Review: Hitachi VS Doxy

The Hitachi Original Magic Wand is perhaps the most well-known external vibrator of the 21st century. It’s featured in countless pornographic films and images all over the internet and has been featured in popular media such as Sex in the City and Cosmopolitan magazine. It’s so well-known among experienced sex toy users that it’s probably more difficult to find someone who hasn’t seen or heard of it. However, the increasingly popular Doxy Wand is a worthy competitor to challenge the original Hitachi!

My First Love

The Hitachi Original Magic Wand was my first love. I crushed on it since the very first time I saw one in a Kink.com porn clip. I didn’t know what it was called until later down the road, but I thought about it often. Then I started reviewing toys. I did so through a point-based program sponsored by a retailer I don’t really work with anymore. At the time, getting paid a few points for reviewing toys sounded like a good idea. We all start somewhere! I worked hard but I learned a lot along the way, including the name of the glorious microphone-shaped vibrator I had fancied almost a year earlier. I saved up all my points for months to buy my first Hitachi. It was an instant love connection.

However, my first love didn’t last. During an intense cleaning session where I was determined to scrub the aged and discolored head of the Magic Wand, I accidentally submerged part of it in water. It was pronounced dead immediately. After a final blog post of Hitachi I (consisting of a post-mortem photo and clever epitaph), I ordered Hitachi II.

My second love would eventually face another untimely death, as would several others after it. One even went out in a blaze of glory after a small explosion due to an outlet conversion problem in the UK (storytime down below). My electronic lovers died tragically under mysterious circumstances for years.  I was the black widow of vibrators. I went through five or six of them before I stopped counting and faced the fact that maybe I needed something better.

Enter: Doxy Wand

During a time of financial hardship, I posted about the unfortunate death of my final Hitachi wand. A generous blog follower stepped in and gifted me a Doxy Wand–a holy blessing from an actual angel. The Doxy was everything I wanted and more. Sleeker, more advanced, and more resistant to my dangerous lifestyle. The head of the Doxy was non-porous, and cleaned easily with toy spray or baby wipes. It didn’t discolor like the Hitachi heads before it. It didn’t develop a build-up of embarrassing lady-gunk. The safer, cleaner head prolonged its life immensely–despite the fact that I now own four Doxy wands, I still have the working original.

The Doxy was noticeably more powerful, too. It took my sexual standards further than I expected. So much, in fact, that it possibly ruined me for all others. Mid-range vibes, non-mechanical partners, and my own hand were no longer enough for me. I built up a tolerance to a “normal” intensity orgasm. Do I regret it, though? Fuck no.

Comparison

Corded wands like the Hitachi and the Doxy are my top choice for everyday use. They’re extremely powerful and make for a quick and easy orgasm. For lazybones like myself, they’re invaluable. My only word of caution is that once you get hooked, it takes an incredible length of toy denial to get back your tolerance for anything less.

Since these two models are among the most popular of wand-style vibrators, I figured a head-to-head comparison of the two was in order. Check out the difference in everything from vibration intensities to safety and cost before making a decision to invest in one over the other.

Power

The Doxy is noticeably more powerful. Sure, that sounds subjective, but the numbers agree with me on this one. The Hitachi gets 5,000 RPM on low and 6,000 RPM on high–while the Doxy can reach 9,000 RPM.

If power isn’t your main desire, that’s understandable. Not everyone wants a vibrator with the capability to sand off your genitals–even if it feels really good in the process. Consider that most people do notice an effect on their tolerance for intensity after using high-powered toys when considering the power-aspect of these two models, but keep in mind that going all out is an absolute pleasure for those who can withstand it.

Material

The original Hitachi has a food-grade head that is porous. It has a noticeable texture and a seam along the middle that does gather bacteria if you don’t clean it well. In fact, even if you do clean it well, it gets gross over time. Using condoms on it does help with cleanup but that’s a hassle and a waste, financially and environmentally.

                                     

The original Doxy, however, is easier to clean than the Hitachi due to the non-porous material. Simply wiping it with a baby wipe or toy spray works for regular cleaning. If sharing with partners, I’d still recommend a condom, but the risk of having bacteria grow on the head is reduced significantly with a PVC head.

Settings & Controls

The original Hitachi has a switch for the power. There are three settings: Low, High, and Off. The low setting is still an incredible intensity, getting 5,000 RPMs. The high setting is only 1,000 RPMs more. This means you really don’t get a lot of control with the Hitachi because there’s no way to access a greater range of intensities. Sure, it’s nice to have a strong vibrator, but when your options are “high” and “slightly higher,” you alienate people who need to work up to that first setting and get there gradually.

Doxy has big, fat, squishy buttons that I love. They’re clearly labeled with a power button for on/off settings, then a plus sign (+) and minus sign (-) for intensity control. The lowest setting is still higher than most mid-range vibes, but I’d argue that it’s a lot lower than the Hitachi’s low.

Another thing about the Doxy’s controls is that they’re not easily accidently pressed during use. For people who like to ride or grind on their wands like me, the Hitachi’s “switch-style” control can get easily pressed. Nothing like a high-intensity vibration to get you to the edge of orgasm only to shut off a few seconds too soon. The Doxy’s buttons, however, don’t have this problem as they lie flat with the wand and have to be pressed in at a specific point. Still easy to use with fingers, but way less likely to ruin your orgasm unintentionally.

Travel

The Hitachi cannot be used with an outlet converter, which voids the warranty. I found this out in the least fun way on a trip to Scotland while visiting my partner. We got a hotel room and I looked forward to a few weeks of intense orgasms from my partner with the assistance of my trusty Hitachi. Instead, the moment I plugged the Hitachi into the wall with my outlet converter there was a loud sparking sound. The Hitachi made a loud “pop” and the room went dark.

I cannot explain to you how embarrassed I was when I went down to alert hotel management that my room had blown its fuse and lost power. Sure, it was easy for them to restore our power, but we chalked it up to a photo charger or something else plugged into the wall that did it–all while the burnt Hitachi was hidden under the sheets from management’s view.

Had I brought a Doxy Wand to Scotland, I would have been able to use it safely with my converter. I would have saved myself a red-faced encounter with hotel staff, and I probably would have had a lot more orgasms on that trip than I did. I’m still a little bitter, to be honest.

Price

The Original Magic Wand is available for around $60, while the Doxy will set you back over $100. You may be able to get one or the other at a lower price during some holiday sales, but you’ll probably never find a Doxy at a cheaper price than the Original Magic Wand. However, take into consideration what you get with each and how often you’ll need to replace them when deciding between the two. I’ve definitely spent way more on dead Hitachi wands than I have in the four living Doxies I own. Spare yourself the heartbreak.

Final Thoughts

I absolutely recommend the Doxy over the original Hitachi. The Doxy is, in all areas, superior to the Original Magic Wand. It’s easier to control, easier to clean, and notably more powerful. That being said, I will absolutely have to review the Rechargeable Magic Wand soon, which I hear is much better than the original! They solve at least one of the issues with the silicone head upgrade, and I’m hoping claims about its power upgrade are also true. Until I prove that difference to myself, I am a proud member of Team Doxy.

xx SF