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 Pillow Talk Flirty has gentle to mid-level power. It’s excellent for those who prefer milder vibrations or get overstimulated by intense power. 

To move through its power range, you press and hold the button to increase power gradually. As a result, steps between intensity levels are subtle and comfortable. And the Flirty covers the mild to moderate power range very well. 

The lowest power starts at 1.5 out of 10 vibration strength, but the highest only reaches 5 out of 10. When I use the Pillow Talk Flirty, I can orgasm from it, but it takes some effort. So it’s not one I reach for often, but it can be great for those overstimulated by intense power.

If you prefer more power, consider the Blush Limited Addiction in this price range. It’s stronger but lacks gentle levels. Or, if you want to keep those low powers but add some strength, try the slightly more expensive Pillow Talk Racy.

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.

We rate rumbly vibrators higher than buzzy ones because it’s what most people want. But preferences vary, so consider what you enjoy.

The Pillow Talk Flirty has below-average rumbliness. Its softest power levels are in the rumbly range, but most people will use these gentle levels only briefly while warming up. Its stronger power levels range from neutral-feeling to moderately buzzy.

It can be enjoyable if you prefer buzzy vibrations. But I find the mild power paired with the buzzy frequency packs little impact. So it’s best if you like light stimulation. I enjoy neutral or moderately buzzy vibrations, but typically when paired with more strength than the Flirty has.

You’ll need to increase your budget slightly if you prefer rumbly vibrations. The Pillow Talk Racy is the most affordable bullet with great rumbliness. Or you could go with a mini wand like the BMS Swan Era, which is even more rumbly than the Racy, and not much pricier.

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 Pillow Talk Flirty provides a medium amount of precision for a bullet. The tip is slightly bulbous, spreading out the vibrations a bit and making it comfortable to press firmly against my body. 

It’s less precise than tapered and lipstick-shaped bullet vibrators. But it’s more focused than broad mini vibrators like the Dame Pom or We-Vibe Touch X. The amount of precision you enjoy is entirely a personal preference.

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 Pillow Talk Flirty is a very comfortable bullet that’s easy to use. It’s relatively long for a bullet vibrator (4.3 inches), making it very comfortable to grip, leverage, and apply pressure. The vibrations don’t travel into my hand much, so the grip is fantastic. And the button to adjust power is easily within my reach without needing to change my hold on the bullet. 

The control system takes some getting used to, but is straightforward once you learn it. Hold the Flirty’s button, and the bullet will gradually increase power. Once it reaches your desired strength, you release the button. To move back down, you’ll need to double-click the button to begin again at the gentlest setting. 

I prefer vibrators with two buttons to increase and decrease power, but I like that the Flirty’s system inherently provides gradual, subtle steps between intensity levels.

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 Pillow Talk Flirty is easy to use during sex. It’s best in a spooning position or others where you’re facing away from your partner. The relatively slender size is great for fitting into tight spots. And since it has a slight flex, it’s very comfortable and able to keep great contact, even with a bit of jostling around. The slight flexibility makes it a bit more difficult to apply pressure during sex, but still easier than most bullets since it’s longer.

Positions where you’re facing your partner are a little trickier because you have to angle the toy so the end of it doesn’t hit your partner’s chest. But since it’s not a very long toy, it’s very doable. It just takes some intentionality.

While the Pillow Talk Flirty is good during sex, I have even better success with the Pillow Talk Racy because the tip of the toy curves inward. This helps to maintain good contact without having to angle the bullet in a way that contacts my partner’s chest.

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 Pillow Talk Flirty is one of my quietest bullet vibrators! While recording its decibel readings with our Sound Level Meter, it was quieter than the room’s ambient sound. When I’m using it in our bedroom, my partner cannot hear it from the other side of the closed door on any power levels. So it’s safe to use if you live with others.

The discreet noise is no surprise since it’s only mid-powered. If you want something quiet but prefer stronger bullet vibrators, consider the Pillow Talk Racy.

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 Flirty’s battery life is short compared to most bullets, especially when you consider its low power range. You’ll definitely want to make sure to charge it fully between each use.

If you’re the type to forget to charge it (like me), you’ll want to pick something with a longer battery life. The Je Joue Classic is a great option. And even though the Blush Limited Addiction’s battery life isn’t much higher, you can extend it even further if you use some low or middle power levels.

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 Pillow Talk Flirty has an excellent build quality, especially for an inexpensive bullet vibrator. The silicone feels smooth, but grippy and is luxurious. And the slight flexibility makes it comfortable, but it still feels sturdy. I’m not concerned about breaking it with too much pressure.

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 Pillow Talk Flirty is IPX6 water-resistant, which makes it very easy to clean. IPX6 products can resist “high-pressure, heavy sprays of water” so you can wash it under a faucet without worrying about damaging the toy. Just clean with soap and water.