BMS PalmPower Recharge vs BMS Swan Era Wand Side-By-Side Comparison
Performance Ratings
Our Verdict
Unlike the full-sized version (the PalmPower Extreme) which is one of my favorite wands, the BMS PalmPower Recharge gets a “no” from me.
When it works correctly, it’s incredibly strong for its size. But I’ve gone through two of these wands in 6 months, and have encountered the same issue with each. After several minutes of play, my BMS PalmPower Recharge will not keep a steady power. It seems to have a mind of its own – wavering back and forth; dropping power randomly.
I also find the thin, tapered handle difficult to hold. And the seam that runs through the middle of the head is uncomfortable.
Other wands in this price range are higher quality and perform better overall – jump here to see how these wands compare.
The BMS Swan Era Wand is great if you’re on a budget and want gentle to moderate, rumbly vibrations with more precise stimulation than a typical wand vibrator.
The controls allow very gradual adjustability, and every setting is rumbly – a rare feature in this price range. This is great for those easily overstimulated because there are no big power jumps or buzzy vibrations.
The small head allows you to limit contact to the spots you want, preventing fatigue from vibrations hitting your leg or blanketing too much space.
However, it only reaches moderate strength, though good for its tiny size, and has poor mount and attachment compatibility due to its small head. If you need more intensity, or prefer the broad stimulation of a typical wand, the Orion Your New Favorite Wand is a stronger (though less rumbly) option with a full-sized head at a similar price.
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Vibrations: Power And Range
When the PalmPower Recharge is working properly (see the issues I encountered here), it has excellent vibration power and range – especially for a wand this small.
The BMS brand excels at fitting powerful motors into compact toys! For instance, the PalmPower Extreme is one of my most powerful wand vibrators despite being just a mid-sized wand. And the BMS Essential Bullet is my cheapest bullet vibrator with excellent power. The PalmPower Recharge is no exception.
It also has soft low levels that are great when warming up. Then you press and hold the button to gradually increase power.
The PalmPower Recharge’s top power feels 70% as strong as the Doxy Die Cast’s (my strongest wand vibrator). That’s really impressive given how much smaller and lighter the PalmPower is – the Doxy is nearly 5x heavier.
Unfortunately, it frequently drops back down to a lower power level. So in practical use, it doesn’t always maintain that top strength.
At the same cost, you can get the FemmeFun Ultra Wand, which is similar in size (though has a slightly larger head), and reaches the same top strength of 7/10. The downside is that it starts somewhat strong even on the lowest power level. So if you need some soft warmup levels too, you may consider the Magic Wand Mini instead.
Or if you’re up for a larger wand, the Magic Wand Plus is also about the same price. And it has an even wider power range. It’s the most powerful wand under $100.
While I’m happy with the BMS PalmPower Recharge’s vibration strength when it’s working well – these other wands have provided a much more reliable experience.
The BMS Swan Era has a reasonable power range, starting gently and reaching a moderate 5 out of 10 strength on high.
This is only half the strength of my strongest wands, but it’s still stronger than most of my non-wand vibrators, and enough for me.
This is a wider power range and higher max power than most of what you’ll find in this price range. Only one wand at this price has as much range as the Swan Era while reaching a higher top strength – the Orion Your New Favorite Wand.
The Swan Era Wand’s press and hold, continuous control system allows you to make tiny adjustments to the power. If you want a slow, gradual build and don’t need anything too strong, the Swan Era is a great choice at this price. For more power, consider something stronger like the Orion Your New Favorite Wand.
Vibrations: Frequency (Rumbliness)
The BMS PalmPower Recharge’s lower powers are fairly rumbly. But it gets buzzy on its highest powers.
My favorite wands tend to be a little more rumbly than this wand. The Magic Wand Plus (high-powered) and Dame Com (moderately powered) are great, rumbly options in this price range.
Or for a rumbly wand closer to the PalmPower Recharge’s size, consider the Lovense Domi 2.
We rate rumbly vibrations higher than buzzy ones because it’s what most people prefer. However, this is an area of personal preference, so consider what you enjoy.
The BMS Swan Era Wand is impressively rumbly, especially considering its tiny size and affordability. Every setting in this continuous range is either extremely or moderately rumbly. These low-frequency vibrations travel deep into your body for an impactful, spread-out feel.
The depth of the vibrations stood out to me when I first started using this toy because vibrations with this much depth are often more expensive. The Orion Your New Favorite Wand and Satisfyer Wand-er are the only comparable wands at this price point, but they’re larger.
