The Ideal is a multifunctional personal massager. Although it is advertised on the packaging as an oscillating body massager, I had more carnal intentions! Ideal can be used as a clitoral vibrator, or can be used for both clitoral and vaginal stimulation using a vibrator accessory like the Gee Whiz

Ideal is also perfect for using on other erogenous zones, it works masterfully on nipples, and can also be used to give your partner a massage to get them in the mood!

The Ideal's head has a spring in it, aimed to hug the body's contours as well as an ergonomic handle design meant to make usage easier on the hands.

Ideal is made of phthalates-free, hypoallergenic, latex-free plastic and has a NI-MH rechargeable battery powered by a 110-120 volt charger.

The handle is perfectly smooth, with the head having a slight texture that is not at all unpleasant. The head does smell rather strongly, though, even after being cleansed several times, but if your nose is not right up against it, it should not present a problem. I did not smell it during use, or even while I was cleansing it, until I did the sniff test.

Ideal has a unique shape--a kind of twisted J, rather than the straight handle of many vibrators--with a large oval head attached by a spring. I was intrigued by the shape, as my frequent overuse of sex toys often leaves my wrists and forearms sore--it looked as though the curved design would be easier on my hands. In fact, the shape did help--because the Ideal curved I was able to hold it at a more comfortable angle (the spring in the shaft of the head helped with that). Also, because the handle itself was shorter, due to the curve, I was able to grasp further down on the base which was a much more comfortable grip.

The speeds are changed by a slider that can be moved up or down to change intensity, or to the middle to turn it off; because of the position, I was able to change speeds during use easily, but not accidentally as I've done with switch vibrator controls, or twist vibrator controls.

The toy itself is loud--not quite as loud as a plane taking off, but it is definitely not a subtle toy. However, when the head is pressed against skin, it does muffle the noise so that the sound isn't quite as bad.

The vibrations are entirely located in the head, and the low setting is more than powerful enough for most--with the High setting a little too intense for me at times.

I did find, though, that when I used the the Gee Whiz the vibrations on high were not too powerful for me to handle--so if you find the low setting too powerful post-climax, slipping a vibrator accessory on might just do the trick.

You have to charge the Ideal for 10 hours (TEN whole hours!) before your first use, and it can never be used while it's charging. It can run for 60 consecutive minutes on a single charge (though running it mainly on high will detract from some of the longevity), and it will take approximately 5 hours to recharge once it is fully drained. The manufacturer recommends that the massager be recharged after each use.

My biggest issue, though, is that there isn't really an indication that it needs to be charged... until it dies on you. Mid-use, the Ideal suddenly decreased in power, from a strong vibration to that of a kitten's purr--then it stopped altogether. That whole process, from totally fine to totally dead took under a minute. I saw no flashing light, before it died, no gradual decrease in speed. That's a huge problem, for me, as I'll use it ten minutes here, twenty there, and don't always want to rely on charging it when it doesn't need to.

The instructions that came with the toy recommend cleansing with a damp, clean cloth moistened with water and soap, alcohol or toy cleaner.

Ideal is not waterproof, so you have to be careful when cleansing it as it can not be immersed in water, or have water near the uncovered recharge opening.

The box was cute--frosted plastic with depictions of the various areas you could massage on one side, and four ways of holding the Ideal on the other. Inside that box was a plastic tub (a box without the top) with the ideal and it's power charger. It came with user/care instructions, and would be good for storage, as the box can keep the cord from getting tangled or separated.

Having used both the Ideal and the Hitachi Magic Wand I'm able to say that they both have their good points. The Hitachi is definitely stronger--even on the low setting, but the Ideal is quieter. The Ideal is rechargeable and has a very comfortable design, but it's short charge means that you have to bring the recharger with you everywhere--and that can be a pain when you already have a laptop cord, cell phone charger and other sundries with you. On the other hand, the Hitachi, when plugged in, won't die and leave you hanging, but if you don't have electricity at all you're out of luck entirely.

Having both, I think the Hitachi will be a mainstay in my toy box for when I need the extra power the Ideal isn't providing, but the Ideal will stay for when the Hitachi is just too much.