Design

The Mia is made of a shiny black plastic, just a little bigger than a lipstick. It's controlled by two buttons in textured silicone, so it's easy to use by feel. The cap simply pulls off to reveal the USB charger, which can plug directly into a port, or you can use the cable provided if it isn't practical to plug it in directly. I especially like the black because when I plug it into my laptop, it just looks like a dongle or flash drive and no one would at all give it a second glance. The pink or purple would be more likely to draw attention.

Another note about the colour: The original Mia was reported to have problems with the cap being somewhat wobbly and the motor being weak. Lelo has addressed these and improved the product, but at the time of this review, the Mia in black is the only one with these improvements.

Travel

The Mia is the perfect travel vibe for many reasons. It's super quiet, small enough to easily to tuck away, can be charged on your laptop's usb port, and won't embarrass you when airport security pokes through your bag.

Along with the product, a little white satin bag is provided. Unlike the pricier Ina, which came with a luxurious lined bag, this one is unlined and mine had a few fuzzy threads on the inside which needed clipping. But it's a convenient little travel pouch, just the right size to hold the Mia and a travel sized bottle of lube or orgasm gel.

The Mia can be locked for travel by holding down both buttons for a few seconds until the little white light goes out. Once this is done, it will not turn on with an accidental button press until you unlock it by again holding down both buttons.

Performance

For a toy this small, the Mia has amazing power behind it. Being a rechargeable vibe, it stays at full power throughout its use rather than growing weaker and feebler as the battery is drained. (Of course the downside is that when the charge is used up, it abruptly cuts off, which is rather a joy kill if that happens at the wrong time! It's always best to keep a backup battery operated vibe for these situations!) The vibrations range from barely noticeable to WOW. I usually start low and move my way up, but rarely get to full strength.

The controls have a simple + / - configuration. You press the + key to turn it on, then either push it again or hold it down to increase the strength. The - key takes it back down. To turn it off without cycling back down the whole way, simply push both buttons at once.

There are three patterned sets of vibrations, but they are a bit fiddly to get to. You hold down the + key until it gets to full strength, then release, hold the + two seconds, and it's moved into pattern mode. Then the keys will cycle you between the three patterns. I'm glad I rarely use patterned pulses, because this is rather painstaking to do when you're in the middle of a play session. It is my one complaint about the product.

This toy is best for those who like pinpoint stimulation. The vibrations are very much focused on the tip, and the vibe itself is too short for more than shallow insertion. I can't reach my G-spot with it, but it is absolutely brilliant for the clitoris, labia, or nipples. I especially like to combine it with a clitoral gel to really ramp up the sensations.

The larger Lelo toys have a longer running time between charges, but I find that tiny Mia needs to be recharged each time since my play sessions run long. Once I've finished with the Mia, I simply clean it with a toy wipe and plug it into my laptop to recharge. When the blinking light goes to steady, it's finished, and I can put it away knowing I have a full charge for next time.

Accessorize!

The tip of the Mia is smooth and rounded, and quite easily slides around whatever regions you are pleasuring. But sometimes you want a bit of texture. If that is the case, you're in luck, because the Mia is dead easy to accessorize! It's close enough to the size and shape of a standard bullet that any silicone or rubber sleeve that's made for a bullet will probably fit the Mia. I've ordered a few different cheap and cheerful bullets just to toss the bullet and use the sleeve, and have had a lot of fun that way.

Care and Maintenance

Mia is splashproof, but not immersible, so no using it in the tub. The material is plastic, but with a silicone control panel, so water based lubes only. Cleanup is very simple. The smooth plastic wipes clean with ease if you have toy wipes, or you can use soap and water so long as you make sure the cap is closed tightly to avoid the USB port getting wet.

Packaging and Warranty

The Lelo brand IS luxury. You know it from the moment you see the tasteful and beautiful packaging. Once you remove the outer sleeve that has the required retail information, there is a black presentation box made of heavy card, and meant to be reused. Inside is the product, a charger cord, a satin storage bag, the instruction manual, and details of Lelo's one year and ten year warranties.

The one year warranty says that Lelo will replace your product at any time during that year if there is any fault in it. Then there is the ten year warranty that says if the product fails during that time, you can return it and get 50% off a replacement Lelo product.

To register your Lelo product and become eligible for the warranty, you simply go to their website, click on 'log in' then 'new customer'. They ask for your name and email address, and then you select a password. Then there's an option to register your product. You select the product from a drop down list, then enter the serial number, which is on the back of the one year warranty booklet. After this, any time you go back to the Lelo website and log in, you can see your product. (Or if you're lucky enough to own several, your list of Lelo products!) Next to each product is the link to click to claim on the warranty. I can't actually review the warranty process without having a faulty product, but it looks quite simple. Best of all, you don't have to give them a lot of personal information. You don't even have to give them your address unless you need to make a claim.

Mia is still my go-to vibe for travel or quickies, and gets the most use of my toys. The thing that makes Mia work so well for me is how effortless it is. This isn't a toy for a long involved session when I want to play with my G-spot or anus (or both). Instead, this toy is great for a nice bedtime orgasm to help me sleep. It's plastic, so I don't have to rinse off lint or worry which lube I use. It's easy to just reach inside my panties and use it when I don't want to bother getting out of my pyjamas. I can control the strength of the vibrations one handed without looking. When I'm done, all it needs for cleaning is a toy wipe, and instead of digging for the right charger cord, I just plug it right into my laptop. That means, after my orgasm, I can roll over and go to sleep.

Of all the vibrators I own, this one has given me the best value (orgasms) for money. I don't think I'll ever get tired of this toy. It does everything right.