It’s a great choice for those seeking rumbly vibes on a budget!
Comfort & Ease of Use
The BMS PalmPower Rechargeable is not painful or difficult to use. But it has some quirks to get used to.
I find the thin, tapered handle awkward to hold and leverage. And I’m not a fan of the seam running through the middle of the head either. The seam is there so you can remove the default head, and put on a PalmPower Recharge wand attachment. But the seam is uncomfortable when I press the wand to my body.
The control system is a feature you’ll either love or hate. It has one button – and instead of tapping once to change the power level, you press and hold the button. The power continues increasing until you release the button. I personally find it irritating because you can easily pass up your intended power level. Then you need to turn the wand off and back on to start over.
For comparably priced wands with more traditional controls and comfortable heads consider the Magic Wand Mini or Magic Wand Plus.
If you want a comfortable wand with an especially small head like the PalmPower’s, the Lovense Domi 2 is a good option.
The BMS Swan Era Wand is very easy to use and comfortable, with the exception of some vibrations in the handle.
It’s hard to avoid feeling hand vibrations on small wands like this since the motor is so close to your hand. However, since it’s so rumbly, I don’t find the handle vibrations distracting. But if you’re extra sensitive to this, the Romp Presto does a better job of keeping the vibrations isolated to the head.
Leveraging the short handle for long periods could be more tiring than wands with longer handles. But at just 4.9 ounces, its very light so it’s easy to hold. And the flared base provides a good leverage point for the thumb when applying pressure. This tiny wand is easy to move around, and the silky silicone provides a comfortable grip.
Traditional wands have a large head for broad stimulation, like the Orion Your New Favorite Wand. But the BMS Swan Era has a small head, which is great if you prefer more precise stimulation than large wands provide.
Since the Swan Era’s vibrations are so rumbly, they can bump against your pubic bone more easily since the vibration movements are bigger, so the small head is important. This way, you can limit contact to fleshier areas to keep it comfortable.
The single button press-and-hold control system is different than most and takes some familiarization if you’re not used to it. But it allows very gradual power adjustments instead of limiting you to preset power settings.
Hold the button until you reach the desired strength, then let go. Then tap once to turn it off, and again to start at the lowest strength. This makes it easy to reach the strongest or weakest power quickly.
Use During Sex
The BMS Rechargeable does pretty well during sex. It’s short and has a small head, so it fits easily between your bodies. And maneuvering it around your vulva is a breeze.
It does best in Spooning, Modified Missionary, and Cowgirl positions. If it weren’t for the uncomfortable seam along its head and its unreliable power, I’d really enjoy the PalmPower Recharge during sex.
It’s not the best choice for Doggystyle though. I find mid-sized or taller wands work better in this position. Since you also have to support your bodyweight, reaching back so far with a small wand can get tiring.
The Lovense Domi is one of my favorites to use in all positions. It has a slightly longer handle than the PalmPower Recharge, which helps in Doggystyle. But its head is still short and slim – so it fits easily between legs and bodies.
Or if you’re needing to stick closer to the PalmPower’s price, the FemmeFunn Ultra Wand is a great option! It’s fairly small and has a more comfortable head. So it works better in all positions.
The BMS Swan Era Wand is great to use during sex. The small head and short handle easily fit into tight spots.
In positions facing your partner, you can get direct contact, and since the vibes are so rumbly, they travel deep into your body, so stimulation is great. Since the head is firm, it can be uncomfortable if it gets pressed against your pubic bone, but the small size makes it easier to keep out of the way.
In doggystyle, the handle is too short to rest on the bed, but it’s so light that I can hold it for a long time without getting tired.
The head moves around more in the spooning position since it’s so small. It’s harder to keep wedged between your legs, but this also means the vibes don’t fatigue your legs as much. The stimulation is still good, but it’s not as consistent in this position as I’ve found with other wands with slightly broader heads like the Romp Presto.
If you want something small for easy maneuverability and versatility during sex, this is a great mini wand.
Noise
In a silent house, the BMS PalmPower Rechargeable’s upper power levels can be heard from the other side of a closed bedroom door. But its middle and low levels remain inaudible. This is fairly common with wands this powerful.
And when I turn a box fan on in the bedroom, my partner can no longer hear the wand from the other side of the door. Music will also mask its sound.
If you are nervous about noise, the Viben Sultry has even more power than the PalmPower Recharge, but it remains inaudible behind a closed door on all power levels. Even without a fan or music.
The BMS Swan Era has mediocre noise levels, particularly because it sometimes rattles.
