I have never been hugely fond of the way that ‘couple’s vibrators’ or ‘couple’s toys’ are marketed. My little queer sensibilities Do Not like the implications, whether that be that ‘coupled sex’ is equivalent to penis-in-vagina sex or that other toys can’t be used during partnered sex.
However, while I’m extremely not a fan of the way that We-Vibe has marketed their C-shaped vibrators (and continues to do so — the Sync O is still described as a ‘couple’s vibrator’ bleh), they are a kind of toy I wanted to give a bit more attention to. The name ‘couple’s toy’ — in my opinion — skirts around what’s actually the useful and interesting thing about them, which is that they’re hands-free.
That flip of language brings in a lot of new and interesting possibilities about how toys like the We-Vibe Sync O can be used. You could use it on its own during solo sex, using newly freed hands to do anything from nipple stimulation to self-spanking to turning the pages of your favourite erotica books. It can be used to add stimulation during partnered sex when two other pairs of hands are occupied — a scenario that came to mind immediately for me was if the wearer was in bondage and their partner was engaging in impact play. And from the way We-Vibe described how easily the Sync O stays in place, I was super curious about the potential of it as a wearing-under-clothes type toy.
And hell, if it really failed at all of that, I do top for vaginal sex (with a strap-on) relatively frequently.
The We-Vibe Sync O
The Sync O is the latest in We-Vibe’s line of hands-free vibrators, and it shares a lot of characteristics with other toys in the lineup. It has an inner and outer arm, with the outer offering vibration to the external vulva and the inner designed to help the toy stay in place during penis-in-vagina sex. It’s waterproof, comes with both a remote and app compatibility, and has 10 standard settings that can be flicked through with the button on the toy itself. It has a single bendable point, meaning it can be adjusted for different body types.
As well as the purple I received, the Sync O also comes in a green shade, which I absolutely adore. Green is my favourite colour, and I love to see more sex toys drift aware from pinks or what I call ‘sex toy purple’.
The big change between the Sync O and its siblings is the shape of that inner arm. Instead of being flat (giving the whole toy a C shape), it’s instead a rounded O shape. This gives it a larger surface area once inserted, without making it as difficult to insert as it’d be if the arm was solid.
Anatomical Considerations
I want to preface my review with the fact that I very much do not have a standard-issue vulva. I’m a transmasculine person and have been taking masculinising hormone replacement therapy for eight years. As a result of this, my clit is… on the large size. When I’m aroused, from the base it’s about two inches (just over ~5cm) long. To give some context, the average clitoris is 0.2 to 3.5 cm long (externally at least), so I’m working with something 1.5 times the size of the top end of average and 25 times the size of some clitorises.
I absolutely have run into anatomical issues with toys made for cisgender female bodies before. And while it’s a little bit gratifying and does boost my masculine ego a bit to have a clit too big for some toys, it definitely means if you don’t have large anatomy, my findings may not apply to your experiences. In fact, the way I found the Sync O did not work for me is extremely anatomy dependent, which I’ll go into in a bit more detail.
The Good
There’s a lot of good about the Sync O! The vibrations — as I expected from We-Vibe — are wonderful. They’re rumbly and deep, and even though the standard placement of the Sync O didn’t put them in the right place for me, if I held the vibrator against my clit externally I had the wonderful orgasms I expected.
Inserting the Sync O is also a lot easier than I expected. I have a weird relationship with penetration, and it can be difficult to get anything into me if I haven’t already had an orgasm. But the O-shape of the internal arm can be squished closed for easier insertion, expanding once inside. It reminds me a bit of how menstrual cups are inserted, and with a bit of lube added I can insert it pretty easily.
That O-shaped insertable arm also means that once inserted, the Sync O stays in place remarkably well. In testing, I found I was able to get up and walk around with it inserted with very little shifting of the toy. Obviously all vaginas are different, so I’d definitely recommend testing it in private before deciding to take it on a hot date, but the possibility is definitely there. While my anatomy didn’t work out for the Sync O to get me off, I do enjoy the added stimulation.
