Honey Play Box Pearl 2 vs Lelo Ida Wave Side-By-Side Comparison
Use Case Ratings
Performance Ratings
Our Verdict
The Honey Play Box Pearl 2 underperforms compared to other budget and pricier panty vibrators. Although it’s quiet and the motor itself is strong, without a magnet to keep it in place, the toy shifts around in your underwear and the loose fit doesn’t deliver that power to your clit. The vibrations are also extremely buzzy across the entire power range – and buzzy vibrations need firm, consistent contact to feel stimulating, which the loose fit can’t provide.
In the same price range, the NS Novelties Techno Lucy is a much better panty vibrator – more stimulating, secure, comfortable, and quieter. Like the Pearl 2, its app is basic, but it’s functional and the stimulation and fit matter more. If you want exceptional app control alongside great stimulation and fit, the Lovense Ferri is a much better option for about $50 more. Or consider the VeDO Niki – an excellent remote-controlled budget panty vibe.
The Lelo Ida Wave is one of my favorite dual-stimulation wearables to enjoy hands-free in bed.
It’s great if you want G-spot pressure from motion (like subtle fingering) with strong, rumbly clit vibrations. Few wearables offer G-spot motion rather than vibration, and among those that do, the Ida Wave delivers my favorite combined stimulation.
Its rotating internal arm provides subtle but enjoyable pressure on my G-spot. And the broad external arm keeps strong vibrations in consistent contact with my clit to bring me to orgasm hands-free. While some other motion-toys like the Lovense Flexer can feel more intense, the Ida Wave delivers enjoyable motion more comfortably – so I’m not distracted by uncomfortable pinching or poking.
Downsides are that the internal arm is a bit too flexible, so the G-spot pressure is mild – you can press a handheld rabbit like the We-Vibe Nova 2 more firmly against your G-spot than a hands-free toy. But it still enhances my orgasms driven by the clit vibrations. And like most dual-stimulation wearables, and especially those with motion, it’s also not easy to wear around, so it’s best used in-bed. Get a panty vibrator or egg vibrator if wearing it around is your priority.
The Pearl 2 is poor for play outside the bedroom. Since it doensn’t magnetically secure like better panty vibrators, it shifts around a lot when walking, can fall out during heavier activity, and the loose fit doesn’t deliver the motor’s power to your clit even when it does stay put. Its app is also basic, but it is functional for simple intensity control. The quiet vibrations are the one positive, but that doesn’t make up for the poor performance elsewhere.
In the same price range, the NS Novelties Techno Lucy is magnetically secured, so it’s a better panty vibrator to wear around – more secure, comfortable, and stimulating. Though like the Pearl 2, its app is basic. If you also want exceptional app control and a secure, stimulating fit, the Lovense Ferri is a much better option but pricier.
The Lelo Ida Wave is bad for wearing around outside the bedroom. The biggest issue is fit: the rotating internal arm works itself out as soon as I start walking, so it only functions for hands-free stimulation in bed. The clit motor also gets uncomfortable when layers of clothing press it in too firmly.
It is very quiet and rumbly, but that doesn’t matter if it doesn’t stay where it needs to be.
If you specifically want an app or remote-controlled toy to wear around, egg vibrators and panty vibrators are much more secure and comfortable as you move around. The Lovense Ferri is great for clit stimulation, and the Lovense Lush 4 is excellent for G-spot stimulation. You can even wear these two together and control them from the Lovense app. Or see all our recommendations for the best panty vibrators and best egg vibrators.
The Pearl 2 is not great for hands-free clit stimulation in bed. It’s one of the least stimulating panty vibrators I’ve tested – the loose, poor fit doesn’t deliver the vibrations to your clit, so the motor’s great power is ineffective when used hands-free. The wider body and prominent peak also make it less comfortable to wear in bed than better panty vibrators – the peak digs into your clit at times, and the width causes it to vibrate your legs whenever you shift positions. If you like strong, buzzy vibrations it’s not bad as a handheld mini vibrator, but it fails as a hands-free toy.
For better hands-free clit stimulation in bed, the VeDO Niki is a more stimulating rumbly option in this price range – though note it’s remote-only, not app-controlled. If you want exceptional app control with great stimulation, the Lovense Ferri is a much better option for about $50 more.
The Lelo Ida Wave is one of my favorite dual-stimulation wearables to enjoy hands-free in bed.
It’s great if you want G-spot pressure from motion (like subtle fingering) with strong, rumbly clit vibrations. Few wearables offer G-spot motion rather than vibration, and among those that do, the Ida Wave delivers my favorite combined stimulation.
Its rotating internal arm provides subtle but enjoyable pressure on my G-spot. And the broad external arm keeps strong vibrations in consistent contact with my clit to bring me to orgasm hands-free. While some other motion-toys like the Lovense Flexer can feel more intense, the Ida Wave delivers enjoyable motion more comfortably – so I’m not distracted by uncomfortable pinching or poking.
