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 Doxy Bullet has incredible strength. Vibration strength is the Doxy brand’s specialty – they also make the strongest wand vibrator I’ve tested (the Doxy Die Cast). Its enormous strength makes the Doxy Bullet appealing to those who crave intensity.

But with only 2 power levels, its lowest setting is already very intense at 7.5 out of 10 vibration strength. It provides no gentle settings for those who need a warmup.

While testing the Doxy bullet, I had to use gentler bullets initially, then switch to the Doxy once I was ready for more power. I think most people will agree that the starting level is too intense.  This is the main reason I recommend the Doxy Go instead – it has 5 settings, reaching the same top strength as the Doxy Bullet while also including gentle and moderate warmup levels. Note that we tested the Doxy Go as a wand vibrator so scores between the two reviews are not directly comparable. Read about how these compare below.

There are other bullet vibrators at this price point that achieve high strength but also include some lower levels that are better for warming up. The Blush Limited Addiction matches the Doxy’s top strength but also offers more moderate starting levels (though still nothing super gentle), which can be less jarring in that warm-up phase.

Or the BMS Swan Maximum is an even more powerful bullet with a broader power range, but I find it less comfortable to hold, so I prefer the Limited Addiction personally.

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.

Since most people prefer rumbly vibrations, we rate these bullets higher than buzzy ones. However, your preferred vibration frequency is just that – a personal preference! I often enjoy a neutral or moderately-buzzy feeling bullet myself!

However, buzziness combined with extreme power typically feels overwhelming and uncomfortable to me. And that’s exactly what the Doxy Bullet is: extreme in both power and buzziness.

The Doxy Bullet’s first setting falls in the moderately buzzy range. Some days, I still find this first buzzy setting overwhelming, even after warming up with a gentler bullet first. The second setting is extremely buzzy and super intense. While some people might enjoy that much buzzy strength, it’s too much for me and is hard to use.

If you prefer rumbly vibrations, consider a different bullet. The We-Vibe Tango X is the most rumbly bullet I’ve tested – all 8 of its power levels are extremely rumbly. Or if you enjoy some buzziness, but not too extreme, the Lovense Ambi is excellent. It ranges from extremely rumbly on low to moderately buzzy on high. But because it’s not so far along the spectrum, I enjoy its buzzy settings.

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. 

The Doxy’s precision level is medium. It does have a tapered tip for more precise stimulation, but it’s a pretty thick bullet. I enjoy this combination of a fine tip and thicker bullet for the versatility. You can use the very tip for more focused stimulation. And then, you can angle the Doxy Bullet to press the side against you for slightly broader stimulation.

The We-Vibe Tango X, the Blush Limited Addiction, the FemmeFunn Booster Bullet, and the Je Joue Classic are some bullets with similarly versatile precision but better performance overall.

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 Doxy is a nice size to grip and easily leverage. But it’s one of my worst bullets for feeling the vibrations in my hand. It’s one of the main reasons I don’t reach for this toy. I can only hold it briefly before the hand vibrations become unbearable.

It has one button on the end of the bullet to cycle through the two power levels and all the patterns. It’s not ideal for quickly finding your favorite setting. I prefer the Doxy Go, Je Joue Classic and We-Vibe Tango X’s multi-button system, which lets you increase and decrease power using separate buttons to make quick, easy adjustments.

Or the Lovense Ambi, which only has one button on the toy itself, but lets you make fine-tuned adjustments through the app. Not to mention the ability to design your own custom patterns in the moment.

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.

Unfortunately, the vibes that travel into my hand make the Doxy Bullet very distracting during sex. The sound is also a downfall – it is the loudest of my bullets and just takes me out of the mood. The hard, aluminum surface also gets pressed uncomfortably into my body during sex. For those who care about using their bullet during sex, I recommend other options.

If you prefer strong, neutral to buzzy vibrations, consider the FemmeFunn Booster Bullet or Lovense Ambi. Or if you like rumbly vibrations, consider the We-Vibe Tango X. Each is better during sex than the Doxy Bullet.

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 Doxy is my loudest bullet vibrator. During our testing, it was audible from behind a closed door on all settings. This is the only bullet vibrator we tested that was still audible after turning on a box fan in the bedroom. Only loud music was able to drown the sound out. So it’s not a great choice if you have housemates.

And even if there’s no need for discretion, the sound is just plain distracting. Any other bullet you might be eyeing on my list will be better because none of the others bother me like the Doxy Bullet. Doxy’s mini-wand reaches the same top strength while remaining much quieter.

The We-Vibe Touch X is the quietest if you prioritize discreet sound levels with decent power. And the Lovense Ambi and Je Joue Classic are other strong options that are both completely inaudible from behind a closed door on all power levels.

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 Doxy Bullet has a reasonable battery life, lasting about an hour and a half on high power.

However, several better bullet and mini vibrators last just as long or longer, including the We-Vibe Touch X, We-Vibe Tango X, and the FemmeFunn Booster Bullet.

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 Doxy Bullet has a quality build. The metal construction feels very sturdy. The aluminum body is smooth and elegant. And the silicone button feels quality and not cheap.

But given the other deal-breakers I’ve mentioned about the Doxy Bullet, I’d choose another high-quality option, such as the We-Vibe Touch X, the We-Vibe Tango X, or the Lovense Ambi.

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 Doxy Bullet is very easy to clean. It’s IPX7 waterproof (completely submersible), so you can wash it in the sink and use it in the bath.