Curiosity runs on two buttons - an on/off switch and a mode switch. Press the on/off button to start and press the mode button to scroll through the different patterns. To turn off, press the on/off button again. I always like three buttons over two, but it's offered so little I won't hold it against anyone. The really awesome thing about Curiosity is that it has a memory chip. If you find a setting you like and turn it off, the next time you turn it on it will still be on that setting. I absolutely hate patterns and low settings so this is a huge perk for me. I always press through to the highest setting anyway. Curiosity just starts right up where I want it to with no hassle. The only problem is that you can turn it on with the mode button and if you accidentally do this it will also change from the last mode and then you're scrolling through the whole thing again.
The buttons are located near the base of the vibrator and are made of what seems to be silicone. They are easy to press when you want to but I haven't had any issues with accidentally pressing them when I didn't intend to. I'm guessing this is because they aren't located where I place my hand.
You get the option of ten different modes, three of which are different steady vibration settings - high, medium, and low. The low option is very low - probably a high end one vroom. Even the most sensitive person should be able to use this on the low setting. The highest setting comes in at about three, but about a mid to high range three. The vibrations are on the buzzier, higher pitched side. Not as buzzy as a bullet but certainly not deep or rumbly. When pressure is applied, it will lose almost a full vroom in power.
There are five pulse options: single pulse, high-low pulse, double pulse, triple pulse, and strong pulse. The differences are just how strong the vibrations are and how fast the pulses go. The other two options are called "steeplechase." The manual diagrams these out like the little tracks you see if you get on an elliptical machine. I honestly couldn't tell any difference between these and a pulse. I cycled through over and over counting the cycles to make sure I wasn't missing something or counting the cycles wrong or something. They all still feel like varied pulses to me.
The vibrations start at about the center of the insertable portion the vibrator and run up to the tip. The base does carry some of the vibration to it but it took a very long time for my hand to start to go numb. In fact, the only time my hand went numb is when I held it for forty minutes timing the battery life. Unless you spend a lot of time with this vibrator, you should have no hand numbing issues.
For a level three vroom vibrator, this is as quiet as a vroom level one vibrator. Not only can it not be heard through a closed door, but I had this on in the bathroom and my husband was not but five feet away and he couldn't hear it with the door open. No sheets, no running water. It emits a very low hum at the highest setting. If you need something quiet, this will certainly do the trick.
Curiosity is a waterproof vibrator, always a plus in my book. It held up with no issues in the shower and no issues when submerged. It doesn't have an O ring like most waterproof vibrators so I'm very untrusting of the waterproof claim and was just waiting for it to die on me underwater. It held up like a champ though.
I mentioned earlier that Curiosity is a kinda rechargeable vibrator. It comes with a rechargeable RCR2 battery and the pack to charge it in. So it's rechargeable in so much as a AAA vibrator would be if you bought some rechargeable Duracel batteries, this just happens to come pre-packaged with everything. It's not like a vibrator that you plug directly into the wall. It comes it one RCR2 battery but the charger can hold two. That is, if you can find another one. Good luck with that because this is one hard to find battery. I'm not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, when the battery gives I can always hunt down another rare gem RCR2 but on the other hand it's certainly not as nice or powerful as what I've found in the wall charged vibrators.
I was kinda interested in this toy...til I scrolled down and saw your pics. Annnnd then my knees clamped shut. Eep! What an uncomfortable looking toy for penetration!
I also don't really think that coming with a (hard to replace) rechargeable battery really makes this worth the price tag. Suggested retail price of $90? Owch.
Yeah inserting this was really awkward and weird. I debated even doing it for a while. I even emailed the company asking if I should because it just didn't look like it was supposed to in you.
I hope they come down on the $90 price. That seems more along the lines of wall charge price to me not battery charge price. The other obsessions are $80 I think so I kinda doubt it.