It also has one of the longest batteries of all my dual-stim wearables, and even with its motion some of the quietest sound levels.
However, the internal arm can slowly work its way out, so I usually readjust it a few times per session. And if firm G-spot pressure is the main thing you want, a handheld dual-stim vibrator like the We-Vibe Nova 2 is still better because you can press it in manually.
The Honey Play Box Pearl 2 is disappointing for long-distance play. The long-distance app experience is subpar, but functional. The HoneyPlayBox app’s long-distance controls are limited to a single intensity slider during video calls, with no pattern creation, and no mutual control if you both have HoneyPlayBox toys. And you can’t send messages or photos during long-distance play, so if you aren’t video calling it doesn’t feel engaging. Connection reliability during long-distance is decent though.
More importantly, without a magnet to secure the panty vibe to your underwear, the fit is very loose. So you don’t get good hands-free stimulation in bed or while wearing it around.
For long-distance play, the Lovense Ferri is a much better choice for about $50 more – the best app features and connectivity, and a magnetic fit that keeps it stimulating and secure. On a budget, the NS Novelties Techno Lucy is a better long-distance option than the Pearl 2 since the toy itself is much better, but its long-distance app experience is also basic.
The Lelo Ida Wave is fine for long-distance play as an occasional bonus use, but isn’t the wearable vibrator I’d get if that’s your main goal.
The Lelo app’s long-distance feature set is basic – no video calling, no saved partners (send a room code each time), and messaging is text-only – you can’t send photos or videos like other apps.
The long-distance connectivity is reliable, and your partner can control your toy’s intensity using the basic controls or by moving their phone, drawing or tapping on-screen, or using their voice volume. And the toy itself has strong, rumbly clit vibrations plus stimulating G-spot pressure from motion. But if you prioritize an engaging experience with your long-distance partner other apps like Lovense provide a much richer long-distance experience.
The Lovense Dolce is a great dual-stimulation alternative, with a better long-distance experience.
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Clit Stimulation: Main Takeaways
In the next sections, I’ll cover the Pearl 2’s vibration power and rumbliness in detail.
Here’s the main conclusion: the Pearl 2 is one of the least stimulating panty vibrators I’ve tested. The motor itself is strong, but the design doesn’t deliver that power to my clit, and the vibrations are extremely buzzy. Buzzy vibes need consistent firm contact to land, and the Pearl 2’s loose fit can’t provide it.
In the same price range, the NS Novelties Techno Lucy hits the same top strength and actually transfers the vibrations to your clit. For about $50 more, the Lovense Ferri is a much better option – the best vibration transfer of any panty vibrator I’ve tested.
In the next sections, I’ll cover the Ida Wave’s clit vibration power and rumbliness.
Here’s the main conclusion:
The Ida Wave has one of the best clit motors of any dual-stim wearable. It’s got the most rumbly clit motor of the dual-stim wearables I’ve tested, and has great power. It’s strong enough for me to orgasm hands-free, and while some others have even more strength, the broad external arm helps the vibrations reach my clit more effectively than many stronger toys.
Clit Vibrations: Power, Range, and Transfer Effectiveness
Although the Honey Play Box Pearl 2’s vibrations are strong, they don’t transfer to the clit well so it feels weak.
The Pearl 2 has a strong clit motor – at a 9 out of 10 top strength, among my panty vibrators it’s second only to the Lovense Ferri, which hits 9.35. On paper, that’s enough power for me to orgasm hands-free. But the design doesn’t deliver that power to my clit – the Pearl 2 has the worst vibration transfer of any panty vibrator I’ve tested.
The Pearl 2 has no magnet, so it shifts around freely in my underwear. The Pearl’s raised bump keeps the toy from naturally hugging my body, and the stimulation point shifts off my clit quickly. The vibrations are also buzzy, and buzzy vibrations need more consistent, firm contact with my clit since they don’t travel as deep. The only way to actually feel this motor’s strength is to press the toy against my clit with my hand, which defeats the entire purpose of a panty vibrator.
Power range is also narrow, spanning from 6.75 to 9 out of 10, which means there’s no gentle starting point for warming up – the lowest setting is already moderately strong.
In the same price range, the NS Novelties Techno Lucy hits the same top strength, a wider power range, and it has a contoured body that transfers vibrations well. If you’re willing to spend a bit more, the Ferri is the across-the-board better option – stronger power, better vibration transfer, and a far better app.
The Ida Wave has strong clit vibrations – strong enough for me to orgasm hands-free. Its ten power levels span from a very gentle 1.0 up to 8.5 out of 10, with gradual steps for a comfortable, slow build.
