The BMS Essential Bullet is very strong for a small, budget-friendly bullet. Its wide power range sets it apart from other inexpensive bullets. It’s the only option I’ve tested with soft, medium, and intense power levels at this price point. 

This broad range is excellent for those who enjoy strength but also need gentle settings while warming up. It’s also great for beginners who want to learn their preferred power range (not everyone loves extreme power).

The BMS Bullet has 4 total power levels, with the first starting at 2.5 out of 10 vibration strength. This great warm-up level is comfortable for those who are easily overstimulated. The top strength reaches 7.75 out of 10, which is intense and packs plenty of power for most people.

With only 4 settings, it doesn’t have as many power levels in each range as some bullets, like the BMS Swan Maximum Bullet or Pillow Talk Racy, which both have continuous power ranges that gradually increase in tiny steps. But for the price, the BMS Essential has a great power range.

The BMS Swan Maximum Bullet has the strongest top power of all my bullet vibrators, reaching an 11 out of 10 strength. You read that right—an 11. The Swan Maximum was released after my first round of bullet vibrator testing, but it beat out my previous most powerful bullets, the Blush Limited Addiction and Doxy Bullet, which I had rated 10!

The BMS Swan Maximum’s 11/10 power is stronger than I could ever need. In fact, without the silicone grip that comes with the bullet, its top setting is too strong to hold in my hand!

Thankfully, it also has the widest power range of my bullets (another benefit over the Blush Limited Addiction and Doxy Bullet), starting at just a 2.5 out of 10 vibration strength. So, it has plenty of milder settings if you prefer gentle to moderate stimulation.

The press-and-hold buttons also let you gradually increase and decrease intensity in tiny steps. With such a comprehensive power range, most people will find some intensity levels they enjoy.

We rate bullets with rumbly vibrations higher than those with buzzy ones because it’s what most people prefer. Some people, including myself, still appreciate a neutral feeling or even slightly buzzy vibrations. 

The BMS Essential Bullet has acceptable rumbliness but won’t satisfy those prioritizing deep rumbliness. Only the lowest power level falls in the rumbly range. And since that power level is a 2.5 out of 10 intensity, most people will only use this level while warming up.

The two middle power levels are in the neutral range, and I consider the top strength “moderately buzzy.” I personally enjoy all 4 of its power levels.

If deeper rumbliness is a high priority, you’ll have to increase your budget a bit. The Pillow Talk Racy is the most affordable option with great rumbliness. Or the Original We-Vibe Tango, which is being sold at a discount while stock remains.

The BMS Swan Maximum’s vibrations are primarily buzzy. The lowest power levels are moderately rumbly, which is a nice, gentle intro. But by the time you reach settings with moderate strength, the vibrations feel neutral. And they quickly become buzzy as you increase the intensity higher.

Whether this is good or bad depends on your preferences. Some people prefer buzzy vibrations, whereas others want rumbly (low-frequency) vibes.

Since I prefer moderate intensity, I only need to use the first half of the Swan Maximum’s power levels – so I typically use those rumbly and neutral vibes. But if you’re interested in those extremely intense top settings, you have to love buzzy vibrations.

However, none of my rumbly bullet vibrators come close to the Swan Maximum’s vibration power. The We-Vibe Tango X is my strongest rumbly bullet, reaching a top strength of 7.75.

When it comes to bullet vibrators, you generally need to choose between more power or more rumbliness. If strong, rumbly vibrations are your priority, a wand vibrator like the Lovense Domi 2 or BMS Swan Era Wand is better. Because wand vibrators’ motors are heavier, they’re often both rumbly and strong.

The BMS Bullet has mostly precise stimulation because it’s a thin, small bullet. So whether you use the very tip or the side of the bullet, it covers a fairly limited surface area.

This is great if you like focused clitoral stimulation. For those who enjoy a bit more breadth, you can’t spread the pressure out much as you can with a wider bullet like the Blush Limited Addiction or Satisfyer Ultra Power Bullet 5. How much precision you enjoy is entirely a personal preference. 

