Berman Astrea I Remote Control Vibrating Briefs

Doesn't hit the clit!

Reviewed: 07 Jan 2010 by Juan, a Going Steady Straight Male

We bought these black lace knickers as the cheaper ones on looked tacky and unsexy. We wanted something discreet enough to get away with, not with one of those remote units clipped to your waistband. The vibrator is fairly small and is a rectangular shape with a bluntly tapered end, like the front of a high speed train. The remote control is about the size of a box of matches, and has an on-off switch.

Pros: The remote vibrator works well, is one speed and is only on or off. It is audible if there is no background noise, but not loud. It is louder if your legs are apart, and quieter if you cross them! If you are in the car or out shopping, it is not audible, and it is a real turn-on to get buzzed when you're least expecting it, or in the middle of a conversation with someone in a public place. This inevitably leads to you getting very horny. The vibes are not strong, and it is hard to orgasm from the unit alone, but the resulting sex is rampant!

Cons: The knickers we bought are black floral lace, and look pretty, but the single size does not fit well. It is fine at the front and sides, but sags at the back (I’m usually a UK size 10). The vibrator sits too far back in the knickers provided. They do not seem to hold the vibrator in place any better than a normal pair of knickers would. The vibrator sits in the gusset, between your labia and your arse, so doesn’t hit the clitoris. We discarded the knickers provided, and found that a random thong from the lingerie drawer had a gusset at a better height, so we use those.

Conclusion: A fun idea, but overpriced and poorly designed. I don’t really see why the knickers are so expensive. They've been designed by some sex research expert who can’t even work out where the clitoris is. Maybe they were designed by a man?

Buy a basic remote control vibrator for a tenner and put it into the gusset of your own knickers. Most have an opening into the gusset anyway.

How to boost the vibrations

Reviewed: 27 Jan 2010 by Juan, a Going Steady Straight Male

In the end, we used the remote unit from this set, bought the Crotchless Vibrating Knicker Tickler and took the sleeve from the Lovehoney Buzz Tingler Finger Vibrator. This helped to boost the remote vibe unit that came with the Astrea I. The crotchless knickers have an added bonus: she can keep them on.

This combination is awesome. She says it can be a bit too much, but she soon acclimatises, with a big grin on her face.

The crotchless knickers are a bit tight (she's UK size 10), but we sewed some ribbon on so that they had tie-up sides.