We-Vibe or Lovense – which app-controlled toy should you choose?

We-Vibe and Lovense are the two brands that come up most often when someone is looking for an app-controlled sex toy, but they're built with different uses in mind. Lovense is first and foremost a long-distance brand: the Lovense Remote app is designed so that a partner can control the toy over the internet, during a video call or from another toy. We-Vibe is first and foremost a couples' brand for the same room: several models come with a remote, and the app is an add-on rather than the main event.

It shows in the hardware too. Lovense often states very long run times – up to 350 minutes for the Lush 4 and up to 370 minutes for the Domi 2 – and publishes both noise level and Bluetooth range. We-Vibe states shorter run times, usually 90–150 minutes, but explicitly declares that its silicone is free from phthalates and BPA and made without latex, and gives a two-year warranty against Lovense's one.

In short: if the toy will be controlled from another city, start with Lovense. If you'll use it together and preferably with a button in your hand, start with We-Vibe. The rest of the guide goes through the differences and compares the models type by type.

The app is the big reason for choosing either brand, so it's worth comparing first. Both apps are downloaded from the App Store and Google Play, and both let a partner control the toy from a distance. The difference lies in how much more they do.

According to We-Vibe, the app has twelve preset vibration patterns, the option to create your own patterns, Multi Vibe where two motors are controlled separately, Touch Mode where the intensity follows your finger's movements on the screen, Playlist Mode, chat and video calls, and long-distance control. The toy is connected by scanning the barcode on the packaging.

We-Vibe's FAQ states that the app requires Bluetooth LE (Bluetooth 4.0) and doesn't work with smartwatches, PCs or Macs, and that a stable connection can be expected within 3 metres of the toy. The manuals for Sync Go and Vector+ state that the toy can only be connected to one remote or one app device at a time.

Lovense describes its app with considerably more features: close-range control over Bluetooth, live long-distance control over the internet, control during voice and video calls, toy-to-toy connection, synchronised control of several devices, a control link that can be shared with others, group play, a game mode, syncing to music, sound and video, and over two million patterns shared by users.

According to the manufacturer, Lovense Remote works with iOS 14.2 and later, Android 5.0 and later with Bluetooth 4.0, and Mac with Bluetooth 4.0. A Windows computer requires Lovense's own USB Bluetooth adapter. The app carries a PEGI 16 age rating on Google Play.

If you just want remote control between two phones, either app will do. If you want to control the toy during a video call, share control with a link or let two toys control each other, Lovense Remote is more fully featured. How long-distance control works in practice, and what to bear in mind about privacy, is covered in sex toys for long-distance relationships.

Bluetooth range determines how far the phone can be from the toy when you control it directly, without the internet. Lovense states an outdoor range per model: up to 105 metres for the Lush 4, up to 93 metres for the Lush Mini and up to 75 metres for the Lush 3. We-Vibe's manuals state up to 30 feet, just under 9 metres, in line of sight and about 20 feet all round, and the FAQ promises a stable connection within 3 metres.

The figures are measured in different ways and can't be compared directly, but the direction is clear: Lovense builds for the toy to be worn and controlled from a distance, We-Vibe for it to be controlled in the same room.

The remote points the same way. We-Vibe Sync O comes with a remote that's paired at the factory, Chorus Pro with a haptic squeeze remote that responds to how hard you squeeze, and Vector+ with a wireless remote. The Lovense models we've reviewed – including Lush 3, Lush Mini, Ferri and Hush 2 – have no remote in the box; without a phone, all that's left is the button on the toy. The difference between remotes and apps is explained in more detail in remote-controlled sex toys.

When you put the brands' published specifications side by side, four clear differences emerge.

Lovense consistently states longer run times for its wearable models: up to 350 minutes for the Lush 4, 220 for the Lush 3, 195 for the Ferri and up to 275 for the Hush 2 in size M. The figures apply at low settings; for the Lush Mini, Lovense itself states that the run time drops to 63 minutes at the highest level, and the Edge 2 is given as 65–130 minutes depending on the level. Several models also have a standby time of up to 120 hours.

We-Vibe gives 150 minutes for the Sync O, 120 minutes for the Nova 2, Rave 2, Wand 2 and Chorus Pro, 90 minutes for the Sync Go and up to 45 minutes for the Sync Lite. The charging time is usually 90 minutes. Both brands charge with magnetic, product-specific cables, but Lovense states that the same cable fits around thirty of its models, which makes a spare cable more useful. The Lovense Solace Pro is an exception with standard USB-C.

