Some things are so beautiful that one develops an unfathomable attraction to them. This is how my relationship with the Solo and the Duet by Crave began. It’s fair to say that I’ve been drooling over each and every single one of their creations. To me they are the perfect embodiment of kalokagathia, a concept developed in classical Greek, that mean beautiful and good, as two inseparable entities in one. There wasn’t a word that could better describe the Crave products. Designed and manufactured in California, by a responsible and highly-respected company, they were just visually perfect. Anything from their gorgeous bullet vibrator necklace Vesper, to the Duet, was aesthetically pleasing, a perfect harmony of shape, functionality and style. Zero bullshit. No made-up needs and functionalities.
As much as I loved my Vesper and its bold statement, I knew that the Duet was more powerful. It featured a turbo mode, and it was this striking beauty made of silicone and stainless steel. And it had two “arms” or “ears” which reminded me of the Jimmyjane Form 2. I imagined how perfectly they will surround my clitoris and the endless joys they will bring to it.
But first things first, what does the Crave Duet offer?
The Duet is a handheld vibe, bigger than a bullet vibrator, but really comfortable to hold in just one hand. It’s 4.5″ long, 1.1″ wide and 0.5″ thick. It has 4 vibration modes, 4 power levels and its steady vibration offers a turbo mode as well (which is respectively more powerful than the 4th speed). It’s completely waterproof, and it doesn’t need a power cord at all, since it can be plugged directly into a USB port. It’s silent, rumbly and decently strong.
The two little “ears” are a little flexible, so they don’t apply pressure the way a bullet vibe does, or the way Form 2 does for that matter. What’s cool about that is that it actually feels like fingers embracing your clit, but ones that also vibrate. The sensation is really pleasant with a good amount of lubrication, because I can stroke my clit with the vibe in a unique way that no other toy offers.
How did it feel?
One thing that was a letdown and didn’t work really well for me is how close the two ears were to each other. That “pincer” shape is way too narrow, and I have a fairly small clitoral glans (the “nub”, or the external part of the clitoris). I can’t even imagine how it will possibly work for people with larger clits.
It surrounded my clitoris in a way that was too intense and even painful at times. While this shape worked really well in the Form 2, where the two motors were farther apart, the two sides of the Duet were too close for me to be able to comfortably use it. That might be exactly what would work for some people, but it was too pinpoint, too pinch-y and too direct for me. And I am someone who likes the highest speed of a Doxy Die Cast. I DO like strong vibrations, but the Duet turned out to be both not powerful enough, and not shaped in a way that would facilitate my orgasm.
And the same time, with enough lubricant on my clit, moving it left and right, similar to stroking my clit with hands, was quite enjoyable. Similar to the Form 2, it does have some really interesting patterns that bounce back and forth from the two ears, pulsate in an intricate way and amuse my clitoris like no other vibe. Does that make me orgasm? Not really, but it’s a fairly good for warm-up. And I have no doubt that many people will be able to orgasm with either just the patterns or the steady Turbo mode alone.
The Crave Duet made a very interesting nipple vibrator though! If you pinch two parts together, it can become a handheld vibrating nipple clamp.
Usability and accessibility
While I love its beautiful little storage case, its size and the fact that it doesn’t even need a specific charger, there are features of the Duet that I find a little less appealing. While I always appreciate separate buttons for speed up and speed down, as well as a third one for moving between patterns, these three controls were all located on a tiny rectangular of 1.1″ by 0.5″. That makes everything a bit too difficult to press, locate and use. Especially for people with less dexterity, ones with arthritis or tendinitis. The Turbo mode was even less accessible, because on steady mode, after reaching the highest speed, one has to press steadily the “+” button for 2 additional seconds. In practice it’s even more complicated than it sounds.
In conclusion
With a price point of $149, this clitoral vibrator is far from affordable or even thinkable for most people. And as much as I wanted, truly wanted, to love it, and as much as I hate to give Crave a “bad” or mixed review, I cannot easily recommend it to people. It’s too anatomically specific and there’s a huuuuge chance it’s going to be too narrow, pinchy and way too pinpoint for many people. And it’s not even the most powerful clitoral vibe I own or have tried, so even from the standpoint of power, I can’t easily tell people to go for it. I think other Crave products have far better success rate than the Duet. The Vesper necklace vibrator, the Crave Bullet or even the Solo will probably be a much more suitable choice for most, and at the cost of a much smaller risk of not fitting or working well for everybody’s anatomy (and some of them are half the price of the Duet). I am going to even throw the Tango as an option, a rechargeable waterproof vibrator by We-Vibe, much cheaper than the Duet and far more versatile and practical. I know that there are many people who’ve loved the Duet and as a matter of fact, it has mainly highly positive reviews at most retailer websites. But can’t possibly recommend a vibe of that price range that clearly isn’t going to fit far too many body types. While supposedly external vibes should be a category that’s far less dependent on one’s anatomy, the Crave Duet happens to be the exception.
You can get Crave at Vibrant or at Shevibe.
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I think they’ve done a really good job in terms of ergonomics. The handle curves towards you, and is easy to hold. What’s interesting is that they’ve added extra controls in 2 other places. You have the main on/off at the front, and you have a button that says “F” (which apparently stands for “function”, not for “fuck”). But at the back of the toy there are two more “F” buttons that do the same, but are located one at the end of the handle, and one closer to the base for your convenience. I think this isn’t a bad idea, because everyone holds their toy in a different way. So far I haven’t had negative experiences of changing the setting by accident. I just wish that with all these buttons, there was one that could take you back in the 3 speeds and 3 patterns. It only goes one way, which means you need to circle through the 6 modes, if you missed your jam.
The little ears are made of the same wonderfully soft silicone and definitely make the toy more versatile. You can have the ears on both sides of your clit, or tilt the toy sideways and have a very direct pinpoint stimulation by just using one ear, or you can place it on just one side of your clit, for less direct stimulation. My clit is a lefty (overall the left side of my vulva is more sensitive) and I prefer having a toy next to it, direct pinpoint clitoral vibration (or touching) can be a bit too much for me. Without the attachment the toy has a broader round head that makes clitoral stimulation less unbearable, and it’s quite pleasant on my vulva too.
The vibrator is almost silent on lower settings and gets a bit more buzzy on its highest, but is still on the quieter side of things. It’s really rich and rumbly on lower speeds, and can give you a very nuanced experience in these lower and mid-range vibrations. Unfortunately it gets buzzy on highest settings and makes me numb if I’m continuously using it for more than 15-20 min. If I am using cascading or pulsating patterns the numbing subsides and I can use the toy for longer. The attachment combined with the abundance of patterns makes it very versatile.
Wetlandia 