Ever heard people talking about buzzy or rumbly vibrators are wondered what the heck that means? Vibrators just buzz, right? Well, what they’re actually talking about is how those vibrators move, and what they feel like.
Key Takeaways
- Buzzy vibrations are high-frequency vibrations that move back and forth very fast — so fast that you probably can’t even see it!
- Rumbly vibrations are low frequency, with slower, larger movements.
- Buzzy vibrators provide surface-level stimulation that sometimes feels ticklish or numbing, while rumbly ones provide deeper stimulation that pulses through the body.
Buzzy Vibrations = High Frequency
The key to understanding the difference between buzzy and rumbly vibrations is going to involve a tiny bit of physics. When the motor in a vibrator turns on, the vibe moves back and forth, and how fast it moves determines how buzzy or rumbly the vibrations feel.
Buzzy vibrators move very quickly, or at a high frequency. When you switch one on, you probably won’t see it move very much, if at all, because it’s going so fast.
If you look at the GIF above, you can see that it barely moves the sleeve of the Fleshlight, even at its highest setting. In the video below, the buzzy vibrator creates small but very fast ripples on the water’s surface.
How Does It Feel?
How a buzzy vibrator feels will depend on exactly how buzzy, or high frequency, it is. The buzziest vibes can feel tickly or tingly on the skin and can cause you to feel numb if the vibrations are very strong or if you use it for a long time.
The reason this happens is because those high-frequency vibrations don’t penetrate very deep into the tissue. They can feel very ‘surface-level’, and so many people don’t find them very satisfying to use.
Of course, buzziness and rumbliness are a spectrum, so a vibrator that’s kind of buzzy can still be felt deeper in your body, while an extremely buzzy vibrator may be too ticklish for some.
The Top 3 Buzzy Vibrators We’ve Tried
Buzzy doesn’t always equal cheap or low quality! Here are three vibes that have buzzy vibrations that are still lovely, high-quality toys…
The Eva is a tiny little vibe that is designed to snuggle next to the clitoris.
You can wear it during penetrative sex to provide extra clitoral stimulation as you go. It’s anchored in place with small, flexible ‘legs’ on either side so you can wear it hands-free.
Despite it being the buzziest vibrator I’ve ever encountered, I really enjoyed wearing it during sex with my partner. I couldn’t wear it for long periods, as it would start to feel tickly, but it was strong enough that I didn’t need to.
This little vibe made headlines when all kinds of celebrities started raving about it! The Vesper is the first ever necklace vibrator, so you can wear your pleasure for everyone to see!
Made of sleek stainless steel and with a delicate chain, it’s discreet enough to not scream ‘sex toy!’ — perfect for date night!
Isabelle tested it out and said, “the buzzier vibrations are great for drawing out the experience and having a slower build-up or even for edging”.
The Little Dipper has a pretty unusual shape, but it’s great for trying out multiple different kinds of stimulation.
The silicone is silky soft, the ribbing provides an interesting texture to rub against, and you can choose between pinpoint and broad stimulation using the different sides.
When Edie tested it and found that, while the vibrations are definitely buzzy, they’re also incredibly strong!
Rumbly Vibrations = Low Frequency
If buzzy vibrations move at a very high speed, it makes sense that rumbly vibrations would move at a much lower speed.
But, doesn’t that make them weaker? Actually no — the frequency of vibrations doesn’t determine how powerful they are, just how deeply you feel them.
If you take another look at the GIF above, you can see that the rumbly vibrator moves slowly enough that you can actually see the back and forth of the toy. But, the movements are much larger, giving them more impact. In the video below, you can see the vibrations creating larger ripples in the water and causing a big splash!
How Does It Feel?
Rumbly vibrations penetrate deeper into your skin and through your tissue. Think of it like the bass coming from a speaker — you don’t just hear it in your ears, but you feel it in your body!
You may not feel very rumbly vibrations on the surface of your skin so much, because the vibrator itself is not moving so fast. However, once you press the vibe into you, you’ll feel it pulsing!
When using a vibrator on your clit or in the vagina, rumbliness can be a huge benefit because it stimulates more of the internal clitoral structure. The more of the internal clitoral nerve endings you stimulate, the more pleasurable it will feel.
The Top 3 Rumbly Vibrators We’ve Tried
If you love power and you love rumbles, you truly can’t get any better than the Doxy Die Cast wand.
This powerhouse is made from solid titanium alloy and has a specially designed double-weighted head to create the rumbliest vibrations possible.
Isabelle wrote our review of this toy and absolutely adores it. It’s not for the faint of heart though — if you crank up the intensity, you might just find yourself on a whole new plane of existence.
The Tango X is my favorite toy of all time, and I can’t see anything coming anywhere close to taking that title.
This small bullet vibe is insanely rumbly, and is actually regarded as the gold standard in rumbly vibrations by many in the sex toy biz.
You may actually recognize it in the GIF and video above, so you can see just how rumbly it is for yourself!
I couldn’t make this ranking without including an insertable vibrator! This toy is designed to maximize g-spot pleasure, with a flexible, curvy shaft, ribbed texture, and super powerful, super rumbly vibrations.
Cassie likened the lower settings to a purring kitty, and the highest ones to a vicious beast! If you’ve struggled to feel anything with internal vibrations in the past, the power and low frequency of the Tiger may be what you’re looking for.