The vibrations transfer really well to my clit too. With hands-free vibrators, the toy’s shape and fit have to naturally carry the motor’s strength to your body. The Ida Wave’s design does this very well: the tight angle of the internal arm pushes the clit arm firmly against my body, and the broad shape distributes this pressure evenly and consistently (and very comfortably).
Of the dual-stim wearables I’ve tested, the Lovense Dolce and Lovense Flexer reach higher raw top powers, but neither delivers their power to the clit as effectively as the Ida Wave.
Clit Vibrations: Frequency (Rumbliness)
We rate panty vibrators with rumbly vibrations higher than buzzy ones because most people prefer rumbly. But it’s a personal preference, and some people enjoy buzzy vibes more.
The Pearl 2 is extremely buzzy across its entire power range. Its lowest setting measures 132 Hz, the median lands at 143 Hz, and the top climbs to 154 Hz – all sitting well into the extremely buzzy range.
Buzzy vibrations stay concentrated near the surface rather than traveling deep, so they need strong power AND excellent vibration transfer to feel stimulating on my clit. The Pearl 2 has the power but, as noted above, its loose fit keeps the vibrations from transferring to your body well. As a result, even though I often enjoy buzzy vibes personally, they don’t work for this toy.
For rumbly clit stimulation in a panty vibrator, the VeDO Niki is the best choice by a wide margin, never crossing into buzzy territory. Just note the Niki is remote-only, not app-controlled. If you like buzzy vibrations, the NS Novelties Techno Lucy is a better option in this price range – while it’s similarly buzzy to the Pearl, it transfers the vibes to my clit well.
We rate wearables with rumbly vibrations higher than buzzy ones because rumbly is what most people prefer. But it’s definitely a personal preference, so consider what you like.
The Ida Wave’s clit motor is one of the most rumbly of my dual-stimulation wearables. Its lowest power setting is extremely rumbly at 46 Hz, the middle of its range is moderately rumbly at 68 Hz, and its top setting reaches neutral at 84 Hz – it never crosses into buzzy territory. My other dual-stim wearables are buzzier: the Lovense Dolce starts rumbly on low (49 Hz) but climbs into extremely buzzy at its top, and the Lovense Flexer is extremely buzzy at every power level.
Rumbly vibrations travel deeper into your body and tend to feel less ticklish than buzzy ones, which is part of why many people prefer them. While I can orgasm just as well from buzzy wearables as rumbly ones, the Ida Wave will be best for those who prioritize rumbliness.
G-spot Stimulation: Main Takeaways
Like all panty vibrators, the Honey Play Box Pearl 2 only stimulates your clit – not your G-spot. Since most women need clit stimulation to orgasm, a panty vibrator is often the right type of wearable. But if you’re interested in G-spot stimulation instead, see all our recommendations for the best egg vibrators here.
G-spot Stimulation from Motion
I really enjoy the Ida Wave’s G-spot motion and it hits my G-spot well, but it’s somewhat subtle – like gentle fingering. It adds depth to my orgasms driven by the clit motor, but isn’t the main event on its own.
This rotational motion is one of my favorites, because this angle can direct pressure against the front wall where my G-spot is. Of the motion-based wearables I’ve tested, the Ida Wave hits the G-spot best: the “fingering” motion of the Lovense Flexer actually creates more clit movement than internal movement. And in-and-out thrusting toys like the Lovense Vulse feel good but don’t press on my G-spot specifically. The Ida Wave’s motion is also more stimulating than the Lelo Hula Beads which have too little range of motion to reach my G-spot reliably.
The stimulation is on the gentle side because the internal arm is flexible, so the pressure is light. If you like substantial force on your G-spot, handheld G-spot toys like the We-Vibe Nova 2 or Lovense Nora allow for much more leveraging pressure. But what I enjoy about the Ida Wave is that it’s effortless.
I can let the clit vibrations bring me to orgasm hands-free while the G-spot motion makes the orgasm stronger and more full.
App Control: Main Takeaways
In the next sections, I’ll cover the HoneyPlayBox app’s close-range features, long-distance features, and connectivity in detail.
Here’s the main conclusion: the HoneyPlayBox app does basic intensity control well but falls short on any greater customization capabilities. People who care a lot about the app control quality should get the Lovense Ferri.
There’s a good, basic interface for adjusting a constant vibration setting which is all a lot of people need. But pattern selection is poor, pattern creation is buggy, the long-distance features are limited, and connectivity has some issues in specific situations – missed commands during quick intensity changes, occasional long-distance session drops, and disconnections when there’s a lot of body interference blocking the signal.
If exceptional app control is your top priority, the Lovense Ferri is a much better option for about $50 more.
In the next sections, I’ll cover the Lelo app’s close-range features, long-distance features, and connectivity in detail.
Here’s the main conclusion: Lelo’s app is clean, easy to use, and reliable, but it’s basic compared with the best vibrator apps.
