Dame Arc – Test & Review

Testing the Dame Arc

I started this test of the Dame Arc with some trepidation. I’ve never had the opportunity to test a Dame product before, but I’ve admired them from afar. Dame is everything I like in a sex toy company: high-quality, committed to diversity and inclusion, and not overly feminine or frilly. However, my past experiences with g-spot vibrators have left me a little wary. I love a good bit of G-spot massage, but the ones I’ve tried, like the Lelo Gigi 2, have always felt a bit lacking in power and rumble.

First Impressions

Testing the Waters

Double the Fun

Design Elements that Define the Dame Arc

I'm a sucker for clean, neutral designs in sex toys, and the Dame Arc is a beautifully-designed sex toy. Its namesake is the dramatic curve in the shaft towards the head, which is there to make it easier to reach your ideal angle for g-spot massage. The head itself is quite bulbous, but not uncomfortably bigger than the rest of the body. It also has a ridge in the middle that has a bit of a squishy feel. The Arc is fairly small, with a generous handle and large, clear buttons near the bottom.

Ease of use

Dame has opted out of fancy functions and complex controls with the Arc. It's a vibrator with a simple purpose, designed with ergonomics and ease-of-use in mind. The curved shaft means you don't have to reach uncomfortably or contort yourself in weird ways to get to your g-spot or clitoris. The controls are also incredibly simple and well-thought-out. One separate button at the bottom turns it on and off and lets you cycle through the patterns, and you control the vibration speed by clicking the up and down buttons above. The 'up' button has a little bump on it so you can find it without looking — a small touch that I appreciated immensely!

How Well-made is the Dame Arc?

The Dame Arc feels like a premium quality product. The silicone is silky smooth and seamless, and the vibrations are powerful and dependable every time. There's no rattling at any speed like with some, cheaper vibrators. It just works!

Price of the Dame Arc

The Arc is… not cheap. Some may well object to paying over $100 for a vibrator that doesn’t have any bells and whistles like app controls or a thrusting motor, and I do get it. However, the Dame Arc is a high-quality product that pumps out powerful vibrations from a beautifully-designed body. Alongside the Arc, you also get a unique-looking storage bag, an instruction manual and a Dame logo sticker. I was also hoping for a little packet of Dame’s aloe-based lube, but it was not to be. You can buy a small sachet from their website for $3, but a complementary sample would’ve been nicer.

The Dame Arc’s performance: Expectation vs Reality

I think that how much you enjoy the Dame Arc will largely come down to what kind of vibrations you like. Dame's website claims that its vibrations fall firmly on the rumbly side of the vibration spectrum. But, as someone who owns an incredibly rumbly vibrator, I would say that the Arc actually falls about halfway between buzzy and rumbly. That's not necessarily a bad thing, and actually I came to really like the feel of them! Both as a g-spot vibrator and a clit vibrator, the Arc performs very well. Plus, it has yet to die on me, which I appreciate.

Packaging

I have to admit, I am totally in love with this packaging! It's modern and minimalistic, and not overly feminine like other sex toy packaging that I've encountered. However, I also get that some might look at it and see 'medical instrument packaging'. It's all a matter of taste! If I didn't have so little space in my apartment, I would definitely keep this one (which is not something I say about most sex toy packaging).

Evaluating the Dame Arc: Materials and Care

The Dame Arc is covered almost entirely in 100% body-safe, medical-grade silicone. There's also one small area of hard ABS plastic at the back of the toy where the charger connects, which is barely noticeable. It's also completely waterproof. Cleaning this vibrator is incredibly simple: just use some mild, fragrance-free soap and water to give it a thorough wiping down. There are no crevices or charging ports to worry about, which is nice.

Special feature

One of the first places I saw the Dame Arc was on a list of ‘squishy’ sex toys. The tip of this vibrator has a ridge with a slight squish to it that just isn’t found on most other vibrators. It’s not a huge amount, and it’s not like jelly, but it’s definitely noticeable when you press firmly. It makes g-spot massage that little bit more pleasurable, but where I noticed it most was when using it on my clit. Firm pressure with a soft, squishy finish results in some really satisfying sensations!