I’ve been on the hunt for a good anal vibrator recently. Something moderate sized, with moderately strong vibrations. When I came across the Velvet Black Vibe from You 2 Toys, it looked like it would fit the bill, so I thought I’d try it out.

The Velvet Black Vibe comes in a cardboard box, visible through the front window. A naked woman is on the front of the box, and some product information in several languages is on the sides and back. Inside the box, the Velvet is shrink-wrapped in plastic. An instruction manual is also included.

The Velvet Black Vibe is aptly named. It’s matte black and is smooth and soft to the touch, yet firm and inflexible. It’s 10” long overall, with 6 1/4” insertable. The top has a round, blunt tip, which is about 3/4" wide. This tip sits atop two bulges which are about 1 1/4" in diameter before joining the shaft, which is slightly narrower at 1 1/8”.

The base features a convenient handle. The opening is 1” by 1 5/8”, and large enough to comfortably slip two fingers through. This allows you to control the Velvet Black during thrusting. Above the handle is a label for You2Toys. Although the box doesn’t say this anywhere, the toy is also stamped with “Waterproof” on the back. The Velvet Black can be used for clitoral stimulation, or vaginal or anal insertion.

This vibrator has a strange battery compartment placement. Instead of being at the base, where it wouldn’t be inserted, the compartment is located right under the bulged tip. Above the seam, the three positions of On, Off, and Open are labeled, and an arrow below the seam helps you line up which position you want. The labeling is similar to pocket rocket labeling. I’m not sure why this would be at the tip and not at the handle where I’d expect.

Twisting the top to open and giving a gentle pull reveals the battery compartment. The Velvet Black takes 2 AA batteries, which are inserted positive side first. An O-ring sits under the threads to seal the top and make it waterproof.

The Velvet Black only has one speed, a steady vibration. The vibrations are fairly strong. They can be felt in the tip, through the shaft, and also in the handle about equally. The vibrations are quite loud, so you’ll definitely want something on in the background to cover the noise.

The Velvet Black Vibe is made of ABS plastic with a polyurethane coating, and is phthalates free and non-porous as well as odorless. It’s easy to clean with warm water and antibacterial soap, and it should be cleaned before and after use. It’s best to remove the batteries when storing this. Due to the control placement, you may want to consider putting a condom over this toy during use, and a condom should be used if switching between vaginal and anal play. Water-based and silicone lubricants are safe to use.

This vibrator has decent vibrations, which I found strong enough in the tip to make clitoral stimulation pleasant. The hole in the handle is great for keeping control, especially during thrusting. I also like that this is waterproof and the O-ring did keep water from getting into the battery compartment.

While this can be used vaginally, I bought the Velvet Black primarily as an anal vibrator. The size of the tip makes it easy to insert, and I liked the bulges below. This also had a nice, filling size, and I liked how the vibrations traveled well down the shaft. I would have liked more than one speed, but at least the one it has is strong. The batteries also have a decent life.

What I didn’t like was the placement of the battery compartment. I’m not sure why, on an insertable toy, that the battery compartment is accessed on the shaft so high up. While the Velvet Black is waterproof and nonporous, I would have much preferred the compartment be located down by the handle.

The other problem with the design of this vibrator is that you have to turn it on before inserting it, and it can be messy to turn off, unless you use a toy cover or condom. Just making this one little change in setting/compartment placement would make this a much better vibrator.