The Fantasy Tickler by WHK GmbH is pretty and petite and very, very pearlescent pink. The vibrating unit is detachable from the battery pack via a jack that plugs into the power unit. This makes it easier to clean without fear of getting the battery pack damp (or just having the battery pack get in the way while cleaning). Despite its claims of being waterproof on the packaging, the Fantasy Tickler is NOT waterproof. The vibe itself has a little rubber bit where the cord goes into the vibrating unit, so the vibe itself can't zap you while you're in the shower. However, the battery pack is most definitely NOT waterproof. Its battery compartment opens and closes with a sliding lid, similar to battery compartments in remote controls and graphing calculators. There is no waterproofing seal of any sort and I can SEE into the battery pack through the little gaps between the lid and the opening. Water is not finicky about the spaces it gets into. Maybe if you were incredibly careful or somehow managed to keep the battery pack out of moisture's way while in the shower or tub, then it could be marginally feasible to use this toy in water. However, for all practical purposes, the tickler is only for turf, not surf.

The Tickler's on-land performance is…well, ticklish. The pink cord is about 20 inches long, which may be long enough for some, but falls short of ideal for me. The bullet is slim and shaped like an elongated bowling pin. My boyfriend says that it reminds him of a pen and joked about my accidentally pulling it out to take exams with. So if a slightly thicker, shorter pen does the trick for you, then the Tickler could be your friend. However, I prefer to use it only for clitoral stimulation. When inserted, I can hardly feel anything inside in both vibrations and texture.

The battery pack is made of the same pearlescent pink plastic that the vibe is made of and, like the vibe, is slim and comfortable to hold. There is one see-saw type button on the control pack. The bottom half lets you turn the toy on and off, while the top half cycles through the ten functions. A little light on the control pack glows red when the toy is on, which is useful if you didn't realize that you'd left your toy running since it can be so quiet.

The Fantasy Tickler boasts 10 different functions, listed on the back of the battery pack. These functions have names such as "Foreplay", "Arouse", and "Climax". There are three functions that are the same steady buzz, albeit at different pitches--but the intensity of the vibration hardly seems to change at all. Some of the other functions mimic a roller-coaster effect, and some other functions provide variety by switching up the rhythm. No matter what it was named, each and every function hardly generates more than a moderate vibration, even on relatively new batteries. The benefit, I suppose, is that the sound is very subdued as well. I guess if my neighbors were to press their ears against the wall they'd be able to hear a faint humming and grumbles of frustration, but other than that, it's a pretty discreet toy.

All in all, playing with this toy only made me want something bigger and more powerful. Its subtle vibrations and non-waterproof structure were big flaws in my opinion. However, it is not at all a “useless” toy. It could very well do the trick for more sensitive women or just as an appetizer to arouse. I keep it under my pillow (the toy, not an elf) so that whenever I feel like getting in the mood, I can just switch it on and tease myself endlessly. Eventually, though, I have to just accept that the Tickler and I were never meant to be. Perhaps some fortunate lady out there with very sensitive bits and super-juiced AAA batteries will be able to find joy in this toy. Alas, that lady is not I.