Whether you prefer broad or focused stimulation is up to your personal preference.

The BMS Swan Maximum Bullet provides a versatile experience because you can use the thin lipstick tip (just 0.75 inches wide) for very precise contact. But you can also press the side of the bullet to your body to cover more area for those who prefer to spread the stimulation out more.

The BMS Essential Bullet has below-average comfort and ease of use. It can be tiring to use for extended periods because of the small size and vibrations in your hand. 

You can adjust your hold on the bullet to limit how distracting the vibrations feel in your hand. I find they’re worse if you’re holding the bullet loosely or at the very end. But they lessen if you grip the bullet tightly. They’ll be noticeable throughout your experience, though.

Since it’s so short, it takes effort to grip the end tightly, and it’s difficult to leverage the bullet. It takes effort from your fingers and arm to maneuver and press it where you want. Longer bullets like the Blush Limited Addiction provide more space to grip, and you can leverage them more easily with minimal finger-work.

The BMS Essential bullet also uses a one-button control system. You’ll use a single button to cycle through all 4 power levels and 5 vibration patterns. So, to move backward, you’ll need to press the button several times. Or I find it easier to simply turn the bullet off and back on again to start over at the lowest intensity. It’s manageable but could be better. 

I prefer bullets with separate buttons to increase and decrease power, like the Blush Limited Addiction or We-Vibe Tango X.

The BMS Swan Maximum Bullet is very easy to use, but it has some uncomfortable aspects.

It has great controls with two press-and-hold buttons that let you increase and decrease power continuously – there are no jumps between settings. Simply hold the increase or decrease power button, and the Swan Maximum will gradually change power. This control system makes finding the exact power level you need easy.

Some other bullet vibrators, like the Pillow Talk Racy and Flirty, have a similar continuous system. But these bullets have just one button, so you can only increase power gradually. To decrease power, you have to turn them off and on again to start over. So, the BMS Swan Maximum’s second button is helpful.

I personally find the Swan Maximum’s buttons take firm pressure to hold down, which is tiring if you change power often. The Pillow Talk Racy’s button is easier to press. And if you don’t need super tiny power adjustments, ordinary clickable buttons like those of the Blush Limited Addiction are fine. But the Swan’s two press-and-hold buttons have their benefits in finding your ideal strength.

The BMS Swan is only adequately comfortable. The bullet is shorter than I prefer, and the base tapers inward, forcing you to grip it toward the middle of the bullet. This makes the usable length even shorter, causes my fingers to feel cramped in a tight space, and doesn’t provide as much leverage as longer bullets.

The Swan Maximum’s vibrations travel into my hand, too. They’re comfortable at low to medium power levels, but they’re distracting at the top half of the settings. The silicone Comfy Cuff that comes with it is a must if you plan to use the higher powers—it helps dampen the vibrations in your fingers but doesn’t completely eliminate them.

The Blush Limited Addiction is another extremely powerful bullet with less (but not zero) vibrations in your hand. With very powerful bullet vibrators, your fingers are close to the motor since bullets are tiny. So, if you’re particularly sensitive to vibrations in your fingers, try a mid-sized toy like the Lovense Hyphy or a small wand vibrator like the Lovense Domi 2.

The BMS Essential Bullet is difficult to use during sex because it’s so short that you have to reach down farther than usual, so then your hand takes up too much space. 

Even in fairly open positions like Spooning, the long reach required to use the BMS Essential is tiring. And your hand gets particularly in the way in positions like Missionary where space is already limited. Your partner may need to keep penetration shallow to avoid bumping into your hand. And your hand is so scrunched up that maneuvering the bullet in this tight space is tricky.

If you want a cheap bullet to use during sex and want a comfortable, less-distracting experience, I’d recommend the Blush Limited Addiction instead. The Blush Limited Addiction is much easier to maneuver because it’s still small enough to fit into tight spaces. But it’s long enough to leverage it easily, giving your hand plenty of room.

The BMS Swan Maximum is excellent to use during sex. Its small size and tapered tip make it easy to fit into tight spaces. And since it can reach very high powers, it provides plenty of stimulation.

