I have had my eye on the Better Than Chocolate designer vibrator from Nomi Tang for quite a while--since I had first seen the Sasi come out and started researching cheaper alternatives. This vibrator had me at its name alone; me and chocolate have always had a very close relationship and after lusting after it for so long, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to review it; but after a few rolls around in the hay with it, I am sad to report that the Better Than Chocolate doesn't live up to its name.

The Better Than Chocolate has been said to be futuristic and high-tech in its appearance and performance and while it lives up to these attributes, I found that it can also be a bit confusing in its construction and frustrating with its lack of intensity. It provides every element of a truly sensational sex toy and will arouse you to the point of climax but it will keep you right there, regardless of its varied vibrations.

The Better Than Chocolate contains a number of distinct vibrations, although not so distinct that you will need to get readjusted to the feel of it all over again. It contains a touch pad control which allows you to simply run your fingers down the length of the toy in order to change the vibration setting, which is definitely much easier than having to twist a knob or pull a lever in order to get a change in sensation. When you turn the vibrator on it starts up at its most intense vibration, but you can slide your finger down the touch-sensitive slide feature to make it slower and slide your finger up to make it faster. While the controls are definitely easy, although because it is so different from traditional vibrators it may take you a while to get a lay of the land, I found myself changing the settings unintentionally just by holding it against me. However, this wasn't necessarily a con to the product because while there is a lock setting that will let you lock in the vibration you are loving, which you can do by holding your finger on the small icon at the top of the slide feature for 2 to 3 seconds, I found that when I had accidentally changed the setting, it felt a great deal more spontaneous in terms of what I was feeling and not knowing exactly what would come next.

This was the first toy I have ever come into contact with that I needed to read and then re-read the user manual just to figure out where and how the batteries fit into it. The one side of the vibrator twists and then pulls off, but I found myself a little weary about pulling too hard, in fear of breaking it, which luckily I did not end up doing when I came to the point where I just gave it a good tug to open it up. While this was a bit confusing for me, I realized that it was made that way for a reason--this vibrator is waterproof, so you can feel free to enjoy it in a romantic bath or shower.

The material of the Better Than Chocolate is unlike any other material I have come across yet. It is soft to the touch, but not so soft that it will give you chills when you run your hand over it, but it is also hard so it will withstand being rustled around in your drawer or sex toy box. The user manual states that it made from skin-safe materials thermoplastic elastomer and polycarbonate, which mean very little to me, not knowing much about sex toy materials, but the term skin-safe and body-safe is always very reassuring to me and my insanely sensitive skin. It arrives within a gorgeous, reusable box lined completely in velvet to display the Better Than Chocolate in all of its futuristic appeal and also comes with a velvety drawstring pouch, making it easy to store.

This is the toy to take out when you are in for a long, sensuous and thrilling time with a partner or treating yourself to a romantic night of "me time," in my opinion--a night when an orgasm is not necessarily on the menu. Its volume is quite low and on par with the sound of a cell phone on vibrate. A quiet buzz level like this also makes it perfect for phone sex so you don't have to vocally compete with a louder toy and if you're sensitive enough to be able to finish with it.

To clean, I have been using warm soap and water, which is what is recommended in the booklet and to dry, I have been using a soft cloth.

While the Better Than Chocolate's design and sensations were obviously made to cater to a woman's body and pleasure, men can also enjoy this toy! My partner tried the Better Than Chocolate out before I did. Now keep in mind that he is a curved man, so the Better Than Chocolate fit against him quite well and he thoroughly enjoyed its sensations and vibrations. While this vibrator does fit against me perfectly, I found it a little more enjoyable using it at its most intense vibration with its one side pinpointed on my clitoris and it also feels great against your breasts and nipples.