Review: VeDO Bam Rechargeable Bullet

[A pink VeDO Bam vibrator on a conical stand, in front of a pink lava lamp. Beside it is a little pink tree figurine. In the background are some seventies-ish mint-and-brown stripes.]

I’ve had bad luck with vibrators. I’ve owned at least a dozen, and most of them have disappointed me one way or another. The second most expensive one (around $50) heated up and died, briefly burning my partner’s genitals. Others have died after one or two uses, or kept working but the silicone peeled itself off. The one time I bought a high-end (which to me means over $80) rechargeable vibrator, which I’d wanted for literal years before we finally had the money to spend, it turned out to be terribly weak and unenjoyable. I cried.

So, even though I often browse expensive, rechargeable vibrators, and even though I use vibrators every time I masturbate, I’m incredibly gun-shy when it comes to purchasing any. And in the past few years, with moving and multiple medical issues within my household, money’s been pretty tight. So, as so many have, I’ve settled for some inexpensive, battery-run toys of varying quality. If those die, after all, I’m only out $10 for a replacement. Sure, sometimes they’re a little buzzy, or have weird issues, but they get the job done.

But in this Year of our Lord 2019, rechargeable vibrators are becoming more affordable. And when Girly Juice compared the VeDO Bam to the toy reviewers’ perennial favorite We-Vibe Tango I paid attention. And recently, when it was on sale ($24 at the time) through their Amazon shop, we agreed that it was a decent price, and my partner bought it for me as a belated birthday present.

The Bam is a little bigger than the usual bullet vibe, and covered in a velvety silicone. (I somehow didn’t realize this when ordering—all of the product pictures make it look like shiny ABS plastic, and evidently I can’t read.) Mine is in Foxy Pink, which is a deep, almost reddish shade, but it’s also available in purple and a beautiful turquoise. I love pink, but many do not, and some masculine and non-binary people in particular may prefer colors with less gendered associations. It’s 100% waterproof, which is great for cleaning as well as for bathtub or shower use.

[Four vibrators, set up to look like a police lineup. The heights listed do not correspond in any way to the vibrator sizes. There are three bullet-like ones and and one longer ‘smoothie’-type for comparison. They are, in order: a discontinued TokiDoki one-speed bullet; VeDO Bam; Rocks Off RO-80 7 Function Bullet; Pipedream Neon Love Touch. The VeDO Bam is noticeably bigger than the bullets, but nowhere near the size of the smoothie]

Charging is really easy: twist off the back cap and plug in the USB cord, either on your computer or a wall adapter. I do have a slight anxiety of losing the cap while it’s charging, but it turns out if you put things somewhere that makes sense, they’re harder to lose. Crazy. There’s something very natural about the method, since I’m used to unscrewing toys’ bases for batteries, and this is much better to me than the chargers that require you to just…jam the plug into the silicone, making you think you’re going to break it. A light on the back glows red when it’s charging, then switches to green once it’s ready. It may or may not glow blue when orcs are near.

Once it’s charged, it seems to hold the charge for a good while. I left it unused but unplugged for several days and it was fine. My partner then used it, and after she was done, I asked if she thought I should charge it before I took my turn, but decided to test it out. It was still fine. The next time we tried it, it had some problems, but still, that was a good hour or so of active use. Considering the last rechargeable toy I had (which was weak to start with) took an hour to charge and started to fade after about ten minutes, this was miraculous.

This brings me to the VeDO Bam in use. And the truth is…

I love the Bam.

I’d write its name in my Trapper Keeper if I owned a Trapper Keeper. I might buy a Trapper Keeper just for that purpose. The orgasms are effortless and consistently strong. The three steady speeds are all rumbly enough that they don’t numb my genitals after prolonged exposure. The soft silicone means that it doesn’t hurt my junk like some ABS plastic toys do. The narrow tip means that I can get my preferred pinpoint clitoral stimulation, but the size and rumbliness means the rest of my clitoral complex is also stimulated. Aside from a few quibbles mentioned below, this toy feels like it was custom made for my preferences.

[The VeDO Bam sitting on top of notebook paper, which is covered in multi-colored notes, as well as doodles proclaiming love of VeDO. Strewn about are several pen as well as some Dum Dums lollipops.]

I even like some of the patterns, and usually I find patterns boring at best and unpleasant at worst. The VeDO Bam boasts 7 patterns, in addition to the three steady speeds. They’re all pretty regular, without any long gaps (my most hated “bzztbzztbzzt PAUSE FOR A YEAR bzztbzztbzzt” is not to be found here), and some of them are surprisingly pleasant. I’ve found my favorite use for patterns is as a kind of teasing/edging tool, and a couple of the Bam’s patterns are really successful, getting me highly aroused without quite giving me a release. When I’m ready, I can switch to a steady vibration and enjoy my head exploding. There are one or two of the patterns that I expressly don’t like, though, (one feels buzzy somehow? How? It’s a rumbly vibrator? What did you do?) and this does lead me to the downsides of the Bam.

The one-button system is annoying as hell. I know, I know, it’s pretty much standard for most vibrators of this size, and it’s probably much easier to make. They try to advertise it as “convenient.” For me, at least, it is not convenient. If I’m on one function and want a different one, I gotta sit there hitting the button for what seems like an eternity before I find the right one, and God forbid I lose track and have to loop through a second time.

My second quibble is the fact that the three steady vibration patterns are ordered starting with the strongest, then the medium, then the lowest, and then it goes into the patterns. If you, say, want to start at a lower speed and then increase power as you go…have fun flicking through all the patterns on your way there.

Also, the first time I used it, it heated up near the end of the session. This doesn’t seem to be a problem, as it works fine still, but it made me nervous because in the past, that usually means “this toy is about to die, have it draft a will, RIP.” But…it’s okay, and it doesn’t happen consistently.

Noise-wise, it’s about on par with most bullet vibes I’ve had, despite the power. I couldn’t hear it from the next room with the door closed. My girlfriend could when she was listening really hard, but said it just sounded like someone in the neighborhood using a leaf blower.

Since it’s slightly bigger than most bullet vibes, it can be inserted into a vagina without much trouble, though it’s still pretty short. (Given it has no flared base, though, please don’t put it in your butt.) I had an overwhelming “meh” reaction about that, but that’s generally how I feel about internal vibration and smooth-textured insertables. But people who need smaller items or want to explore their options, this might be a good choice.

[The pink VeDO Bam nestled into a floral arrangement in front of a white wall. The flowers are a similar shade of pink. There’s a sign within the leaves that says ‘Have a beautiful day.’]

The Bottom Line

The VeDO Bam is a damn good vibrator. If you’re interested in rechargeable vibrators, if you’d like to try a stronger/rumblyish vibrator but can’t afford something like the Tango, and/or if you like stronger pinpoint vibration, then I strongly and emphatically recommend this. It’s not perfect, but the good strongly outweighs the bad for me, and it’s now my go-to vibrator. If you prefer broader stimulation, or very gentle vibrations, this might not be the vibrator for you.

Buy on SheVibe in pink, indigo, or turquoise for $41.99

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