Most sex toys are straightforward, and some require me to experiment a bit to figure them out. This Lelo Ida Wave review looks at a toy in the second category. While the Ida Wave seemed easy to use at first, I needed to do some extended experimenting to make it work with my body. The results were great, even if the journey was puzzling.
First Impressions
Lelo’s branding and packaging are beautiful. The Ida Wave comes in a black box with a clear front window, and everything about that packaging indicates elegance and quality.
In addition to the Ida Wave itself, the toy comes with a charging cable, a really nice storage bag, warranty registration card, and a packet of lube. You also get an “instruction manual” that just tells you where to download an instruction manual.
The Ida Wave itself is a toy with a broad, disc-shaped external vibrator and a curved, flexible g-spot arm. The G-spot arm is slightly convex at the end. (I’m not sure why? Maybe to cup the g-spot or something? Maybe just to look cool? The world may never know.) The external part has a flat gold plate on the bottom with the Lelo branding. Most of the toy is a soft silicone, and the gold plate is plastic.
That gold plate is also reflective.
The Ida Wave charges by a plug-in port on the side. The other side has a single button which controls the toy if you don’t want to use the app.
There are two vibrators in the Ida Wave, one in the internal arm and one in the base, although they are not individually controllable. The toy stimulates both the g-spot and the clitoris at the same time. Also, the g-spot arm doesn’t just vibrate: it moves, inscribing small circles in the air (or inside your vagina). This is intended to simulate the sensation of fingering. They call it Wave Motion technology.
Now, let’s talk about using the Ida Wave.
In Use
The first time I used the Ida Wave, I inserted the g-spot arm and found to my great dismay that the toy didn’t line up right for me. With the g-spot portion inserted all the way, the base of the toy did not reach my clitoris. This meant the toy was predominantly vibrating my urethra, which was not my jam.
I tried to compensate for this by pulling the toy body forward, since the g-spot arm is flexible, but this angled the g-spot arm backwards. When it started rotating, it pushed itself out of my vagina.
Needless to say, I was not thrilled by this development. Every time I tried to both insert the internal portion all the way and line up the base flat against my clit, it would not line up or fall out or both. While I did eventually brute-force my way to an orgasm, I felt frustrated by the seeming mismatch between my body and this toy.
I generally don’t give up on a toy right away. I tried the Ida Wave again on another day, with an alternative plan. Perhaps the trick was not to try inserting the g-spot arm all the way. Maybe for me, the Ida Wave was best used on an angle. So, I inserted the internal arm an inch or two and angled the body of the Ida Wave so the tip of the base was pressing against my clit.
In this position, the internal movement stimulated more of the lower portion of my vagina, where more of the nerve endings are anyway. It definitely hit my g-spot, although not with the kind of firm pressure that makes that kind of stimulation really noticeable for me. But the clit alignment was fabulous. I got to enjoy both the external and internal vibrations.
This alignment helped me realize that the patterns on the Ida Wave move the stimulation between the two vibrators: internal to external and back again, ramping up between the two, alternating, etc. I could discern the nuances of sensation more easily. And, because this is a fairly rumbly vibrator with good strength, and I’d finally figured out an alignment that works for my body, I came pretty easily.
The first iteration of the Lelo Ida was apparently designed to be used during intercourse, and the reviews indicate that it was not effective in this goal. People complained about the device falling out during use or taking up too much real estate. The Ida Wave, the next generation of the original Ida, does not market itself as a vibe for use during penetrative sex. This seems like a smart move. Also, and just as important, the Ida Wave has ditched the Ida’s remote control for the Lelo Connect app.
The App
The Lelo Connect app has content as well as device control. There are articles and short stories you can read if you aren’t currently interested in using a sex toy. (Or maybe during: there’s erotica available.) The device control offers three methods of controlling the toy: “screwing” (tipping the phone), “shaking” (shaking the phone), and the “boring” setting, which lets you manually set the intensity and pattern. I went to “boring” after trying out the other two. I’m not going to shake my $600 phone for ten minutes.
The app offers a variety of patterns that are more or less similar to each other. There are ten settings, and you can manually set the last six, but you’re setting the intensity rather than the pattern. Then you can also manually set the intensity while using the toy, so I couldn’t really see the point of pre-setting the intensity? Also, while the app seems to have more functionality than a simple remote control, it seemed to have a lot of settings that were different intensities of the same pattern. But if each pattern has individually controlled intensities…why not just give a few? More is not always better.
You can’t give control of the Ida Wave to a partner long-distance. You can only get partner control if they’re in the room and you hand them your phone.
All said, though, the app stayed connected to the toy as long as I didn’t block it by closing my legs around it, and it wasn’t too difficult to use.
Kudos and Caveats
Kudos for gorgeous packaging. Lelo always makes products that look and feel high-quality, and the Ida Wave is the same way.
Kudos for a very flexible insertable arm. Also, kudos for that Wave Motion tech that makes the arm draw circles against the g-spot. Very cool design.
Caveat: this toy does not automatically fit all bodies easily. You may have to fool around with placement like as I did. The website brand says “suits all shapes and sizes for a perfect fit,” and this was not my experience.
Kudos for strong, mostly rumbly vibrations and motion.
Caveat: I’d love the vibrators to be individually controllable. Let me set each one’s intensity, and let me turn each one on and off independently.
Kudos for waterproofing, which should be a given at this price point.
Mixed kudo/caveat: the app is functional and has good connectivity. However, it doesn’t let you connect to a long-distance partner, which seems a wasted opportunity. Also, there are a lot of “customization” options that aren’t all that customizable.
Final Thoughts
While I had to warm up to the Lelo Ida Wave, I did come around (heh) to appreciating its functionality and design. I love that moving internal arm. This is a great toy for someone who doesn’t mind being fiddly with their sex toys, and who is willing to experiment to get a good fit. I think the Ida Wave would work great for those new to sex toys as well as experts. You just have to be prepared for a possible learning curve. It’s an innovative design with good vibrations and a beautiful aesthetic.
I received this toy in exchange for my honest review. Affiliate links are being used in this post, and buying a product through those links benefits me and this blog.
