LELO models: a guide to the range

LELO has a broad range where the same model name often exists in several generations and variants. The easiest way to understand it is to divide the LELO models by what they do, and then look at the differences within each group.

The first group is the sonic clitoral stimulators Sona 2, Sona 3 Cruise and Enigma Cruise, which work with pressure waves instead of ordinary vibration. The second is the vibrators: the G-spot vibrator Liv 3, the rabbit vibrator Ina 3 and the double-ended wand Switch. The third is the couples' vibrator Tiani 3, the fourth the anal models Hugo 2 for the prostate and Soraya Beads, and the fifth the LELO Beads Kegel balls, formerly called LUNA Beads.

Below we go through each group, what LELO's models have in common and where it pays to read the small print – with figures from LELO's own product pages and manuals as reported in our reviews.

LELO publishes more technical data than most manufacturers. For many models it states battery capacity in mAh, voltage, motor frequency in hertz and a ceiling for the noise level – below 60 dB for Liv 3, Hugo 2, Sona 2 and Sona 3 Cruise, below 63 dB for Switch and a maximum of 50 dB for Tiani 3. LELO also refers to the ISO 3533 safety standard for several products. That makes the models unusually easy to compare.

The material is body-safe silicone against the body, in most cases combined with ABS plastic in the handle. Charging is done with a USB cable that has a round DC connector at the product end. It only fits LELO, so an ordinary USB-C cable will not work.

Several LELO models switch off automatically after 20 minutes, including Switch, Hugo 2, Liv 3, Soraya Beads, Enigma Cruise, Tiani 3, Sona 2 and Ina 3. It is a protective feature, not a fault – just switch the product on again if you want to continue. For Switch and Hugo 2 the time can be shortened in the app but not extended. Several models also ship with a travel lock, which means they do not respond to the buttons until they have been connected to the charger or unlocked with plus and minus.

LELO's warranty terms for the EU state a two-year warranty. Several of LELO's own PDF manuals, however, state one year, so the warranty page is the current information. LELO also offers an extended warranty of a further twelve months, which according to the terms must be activated within 30 days.

The ten-year quality guarantee that LELO markets is not a warranty in the usual sense. According to the terms, it means a 50 per cent discount on a new purchase from LELO, not a free replacement product. It is worth knowing when comparing with manufacturers that give a longer full warranty.

LELO calls its technology SenSonic: sound waves that create pressure waves in an opening placed over the clitoris. The principle resembles air pulse toys from other brands, but LELO describes it as sonic waves. How pressure waves differ from ordinary vibration, and how to use a clitoral stimulator like this, is covered in how to use a clitoral stimulator.

Cruise Control is found on the models with Cruise in the name. When the product is pressed against the body, the motor is slowed by the counter-pressure and the power would normally drop. Cruise Control compensates for this, so that the intensity is maintained even when you press harder. That is the real difference between Sona 2 and Sona 3 Cruise – not the battery or the motor.

LELO Sona 2 has twelve modes, three buttons, a 520 mAh lithium-ion battery, a 63 hertz operating frequency, a noise level below 60 dB and an opening 23 millimetres wide. It is IPX7 according to LELO's EC declaration of conformity, weighs 125 grams and has two hours of run time. It has neither an app nor Cruise Control, and its published specification is identical to Sona 2 Cruise.

LELO Sona 3 Cruise has the same 520 mAh, the same 63 hertz and the same two hours of run time, but the body is moulded from a single piece of silicone, and it has Cruise Control, a travel lock and ten modes on the product plus two via the LELO app. The app also provides remote control. It weighs 128 grams and is IPX7 according to the manual. The opening is a fixed size – there are no interchangeable heads.

LELO Enigma Cruise combines a sonic chamber for the clitoris with a vibrating arm for the G-spot, and has Cruise Control. The battery is 850 mAh, the frequencies 60 and 100 hertz, the run time up to two hours and the insertable depth 140 millimetres. It has eight modes, a travel lock and IPX7 according to the manual, but no app. LELO also sells the original Enigma, which according to our review has the same published hardware but lacks Cruise Control.

LELO Liv 3 is a G-spot vibrator with a curved tip and 100 millimetres of insertable length. It weighs 93 grams, has a 420 mAh battery, two hours of run time and a noise level below 60 dB. It has eight modes on the product and two more via the LELO app, three buttons where mode and intensity are controlled separately, and a travel lock. LELO states it is 100 per cent waterproof but publishes no IP rating, so depth and duration are not specified.

