The Sextreme Electro-Vibe is a dual-use toy: you can use it as a vibrator or an electro-stim toy. It's mainly for vaginal use, although there is a small flange at the base for anal use (the connection between the cord and the vibrator seems secure, but caution should always be used when using toys anally). The sole vibration setting is reasonably strong (it's powered by 3 AA batteries) and the electro-stim settings have a lot of pattern variety.

The leaflets that come with the Electro-Vibe claim that the vibrator itself is made of silicone, while the control pack and cord are made of plastic. Right out of the box, though, there is a strong plasticy smell. This smell has not faded since I first unwrapped this toy two weeks ago. So I suspect that the material may not be pure silicone as advertised (since silicone is generally odorless). The vibrator itself is completely smooth, with slight seams separating the black and translucent portions, but this seam is not noticeable during use.

The Electro-Vibe is a large bullet-style vibe, with a teardrop-shaped insertable portion attached by a wire to a control pack. It's about 1.5 inches in diameter at its widest point, so in terms of girth most users will find it manageable. The body is translucent (you can see the wire housing at the base) with one black oval patch on either side, and it's solid with very little give when squeezed.

First off, the toy comes with the 3 AA batteries necessary for use, which is a definite plus. The batteries are inserted into the back of the control pack, which has three buttons on the front. The bottom button is red and controls the vibration setting: push once for on, once for off (there is only one setting, but it's a reasonably powerful one). The top two buttons are blue and control the electo-stim settings. The top button is ON/UP and the bottom is OFF/DOWN. Pushing on the ON/UP button will cycle you through the 5 settings on the electo-stim, all of which are patterns. These patterns are:

1) Constant slow pulse
2) Increasing pulse
3) Faster increasing pulse
4) Constant fast pulse
5) Intermittent fast pulse

If you need to shut down the toy immediately, push both of the blue buttons at once and the toy will turn off. The instructions indicate that the maximum voltage this toy puts out is 60V.

If left on, the Electo-Vibe will shut down on its own after 15 minutes. The instructions that come with the toy note that you should not use this toy if you have a pacemaker or heart problem; if you "are suffering from acute and feverish conditions, infectious diseases, malignant tumors, or tumors of the digestive system"; if you are under 15, or if you are pregnant. Sorry, people with stomach cancer, you're out of luck. You've been warned.

Since it is questionable whether this toy is made of pure silicone, it may not be possible to sterilize it. If one were to make the attempt, wiping it down with 10% bleach solution would be the best strategy (the mechanical parts make running it through the dishwasher or dunking it in boiling water inadvisable). Washing it gently with soap and water (while taking care not to get water in the base by the wire connection) or wiping it down with toy wipes/toy cleaner will work for general cleaning.

The Electro-Vibe comes in a surprisingly large and solid box. The front of the box showcases a naked woman with long braided hair and vampire gloves, as well as the product description in both German and English. Inside the box, the vibrator is nestled into a purple velvety insert.

There are two leaflets that come with this toy: one set of operation instructions in German and one in English. They say basically the same thing, even though they're laid out differently and the English translation comes with a diagram (although honestly on balance the German version is a little more useful, so if you can read German, stick with that). The instructions go through Before Use, After Use, Controls, Safety Features, and Precautions, as well as the technical specifications for the unit.

Personally, I found the vibrator setting to be surprisingly strong. However, with only one speed, there are better toys to purchase if the vibration is what you're looking for. I did not find the electo-stim sensation to be particularly pleasurable (it feels like getting shocked by someone who has just shuffled across a carpet), so I would advise potential buyers to be sure they enjoy that type of stimulation.