Marital Aid Test Kitchen: The Rosebud Vibrator: Does A Rabbit By Any Other Name Smell As Sweet?

Dual action vibrators have been all the rage ever since "Sex and the City" took a liking to the Rabbit Pearl--and for some women, they're pretty much seen as the ultimate in sex toys, the only vibrator they'll ever need.

I'm not one of those women. For some reason, rabbit vibes have never appealed to me. Maybe it's the fact that most of them are made of scary things like jelly rubber; maybe it's the fact that I shy away from trendy toys; or maybe it's just that damn little rabbit. Whatever the cause, I've haven't ever felt very rabbit-curious. But when presented with a dual action vibe that's made of silicone and doesn't have a cutesey little animal face staring up at me ... well, now I'm curious.

Designed by Vibratex--the manufacturers of the (all too) popular Rabbit Habit--the Rosebud bears more than a passing resemblance to its leporid cousin, even if it doesn't bear much resemblance to a rosebud. Stimulation is provided in two ways: via a rotating bulb at the end of the shaft, meant to grind against the G-spot, and a crazy alien-looking dude who reaches out to hug your clit. Your pleasure is controlled by two little sliders located on the handle, one to control the gspot action, the other to control the clit: slide them up to get your party rocking, slide them down when you need to chill.

So how did it stack up? The Rosebud did indeed have its charms, and I enjoyed my time with it. But overall, it left me wanting. Nice as it was, the placement of certain parts just seemed, well, a little off. Unlike the Rabbit Pearl, which has a cluster of rotating beads at the bottom of the shaft, the Rosebud's shaft is a bit barren. In order to really get my groove on, I had to place the rotating bulb directly on my G-spot, which meant jacking off with the bulk of the shaft sitting outside my pussy. Thankfully, the little alien guy was still able to contact my clit, but having half the Rosebud outside my hoo-ha was awkward nonetheless.

Ultimately, the Rosebud confirmed what I'd long suspected about dual action vibes: while they seem nice in theory, with such a fixed shape they're just not flexible enough to conform to every woman's body. Which just goes to show you that just because a vibe is trendy, doesn't mean it's actually right for you.

· Buy the Rosebud (babeland.com)