Close-range and long-distance controls works well for adjusting intensity, choosing preset patterns, or controlling power through your phone’s movement. But there’s no custom pattern creation, sound sync, multi-toy control, or independent control over each motor. Long-distance connections are reliable, but the experience is bare-bones with no video calling or photo sharing. Bluetooth connectivity is solid during normal use, though heavy body interference can cause dropouts.
If basic, reliable control is enough and you primarily want the Ida Wave for its comfortable motion and rumbly clit vibrations, the app works well. If a feature-rich app and engaging long-distance experience are priorities, go with a Lovense dual-stimulation wearable like the Lovense Dolce or the Lovense Flexer if you still want motion.
App Control: Close-Range Features
Note: Honey Play Box has updated their app since this section was written. We are working on updating this discussion. However, the video demo is up to date.
The Honey Play Box app’s close-range feature quality is split: setting and adjusting a constant vibration intensity is genuinely good, but most other features are clunky or don’t work as designed. If a clean intensity controller is all you need from the app, the Pearl 2’s app will be fine. If you want pattern creation, real sound-reactive control, or richer features, the experience is worse than better apps like Lovense.
The strong point is the “Free” control screen (This is what this control mode is called, there are not “paid” vs “free” features). You drag an on-screen dot up or down to set the vibration intensity, with a live waveform showing the level you’ve set. It’s precise, easy for you or a partner to use, and the visual feedback is good – your partner will understand what intensity they’ve set your toy to. It’s similar in concept to Lovense’s main remote screen, and for basic intensity control it works well.
The “Presets” screen is where things start getting clunky. You drag a slider from 1 to 9: positions 1, 2, and 3 are low / medium / high constant intensities, and 4-9 are preset patterns. The patterns are simply numbered – no descriptive names, no preview icons – so there’s no way to know what each pattern feels like without selecting it. There’s also no intensity adjustment for the patterns; you get them at one fixed strength.
Pattern creation works in principle but not in practice. From the “Free” screen, you can tap a “loop” button and draw your own waveform, and the vibrations actually play live as you draw – which is the right design (some apps like We-Vibe make you draw blind without being able to feel what you’re drawing). The problem is the resulting pattern doesn’t match what you drew. A smooth wave you sketch on the screen might come back as a jerky pulse or a series of discrete steps.
A second save-a-session feature records the vibrations you used throughout your entire play session so you can play them again later. But it’s inconsistent – sometimes the save prompt appears, sometimes it doesn’t, and saved sessions are buried and hard to find under your Profile menu rather than alongside normal controls.
The Sound Reactive and Music modes that many apps provide are present but barely usable.
The way Sound Reactive control usually works is that the vibrations get stronger only when the noise around you is louder. But the Honey Play Box app’s Sound Reactive mode has no threshold control. So even quiet sounds trigger the vibrations – and several Honey Play Box toys start with enough power that the vibrations are loud right away.
Music sync only works with audio files saved on your phone (no Spotify or other streaming), and the vibrations don’t really match the music. Both sound and music modes feel like they were shoved in to pad the feature list.
There’s one genuinely uncommon bonus: a Voice Control mode. You set a wake word (“Hi, Honey” by default, but customizable), then give spoken commands to change intensity or switch patterns. There’s a small command list to learn and a bit of lag, but it works as designed. I don’t reach for it often, but I could see it being useful when your hands are busy or have lube on them and you don’t want to touch your phone.
A small annoyance worth mentioning: the app requires account creation even if you only ever plan to use it close-range with no partner. You stay logged in after setup, so it’s not recurring friction, but it’s worth knowing going in.
For pure intensity control via the Free screen, the Pearl 2’s app is genuinely fine – and better than the NS Novelties Techno Lucy‘s more basic app at the same price. But if you want the full close-range features done well – clean preset patterns, a pattern loop that actually matches what you draw, real sound-reactive control with thresholds – the Lovense Ferri is a much beter option for about $50 more. The Lovense Remote app is the best of any brand.
The Lelo app’s close-range features are clean, easy to use, and work well – but they’re very basic. It’s essentially a glorified remote control which can be good if you like simplicity.
You can adjust intensity, choose preset patterns, and use Lelo’s unique motion-control feature like their physical remotes provide. But it lacks the advanced features better apps offer, like custom pattern creation, music/sound sync, separate control over each motor, and the ability to control multiple toys at once.
Manual mode is just a picture of Lelo’s remote and + / − buttons to raise or lower intensity. It works well, but with 10 power levels, it takes lots of repeated taps to reach high power. Better apps like Lovense’s feel smoother because you can tap or drag directly to the intensity you want instead of clicking a button several times.
For faster intensity changes, use the Screwing mode. This adjusts the toy’s power based on your phone’s tilt – level for gentle vibrations, closer to 90 degrees for stronger. This is also a great way to control your toy without staring at a screen.
