I must begin this review with a confession: I have desperately wanted a vibrating panty ever since seeing The Ugly Truth. You know, that scene in the restaurant? Kinky.

The Red Hot remote vibrating thong consists of a red lacy thong, a vibrating pack, and a remote control. This toy is meant to be worn and used as a discreet clitoral stimulator, though the vibrating pack could theoretically be used for all-over stimulation, including the breasts, perineum, or anus. However, no part of this vibrating panty should be inserted. I'm pretty sure you'd be hard pressed to actually insert the panty itself anyway... no, that is not a challenge. The set also includes one A23 battery, but the two AAA's are not included.

Because the toy is remote controlled, it can be used individually or with a partner. Or, you could play a game of pass the remote at a play party! While it's not too loud, I didn't find the noise level to be as discreet as I expected, so I wouldn't recommend it for general public play. Since it can be discreetly worn, though, or tucked away in a purse, it is very travel-friendly.

In theory, this toy is suitable for a wide range of users. I say in theory because I didn't find this vibrating thong to be particularly... functional. If you have an endless stash of A23 and AAA batteries as well as a good dose of patience, then you may be able to enjoy the Red Hot vibrating thong.

Unfortunately, in my experience the Red Hot remote vibrating thong by Cal Exotics does not live up to its name, and certainly didn't fulfill my fantasy to live out Katherine Heigl's public orgasm scene. Le sigh.

The vibrating pack and the remote both have that "battery-operated new electronic device" smell. You know, the one that's a mixture of batteries and... ick. Both are made of smooth black plastic. I don't recommend tasting either (is there a reason why you'd want to?), but I can't imagine they'd taste foul. There's no texture on the vibrating pack, so it's suitable for any level user.

The lacy thong is made out of soft nylon (I know same ladies out there have a sensitivity to nylon-- you'll want to take this into consideration before purchasing this set). It's very comfortable to wear, surprisingly, and is of decent construction for a pair of novelty panties. I wasn't expecting it to be that well-made. The thong is definitely the high point of this toy.

Warning: The thong is one size fits most, and by most they mean anyone who normally wears a size 5 panty. They are tiny! They have a decent amount of stretch around the band area to accommodate larger hips, but there is almost no stretch lengthwise.

One of the biggest problems with this set (and a big design flaw) is that there's no special pocket for the vibrating pack. The panty simply has the standard liner and, while you can slip the pack under the liner, it's positioned a bit too low to actually hit the clit. At least, this is the problem I found, and I'm a smaller-bodied gal.

It is possible the panties are designed this way because the vibrating pack itself is so... large. It's about the same size as a small cell phone, so would make an interesting bulge in the front that not all ladies might want. So while I suppose the vibrating pack placement is for the sake of discretion, I can't help but wish it was smaller so as to be more effective. On the plus side, the pack isn't really visible when wearing a dress or most skirts, though it's slightly uncomfortable when wearing pants.

The vibrating pack and remote are both very discreet looking. Neither of them is clearly marked stating their purpose or the company that made them. Because of this, they could be left lying around without raising too much suspicion. The fairly compact size of both the pack and the remote makes them easy to slip into a purse of average size. Unfortunately, the actual function of this set pretty much eradicates most of its discretion.

All I can say is... epic failllllll. I'm not sure if only my set is like this, but I could only get the vibrations to work when the remote was pointed at the EXACT right spot on the vibrating pack (and it took me a bit to find this exact spot). It claims to have a range of up to 12 meters. Well 12 meters my ass. How is one supposed to use it from a distance when the remote has to be pointed right exactly at a dime-sized spot in order for it to work? I'm beginning to wonder if the set I received is defective.

The controls seem easy enough, though. There's only an on/off switch on the remote--nothing difficult. It claims to be pressure controlled, though it certainly doesn't take much pressure for it to actually turn on. It's pointing the remote just the right way that's difficult. It definitely takes some playing around and possibly twirling around to get it to work.

I'm a little disappointed that it only has one vibration level, and not a very strong one at that. I am definitely a power queen and this wasn't anywhere near strong enough to get me wet, much less get me off. Sensitive gals may find it more pleasing if they have the patience to get it to work first. I will say that it is a nice little tease, though, as the vibrations are easily felt throughout the entire pack and tickle the labia.

Noise-wise it's not too bad. Loud enough so that you probably won't want to use this for public play (which I had intended to use it for) unless you're at an actual play party, but it won't be heard through a closed door. It's more suited for use at a club or concert or anywhere else that isn't quiet, as the sound is equivalent to that of a cell phone vibrating.

Be sure to keep the vibrating pack and remote away from water, as it will destroy them. The panties are fine to get wet, though.

I'd recommend keeping the vibrating pack clean by wiping it off with a damp cloth or some toy cleaner. Try not to get it too wet though, and definitely don't submerge it in anything! From what I can tell, it is not well made enough to keep water out. This isn't a set that requires the use of lube, but if you want to use the vibrating pack as an all-over vibrator, it is compatible with all lube types.

You're going to want to wash this thong as often as you'd wash any other pair of panties. It's recommended that you hand wash them in cold water. You may be able to get away with washing it on delicate, but the lace does seem fairly fragile, so hand washing is the best choice. It would be nice if they were machine washable, but I don't find hand washing TOO big of a deal. Just a slight annoyance.

The box the set came in works well for storage. Nothing fancy, but this set doesn't have any specific storage requirements. It can more or less be tucked away anywhere.

I am now almost entirely sure that the set I received is defective... unless it really is THAT low of quality. My boyfriend and I tried playing around with this for an hour, to no avail. And then it BROKE completely. At first I thought the battery had run out, so I switched them all out (thank goodness I had another A23 lying around), but it was a no go. The pack spurted to life for another few seconds before giving up completely.

It's possible that it suffered some damage in the mail. Given how beat up my package was when I got it, it might've been dropped a few times. But this toy would still have to be extremely delicate to be damaged that way.