Marital Aid Test Kitchen: The MIA Is USB-Powered For Your Pleasure

Behemoths like the much-loved Hitachi Magic Wand have their place, but there's a certain appeal to more discreet sex toys too; after all, sometimes you just don't want your housemates, or kids, or parents, to know you have a vibrator. Better they should think you just really, really like your rubber ducky, flashlight, or -- in the case of LELO's new MIA -- your USB thumb drive.

At just under four and a half inches, the MIA can easily pass for just another thumb drive (albeit an oversized, girly one), and not just because it of how it looks: it also happens to be USB-powered. But style can only take a girl so far. So how well does the vibe actually work?

For such a small vibrator, the MIA is surprisingly strong. Given the size, I'd been expecting a tame, one-speed vibe, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it had several levels of vibration as well as three different settings of pulse patterns to boot. Like any good tech toy, the MIA can be customized to meet your vibration needs ... provided they fall within the proscribed settings, that is.

However, I was disappointed to see that LELO had dispensed with their iPod-esque control system seen on the Gigi and Iris and instead opted for a simpler, two button control similar to those found on Fun Factory toys like the Laya Spot. Press the plus button to turn the vibe on, and up, and to switch it into the pulse pattern mode. To get out of pulse pattern mode, decrease the vibration, or turn the toy off, you press the minus button. Sure, it would have been difficult to fit more buttons on such a small vibe. But sometimes, it's the little things that make a vibe worth your time, and your cash.

LELO has advertised the MIA as being the ultimate vibe for the gal on the go. And in many ways they're right about that: it's fun to use, easy to carry, and best of all doesn't require any cables or batteries. If you need a vibe you can put in your pocket and charge discreetly, the MIA may just be for you. Just be prepared for questions about why your thumb drive doesn't show up on the desktop--though if LELO ever did figure out a way to incorporate a hard drive into this baby, it'd be our favorite vibe ever.

• LELO: MIA (lelo.com)
• Buy the MIA (babeland.com)