Shaking changes intensity based on how hard you shake the phone, but I think it takes too much energy, so it’s not very useful.
On all 3 screens, you can select a pattern and control its intensity. The pattern names are vague like “Delighted” or “Overjoyed” instead of descriptive like “Waves” or “Pulses”. And the app shows small waveform icons for each motor, but you don’t see them until you’ve selected the pattern. So you have to select and try each pattern to know what it feels like.
It’s missing more advanced functionality other apps provide. There’s no custom pattern creation, no music or sound-reactive control, no multi-toy control, and no individual control over each motor. Each pattern in the Ida Wave’s app assigns a preset waveform to both motors, and some Modes give the clit and G-spot motors different patterns. But any intensity adjustment applies to both motors together, so you can’t turn up the clit vibrations while keeping the G-spot motion slow for example. Better apps like Lovense allow individual control of each motor.
One small annoyance: the app requires an account even for close-range solo use. It usually stays logged in, but it sometimes signs me out, which is frustrating when I’m ready to use the toy.
For simple, reliable close-range control, the Ida Wave’s app is good. But if you want more advanced app features, the Lovense Dolce is a good dual-stimulation wearable with a better app.
App Control: Long-Distance Features
Note: Honey Play Box has updated their app since this section was written. We are working on updating this discussion. However, the video demo is up to date.
The Honey Play Box app’s long-distance feature set is limited and a bit confusing to learn. You can video call your partner and have them control the Pearl 2’s vibration intensity in real time, but that’s the entire feature set – for anything richer, the Lovense Ferri is better.
In a long-distance video call, your partner sees a single intensity slider and can raise or lower the Pearl 2’s vibration power. That’s it. They can’t send preset patterns, and they can’t draw looping patterns the way you can during close-range play. If you both have HoneyPlayBox toys, only one of you can share toy control at a time – there’s no mutual control during the call. With better apps like Lovense’s, your partner has the same control screen you’d have during nearby control, and both partners can control each other’s toys simultaneously.
Getting into the call is also confusing. There’s a “Remote” screen that’s actually the long-distance screen (it isn’t labeled that way), and a separate chat screen with your saved-partner list. Both have buttons that look like they’ll start a video call, but only the “Remote” screen actually shares toy control with your partner – starting a call from the chat screen is video-only without any toy control.
Once you’re past the setup confusion, the call itself is fairly good. The video call controls – mute, camera on/off, front/rear camera swap, end call – sit along the top of the screen and can’t be minimized, so they take a slice of your view of your partner, but not much. Your partner’s intensity slider sits along the edge of the screen, out of the way of the video, and your own camera preview is a small window you can drag wherever is least intrusive. Video quality is decent rather than great – there’s slight pixelation around edges that some will find off-putting, but it didn’t bother us.
In-app messaging exists, but it’s entirely separate from toy control. You can’t text your partner while they’re controlling your vibrations, so if you wanted to swap steamy messages mid-session, you’ll have to use a regular messaging app.
If long-distance play is a major priority for you, the Ferri is a much better option for about $50 more. Lovense’s long-distance experience is the best of any panty vibrator I’ve tested.
Lelo’s long-distance experience is very basic.
It works for offering a partner simple, reliable control of your toy from anywhere in the world, but it doesn’t have the communication features that make long-distance feel more like sharing an experience together: no video or voice calls, no saved partners, no photo or voice messaging, no custom pattern creation, and you can only send text messages when you’re both in an active session.
To start, you create a new Room and send your partner the code outside the app. That’s fine for one-off sessions, but you have to create a new room every time. There are no saved partner profiles, online status, auto-accept settings, or permissions. So with a regular partner, you have to start from scratch each time.
Once connected, the controlling partner gets a version of the same Play screen used for close-range control: they will use the Manual mode, and the Screwing/Shaking motion modes to contol your toy. Lelo does add two useful long-distance controls: a drag-to-position dot for setting intensity quickly, and a voice-control mode that changes power based on sound picked up by the phone’s mic. Both make it quicker to set a specific intensity than tapping + / − repeatedly.
But it lacks lots of communication features that make most long-distance toys feel fun and connecting. There’s only text messaging, with no message history once the room ends, so you can’t go back and reread fun messages. Video or voice calls have to happen in another app, like FaceTime or Zoom. But if you each have a Lelo toy, you can each control the other’s toy.
If long-distance play is a priority, the Lovense Dolce or Lovense Flexer is the better dual-stim wearable. Lovense has in-app video, messaging, saved partners, permission settings, and detailed controls so your partner can make custom patterns. Lelo is fine for basic control-sharing, but Lovense is much stronger for ongoing partner play.
App Control: Connectivity
The Honey Play Box app’s connectivity is decent in both nearby Bluetooth and long-distance modes – pairing is fast and Bluetooth range carries far, but the signal can be unreliabile under a lot of body interference.
