If you are looking for a basic introductory vibrator, there are a staggering number of choices out there. The most basic vibrator is known in the industry as a smoothie. They are made of smooth rigid plastic and are controlled by turning a dial in the base, which adjusts the intensity of the vibration. You can get them in almost any color imaginable, and we’ve seen novelty designs including faux wood grains and Hawaiian patterns. You can also pay extra money and buy them in a box with a porn star on it.

The Grape Escape is a classic smoothie vibrator with a slight difference. Instead of the smooth plastic feel, it has a velvety texture that is quite pleasant to touch. It is still hard plastic, but feels noticeably different from other hard plastic vibrators. A number of vibrators now use this velvety coating.

Not surprisingly, it is purple, and like a grape, it is waterproof. The girth is a little smaller than similar vibes, which got a positive response.

Now, as to that velvety texture, we had heard reports that it does not seem to hold the slickeriness as well with lubes. We decided to put that to the test. We used both a basic water-based lube and a silicone based lube on the Grape Escape and a traditional hard plastic smoothie vibrator. Everything was brand new.

We worked under the assumption that if this was true, it would either be due to some sort of absorption by the vibrator, or the texture causing a disruption to the lube that caused it to lose moisture. In either case, five minutes should be long enough for us to see some type of effect.

I used constant friction with the lube against the vibrators and my hand for five minutes. Admittedly, this test is somewhat subjective, but if you can notice an effect in your vagina, you should certainly notice an effect in your hand. I found absolutely no difference in the amount of slipperiness over time in any of the tests.

So, where does this idea come from? The velvet texture of the Grape Escape is not surprisingly slightly more frictive than a standard smoothie. From the very beginning of the test, I felt momentary, infrequent, but very tiny tingles from the texture caused by the material catching ever so slightly against my skin. This was not unpleasant, just barely noticeable and very intermittent. This is unlikely to be something you could even feel vaginally, and it was not reported by our testers. It was not a factor related to lube, though.

Our testers did report really liking the feel of the texture, so overall, we give it a positive review.