So! It’s been a while! I have a metric fuckton of toys to review, including a rocket ship, a corncob, a twisty NoFrillDo, a paddle, a glass double-sider, and this ridiculous pink wand I got for free and am surprisingly in love with. But TODAY! Today I review the We-Vibe Nova. I spent the last week visiting old friends, family, and my former apartment in Oakland, eating endlessly and riding the nostalgia wave. I initially went with two promises to myself, 1.) I would not step on a scale the entire time, and 2.) I would not create a concrete itinerary. The flexibility of my week set a tone that would be much needed as my time there waned, from my first experience of an earthquake to my cancelled flight (thanks “bomb cyclone!”) which landed me on the scariest red-eye of my life. I needed that flexibility to remind me that my trip was all about necessary indulgences, from sunny french-drip mornings under the orange tree to spliffy evenings with friends and film. A distinct “California-Bay vibe” sifted into me, making me wish I took that job at the Emeryville Lush in 2013 and stayed in my adorable studio off Lakeshore. The regret was bittersweet, and I left promising myself that some day I’d be back for good.
My favorite experience and by far most surreal was on New Year’s Day, the day California legalized recreational cannabis. Legalization is problematic in so many ways. Folx who have been unfairly convicted in the past may be pardoned, but that doesn’t erase the complex traumas of arrest. Taxes have gone astronomical on cannabis products, making it less economically feasible. The biggest question I heard most was whether rich white men were to benefit most as distributors and dispensary owners. In the Oakland subreddit, someone commented on a post saying that despite the instated Equity Permit Program, the “blue oasis called California [has] red pockets running deep.” I was once a former medical cannabis patient at Berkeley Patients Group and have always appreciated their philanthropy as well as community initiatives, so I wasn’t surprised when they announced that Berkeley’s mayor would be showing up to the New Year’s Day legalization opening. I walked back into my old facility via a lime green carpet and velvet rope, a DJ blasting sick mashups, free massages with CBD cream, and a fucking VENDING MACHINE for those who didn’t/couldn’t wait in long lines. Huge balloon arches hung over San Pablo in celebration. I still had seven dollars worth of BPG points on my old member’s card, which I put towards sore throat lozenges and Sleep Cream. I’m currently enrolled in New Jersey’s medical cannabis program despite the potential legalization by Phil Murphy come March, but the cost of enrollment and hoop-jumping in NJ has been really debilitating on so many levels. I wish they would get their shit together like California, or at least start asking the right questions.
I had also visited my former Good Vibrations on Lakeshore a few days prior, dizzying my childhood best friend (and even stumping some of the employees) with toy musings. My friend is my DDD twin and our fucked up backs both appreciate giant wands for pain relief more than masturbation. I made a mental note of her interest in the Magic Wand, and after visiting BPG on New Year’s, I zipped a block down on San Pablo to one of Good Vibes’ other locations. With a shopping bag of cannabis in one hand and a Magic Wand in the other, I decided it was going to be a self-care day and looked at the We-Vibe Nova with confident determination. After some great conversation with GV’s employees about blogging and sex education, they blessed me with amazing discounts and free swag. I told them I’d give a shout-out, but I wish I could do so much more. Thank you so much, Berkeley Good Vibes, for the pleasant company, resounding support in this industry, and making this review financially attainable. That Wonder Woman Wand keychain was just the cherry atop a wonderful shopping experience.
I waited to get back to NJ to try out the Nova but charged it while I was on the West Coast. My friend got a chuckle out of seeing it on her counter top and accurately noted that this was probably just an everyday task for me. The flightmare from hell and an 8 hour Sleep Cream nap left me nestled in bed, curious about the Nova. I wanted to wait until I saw my partner to use it, but I also knew an orgasm would help my headache and lethargy. One thing I also found interesting was how sure I was of this orgasm. The Nova looked so similar to my treasured Vr6, similar vibrations, silky texture, proportionally alike…my only question was about its most renowned feature: the bendy arm. The Vr6’s arm has a little bit of bend but enough firmness to put pressure where I need it. I worried the flexibility of the Nova’s arm wouldn’t hit me as hard or directly. I was pleasantly wrong.
The arm is now my favorite part of the Nova. Sure, the G-Spot angle is harder and more direct, but it’s also just a touch less girthy than my Vr6. It still fills me nicely, but the arm is really where the magic happens. No matter how I move the Nova, no matter how hard I thrust or which way I turn the handle, the arm finds its way to a happy place. Its flattened structure consistently distributes major rumbles, and though the motion appears clumsy, the feeling is spot-on.
The Nova has a lot of bells and whistles, like We-Vibe does best. Tons of features, vibration patterns with cute names like “Echo” and “Tide,” Bluetooth compatibility, a unique magnetic charger…it’s all well and good but coming from someone who enjoyed the two-button simplicity of the Vr6, it’s really not necessary for me. Unlike the We-Vibe Tango, the Nova’s magnetic charger stays put, plugging into a USB port or computer for power. The buttons are a little complicated, but I really only use the increase/decrease strength anyway so I basically ignore half of the control pad. The silicone has a nice drag to it, keeping the toy dust-free. I even like the color! Me! Member of the anti-pink patrol! It’s a neon pink, close to a fuchsia, and like the Vr6’s neon purple, it gives me some rad 90’s nostalgia feels.
So I basically love this thing. It’s no better or worse than my Vr6, just a bit different. Orgasms come easily, and although I’ve only used it solo, I’m super excited to see what my partner thinks of it. My guess is he’ll be relieved that the buttons aren’t as susceptible for accidental pressing like the two bumps on the Vr6, and I’m betting he’ll like the arm range as well. Will keep you updated!