Pairing the toy to your phone is pretty fast and consistent. Every time you connect, you have to go to the connection screen and select your toy, so it always takes a couple clicks and a few seconds – not the instant auto-pairing better apps like Lovense provide, but quick enough that it doesn’t get in the way.
When a bluetooth disconnection happens, either because you’re out of range or something blocks the signal, getting reconnected is relatively quick and easy, but it takes manual action in the app – it won’t automatically reconnect like many apps do. The app pops up a screen letting you know your toy is disconnected with a “Reconnect” button. You have to click that button and then select your toy from the list. It takes a couple seconds to pair, but works reliably. The vibrations stop on disconnect, which is best for discretion but disrupts the stimulation.
The Pearl 2 maintains a reliable connection under low-to-moderate body interference like typically exists when controlling the toy yourself or with your partner alongside or in front of you – angles where your body doesn’t fully sit between their phone and the toy. But it disconnects completely under more extreme positioning with a lot of body interference. Body tissue is the main thing that can make an app’s bluetooth connection drop during play because water-rich materials like your body weaken an app’s signal much more than other materials like clothes and typical walls.
Bluetooth reached about 240 feet in our open-air max range test – measured with clear line-of-sight and no body interference. That’s outstanding range, more than enough for room-to-room use. But keep in mind real-world range will be shorter at angles with body interference.
There’s a minor issue with missed commands on the “Free” control screen. Drawing a fast spike up and then pulling intensity back down often skips the spike entirely – the app jumps straight to the lower intensity without registering the first command. It feels like control input is being read slightly too slowly, so quick back-to-back changes lose their intermediate commands. If you like to play with quick intensity swings rather than smooth ramps, expect to lose some inputs.
Long-distance reliability is decent during active use, but there are some inactive phone behaviors that can cause the session to occasionally drop. As long as one of you keeps the app open, control runs through cleanly – no missed commands, no session drops. But the session occasionally drops if you both lock your phone for some reason; when that happens, you both have to reopen the app and the toy-wearer has to reconnect the toy. Switching between Wi-Fi and cell data mid-session also breaks control, but you can avoid this by starting the session on cell data – once you do, you can switch back and forth without losing the connection. For occasional long-distance use, these quirks are workable.
If you need more reliable connectivity, for both nearby and long-distance play, the Lovense Ferri is a much better panty vibe for about $50 more with outstanding connectivity.
The Ida Wave’s close-range Bluetooth is good for solo use: pairing is reliable, commands consistently go through, and the range is strong – 215 feet in our test without any blockage. It can be sensitive to too much body tissue coming between the phone and toy, but this doesn’t happen much in normal use.
The first time you connect, you’ll add the toy to your list which takes a few clicks. After that first one-time pairing, I just tap the toy from the My Toy list, tap Play, and it connects within a few seconds.
The Ida Wave stays connected well when the phone and toy have a clear path, but Bluetooth struggles when a lot of body tissue sits between them. In our body-interference test, it handled light body interference but dropped at the two harder angles with more material blocking the signal.
For most people this won’t really be an issue with the Ida Wave. Our test runs harsher than real wear. The Ida Wave’s receiver is in the external arm and often will have a relatively clear shot – especially since this toy is best in bed rather than wearing around where your partner might be at an odd angle like controlling your toy from behind you.
If the connection drops between your phone and the toy, the app won’t automatically reconnect when the signal returns. You have to go back to the toy’s connection page, and press the physical button on the Ida Wave itself to re-pair. Since the button’s on the external arm, it’s not much trouble, but still takes effort.
Connecting in long-distance mode through a “room” is reliable because your partner’s phone isn’t talking directly to the toy. Your phone controls the Ida Wave over Bluetooth, and your partner’s phone connects to yours over Wi-Fi or cell data. As long as your phone stays near the toy and both internet connections are decent, the long-distance connection works well.
One small long-distance quirk: if the controlling partner locks their phone or leaves the app for more than about 30 seconds, they drop out of the Room and have to re-enter the code. The wearer’s connection doesn’t drop – control just pauses until they rejoin.
For most typical uses, the Ida Wave’s connection is solid. But if the best connectivity is important to you, the Lovense Dolce or Flexer is a better pick. They handle tougher body-blocking angles better, and are stronger overall for app-controlled play.
Remote Control: Main Takeaways
The Honey Play Box Pearl 2 doesn’t include a physical remote control. A remote lets you adjust the toy by feel – without pulling out your phone. Though there’s other downsides like less depth and no visual feedback to help your partner know what your toy’s doing. If you want to consider options with physical remotes, see our recommendations in these guides:
- best remote and app-controlled vibrators (all types of vibrators)
- best wearable vibrators (wearables only).
