The Gigi is a luxury vibrator that can be used for vaginal insertion to stimulate the G-spot, or external clitoral stimulation. It can also be used to stimulate the external anal area, but I would not advise inserting it anally since the toy lacks a flared base to keep it from getting lost.

The Gigi is made of 100% silicone over ABS plastic (aside from the handle which is all plastic), so it is body-safe, non-porous, and phthalate-free. If you own any other LELO toys, this toy is very similar in feel: the silicone is silky smooth, but very hard and inflexible because of the plastic core. The silicone is matte, while the plastic handle is very sleek and glossy in appearance.

Surprisingly, the Gigi did have a very slight plastic-y odor when I took it out of the package, although the smell went away after I washed the toy with mild soap and water. I would be inclined to believe that this was a result of something left over from the manufacturing process, rather than coming from the toy itself. I believe that something similar happened with my Ina as well – this is a very minor issue and not one that kept me from enjoying the toy or believing that it is safe.

Overall, the Gigi is a very elegant-looking toy, much as I would expect from my experience with LELO's sister product, the Ina. I chose the turquoise color, which is very pleasant and, in my opinion, compliments my lime green Ina well. I measured the Gigi at about 6.5” from tip to base, with about 3.5 of those inches insertable. The toy is also only about 4” in circumference at its widest point (the head), so I would consider it to be fairly un-intimidating for a beginner, while still offering enough quality and function to keep more advanced users from getting bored.

The broad, flat head is clearly designed to rub across and stimulate the G-spot. However, this design is also suitable for those who would rather have a flatter, broader surface for clitoral stimulation rather than the pinpoint stimulation of a more traditionally shaped vibrator with a rounded tip. The flat, wide head and general shape of the Gigi reminds me a bit of an electric toothbrush or some sort of sci-fi communication gadget; while it is not overtly phallic, it would not take a lot of reasoning for someone to figure out what this is if he/she saw it lying out.

The Gigi’s base features a control panel with two pairs of buttons across from one another: an up arrow and a down arrow (which scroll through the vibration functions), and a plus and minus button (which increase and decrease intensity of the vibrations). While you may want to read through the manual before starting to use your new Gigi, the controls aren’t terribly difficult to figure out if you are the type who prefers to just dive in rather than reading instructions. However, I would advise keeping the manual on hand for the toy’s care instructions, if not the basic how-to parts.

The Gigi will not come to you with a full charge, so I recommend charging it before use. The included device resembles a cell phone charger, with a port that fits into the hole at the base of your Gigi’s handle. When your Gigi is charging, the ring surrounding the control panel will blink on and off. When it is fully charged (in about two hours), the panel will emit a steady white glow. The instruction manual advises that you not charge your Gigi for more than 24 hours; also, if your Gigi starts to run out of batteries, the panel light will glow red.

Pressing and holding the “plus” button on the control panel turns the toy on. The sound of the vibration is not excessively loud, and resembles a barely audible hum on the lowest setting and a low buzzing sound on the highest setting. While the highest setting is loud in a very quiet room, a roommate probably would not be able to hear it through a closed door, especially with background noise. Each consecutive press of the “up” arrow triggers a different vibration pattern. Hit the “down” arrow to return to the previous vibration setting. The five unique patterns are as follows:

1) continuous, steady vibration
2) slow, pulsing vibration
3) faster pulsing vibration
4) very short, quick pulses
5) rollercoaster vibration; escalates from low to high, and then back.

In addition, holding the “plus” button increases the intensity of the vibrations while the toy is turned on; holding down the “minus” will decrease the vibrations and eventually turn the toy off entirely. While I prefer the steady vibration to the patterns, I probably will experiment more with them in the near future to get a better idea of what I like - maybe some of them will grow on me more.

Since the insertable portion of the Gigi is made of 100% silicone, please do not use silicone-based lubes with this toy, as this could damage the Gigi’s surface. Also, although most silicone toys can be boiled, bleached, or run through the dishwasher to clean them, it would NOT be appropriate to do so with Gigi since these would destroy the motors and you’d be left with a very expensive dildo. Instead, I found that washing Gigi with a mild soap and water, or a commercial toy cleaner, works well. Also, it is important to note that the Gigi is NOT waterproof; therefore, care must be exercised to avoid getting water in the control panel or the charger socket while washing the toy.

As with my Ina, the Gigi comes in luxurious packaging that is more reminiscent of what you’d expect to see coming with an iPod, iPhone or other high-end electronic device (the white handles do make LELO toys look like Apple products, as others have noted). The outer box features the LELO name with a large picture of the toy, with “Gigi Pleasure Object” in small letters on the bottom and a listing of the box's contents. Although the packaging is tasteful, I would not call it discreet unless one had the panel with the large picture of the toy facing down on a table or otherwise covered up.

Inside, there is a harder cardboard box that opens to reveal the toy, plus a flap, underneath which you will find the charger, a custom satin storage pouch, the user manual, and a booklet outlining LELO’s 1-year warranty/10 year quality guarantee. To summarize: LELO will replace your Gigi free of charge if it breaks/malfunctions within one year of purchase. The company will offer 50% off any product in LELO’s online store if your Gigi malfunctions within ten years of purchase.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with the Gigi, and as a bonus I got as much out of it as a clit vibe as I did a G-spot vibe. While I also enjoy pinpoint stimulation, I found that the flat surface felt really good and enabled me to cover and stimulate a larger portion of my clit/vulva, for lack of a better description. Also, I tend to enjoy harder thrusting with G-spot stimulation, and I was able to do this with the Gigi to great effect; the broad, flat surface felt AMAZING in use this way. While the vibrations are relatively strong on the highest setting, they are not earth shattering and you will likely be disappointed if you prefer Hitachi-like power in your toys. Also, I did find that the tip tended to catch on my pubic bone in certain positions (i.e. sitting, sometimes on my back), but changing positions offered an easy way around this.

Also, on one occasion, I accidentally pressed a button while thrusting and triggered the next vibration pattern, which I was not expecting. This problem is exacerbated if your hand and the toy are covered in lube, which is likely to be the case. However, after this I was more careful and grasped the toy by the sides of the handle so that my fingers were not over the buttons. Aside from this, the Gigi is great. The shape and size are perfect for everyday use when you don’t want to have to prepare to take a larger toy, and unless you need very strong vibrations, you should find an ideal setting in the Gigi’s variety of speeds. While this toy was expensive (as are most of LELO’s products), I felt that this was well worth it and cannot wait to try out my next LELO toy!