Pillow Talk Flirty vs BMS Swan Maximum Bullet Side-By-Side Comparison
Performance Ratings
Our Verdict
The Pillow Talk Flirty is one of the most affordable bullet vibrators. It has a gentle to mid-strength power range with mostly neutral to buzzy vibrations. It’s quiet, easy to use, and water-resistant for easy cleaning. But the battery only lasts about 40 minutes on high power, so you’ll have to charge it frequently.
If you prefer more power and rumbliness, consider the Pillow Talk Racy for about $20 more. Or the Blush Limited Addiction is a more powerful alternative in the Flirty’s price range, but this one lacks any gentle warmup settings. The Pillow Talk Flirty is a great budget-friendly bullet vibrator if you prefer mild to moderate vibrations and find high intensity overwhelming.
The BMS Swan Maximum Bullet is an excellent, affordable bullet vibrator. It’s my most powerful bullet and has the widest power range – it also begins gently for a comfortable warmup.
You make some tradeoffs for the outstanding power range at a reasonable price. The vibrations are primarily buzzy, which some people dislike but others prefer. The vibes also travel into my hand, which is distracting on the higher levels. But it’s not an issue on the low to middle settings.
It’s also a fairly short bullet, so it’s not as easy to grip and maneuver as longer options. And the press-and-hold button system provides excellent control over your exact strength, but you need to keep the button pressed firmly when changing settings, which can be tiring.
But the Swan Maximum has the longest battery life of the bullets I’ve tested. It’s also IPX7 waterproof, so it’s very easy to clean. And for those who want an exceptional power range at an affordable price – the BMS Swan Maximum is a great choice.
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Vibrations: Power And 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.
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.
Vibrations: Frequency (Rumbliness)
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 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.
Stimulation Precision
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.
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.
Comfort & Ease of Use
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 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.
Use During Sex
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 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.
Noise
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 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.
Battery Life
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 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.
Build Quality
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 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.
Cleaning
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.
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.