Solar Bullet
I think it’s great to see manufacturers coming out with eco-friendly products. It’s a trend that needs to grow for the benefit of our environment. As a sex toy reviewer, I go through a lot of batteries, and while I much prefer rechargeable toys, those are often the more expensive options and cost prohibitive for many. That is why I am really excited to review the Solar Bullet that Babeland.com sent me.
This is essentially a small, corded bullet vibrator with a solar-powered battery pack. The bullet is hard plastic with a velvety surface finish and measures 2 1/2 inches long and has a diameter of 1/2 an inch with a 34 inch cord. The solar panel is 3 1/2 by 2 inches, and a little less than 1/4 of an inch thick. The solar pack takes 8 hours of exposure to light to fully charge, at which point it will supposedly power the bullet for an hour. I haven’t really put that to the test, because frankly, I’d have a hard time using this bullet for an hour.
The side of the solar pack has a slide control to turn the vibe on and switch speeds. There aren’t any patterns or pulses, it’s just constant vibration. There isn’t really a lot of difference between the speeds, and the vibrations are very buzzy. Since this is a bullet and lacks a handle, it made my hand go numb after a while. That’s why I couldn’t use this toy for any extended time. I definitely prefer deep, rumbly vibe sensations, and I couldn’t get off with just this one. I had to call for back-up in the form of a non-vibrating insertable. Since that toy also doesn’t require batteries, I’m sticking with an eco-friendly theme here, see?
There is a blue light on the side of the power pack to indicate when it’s charging, and then there is a light at the tip of the bullet that illuminates when it’s in use. I actually think it’s kind of fun to play with in the dark, but I’ve been told that I’m easily amused. I also like the fact that the bullet cord unplugs from the solar panel. This makes it possible to discreetly charge it as it looks a lot like a cell phone gadget or something, and I don’t have to worry about accidentally getting it wet during cleaning. There’s also another advantage, but I’ll talk more about that later.
Now, I acknowledge the Solar Bullet is made from plastic, which may not be the most eco-friendly material, but I’m not sure they could have made something like this from glass, metal, or wood. But it runs on light, so there’s no need for batteries or access to electricity (assuming there’s adequate natural light available). The minimal packaging is eco-friendly and totally recyclable paperboard. It even sports a green design.
I basically think they’re on to a very cool thing with this one. I just wish the bullet wasn’t so dang buzzy. But you see, that didn’t stay an issue for long. I had a revelation about a day or so after making the video for this review, when it occurred to me that since this bullet has a removable cord, perhaps another bullet would work with the solar panel. Luckily, I have a few bullets that unplug from their battery packs, and as it turns out, they all seem to have a standard size plug. I can happily report that they work just fine with the Solar Bullet‘s panel. So that’s a good thing. The only bummer is that the bullet does what the controller tells it, so even one that normally has many cool patterns and functions becomes just a multi-speed vibe, without much variance in the intensity. Still, it’s better than being stuck with the bullet it comes with for those of us who aren’t fond of buzzy vibrations.
I really hope that we see more sex toys go this route, and as the technology improves, so will the designs and performance. In the meantime, I’m glad I have this one to play with.
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