In our test from behind the closed bedroom door, my partner could not hear the lowest power, but mid-strengths were audible whenever I didn’t have the wand pressed to my body. And high power was always easily audible.
Our decibel recordings on high power are based on the noise level with the rattling sound. You can hear what it sounds like with and without the rattling in the video above, but of course you can’t control that. Sometimes when using the wand it wouldn’t rattle. Other times it’d start rattling after several minutes of use.
Even with a box fan running, my partner could still just barely hear the rattling on high power. Only music would mask the noise.
This means it’s not a good choice if discretion is important. The Romp Presto, another affordable mini wand, was inaudible from the other side of the door in all our tests if you need something quieter.
Attachment Compatibility
The BMS PalmPower Recharge is only compatible with BMS’s attachments designed specifically for the PalmPower.
You can remove the default silicone cap over the motor and replace it with any of the PalmPower’s attachments. The attachments and motor have matching grooves that secure them to each other.
BMS offers several attachments for this wand, so you still have some selection range. They have insertable attachments for G-spot, prostate, anal, and dual-stimulation. They also have some fluttery attachments to change how your clit stimulation feels. But there are no compatible attachments designed for penis stimulation.
And other brands’ attachments do not fit the PalmPower Recharge since its head is so much smaller than other wands. If you want more attachment selection than BMS provides, you’ll likely want to choose a full-sized wand like the Magic Wand Plus or Magic Wand Rechargeable which are compatible with attachments from many brands.
The BMS Swan Era Wand has poor attachment compatibility, but you can still find a few options that work.
A couple of my smaller, or extra stretchy attachments worked well. The PalmPower Rechargeable attachments stayed on with friction, but they don’t snap into place for additional security like they do with their own wand.
Large wand heads have the best attachment compatibility, so the Orion Your New Favorite Wand is a better affordable wand if you prioritize this.
Mount Compatibility
I test all my wands with my two Liberator mounts for hands-free play: the Axis and Wanda.
Unfortunately, the BMS PalmPower Rechargeable is too small for either mount. I can’t get any clit stimulation from it.
The head just barely sticks out past the Axis, and it’s completely swallowed up in the Wanda. Plus, since the tapered handle is so thin, the mounts hold the PalmPower Recharge very loosely.
If hands-free play is a big priority to you, I’d recommend getting a medium or large wand.
The Dame Com and Magic Wand Plus both work well with Liberator mounts. They’re in the same price range as the PalmPower Recharge.
And my favorite wand to use in mounts is the BMS PalmPower Extreme. This wand’s angled head is positioned just right and applies the best pressure during hands-free play.
The BMS Swan Era Wand has very poor compatibility with mounts.
It does not fit in the Wanda Mount at all.
In the Axis, the small head prevents it from making good contact with your body. Some of the vibrations do travel for some stimulation since the vibes are so rumbly, but most people will find this stimulation underwhelming.
The Orion Your New Favorite Wand is a better wand in this price range if you want to enjoy hands-free play with a mount.
Battery Life
The BMS PalmPower Rechargeable has a relatively short battery life compared to other wands. It lasts for about an hour on high power – which is still plenty of time for most people, but you’ll need to remember to charge it between uses.
If you enjoy longer sessions, many wands provide more playtime between charges. The Lovense Domi 2 is a similar size to the BMS PalmPower Recharge and lasts over 2 hours on high.
The BMS Swan Era Wand is rechargeable but has a shorter battery life than other wands. It lasted for 55 minutes on high power in our test, which could be enough if you charge between uses.
But the Orion Your New Favorite Wand lasts longer on an even higher top strength, so this is a better option if you frequently forget to charge.
Build Quality
The BMS PalmPower Recharge’s poor build quality is the main dealbreaker for me.
The motor fluctuates between power levels, rather than remaining at the intensity I set. The fact that it drops from 100% power to 20%, then jumps back to 40% makes it very distracting to use. And it sometimes causes me to lose my orgasm.
I noticed this issue with the first PalmPower Rechargeable I bought, so I purchased a second one to review in case it was a fluke. Unfortunately, I encountered the same issue with the replacement.
The BMS Swan Era Wand seems to have good build quality.
The all-over silicone provides a sleek, comfortable, and completely sealed feel. The neck has some flex but seems sturdy and not prone to breaking. The button has a nice press-feel, and I like the weight of it – neither too light nor too heavy.
Within the first week or two, the motor started rattling after a few minutes of higher-powered use, which could indicate degradation over time. It hasn’t affected performance so far, but it could be annoying to some.