers describe them as washable; rinse rather than submerge, and keep contacts dry.
Price: the bullet here sits in the lower band; the wand and the rabbits, including the slim G-spot rabbit, sit higher.
Patterns, speeds and buttons
Listings lead with pattern counts: ten modes, twenty modes. In use, most people settle on one or two steady speeds and ignore the rest, so the figures to care about are how low the lowest steady setting goes and how many steps there are before the top. A single button that cycles through everything is fine on a bullet; on a rabbit with two motors, separate control is worth having, and the product page says what the maker states about it. Products with a travel lock, where holding the button disables it, are easier to carry; none of the makers here states one, so pack the product switched off with the lead unplugged.
The short version
Unsure: wand or bullet. Internal use is the goal: G-spot first, rabbit later. A partner at a distance: an app-controlled product. Then read the product page's five bullets and size line before ordering.
