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How to Charge a Vibrator or Dildo & How Long Does it Take?

How to Charge a Vibrator or Dildo & How Long Does it Take?

Last Updated on May 25, 2023

If you follow any of the hottest sex toy trends, you'll quickly notice that rechargeable vibrators are becoming more commonplace than their battery operated counterparts. What's the deal with rechargeable vibrators and dildos? Batteries are so simple – load the compartment and enjoy! Why the shift?

The ample addition of USB vibrators to any womens sex toy catalog is a novel concept to many, so today I'll introduce you to the wonderful world of rechargeable vibrators and address the two most common (and important) questions:

  1. How to charge a vibrator?
  2. How long does it take a vibrator to charge?
  3. How to charge a dildo?

First of all, if you are old school and worried about the adaptation of this new form of womens vibrator technology into your sex life, you'll be pleased to know that a rechargeable sex toys are able to produce more power than battery operated toys. Especially the little ones, such as the bullet vibrator, magic wand or the clit sucking toy.

If you closely inspect the small sex toy, you'll discover that batteries take up an awful lot of space inside the device. This is space that could be used by the motor components!

More room for a better motor simply means a stronger vibrator. Take a quick peek at my list of the strongest vibrators for women and you'll see a thorough representation of sex toys that charge by USB cable instead of battery power.

How to Charge Your Vibrator

There are 2 different types of USB cables currently used in the sex toy industry to charge a vibrator:

USB cables
2 types of USB cables to charge a vibrator
  • Plug-in Jack to USB cable
  • Magnetic USB cable

The plug in jack is the standard USB type A cable that plugs into the USB port on a computer or electrical wall adapter that plugs into an electrical socket.

The magnetic USB cable will either dock on a magnetic charger, or have a type A USB port that plugs into a computer or wall adapter, just as the example above.

Regardless of which style of rechargeable vibrator or dildo you have, the USB charging cable will be included with your toy. Wall charger power adapters are NOT included.

How to charge a vibrator with plug-in jack cord:

  1. Locate the port on the toy.
    It will be discreetly hidden somewhere on the shaft, usually near the base of the toy. The hole will be merely a dimple and may even look sealed. This one-way opening is to provide waterproof protection to make sure water does not seep into the dock when washing or enjoying your toy in the shower.
  2. Push the jack into the hole.
    You'll feel it slide in smoothly when you've lined up the jack with the hole inside the shaft. You won't be able to see this of course, but if you move the plug in a small circular motion and push gently, you'll feel it “pop” into place when lined up properly.
  3. Plug the USB end into your computer, mobile device or wall adapter.
    A light will blink to indicate it's charging, and the light will stop blinking when it's done.
  4. Please note that remote control sex toys will typically require small cell batteries to power the remote control unit even though the sex toy itself can recharge with a cable.

How to charge a vibrator with magnetic cable:

  1. Connect the magnetic ends of the cable and toy together.
  2. Plug the USB end into your computer, mobile device or wall adapter.
  3. A light will blink to indicate it's charging, and the light will stop blinking when it's done.
  4. Make sure that the toy is laying down, if the toy moves after you plug it in there is a chance the magnetic ends have disconnected. Make sure they are in place before you walk away.

Some rabbit dildos, bullet vibes, couples vibrators like the Plus One and vibrating clit suction toys like the Rose toy include a dock that the device sits on while charging. It's an especially good feature of the Rose vibrator because it's round and would simply roll off the top of your computer!

Magnetic port
Magnetic port on a rechargeable dildo

How Long Does it Take for a Vibrator to Charge?

It typically takes a vibrator 1 hour to charge for 40 minutes of run time on high power. The same charging time will provide almost double operating time on a low power setting, but honestly, who wants to use their sex toy on the lowest power mode? Certainly not me!

Check inside the product packaging for a small piece of paper that will not only provide instructions, but also inform you how long it takes to charge and how many minutes of run time to expect afterwards. The time noted above is just the typical industry standard, I've seen sex toys that take anywhere between 30 minutes to 2 hours for a full charge.

Your new vibrator will usually arrive with a half charge. You'll be able to hop into bed and enjoy a few good spins and an orgasm or two before motor strength depletes and requires charging once again.

How to Charge a Vibrator Faster?

You can use a fast charging wall adapter, but the strong opinion held by some Sexperts advises fast chargers stress the motor more than necessary, and over time, overall vibration strength will be diminished. Although I was not able to prove this as true, I personally use fast chargers and have not noted a difference over time, but I thought I would let you know just in case.

When we know how vibrators work and understand the intricacies of the moving parts and how a spinning weight creates those sexually satisfying vibrations we all love, we have new appreciation on how delicate these little moving parts really are! Forcing a fast charger on them could easily stress the components. It just makes sense from an engineering perspective.

If the product isn't as good quality or cheaply made, chances are the motor will not retain a charge after a few years of use. Luxury sex toy dildo brands often have higher quality components making the motors last longer and able to withstand multiple charges over its lifetime.

How to Charge a Dildo

How do I charge my dildo? We're talking about a realistic looking penis dildo here.

In most cases a rechargeable dildo will have the USB port hidden neat the base of the shaft. If the dildo has balls, it may be underneath the balls. The most common way to charge a dildo is to plug in the jack in a hidden port on the top of the shaft at the very bottom near the suction cup (if it has one).

Unlike a typical vibrator, the dildo will have a hidden port that you may need to poke the tip of the jack into the skin to break open the seal because the dildo skin mold may have covered the entry to the port during the manufacturing process. This is important to realize before charging a dildo as some people have a difficult time finding the hole!





Mayla Green

Mayla Green has been involved in the sex toy industry since 2004. Working behind the motto “Sex TOYS should be FUN”, Mayla provides unique tips & advice amassed from over a decade of hands on experience with adult products. She also coaches clients how to fully enjoy sexual pleasure and can be seen in major publications & magazines online.

Happily married since 2009, she knows firsthand how the sex life eventually becomes repetitive (which truthfully means boring), so if you're looking to spice things up in the bedroom, Mayla's your gal! Her literary pride & joy is covering topics for established couples needing inspiration to keep lovemaking exciting and fun.

Not in a relationship? Her other focus is teaching women how to properly handle the “little person in the canoe” to experience the best orgasms ever, no partner required! Her creative and innovative tips, techniques and advice is on par with a certified sex therapist or Sexologist, but with an extra advantage from her knowledge of the adult toy business.

View all articles published by Mayla Green exclusively for The Adult Toy Shop sex blog.

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