Onye comes in a small, padded, satin lined box that looks discrete enough to keep out in the bedroom; that’s a classy touch. I gotta say, I definitely appreciated getting a great box along with this toy. The vibrator itself looks like a comically oversized tampon. Not in a bad way, mind you, it still begs to be touched and used and adored.

The white plastic is smooth and seamless, punctuated at the top third by a powdery soft band of silicone. This band provides grip whilst maneuvering in play, and also is located at the point where the vibrator pops apart to put in batteries. This is all quite well done; there is no plastic seam to contend with, and I feel quite comfortable in my ability to sterilize this toy with toy cleaner, or hey, even some diluted bleach (the plastic used is quite robust). [Editors note: Toy cleaner will not sterilize a product. But because Onye is made of nonporous materials, using toy cleaner or antibacterial soap will be very effective for cleaning, though the toy will not technically be sterile. It is also not recommended to use bleach for cleaning sex toys.] The obvious negative to the whole design, however, is the fact that it is not waterproof. The manufacturer calls it “splash proof”, which I have taken to mean that I can be a bit less careful when washing it with batteries in place, and that a misting of bodily fluids shouldn’t cause trouble. [Editors note: It is not recommended to clean a toy with the batteries inside, even waterproof toys.] Beyond that, I wouldn’t take it into a shower or anything; it is not sealed with an o-ring, so water WILL get in if it’s submerged.

Onye turns on through a simple push button at the end closest to the silicone band. This button is also silicone, and it is accented quite strikingly with a thin metal band. The button control works quite well; I’ve had no accidental triggering during play, and it always works when I press it to change the vibrators programme. It’s simply one button allowing you to cycle through the nine settings that the vibrator offers (eight that buzz, and also “off”).

Power wise, there are three main levels. It starts with a low setting that gives these wonderful deep rumbling vibrations, and works up to a high setting that is quite sufficient; although admittedly, I would have liked it to go up one more notch at times. In addition to the three levels of vibration, Onye offers six different throbbing patterns: low-to-high, pulse, heartbeat, engine revving, and idling car. All of the different patterns are actually really great ; they all use the full range of vibration, and are fast paced enough to rip out orgasms in no time flat. It’s pretty quiet too, which is certainly a plus.

Battery life wise, Onye does well. I have been able to get five sessions out of it already and it’s still going strong. It takes three AAA batteries, which is a lot, all things considered, but one needs power if one expects strong vibrations.

The Onye has become my small vibrator of choice, earning a place of honour in the top of my toy box. It would be better if it was waterproof, of course, and I must admit that it is a tad disappointing for the price tag. Still, I dig it.

The Onye is a trouper and a half. It's showed no signs of wearing out; buzzing uniformly and strongly and precisely at the touch of its button. This is mighty impressive because I have been - frankly - a little hard on this toy. Onye was, at one time, my gold standard discrete vibrator - the one I would drag under the covers and stealthily use to get myself off when the Hitachi was not an option. It's a powerful vibe and the thing that I like the most about it is that while it's got a narrow tip, so to speak, the surface area it contacts you with is quite large, dispersing the vibrations over an area instead of focusing them into a point.

This excessive use resulted in the gold logo quickly rubbing off, and then also over time the finish on the plastic showing signs of wearing off. Now note that I have a clitoral hood piercing, so the wearing off was entirely due to that, but I've never noticed that with any other vibes. The clincher came, however, one day when I managed to break off one of the prongs that forms the connection between the two halves of this vibrator when it's opened for battery insertion. The amazing thing is that it still closes and locks tight with batteries in place, but I kind of feel like it's on its last legs. I suppose I'd say it had a good life span, but I'm not sure I'll buy a replacement.