Most models from both brands are rated IPX7 and can be submerged, but the exceptions differ. At Lovense, the Domi 2 and Max 2 are rated IPX6, which withstands water jets but not submersion, and the Solace Pro IPX4, where only the sleeve may be washed. Lovense also writes that the Ferri's Bluetooth connection isn't stable in or under water.

At We-Vibe, no IP rating is published for the Chorus Pro and Vector+, and the manual for the Sync Lite prohibits submersion in water. We-Vibe's remotes aren't waterproof, even when the toy is. More on the ratings in waterproof sex toys.

For most of its models, We-Vibe lists body-safe silicone free from phthalates and BPA and made without latex. Lovense lists silicone for the Hush 2 (100 per cent silicone), Gush 2 (food-grade silicone) and Vulse, among others, and silicone with electroplated plastic for the Lush series, but rarely makes an explicit declaration covering phthalates, BPA and latex. Two Lovense models for the penis, the Max 2 and Solace Pro, have TPE sleeves, a porous material that according to Lovense must not be washed with soap in the Max 2 and that only has a 90-day warranty.

Here Lovense publishes more than most manufacturers: 36 dB as the lowest level for the Lush Mini, 38–43 dB for the Lush 3, 41 dB for the Hush 2 in size M, 43 dB for the Edge 2 and no more than 63 dB for the Solace Pro. We-Vibe publishes no noise level for the models we've reviewed. That doesn't mean We-Vibe is louder, just that they can't be compared.

We-Vibe gives a 24-month warranty from delivery, but no more than two years after manufacture. Batteries and charging cables count as consumables and are excluded, and faults must be reported within two months of being discovered.

Lovense gives a one-year warranty from the date of purchase, tied to the first buyer. Lovense also has a ten-year quality guarantee, but it only applies to purchases made directly from Lovense and gives a discount on a new product rather than a replacement. For a toy that's used often and charged a lot, the shorter cover is worth weighing up. How long sex toys usually last is covered in how long does a sex toy last.

The brands don't have the same range, so the comparison can only be made where both have a model of the same type.

We-Vibe Wand 2 is all-silicone, 270 × 55 mm, with ten intensity levels, a flexible neck and IPX7, but only states 120 minutes of run time. Lovense Domi 2 is smaller, 233.88 mm and 299.9 g, with up to 370 minutes of run time, seven modes in the product and the option to store ten custom patterns – but it's only IPX6 and the body is ABS plastic with silicone. Wand 2 for anyone who wants silicone throughout and to be able to take it in the shower; Domi 2 for anyone who wants a long run time and long-distance control. More wands can be found in the guide to wand vibrators.

Both have two motors that can be controlled separately in the app. Vector+ has an adjustable insertable arm, ten named modes on the button and a remote in the box, but We-Vibe publishes neither dimensions nor an IP rating for the model. Edge 2 has a bendable neck, IPX7, a 91 mm insertable part and a largest diameter of 35 mm, and Lovense gives 43 dB. Always use a toy with a flared base or external arm for anal use, and read prostate massage for beginners before the first time.

This is where the brands' ranges diverge. We-Vibe has several C- and O-shaped couples' vibrators that are worn during sex – Sync O, Sync Go, Chorus Pro and Sync Lite – whereas Lovense's strength is vibrating eggs that are worn alone and controlled by a partner, like the Lush series. Lovense's closest equivalent for two in the same bed is Lapis, a strapless strap-on with three motors. So the type you need depends more on what you want to do than on the brand; more on the types in which sex toy is best for couples and in the guide to couples' vibrators.

Choose Lovense if you live apart or are often in different places, if the toy will be worn during the day and controlled by someone else, if you want to use it during video calls or let two toys control each other, or if a long run time and a published noise level matter to you. The Lush 4 and Lush Mini are the natural starting points.

Choose We-Vibe if you're usually together and want a couples' vibrator that's worn during sex, if you want a physical remote instead of getting your phone out, if a clear material declaration and a two-year warranty carry a lot of weight, or if you rarely want to connect the toy at all. The Sync O and Chorus Pro are the natural starting points.

If you're unsure, you can start with the type of toy rather than the brand. All toys for two can be found in the category for couples.

Assuming the app is essential. Both brands' toys work with the button on the product, but without the app they become simpler: according to Lovense, the Lush 3 has only one button and four preset patterns, and the Sync Go has a single button while the intensity can only be adjusted in the app.

Comparing run times at different settings. Lovense often states the longest run time, which applies at a low setting. It's better to compare the range when the manufacturer gives one.

Using silicone-based lube. Both We-Vibe and Lovense recommend water-based lube for their silicone toys. More on choosing one in which lube should you choose.

Forgetting safety when sharing. Use a condom on toys that are shared or moved between orifices, clean after every use and stop if anything hurts.