First impressions can be deceiving, especially when the first impression is "Wow, this is the first truly luxury vibrator I’ve ever owned" and the vibrator winds up not working at all. Nestled in its box, Chloe is sleek looking. A metallic pink band separates the insertable end ("upper part") from the clitoral stimulator (the "lower part") and it contrasts beautifully against the black silicone. Chloe is all gentle curves and sleek lines; the appearance exudes femininity. Chloe looks a bit like the Form 6 or the Elise but the lower portion seems to be more functional.

The silicone seems to coat hard plastic on the lower part and is rigid. The bottom of the insertable shaft is similarly firm but the silicone thickens toward the end of the shaft where is appears to be pure silicone with a bit of give. The size increase of the shaft isn’t quite a gentle taper so Chloe, with its 1.59" diameter at its widest point, is probably not the best option for beginners. Coupled with the 5" length, I found Chloe delightful filling but nowhere near gigantic. Chloe tapers again toward the pink band (which appears to be plastic painted metallic pink) to a 1.27" diameter. Because the silicone does have a bit of drag, water-based lubricant is advised.

As I sat down with my new toy and the instruction manual, I quickly realized that it vibrates in 3 places. None of my other toys even comes close to that. The insertable portion vibrates both at the end ("crown") and the rear of shaft ("base") while the curved portion on the other end of Chloe also vibrates. There are 5 different modes of insertable vibration: continuous vibe in the crown, continuous vibration in the base, short pulsation (full shaft), extended pulsation (full shaft) and continuous vibration through the entire shaft. While the vibrations in the crown and base can operate together or independently, the vibration in the lower part only works by itself (not in conjunction with the shaft). This is pretty logical, however, because you can’t really use Chloe to stimulate with both ends at once. The lower portion only has one mode: continuous vibration and all steady modes have about 5 levels of vibration. Chloe remains acceptable quiet at all times and I was never bothered by its noise.

These functions are controlled by one D-pad, which is really easier to use than it sounds, once you get the hang of it. Pressing the button powers on Chloe; by default, the shaft starts vibrating in the first mode. Continuing to press the increases the strength of vibrations which are quite strong and are deeper than they are buzzy. It’s no Hitachi but Chloe certainly holds it own. The vibrations do seem to become slightly higher pitched as they increase, however; I usually keep it on one of the lower settings. Pressing the up arrow (toward the upper portion) cycles through the modes, each of which can also be increased in strength. Pressing the lower arrow switches the vibration from upper to lower portion vibration. You can increase the strength here as well and, when you are fully sated, pressing the – button until Chloe turns off. If you wish to lock Chloe you can do so; just hold both the and – buttons for "3 seconds" to lock it. In practice, I found it was more like 5 seconds; the LED light around the D-pad will flash to indicate Chloe has been locked/unlocked.

In theory, Chloe is a dream and I quite enjoyed using it the first time. The vibrations were definitely strong enough and the gentle curve of the shaft was able to stimulate my G-spot until ejaculation. However, Chloe isn’t intended to be a G-spot vibrator and will not function as well for many women. Still, the pulsation settings are quite enjoyable. I particularly enjoyed the last mode which literally throbbed! I was also really impressed with how well the vibrations traveled throughout the entire vibrator. I actually had difficulty pinpointing the origin of vibrations because they can so easily be felt throughout the entire piece, no matter which portion is vibrating. The curve of the lower portion easily fit over my pubic bone; although the shape is a bit pointy for my tastes, many women will enjoy it for more pinpoint clitoral stimulation.

Of course, these strong vibrations are powered by an internal battery. Chloe comes charged, too. The cord plugs into a port located above the D-pad and the LED light blinks while charging with an addition steady light on the charger itself. When fully charged, the light will remain steady. The manual says the LED light will turn blue when Chloe needs charging but it is always blue which is perplexing.

(continue to "Experience")

Chloe cannot be used while charging or charged for more than 24 hours. Because the company which makes Chloe is UK-based, the original charger is intended to fit into UK plugs. EdenFantasys will be providing customers with an adapter. The addition of the adapter means the charger has to be in a very specific position for Chloe to charge. Furthermore, the cord is rather short at only 2.5" long. This definitely imposes a limit on which outlets I can successfully use to charge Chloe. When not in use, there is a soft plastic cover which sits over this port; however, it has become increasingly loose with time.

Unfortunately, my love affair just wasn’t mean to be. After my first use I washed Chloe with soap and water, as the manual indicates, I noticed water seeping through the seams when I was drying it; although I thought perhaps I was just imagining it at first. Although I did not submerge the vibrator and I held the cover over the charging port, water still got into the toy. I believe it found its way in around the D-pad which just doesn’t seem to be as high quality as one would expect of a toy like Chloe. I dried it and thought the problem was resolved but, during my second use, Chloe just wasn’t the same. The buttons soon stopped being responsive and I’m now unable to turn on the shaft vibration at all. Currently, only the lower portion will vibrate - sometimes. I would gladly take the blame if the manual had indicated to only wipe down with a damp cloth but I followed the instructions and it caused damage to Chloe. This isn’t the mark of a high caliber toy, in my book.

Even before washing, I would occasionally notice that the D-pad was unresponsive and, during the first charge, Chloe randomly started vibrating which was startling to say the least. And remember how I loved the throbbing of the Chloe? After I charged Chloe, I noticed it had subsided; it seems like it was only throbbing because it wasn’t working correctly at first. Once fully charged, it was a steady vibration. It’s not bad but not quite as exciting as the idea of a throbbing shaft. During my initial run-though, I also noticed that lower portion seemed to vibrate quite weakly; however, improved after the first charge. To add insult to injury, I can practically see through Chloe’s seams when I press the D-pad in a dark room and the LED light turns on.

Unfortunately, this leaves me with a well designed paperweight. I will probably commandeer the storage pouch included with Chloe for another toy which is a shame because the idea of a rechargeable toy which vibrates in 3 places is pretty amazing but the reality fails to live up to those promises. Chloe looks nice as first but it doesn’t take long to find out this vibrator is rather cheaply manufactured.