I have champagne tastes on a beer budget. I simply can not afford every $200.00 vibrator that sashays onto the market with its gold plated bodies and diamond encrusted charging cables, no matter how much I want to… most of the time I can barely afford my Cherry Coke habit. Thankfully, there is Fun Factory. In a bid to appeal to the more frugal amongst us, Fun Factory created a small line of simple battery operated vibrators that still offer up a delightful sense of luxury while still being easy on the wallet. This budget conscious, line up includes the Joupie, Jazzie and Jam (the three lesser known Duggar children? Was that an inappropriate joke? It was wasn’t it…).
My Fun Factory Joupie was purchased from The Smitten Kitten, an awesome Minneapolis based sex toy wonderland. I had $30 burning a hole in my pocket and an overwhelming desire to purchase a new sex toy (as if I need more…). Cruising around the store I knew I didn’t want another bullet vibe (Tango is the one true bullet and no others shall take its place!), any bullets for that price are pretty much crap anyway, so looking around I was feeling pretty limited. Cock rings are cheap, but I lack a cock… I could afford new lube, but that just isn’t as fun… and then I saw it, the Fun Factory Joupie. I’m pretty sure I did a cartoonish double take, I didn’t believe the price at first… a Fun Factory vibe for less than 30 bucks? No way!
The Joupie operates on two AA batteries, which are not included. I had to borrow a couple of batteries out of my Xbox remote, because I’ve been spoiled by owning so many rechargeable toys I just don’t keep enough spare batteries on hand! To insert you just need to twist off the cap at bottom, being careful not to remove the rolled up bit of cardboard (the Joupie won’t work without that!), drop in your batteries, then screw the cap back on! So easy a caveman can do it! Being battery operated also makes the Joupie an attractive travel buddy, easy to pop the batteries out to avoid any accidental turn-ons in your bag and you don’t have to worry about finding an outlet or pulling out your computer to charge it up, pop those batteries in and you are golden!
The Fun Factory Joupie is covered in a matte silicone, which does cause a fair amount of drag when being inserted. For me, just a squirt or two of a good lube makes all the difference (just be sure to avoid silicone based lubes with the Joupie.). Also, like my previous Fun Factory toy (the Stronic Eins), the Joupie is a lint magnet… I swear, every stray hair, lint ball, and other cruddy whatsits find their way onto my Joupie only a few seconds after I wash it! For this reason, I try to always store my Joupie in a storage bag (which I pilfered from another toy).
In use I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Fun Factory Joupie had a adequately rumbly vibration rather than the high pitched buzzing I was expecting from a battery operated toy. Sure, there is nothing fancy about the Joupie in action, it has only one speed… but that one speed is fairly satisfying. It isn’t enough power for me to stimulate my clit to orgasm on its own (at least not without taking FOREVER), but it does wonders against my g-spot (which is what the Joupie is advertised as, a g-spot vibe). I would say that the vibrations are pretty moderate, don’t expect anything earth shattering, but it definitely isn’t what I would call weak.
My favorite way to use the Joupie is in tandem with another Vibe, usually my Tango or Hitachi. I insert the Joupie and let the soft silicone tip go to town against my g-spot while the second vibe takes care of the rest… it is heaven, pure heaven. If I had to pick my second favorite way to use the Joupie it would be letting the very tip flutter around my nipples, mmmmmm.
Even though you wouldn’t think so, the Fun Factory Joupie is waterproof. This makes clean up pretty easy, just give it a quick wash with water or if you feel the need to sterilize it, give it a wipe down with a 10% bleach solution. Even though it is waterproof, I’d probably avoid washing it in the dishwasher or boiling it… it is an electrical item after all. The Joupie is 100% submersible, so you can take it in the tub with you (just make sure you screwed the cap on tight…)!
So, my recommendation? The Fun Factory Joupie is not going to be for everyone. This is a very simplistic vibrator, I would even go so far as to call it a beginner’s toy. The size and shape of the Joupie are likely to be perfect for someone who is pretty new to penetration and is looking for something pretty tame to test the waters with. But, for something that is on the budget friendly end of the spectrum, I think you are getting a pretty great deal. Fun Factory makes awesome toys and Joupie is pretty awesome for a single speed, battery operated slim vibe! It will probably never bring me to orgasm on it’s own but it has been a great toy when paired with other toys… it is more of a sidekick than a superhero, and that’s okay! As an affordable intro toy into the world of vibrators, yes, I would recommend the Fun Factory Joupie.
The Joupie is available in two colors, red (which is the color featured in this review), or turquoise. Either color can be had for a wallet friendly $29.99! Ready to purchase a Fun Factory Joupie? Check out these awesome retailers: SheVibe and GoodVibes!
All Photos by Boudoir by Kirby