Originally designed purely as a health device for relieving tension in sore muscles, around 2003 (right after the Hitachi vibrator was featured on a 2002 Sex in the City, causing the vibrator to sell out everywhere), the manufacturing company, Hitachi, decided to distance themselves from the vibrator to protect their brand. Unlike almost all sex toys on the market, this manufacturer isn't an adult-oriented business - it's an industrial business focused on industrial equipment, automotive products, and consumer electronics.
Instead of pulling the popular product from shelves, the Hitachi vibrator has now been rebranded under its US distribution company, Vibratex. Despite the name change, the Magic Wand continues to be one of the most iconic sex toys of the entire industry, and it is regularly considered a "must-have" for anyone seeking powerful vibrations.
Due to its intense popularity, you could argue that the Hitachi vibrator launched an entire category of sex toys - all due to its existence. Nowadays, "wand massagers" are an entire category found on most sex toy retailers. Defined by their ability to offer powerful vibrations, most wand massagers feature a long, non-vibrating handle with a "head" at the tip, where all the vibrations are centered.
While the Vibratex Magic Wand is primarily marketed as a clitoral toy, it isn't exclusively limited to clitoral use. When held against the frenulum, the vibrations can easily cause orgasm in penis owners as well. Some people like to press the Magic Wand against the anal opening to feel the vibrations in the sensitive nerves there, too.
External use of the Hitachi Magic Wand is most common. However, especially for those who enjoy stretching, insertion of the head of the Vibratex Magic Wand may be an occasional activity. Due to the sheer size of the Magic Wand's head, it can provide similar sensations as fisting - without the need for another person. (Due to the lack of any sort of tapered tip, a long warm-up is required - even before practiced stretchers can insert this toy.)
Fetish use is also very common with the widespread availability of the Hitachi vibrator. Many diaper fetishists find that the vibrator's power can be felt through the material to provide diffused vibrations all over the diaper.
Due to the power provided by the Hitachi vibrator, this sex toy is usually the vibrator of choice for those looking to partake in vibrator torture or post-orgasm torture. Since the large handle makes it easy to hold in place while the head of the massager is broad enough to easily withstand movement without losing the "target", the Magic Wand vibrator can be kept in place even while the receiver is a squirming mess.
The Hitachi vibrator is also an extremely popular toy choice for use in pornographic clitoral masturbation videos - including amateur videos. This may be because it's one of the most popular vibrators out there - which means more people own it for easy access. It could also be because the wand's strength allows for orgasm-on-demand - which is a desired skill in adult videos where pleasure may be scripted and time may be limited.
More About Hitachi Vibrator
Despite the Hitachi vibrator's success, many sex experts caution against recommending this body safe sex toy for everyone. Especially for those with sensitive erogenous zones, the power of this wand massager can be overwhelming and lead to overstimulation. Particularly for those who have never used a vibrator before, the Magic Wand Original's two-speed design can be too intense - even on the "Low" setting.
On the flip side, the Hitachi vibrator has found to be a surprisingly effective method for helping clitoral-owners achieve orgasm. In a 2008 study, a group of women were instructed to use the Hitachi vibrator with the Betty Dodson method (using a towel or piece of fabric over the head of the wand to diffuse the vibrations a bit) while simultaneously receiving therapeutic treatment methods.
Their results found that more than 93% of their 500 participants could reach orgasm using this simple method. Due to the sheer power of the Hitachi vibrator - and the large, wide head which reduces the need to be in the "perfect" spot, the Vibratex Magic Wand can provide orgasms for those who may have difficulty achieving them.
While there was only one version of the Hitachi Vibrator available in 1968 when the vibrator was released, the wand massager's popularity caused the company to release new versions of it.
In 2015, Vibratex launched the Magic Wand Rechargeable. Instead of requiring a corded design that needed power from a wall outlet (like the Original Magic Wand required), the Rechargeable Magic Wand features an internal, rechargeable battery. Once charged up (just like a cell phone), the Rechargeable Magic Wand can be used without cords.
In addition, the Rechargeable Magic Wand introduced click buttons (instead of a toggle switch), which allowed it to offer four power levels and multiple pattern vibration options instead of the previous "Low" and "High" steady vibration choices.
While some people say that the Rechargeable Magic Wand loses a bit of its power, many people are willing to make that trade-off in order to enjoy wire free pleasure with their Vibratex Magic Wand. The Vibratex Rechargeable Magic Wand also happens to be one of the few vibrators on the market with Plug-and-Play technology. If the vibrator runs out of cord-free charge in the middle of play, it can be connected to the charger to continue play. There are very few other toys on the market that allow for a sex toy to be used while on the charger.
After 2018, Vibratex released the Magic Wand Plus. The Plus still required wall outlet power to function - but it also included push-button controls and four separate speeds of vibration intensity. Slightly more expensive than the Original but less expensive than the Rechargeable, the Magic Wand Plus offers the full power of the Original with the incremental vibration options and full silicone head of the Rechargeable that many buyers were looking for.
In March 2022, Vibratex released the Magic Wand Mini. At 9.6" in length with a correspondingly smaller head, the Magic Wand Mini trims inches and ounces off of its full-sized counterparts. This smaller size - with a motor that still runs at 6,000 RPM - offers a competitor to many of the mini wand massagers that have become common in the market.
In October 2023, Vibratex released the Magic Wand Micro. The now-smallest of the line, the Micro is 4.5" in total length. Despite its small size, the Micro still retains the iconic look and feel of a Magic Wand with a rechargeable battery and a top speed of 6,500 RPM.
Due to the popularity of the Hitachi vibrator, an entire line of accessories have been designed for this vibrator - despite Vibratex not making any additional official accessories. Since all three of the full-size Hitachi vibrator versions use the same basic body and head shape, attachments designed for this wand massager will easily fit all of them. Magic Wand accessories made for the full-size Magic Wands will not fit the Magic Wand Mini or the Micro.
Head attachments are the most common type of Hitachi vibrator accessory. These look like "hats" for the wand vibrator. These "hats" snugly slide on top of the head of the wand massager to provide different sensations to the smooth, plain heads of the Vibratex Magic Wands. Some wand attachments feature slim dildos to take the wand massager's power internally. Other wand attachments just feature unique textures to change the feel of the head against the skin.
While wand attachments are the most popular accessory, other items are designed for use specifically with the Hitachi vibrator too. The Liberator Axis, for example, is a sex furniture piece designed to make it possible to use the wand massager hands-free. Another example, the Liberator Tula, features a design that holds the wand massager hands-free - but also can be used for hands-free use of dildos as well.
Example of sex furniture that holds the Magic Wands. Pictured: Liberator Axis
Other accessories exist too. A Good Girl Chair is a standard, wooden chair with a holster built into the seat of the chair to hold a Hitachi vibrator, hands-free, for the person sitting on the chair. A Hitachi harness is made up of straps specifically sized to fit the Hitachi vibrator - and hold it hands-free on the body. Some crafty people have even made mounts that hold a camera on the shaft of the Hitachi for a unique view.
