I wanted to love the Hitachi. It is supposed to be the Holy Grail of vibrators that is a must have for anyone that likes intense vibrations. Up until now, that has always been me. My body responds best to a good strong vibrations, so I decided to finally buy a Hitachi. Unfortunately, she just can not get me off. I tried several times adjusting the amount of direct stimulation I had on my clitoris but no matter what I did, I just couldn't finish. In fact, it made it more difficult for me to orgasm other ways after I used it. The Hitachi does feel wonderful on my vulva and is incredible on my breasts and nipples and love to use it that way.

This toy would be useful for both private use and partners. I can see it best use for getting in the mood. Rubbing out sore or tired muscles and just teasing your sensitive spots before moving on to other toys or play to finish your evening. Also, it would be wonderful to use as a muscle massager in a non-sexual fashion when ever you had a painful spot.

The Hitachi Magic Wand is made of food grade plastic, so that means it is latex and Phthalates free. Being latex sensitive, this is a very important thing to me. The ball is not smooth, but textured and that might be uncomfortable for some. I really didn't notice it because I could just feel the waves of vibrations except on my nipples where I found it quite pleasant. When I took the toy out of the plastic wrap, there wasn't any smell that I noticed and it didn't have an unpleasant taste. Overall, I don't feel this is a beginners toy. It is definitely for someone who has used vibrators before and likes strong vibrations and the texture certainly goes along with that.

The Magic Wand is a very traditionally designed massager. The business end is a ball shaped end that is about 2.5 inches in diameter. The base of the unit is about 9 inches long. The neck of the massager does move slightly so you can aim the ball where you need it. Having the long base does make it easier to hold on to, especially since the vibrations are so powerful, but it may get in the way during couple play. On a side note, I was worried about the cord getting in places it shouldn't, but that never seemed to be an issue for me.

The good thing about the design is that you can put the ball almost anywhere. While I played with it, not only did I massage neck, shoulders and back, but also my breasts, inner and outer lips, clit and the peri area. My partner loved it on the inside of his thighs and also behind his testicles.

A few important tips: because of the intensity of the vibrations, I strongly feel the Hitachi is for an advanced user. It is certainly something you need to build up to. Because of the noise, it is certainly not discreet and out on a dresser or in a travel bag it would be very obvious what it was.

The great thing about the Hitachi is how easy the controls are. The switch is located on the main body of the toy and is easy to use like turning on a light switch. The first setting is low and the second is high. But, be warned this is not your usual low. The settings on the Hitachi are low but seriously intense and high and wickedly intense. If you want to really tease someone these settings would be sweet torture. All of these incredible vibrations are located in the slightly flexible ball end of the toy. The Hitachi has attachments, which can be purchased here at Eden, to make that ball into many other fun shapes.

The other good thing about the Hitachi is that it is electrically powered. Batteries are a pain, so I love that this massager plugs in for its power. There is no worry here about how long you can use it or disappointment because of dead batteries.

Another thing to consider is how loud this toy is. Since it's on the minute you plug it in be prepared to muffle the noise before hand if this is an issue for you. Of course, with noise levels nearing washing machine and jet engine depending on the settings you are using, it probably is not something to use if privacy is an issue.

The Hitachi is easy to care for as long as you do not get it wet. Since it is an electric toy, I prefer to immediately clean it with toy cleaner and then carefully was the head with a soapy washcloth followed by rinsing with just a damp one. Since the ball is made out of plastic and has a ridge, it is important to get it clean to make sure that nothing is left behind.

I store mine in its original box inside my toy bag. I like to keep it in its separate box to keep it dust free between play times. Since the Hitachi is plastic, it is safe with both water based and silicone lubes. I used mine only with water based and noticed that I needed to keep reapplying because of the strength of the vibrations.

The Hitachi comes packaged in a cardboard box that has a life sized photo of the product on it so it is not very private. The massager itself is wrapped in a plastic bag inside the box. Also included in the box is a small instruction booklet.

I almost feel bad giving the Hitachi a so-so review since it seems to have an overwhelming following, but it's important to note that not everything works for everybody and this toy has its place in my toy chest for other fun play.