The Lelo Ida Wave doesn’t include a physical remote control. A remote lets you adjust the toy by feel – without pulling out your phone. Though there’s other downsides like less depth and no visual feedback to help your partner know what your toy’s doing. If you want to consider options with physical remotes, see our recommendations in these guides:
- best remote and app-controlled vibrators (all types of vibrators)
- best wearable vibrators (wearables only).
On-Toy Controls
The on-toy controls are basic and a little uncomfortable, but with a panty vibe you’ll mostly control the toy from the app anyway. The on-toy button is mainly for turning the toy on and off, plus the occasional power step when your phone isn’t within reach or if you want to also use your panty vibe like a handheld toy.
A single button cycles through three power levels and six patterns. Three levels covering the full power range is a reasonable range for button control – fewer settings means fewer clicks to get to your preferred intensity. For the full continuous power range, you have to use the app. I’d also rather the patterns not be on the cycle because that adds more clicks I have to do when trying to adjust the power.
The button itself isn’t raised, so it’s hard to find by feel if you need to press it while wearing it. Pressing it also pushes the toy harder against you, and the prominent peak shape makes that pressure a bit uncomfortable.
Again, those downsides are pretty minor since you’ll mainly use the app.
Like most wearables, the Ida Wave’s on-toy controls are limited by design – you’ll mostly control it through the app. The button is a single-button cycle for 7 vibration patterns, with only one vibration power level accessible on-toy. The rotating internal arm spins at one fixed speed regardless of which setting you select.
For the full 10 power settings and control over the arm’s speed, you have to use the app.
If you do have to use the on-toy button, the button placement is good. On most wearables, pressing the button often means pushing the toy uncomfortably against you or removing it completely first. But the Ida Wave’s button is on the side of the external arm.
It’s comfortable and easy to press, and doesn’t push the toy uncomfortably against your body, making it decent as a backup if you don’t feel like using the app.
Secure Fit & Adjustability
The Honey Play Box Pearl 2 is one of the least secure panty vibrators I’ve tested. It shifts a ton while walking, and it can fall out during heavy activity. For a secure fit, a panty vibrator needs a magnet to secure it to your underwear like the Lovense Ferri and NS Novelties Techno Lucy have.
In bed is the least problematic of the three scenarios. The toy didn’t fall out for me, but I could feel it shifting when I rolled from one side to the other. Any leg movement bumped the toy – it’s fairly wide and has no magnet to keep it in place. The stimulation point mostly stayed on my clit, but the whole setup felt precarious.
When I walked around the house, the Pearl 2 shifted side-to-side significantly, especially on stairs, and the stimulation point drifted off my clit immediately. The toy is also wide enough that I could feel it bumping the inside of my legs as it shifted.
It was even worse during more rigorous activity. It fell out of my underwear during jumping jacks, bounced around during running and high knees, and shifted noticeably during squats. By that point, it’s essentially non-wearable.
In the same price range, the NS Novelties Techno Lucy stayed in place through walking and exercise. Or if you want a secure-fitting panty vibrator that also has an excellent app, consider the Lovense Ferri.
The Ida Wave is the least secure-fitting dual-stim wearable I’ve tested. I still really enjoy this toy, but you can’t wear it around. And even in bed, I have to make occasional adjustments.
The rotating internal arm is small and flexible while the external arm is broad and heavy, so the toy’s own weight slowly works the internal arm out. It’s flexible, but not adjustable, so there are no hinges to actually re-shape the toy to make it more secure.
In bed, the Ida Wave stays workable but never feels fully reliably anchored. I can roll, shift positions, even kneel, but I find myself adjusting it or pushing the internal arm back in a few times per session. The clit vibrations are stimulating, but for the best experience, plan to use your hand every so often to re-position it. If you’ll find that annoying, dual-stimulation toys without motion like the Lovense Dolce are much more secure.
The Ida Wave is not designed to be worn around. When I walked around with it in, I had to keep pushing it back into position; only my underwear stopped it from falling all the way out. It also bumps against the inside of my legs, making walking awkward. With any sort of heavier activity like running or jumping the Ida Wave pulls most of the way out.
If walking around or moving with the toy in is part of what you want from a wearable, the Ida Wave isn’t built for it – and really none of my strong dual-stimulation wearables are easy to wear around. A panty vibrator like the Lovense Ferri or egg vibrator like the Lovense Lush 4 are much more secure. You can even wear both of these at the same time and control them through the Lovense app.
Comfort
The Pearl 2 is one of the least comfortable panty vibrators I’ve tested, whether in bed or moving around.
Lying in bed is the better of the two scenarios. The toy’s prominent peak digs into my clit a bit more than I’d like. The extra pressure can be more stimulating, but it’s also hard to control, so it’s more uncomfortable than helpful. The wider body also touches the inside of my legs whenever I shift positions, so I feel the vibrations in my legs which can be distracting.