If you’re not using the silicone cuff to dampen the vibrations that travel into your hand, you can use it to attach the bullet to your fingers. That way, you can maneuver and press the bullet to your body without gripping it. While it’s not completely hands-free, like some couples vibrators, it’s minimal effort.

This can make it easier to hold during sex. Though, I can only tolerate using it this way on the low to medium levels (which have plenty of strength for me). If I use the Swan Maximum’s highest levels, I need to use the Comfy Cuff to dampen the vibrations instead.

The BMS Essential Bullet is discreet. Even though it may have some louder decibel measurement than my other bullets (most bullets are very quiet), it’s still completely inaudible from behind a closed bedroom door. 

People outside your room won’t hear it. But the sound might distract you if you’re especially sensitive to noise. I consider myself fairly sensitive to sound and am not personally distracted by the BMS Essential Bullet’s noise. 

If you’re easily annoyed by vibration sounds, the Pillow Talk Racy and Pillow Talk Flirty are two of my quietest, relatively budget-friendly bullets.

The BMS Swan Maximum Bullet has good noise levels, considering its enormous power.

When I used it in the bedroom, my partner could only hear it on the highest settings from the other side of the bedroom door. We also found that he could only hear the Swan Maximum when the bullet accidentally brushed up against the comforter on my bed, which made a louder sound. When I kept the vibrator pressed to my body, he couldn’t hear it on the highest setting.

If you’re concerned about noise, stick to the medium power levels, which are still quite powerful. You can also turn on music or a fan to mask the noise.

The BMS Essential Bullet has reasonable battery life, lasting 75 minutes on high power during our testing. While there are longer-lasting bullet vibrators, 75 minutes is about average for bullets of this strength. And the manufacturer lists only 30 minutes on high, but my tests yielded much longer results, so I was happy with its performance.

This is ideal if you often forget to charge between uses. And you’ll extend the battery life beyond 75 minutes if you typically use some of the low or medium power levels too.

The BMS Swan Maximum Bullet has an amazing battery life. After charging it fully, I ran it on its highest power until it died – 139 minutes later. It lasted longer than any of the other bullets I’ve tested so far.

This was especially surprising since extremely powerful vibrators often die faster (since they use more power). All the bullet and mini vibrators that come close to the Swan Maximum’s battery life are substantially weaker.

The BMS Essential Bullet has a decent build quality. It has not given me any issues, but it feels a bit cheap. It’s the least expensive bullet I’ve tested, so I don’t expect a luxury or heavy-duty build. 

It’s made primarily of a silky lightweight ABS plastic, which feels thin but reasonably sturdy. Only the button is a more luxurious silicone material. It uses a charging system most sex toys have moved away from. You insert a charging pin through the self-healing silicone button into the toy. I’ve never experienced an issue with this charging mechanism, but it feels like it could damage the toy after a very long time.

It’s a nice toy to experiment on and figure out what you like, but not something you’d expect to last forever.

I base my ratings of Build Quality on my experience and how the toy “feels” to me unless I experience a substantial issue like the toy breaking. So we don’t weigh this score too highly. But if you’re looking for something that feels more solid, the Nasstoys Travel Vibe Mini is the cheapest bullet that felt exceptionally sturdy to me.

The BMS Swan Maximum Bullet has a good build quality but is not luxurious. The ABS Plastic has a nice, metallic look and feels well-made, but it shows scratches easily. It seems durable but feels lighter than I expected due to the metallic look. Bullet vibrators actually made of metal, like the Le Wand Grand Bullet, are heavier and feel more solid.

The silicone buttons have a nice feel, and the detachable silicone grip is very plush. I wish the grip was wider to cover more surface area since the vibrations travel easily into my fingers, but it still does the trick well enough.

The BMS Essential Bullet is 100% waterproof, making it easy to clean. You can completely submerge it while scrubbing it with soap and water.

The BMS Swan Maximum Bullet is IPX7 waterproof, so it’s very easy to clean. You can fully submerge it while scrubbing or use it in the bathtub.