Ever since the miniature vibrating motor entered the market, companies have been trying to perfect the discreet vibrator. Some of you may remember the old vibes modeled after a suspiciously over-sized stick of lipstick. Others might remember when the first vibrating eggs became available. They were clumsy and underpowered, but they were the kind of thing people were looking for. The world of miniature vibes changed forever when the Pocket Rocket first hit the shelves. Here was a very powerful, very small vibrator that could be carried wherever one wished and amazingly didn't look like a sex toy. Nearly every manufacturer of vibrating toys has some variant of the Pocket Rocket and its design remains largely unchanged to this day.

Now years later, the Taking Care of Business vibrator attempts to pick up where the Pocket Rocket left off. Like the Rocket, the TCB is a small and powerful vibrator. Unlike the Rocket however, the TCB has a modern, streamlined design and a soft, velvet-like texture. It has a sealed battery compartment and is fully waterproof. This is not a major upgrade as many later models of the Rocket were waterproof as well. The Rocket and TCB both travel very well and are generally quiet enough to enjoy out of the home. Since it is so small, the TCB is most effective at external stimulation either alone or in tandem with another toy. Mainly, the TCB is a smaller, sleeker, but no less powerful version of the Pocket Rocket so many of us have enjoyed over the years.

The TCB is unusual in its texture. The vibe itself is made of hard Plastic and coated in a seamless, velvety PU material. This non-porous material warms quickly and is soft to the touch. It is completely odorless but seems to attract dust the way a Jelly toy would. You may want to keep the TCB inside a bag or toybox where it will be protected from dust and hair. The hard plastic core provides the rigidity needed to achieve pinpoint stimulation on specific target areas such as the Clitoris.

The design of the TCB is an elongated bullet shape with a flat base and tapered nose. The base contains the single button that controls all operations of the toy. Each press cycles through the three speeds and off position. It runs on a single AAA size battery and the entire unit is approximately index finger sized. Interestingly, an Alkaline AAA battery ran the toy as expected but a Lithium-Ion AAA caused a noticeable increase in power and vibration intensity. I ran the TCB for 30 mins on the Lithium to see if the extra power would cause any damage to the internal components. Aside from a slight warming of the toy around the motor housing, there was no change.

The small size of the TCB makes it an excellent item for traveling, either locally or abroad. Around town, my partner found it to be an ideal item for amusing herself in a movie theater. The buzz of the motor was so muted by her hand and clothing that I didn't realize she was using it even though I was sitting right next to her. The tiny size and low volume of the TCB make it one of the most discreet toys I have ever seen.

The TCB is so small that the sensation you get from using it internally is not very strong. The TCB really excels in external stimulation such as of the Clitoris, the Labia, or Nipples. It is powerful enough on its own but it could be a fine warm-up for a larger toy.

The TCB only has three modes of vibration but they really do the trick. Each level is more powerful than the last and the vibration is smooth and steady for each one. The vibration motor is located in the forward third of the toy and even though the TCB is small, you can feel the vibrations are more powerful towards the front of the toy than towards the rear.

During the underwater test, I found the already quiet buzz from the toy vanished almost completely once immersed. The power of the vibrations was not diminished at all by the water and the soft PU material coating the TCB felt even softer. This toy turned out to be a fantastic item for shower and bath use not only because of its power and low volume, but also because the PU coat is easy to grip even when wet and soapy.

The nice thing about such a small toy is that you can take it pretty much wherever you like. Since the PU coated plastic attracts dust and lint, you might need to clean it off a bit after taking it out of your pocket. Otherwise, you can keep it just about anywhere. In a purse, under a pillow, behind a keyboard.

Cleaning the TCB is a breeze. Plain old soap and water or an antibacterial wipe will get it ready for action and the sealed battery compartment means you don't need to worry about leaks. If you so wish, you can lube this toy up for use. Any water or silicone based lube will do, just avoid oil based ones. The TCB is a bit too small to put a condom over so any lubing or cleaning you do will be to the actual toy itself.

The packaging was minimal for the TCB, just a clear plastic box with designs on it and the TCB itself displayed in the center in a removable tray. The box is so small and it displays the TCB so well, you might consider hanging on to it just to look nice but since the TCB will likely be getting a good bit of use, it might not be worth the trouble. The back of the box gives you material information and battery requirements. The usual.

While the Taking Care of Business isn't quite ready to usurp the Pocket Rocket as King of discreet vibes, I think it is a good example of the recent trend of smaller sex toys being better and better designed from concept to completion. The engineering and refinement is becoming more clear and in a toy like the TCB the evidence of repeated testing and revision is easy to see. When manufacturers take their products so seriously, we all win.

In my testing I found the TCB to be a very well designed and reliable little toy. The vibrations were powerful and consistent and its design was both visually and physically appealing. I enjoyed it very much and so did my partner when I asked her to give it a shot.