LELO Ina 3 is LELO's rabbit vibrator: 200 × 65 × 45 millimetres, 110 millimetres of insertable length, a 37.09 millimetre diameter and 150 grams. It has ten vibration modes with separate controls for strength and pattern, but the two motors cannot be controlled independently. It has no app and no published IP rating, and LELO gives the battery as 500 mAh on the product page but 520 mAh in the manual. More about the rabbit shape in our guide to rabbit vibrators.

LELO Switch is a double-ended wand vibrator with two motors: a ribbed end for external stimulation at 100 hertz and a curved end with 83 millimetres of insertable length at 93 hertz. It has ten modes plus two in the app, sixteen intensity levels, a 1,000 mAh battery, up to two hours of run time and IPX7. It weighs 167 grams. It switches itself off every twenty minutes.

LELO Tiani 3 is a couples' vibrator worn during sex and controlled with a physical remote instead of an app. The remote has SenseMotion, which according to LELO lets you control the intensity with hand movements, and the range is given as up to 12 metres. The product is IPX7 and the remote is designed to withstand water when the cover is sealed. It measures 78 × 44.5 × 32 millimetres and has a published noise level of a maximum of 50 dB.

The drawbacks are that the product's own button only reaches two of the eight modes without the remote, that the remote runs on AAA batteries and that LELO publishes three different figures for battery and run time in its own documents: 70 or 200 mAh and one or two hours. If you want to compare with couples' toys from other brands, there is a broader guide in which sex toy is best for couples.

LELO Hugo 2 is an app-controlled prostate vibrator with two motors at 130 and 108 hertz, a 72 millimetre insertable part and a weight of 121 grams. It has ten modes, four of them on the product and six via the LELO app, and it is IPX7 according to the marking in the manual. The battery is 420 mAh, but the run time is up to one hour on up to two hours of charging. Without the app the modes run at full intensity, so if you want to start gently you need your phone.

LELO Soraya Beads are vibrating anal beads with four beads in increasing size, so the progression is built into the shape. The wide teardrop-shaped handle works both as a grip and as a stopper. It has eight modes, three buttons, 520 mAh and up to two hours of run time, and it is IPX7 according to the manual. LELO does not, however, publish either the insertable length or the diameters of the beads, and the product has no app or remote.

Always use plenty of water-based lube for anal play, never insert a toy further than the base or handle, and stop if it hurts. The basics are in prostate massage for beginners and how to use anal beads.

LELO LUNA Beads Mini are Kegel balls for pelvic floor training without a motor. The set has four interchangeable balls with a 29 millimetre diameter in two weights, 2 × 28 and 2 × 37 grams, and a silicone harness that lets you wear one ball, two of the same or one of each. With no electronics there is no battery and no charging, and the parts are taken apart for cleaning. LELO states it is fully waterproof but publishes no IP rating.

LELO itself gives guidance between the sizes: Mini for those under 30 who have not given birth, Classic for those over 30 or who have given birth. The manual also says to consult a doctor before use during pregnancy. How to get started with Kegel balls, and how to choose the weight, is in the guide to Kegel balls.

The most important thing LELO warns about is hand cream and silicone-based lube. According to LELO, both can make the silicone permanently sticky, and the damage cannot be washed off. Use water-based lube, and never clean with products containing alcohol, petrol or acetone. More on the choice in which lube should you choose.

The second mistake is reading '100 per cent waterproof' as an IP rating. For Liv 3, Ina 3 and LELO Beads, LELO publishes no ingress protection rating, so it is unclear how deep and for how long the products can withstand water. The models with IPX7 in the manual can be submerged, but no LELO should be boiled or exposed to extreme heat or direct sunlight. How to read the ratings is explained in waterproof sex toys.

The third is thinking the product is broken when it switches itself off after 20 minutes, or when it will not start straight out of the box – then the travel lock is probably active. The fourth is opening the product: for Liv 3, LELO states that the warranty is void if it is taken apart. Clean after every use and use a condom if the toy is shared; step by step in how to clean sex toys.

If you want a sonic clitoral stimulator and care most about price, Sona 2 is the simplest choice, while Sona 3 Cruise adds Cruise Control and an app. If you want clitoris and G-spot in the same product, Enigma Cruise is LELO's model for that. For the G-spot, Liv 3 is the lightest, with an app and travel lock, and if you want a wand that does two things, Switch is the most versatile.

Couples who do not want an app will find that in Tiani 3. For the prostate, Hugo 2 is the most compact, but expect a short run time. Soraya Beads suit those who want anal beads with vibration and built-in progression, and LELO Beads those who want to train their pelvic floor without electronics. Whatever the model: keep the round charging cable, use water-based lube and expect a two-year warranty. More models from all brands under vibrators.