The iconic Magic Wand vibrator is finally available in Australia, so I put it to the test

“The Magic Wand doesn’t need all the bells and whistles of contemporary sex toys. It just really bloody works, each and every time.”

Writing about sex toys isn’t something I necessarily saw for myself when I started out as a writer. But as it turns out, it’s the perfect fusion of two of my core interests: the written word and championing female pleasure. I’ve tried countless vibrators during my time at Fashion Journal – air suction, bullet, penetrative with air suction, the rabbit – but, until recently, I’d never tried the Magic Wand.

If you first became acquainted with sex toys when a host of brands marketed at women began offering sleek, bedside table-worthy vibrators in pastel shades in the 2010s, then you might not have a clue what the Magic Wand is. And fair enough. It’s not sleek – in fact, it’s pretty bulky – and it’s certainly not overtly ‘femme’. When I asked our editorial team if they’d heard of it, I was met with perplexed expressions and jokes about me going to Diagon Alley to get my next sex toy (magic wand, get it?).

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But if you watch a certain male porn star who’s known for using the Magic Wand during sex – yes, it’s TikTok’s favourite porn star, Owen Gray – then your eyes might have been opened to its appeal. While I’ve used vibrators during sex before, there’s something about the Magic Wand that just looks like it takes penetrative sex to another level. A guy having one on hand to use on his partner during sex (I’m speaking specifically to heterosexual intercourse here) shows they’re interested in more than their own pleasure which is always hot.

Aside from the porn factor, the Magic Wand has been a consistent bestseller since its launch and still to this day, despite all the newfangled sexual wellness brands that pop up each week, is considered the most popular vibrator of all time. The late Betty Dodson, an incredibly influential sex educator and advocate for female pleasure, has been widely credited with popularising the toy. She used them in her workshops when teaching women how to masturbate and achieve orgasm, and like many great things, women started telling their friends. Soon, the word spread and this unassuming ‘massager’ became a mainstay in women’s bedside tables.

To this day, the brand reports half a million sales each year – a stat that’s particularly impressive when you consider the more technologically advanced and aesthetically pleasing sex toys it’s competing against. The original, authentic Magic Wand has only ever been sold overseas, but due to demand (maybe it’s the Owen Gray effect?) it’s now available in Australia and New Zealand via Lovehoney. So why does this 1980s-looking sex toy have such enduring appeal?

In a deep dive on the subject for The Cut, writer and former sex editor Marissa Gold summarised what sets it apart, writing that it’s the toy’s “… powerful motor that produces strong, ‘rumbly’ vibrations instead of a ‘buzz’ like most toys. And the oversize rubber head distributes the rumbly vibrations to as many clitoral nerve endings as possible at once. Those rumbles can be revved up to a speed of up to 6,300 rpm, so comparing it to your basic vibrator is like comparing the roar of a Ferrari to the ‘cha-cha-cha-rrrrrr’ start-up sound of your dad’s old Acura. These two things are not the same”.

While the Magic Wand has visually stayed the same over the decades, when Vibratex bought it from its original makers Hitachi the company implemented a few lowkey improvements, adding a rechargeable battery and getting rid of the cord. I received three iterations of the Magic Wand to trial – the Magic Wand Mini, Magic Wand Plus and Magic Wand Rechargeable – and my favourite was the Magic Wand Mini. I’m used to smaller, more compact vibrators, so the Mini version felt more comfortable to use, and I can see it being easier to incorporate during partnered sex.

So how does it feel? When you’re used to the very specific sensation air suction vibrators provide – which I know myself and many other millennial/Gen Z women definitely are – it can take a little adjustment figuring out how you like to use the Magic Wand. It’s larger than any vibrator I’ve owned but the oversized rubber head, as Marissa Gold promised in her article for The Cut, distributes vibrations to more clitoral nerve endings than anything else I’ve tried.

I did find it took slightly longer to reach orgasm than with an air-suction toy (probably because I’ve become so used to that type of sensation), but the orgasm lasted longer and almost felt deeper than with my other toys. If you’re fond of internal stimulation, you might want to use it alongside a G-spot vibrator; this is a toy that’s purely about clitoral stimulation. As someone who can only really orgasm with clitoral stimulation, I loved the intensity of the Magic Wand’s vibrations; it’s undoubtedly the most powerful vibrator I’ve used.

I’m yet to bring it out during partnered sex – our Assistant Editor Izzy joked that it would be the equivalent of me whipping out a technological relic like the Nintendo DS and asking them to use it on me – but after trying it out solo I get the appeal. The Magic Wand doesn’t need all the bells and whistles of contemporary sex toys. It just really bloody works, each and every time.