If you’re looking for even more ideas of how to use the Sync O beyond penis-in-vagina sex, I’ve worn mine in BDSM scenes where I as a clothed top am not getting much direct stimulation, to help keep the heat up on my end, as well as under my clothes while I rope bottomed. Basically the only thing I’ve found it doesn’t work for in terms of adding stimulation is topping for strap-on sex — the external part of the Sync O is a little too bulky and gets in the way of the harness. Although even then, if you were absolutely tied to the idea you could always wear a harness a little higher on the pelvis.
I also enjoy the remote. As with the We-Vibe Ditto+, the buttons control intensity and setting completely separately, which is my preferred arrangement as a well-known patterns hater. And as with my Ditto+, I found the remote pretty reliable and was able to use it from a distance of about 8 meters, including through a wall and a layer of clothing.
The Bad
To be blunt, I cannot get the We-Vibe Sync O to sit in the right position for me to actually be able to orgasm from it.
The reason I went into anatomical particulars earlier in this review is I am 99% sure this is entirely due to the size of my clit. While the Sync O is adjustable in angle, the distance between my vaginal opening and clit means that to get any contact between the Sync O and my clitoris, I have two options for positioning. Either it sits at the base of my clitoral shaft (on the posterior side), or I have to squish my entire clit down underneath the Sync O’s external arm. Either way, I don’t feel the vibrations in the right place to orgasm with them.
I do think this is an anatomy specific problem. If I had a more average sized clitoris, the Sync O would be able to rest against the head of my clitoris in a way that is just not physically possible with my genital setup. I don’t think this is really a concern for the average person, but is something people who are on testosterone or have previously been on testosterone long enough to get bottom growth should be aware of.
The App
As I said in my previous We-Vibe review, my interest in We-Vibe’s app is pretty minimal. However, I did retest it for this review, in case there’d been any recent changes or updates. My use of the We-Vibe app was on iOS.
I do like that the creation of an account isn’t necessary to use the app, as well as the fact it’s pretty up front with data protection policies. Multiple toys can be connected at once, so the Sync O can be combined with other We-Vibe toys like the Ditto+. Long distance control can also be operated via the app, although both parties will need the app. As well as control exchange, texting and video chat are available in-app.
Custom patterns aren’t available, although you can make a playlist of your favourites. When choosing for pre-selected patterns, the app does allow for the use of the touchscreen or mic to control intensity. The screen can also be divided in “Multi Vibe”, allowing the user to quickly switch between patterns.
Personally? I found the app didn’t offer me much in terms of experience. The remote control already gave me pretty much all the control I want from this toy, and the feature I most like within sex toy apps — music synchronisation — isn’t available here. I can see the point of the app when it comes to long distance use, but this is also where the app becomes most buggy, with lag issues or issues with connection. Overall, I’m not hugely thrilled with We-Vibe’s app, and think the appeal of their catalogue is very much the toys themselves.
Overall
Overall, I think the We-Vibe Sync O is a well made hands-free vibrator. It’s a lot more versatile than its marketing can suggest, and I think there are some really great improvements with the Sync O specifically. I think the o-shaped arm is genuinely innovative, helping the toy stay in place and making insertion a lot easier and more comfortable. I’d love to see it combined with the two joints of the We-Vibe Chorus. The vibration quality is also excellent, as I’ve come to expected from We-Vibe.
However, it is a toy that is not made with the bodies of people on testosterone in mind. Clitoral growth does of course vary between people, and there are definitely some transmasculine people/trans men out there who can make the Sync O work for their bodies — I found it was fundamentally incompatible with my anatomy.
But hey, in the scheme of things, ‘this toy didn’t work for me because my dick is too big’ is not the worst outcome, and I’ll happily take the ego boost.
Buy the We-Vibe Sync O from Lovehoney
You can also use the code KELVIN15 for 15% off all orders!
This product was sent to me by Lovehoney, in return for a fair and impartial review. Affiliate links were used in this post.
