Maude’s new vibe mini is a sleek yet adorable vibrator

There’s a reason why Maude’s Vibe was Mashable’s best overall budget-friendly vibrator. The sleek toy looks like an art piece, yet it can rock your world just like toys double its price. For years after launch, Maude could barely keep it in stock.

Today, Maude launches its baby cousin: the vibe mini. Priced at $32, the mini is just under three and a half inches in length and is a worthy successor to the OG.

Mini toy, big vibes

When I heard about the launch of the mini, I was immediately intrigued. Miniature versions are just so cute — look at Mini Brands, or the Magic Wand Micro for a more suitable, NSFW comparison. I was obsessed with the Magic Wand Micro when it came out; just look at it! Would the mini cause a similar reaction?

Reader, it did. When my mini arrived, I cooed like holding a baby chick in my hands. The mini is slightly longer than my index finger and one inch at its thickest. It looks exactly like the original Maude vibe shrunk down. Even the “m” button is smaller. Adorable!

(For comparison, the original is about five inches in length and around one and a half inches at its thickest. It fits in the palm of my hand.)

The vibe mini is made of silicone (so you should only use water-based lubricant to clean it) and is water-resistant, so you can play with it in the shower but cannot submerge it.

The vibe mini comes with a USB charger, a pouch (which also looks like a miniaturized version of the OG’s pouch), and a manual.

A very travel-friendly toy

The vibe mini, like the original, is simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s not sophisticated. There’s only one button (the “m”), which acts as the toy’s on/off switch, setting changer, and travel lock. 

Yes — this toy has a travel lock, a feature that’s missing from some of our favorite vibrators. That was one point against the Magic Wand Micro, as it’s perfect for tucking into your carry-on. But Maude knew the vibes, literally. In fact, the campaign for the vibe mini is all about travel, including a vintage-styled “Maude Airways” ad:

Credit: Maude

Credit: Maude

To turn on the travel lock, press and hold the button for three seconds. The toy will buzz quickly twice. To unlock, press and hold for another three seconds.

Simply press the button to turn it on the lowest setting. At full charge, the vibe can run for 70 minutes on the lowest setting. The vibe mini has five speeds; simply press the button to increase them. At full charge on the highest speed, the vibe can last for 45 minutes (trust me, you will not need that long). 

The vibe mini needs 1.5 to two hours to fully charge. It arrived with a partial charge (and the travel lock on), but the manual recommends charging it before using it for the first time. While charging, a light will slowly blink, illuminating the button. When it’s fully charged, the light will be consistent. 

Maude recommends cleaning the vibe with a mild soap and storing it in its pouch away from extreme heat or cold. 

Don’t charge the vibe for more than three hours, according to the manual. The battery will apparently damage over time, but the vibe mini has a one-year limited warranty. 

Using the Maude vibe mini

With the specs out of the way, now we’re to the fun part: playing with the vibe mini. 

The toy’s silicone is butter-smooth, and its one button is pretty intuitive. With one press to turn on and one press to increase the speed, it couldn’t be easier.

Like the original, you can use the vibrator on its side for a wider surface area or the tip for more pinpointed, strong vibrations. As the tip of the mini is smaller than the tip of the original, it’s even more intense — I couldn’t use it directly on me for more than a few seconds.

At full charge, the lowest setting was enough to tip me over the edge. But for those less sensitive, there are still four more settings to rev up to. 

Some may not like that the vibe mini doesn’t have vibrational patterns like other modern toys do (like buzz buzz stop, buzz buzz stop) and only provides a continuous buzz, just faster or slower. 

Honestly, I don’t care for those Morse code-like vibration settings, anyway, and I never use them. It doesn’t seem like anything you can’t DIY yourself, like taking the toy off you if you want to edge a little bit.

I love the mini’s simplicity, as I do with the original one. Easy to charge, easy to use, and easy to clean. 

One negative that I can foresee is potential hand cramping while holding the tiny vibe. This wasn’t the case with me on my test uses, but squeezing a small piece of silicone over time might cause that. It probably depends on the size of your specific hand and your potassium levels.

This also isn’t the toy to try to use alongside a partner. A partner can use the toy on you, but trying to ride its waves at the same time might be impossible. No need to fret — there are other toys on the market for that, like Harry Styles’s double-sided vibrator.

Also, it might go without saying, but the vibe mini is meant for external use. Given its size, you’ll want to skip trying it out internally. A press release shared with Mashable stated that the vibe mini is great for “layering” with other toys, so that’s something you can try, too.

Credit: Mashable

Is the Maude vibe mini worth the price?

Yes! Not only does the vibe mini provide orgasms just as well as bigger toys (if not more so with the intense tip), but it does so at a lower cost, as well. 

The Magic Wand Micro, for example, is $89.99 on Lovehoney, though as of this publication, it’s on sale directly on the Magic Wand site for $64.95. Still, even the sale price is double the $32 for the Maude vibe mini. 

Plus, Maude definitely had travel in mind with this toy, given the pouch and the travel lock. The original vibe is small enough to go in your to-go bag, anyway, but now with the mini you can be even more discreet. Keep it in your purse, even.

And the cuteness factor is undeniable. 

The vibe mini is perhaps the most elevated bullet vibrator I’ve gotten my hands on. I recommend it to anyone who wants a new vibrator.