Betty Dodson was an American sex activist and artist from New York who became best known in the 1970s for her pro-sex feminist manuals and workshops encouraging women to masturbate (often in groups). She was single-handedly responsible for making the Magic Wand a successful sex toy, against the wishes of its manufacturer Hitachi, who had developed it as a massager for stiff muscles. I already suspected that the Vibio Dodson was named after Betty, and a friendly Vibio employee confirmed this. So that’s promising!

What is the Vibio Dodson?

Vibio is a relatively new queer-owned startup. The company is run by women, but their products are for everyone. In 2021, Vibio was named best ‘new pleasure’ brand by Xbiz. In addition, the brand was the first sex toy manufacturer to receive the ‘vegan’ seal of approval from The Vegan Society for its toys and lubricants. This sympathetic company now has four beautiful toys on the market, including the Dodson.

As you might expect – given it’s named after Betty – the Vibio Dodson is a wand vibrator, but in miniature. The thing has a flexible head and a friendly gender-neutral look. It is designed for external stimulation of any erogenous zone, whether during masturbation or with a partner.

Specifications

• Material: Platinum Grade body-safe silicone, vegan and free of phthalates (although I think that applies to all silicone, but still…)
• Gender-neutral orange colour
• Waterproof
• 5 intensity levels and 1 standard pattern, operated with just one button
• Can also be controlled via bluetooth (up to 40 meters) with the Vibio app on your own smartphone, or by someone you invite. With the app you have access to five vibration patterns.
• Length 13,5cm, diameter of the head 3,7cm
• After 2 hours charging you have 1 hour playing time
• Rechargeable with USB cable
• 1 year warranty

Unboxing the Vibio Dodson

The Dodson’s box is a mix of solid, chic and minimalist neutral at the same time. It is made of thick, sturdy cardboard and has a simple but colourful print of the Dodson and an icon of a smartphone. That says it all, doesn’t it?

The box contains only the Dodson, a charging cable and a splash-proof storage bag. But that is a first! Splashproof, how handy is that! Hey, but wait a minute… Where is the manual? Vibio confirmed to me that it is a conscious choice not to add it. Why waste paper when the operation is so obvious? I agreed! By the way, there is a manual online, but because the website is still under construction (startup, remember?) it is a bit hard to find. Via the chat on the Vibio website, I received the link within seconds. And indeed, it is not that difficult.

Before you start playing, Vibio recommends charging the toy for two hours, but the Dodson already has a full battery on arrival.

The testdrive

When I picked up the Dodson, I was immediately enthusiastic. The silicone feels soft and attracts little dust. It fits comfortably in the hand and the head is mega flexible. First we tried out the effect in a ‘dry’ run.

You operate the Dodson with just one button. That button is a bit small and not very noticeable. If you keep it pressed for a few seconds, it is ready for use. Every time you press it again, you go to the next setting.

But as soon as you turn it on, you feel that the Dodson, despite its small size, is quite powerful. The ‘nose test’ (always hold a vibrator against the tip of your nose to get an idea of how the vibrations feel against your sex) confirmed this! Especially the lower settings have deep vibrations. Okay, maybe not as intense as a Hitachi, but still certainly above average for a mini-wand.

The Dodson feels really great, both on my partner (wife) and on me. But it becomes really fun using the app!

The Vibio app

There are quite a few toys you can control with an app by now, but Vibio goes a step further. The Vibio app is more like a social media platform, with audio stories, sex tips, masturbation challenges and the possibility to get in touch with other Vibio users (provided they have made their profile public). You can give these users permission to control your toy from a distance!

After downloading the app on your smartphone, you can create an account and connect your Vibio toy. To do this, your toy must be switched on. Within seconds the toy is connected and you can control the Dodson with your fingers on the screen. Now you can also choose multiple vibration patterns.

Cleaning

Because the Dodson is waterproof you can easily rinse it under the tap with some mild soap. A piece of cake. Then you store it in the water-repellent bag.

Conclusion

The Vibio Dodson is a very cool mini-wand vibrator. The fact that it comes from a sympathetic company and is vegan is a nice bonus. The Vibio app connects you – if you want to – with other users and offers many features such as listening stories and extra vibration patterns. If you are looking for a really good mini wand vibrator, then this is definitely one for you!

The PROS of the Vibio Dodson

• Powerful mini wand vibrator
• Quite quiet
• Very fine and soft silicone that attracts little dust
• (Gender) neutral appearance
• Flexible head
• Free app with lots of features (extra patterns, remote control, connect with other owners, audio stories, tips, challenges)
• Certified vegan (but again, that’s true for all silicone toys)
• Water-repellent storage pouch
• Rechargeable
• Quick answers to questions and help via chat on the site

The CONS:

• This is not a cheap toy. For this amount of money you can also buy a real wand vibrator (but then you don’t have such a nice little discrete vibrator and also no cool app)
• I love that there is no manual, but online it is (still) a bit hard to find.

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The Vibio Dodson was offered to me by EasyToys in exchange of an honest review. The Vibio Dodson is available at EasyToys, at Bol.com, or in our own NBRplaza Shop.