Like the Hitachi Magic Wand, this toy is designed to be your go-to power vibrator for external/clitoral stimulation. While I would stick to the Hitachi with a wall outlet anywhere in sight, this toy makes itself most useful when on the go. I've used it camping, in a car, and of course in the shower!

If you already own a Magic Wand, this vibrator comes close, but it does not quite have the same power (especially if you ever use the Magic Wand at the *ouch* higher setting). That said, using the Magic Wand on high all the time is the female equivalent of conditioning yourself to a death grip. While avid Magic Wand users like myself might take a bit of work to get used to the slightly lower vibration of the Mystic Wand, for the beginner I would describe the Mystic Wand as much stronger than other basic vibrators on the market, and its multiple speeds and patterns might be seen as an advantage over the Magic Wand.

In addition, many of the accessories made for the Magic Wand will fit this vibrator as well, so it takes advantage of the well-developed Hitachi Magic Wand cult.

This toy has a nice velvety texture with some ribbing on the head which can provide some nice "grip" for clitoral use. One important difference between this and the Magic Wand is that the "neck" of the toy is much more flexible. This makes it more difficult to add a lot of pressure against your body while using this toy, as the toy will bend pretty far. This can be a benefit, as it allows you to adjust your grip angle easily, but if you normally require a lot of pressure this can be a drawback, or may force you to press on the head of the vibrator with your hands.

The design of this toy is very attractive. It is a pleasure to hold, and the buttons are easy to use, although the multiple modes may mean you have to cycle through to your required vibration pattern. The glowing indicator light on the front is pretty cool looking and makes this toy easy to use in the dark. For Magic Wand users, the handle is much shorter than the Magic Wand, but this is definitely a benefit in many situations, as it allows for increased maneuverability for solo-use as well as partner sex (where the Magic Wand, with all its bulk and wires can definitely get in the way).

Like the Magic Wand, the vibration in this toy is strongest in the bulbed head. Controls are located in a convenient area of the shaft of the toy, and in addition to a button allowing you to adjust the vibration intensity and pattern, it features a nifty indicator light which corresponds to the intensity of vibration, going up to a red light at its highest setting.

As someone who came over from the Magic Wand, I tend to prefer the constant high vibration pattern supplied by this vibrator to the pulsing and lower level vibration patterns. There is a strong pulse pattern on this vibrator that I think is a good warm up and evocative of thrusting, but your mileage may vary! I think that especially for a beginner it is great to be able to experiment with different patterns of vibration. I tend to find for myself however, that for actually going the distance, nothing quite works as well as a good constant buzz.

This toy is significantly quieter than the Magic Wand (corresponding to its less powerful vibrations). This toy is splash proof for use in the shower and seems to do fine in this situation. While this toy doesn't go through batteries too quickly, I would say you can only get two or three lengthy (ten or fifteen minute), high-power uses out of the toy before the power starts to weaken. I invested in a set of rechargeable batteries and a battery charger, and this takes care of having to buy lots of new batteries.

This toy just needs a soft place to rest its head, and it comes with a nice satin travel sack for this purpose. The head can be cleaned easily with a damp cloth or just brushed earnestly with your tee-shirt, depending on how sloppy you get with it. The toy is safe for water based lubricant, but silicone lubricants can damage this toy.

Packaging is just a basic plastic box, see-through, nothing fancy. You will not be reusing this packaging for storage, but the velvet bag accompanying this toy makes up for that.