It’s worse when I’m up moving around. The same width causing vibrations in my legs feels more pronounced while walking, and because nothing holds the toy steady, the raised peak taps my clit uncomfortably as it jostles around.
In the same price range, the NS Novelties Techno Lucy is one of the most comfortable panty vibrators I’ve tested.
The Ida Wave is much more comfortable in bed than it is for walking around. Lying down, the slim internal arm is pretty comfortable, and the broad external arm distributes pressure evenly. But once I’m standing or walking, the toy starts to pull out, which can make it pinch uncomfortably.
In bed, the internal arm is slim enough that it doesn’t limit my movement as much as more bulbous internal arms. The external arm is broad enough that I can’t fully close my legs around it, but my legs help to keep it in place. And this breadth helps spread the pressure out instead of pinching, like the narrower Lovense Flexer can.
Walking around is the weak point. As the internal arm slowly works its way out, it can press uncomfortably against my pubic bone. So if mobile comfort is your priority, try a panty vibrator like the Lovense Ferri or egg vibrator like the Lovense Lush Mini instead. Or try wearing them both at the same time for dual-stimulation that’s more comfy to wear around.
The Ida Wave is best treated as an in-bed wearable.
Noise
The Honey Play Box Pearl 2 is quiet, especially once you’re wearing it.
On low power, the vibrations measured at our testing room’s 35 dBA ambient floor – too quiet for our Sound Level Meter to pick up. On high, they stepped up to about 43 dBA, which is still quiet.
The Pearl 2 is in the most-discreet group of wearables in our Background Noise Masking subtest. In this subtest, I wear the vibrator and my partner listens from three feet away while we play pink noise through a speaker at quiet, moderate, and loud volumes (56, 62, and 68 dBA). He couldn’t hear the Pearl 2 at any vibration strength under any of our three tested volumes of background noise. It is definitely audible in our room without any background audio playing – but every wearable vibrator we tested is, no matter how gentle and quiet the vibrations are.
Behind a closed bedroom door, the Pearl 2 was inaudible on its low and middle settings, but my partner could just barely hear it on high in our silent house. For this part of the test, my partner listens directly outside our bedroom door while I use the toy in bed. I use it like a handheld toy since wearing dampens sound, and some people want the flexibility to safely re-position the toy or move it around. Holding the toy instead of wearing it gives us the most conservative results. This was his note from our testing spreadsheet word for word: “I had to try hard to hear them and don’t think anyone would in normal use.”
The Lelo Ida Wave is very discreet – especially surprising since toys with motion are typically loud.
When held in the open air, the decibel readings are somewhat loud on paper – about 45 dBA on low and 56 dBA on high. But once you’re actually wearing the toy, the body dampens both the vibration and the motion noise substantially.
The Ida Wave was fully masked at every power level in our Background Noise Masking subtest. In this part of the test, I wear the toy while my partner listens from three feet away and we play pink noise through a speaker at quiet, moderate, and loud volumes (56, 62, and 68 dBA). He couldn’t hear the Ida Wave at any strength under any of our three tested background volumes – and even when he stepped right next to me to check the sound, he could only pick up the vibrations, not the rotating motion at all.
Behind a closed bedroom door, the Ida Wave was also inaudible. For this part of the test, my partner listens directly outside our bedroom door while I use the toy in bed. I use it like a handheld toy since wearing dampens sound, and some people want the flexibility to safely re-position wearables or use some of them handheld. Holding the toy instead of wearing it gives us the most conservative results. He couldn’t hear the Ida Wave at any setting from behind the door.
The Ida Wave is the quietest of my strong dual-stimulation wearables.
Battery Life
The Pearl 2 has a short battery life. It lasted 55 minutes continuously running at its highest power during our test – typical of panty vibrators in this price range, but well below higher-end options. Since you’ll use the Pearl 2’s lower power levels too, your real-use runtime will likely be longer.
If long battery life is a priority, the Lovense Ferri is a much better option for about $50 more – it lasted 168 minutes during our test, about three times the Pearl 2’s runtime.
The Lelo Ida Wave lasted 135 minutes at top power in our testing – the longest battery life of any dual-stimulation wearable I’ve tested. And since you’ll spend plenty of time on lower and middle settings too, real-world runtime is typically longer. That’s plenty of time, even if you sometimes forget to charge between uses.
Cleaning
The Pearl 2 is very easy to clean. It’s IPX7 waterproof, so you can wash it under a running faucet with soap and water and it’s safe to completely submerge.
The Lelo Ida Wave is very easy to clean. It’s IPX7 waterproof, so you can rinse it under a running faucet or fully submerge it in soapy water without worrying about water damage.
Build Quality
The Pearl 2 feels like it’s good quality. The body is almost entirely silicone with a slightly plush feel around the edges and a shimmery finish, and nothing feels easily breakable.
The Ida Wave’s build quality is excellent. I’ve owned my Ida Wave since 2022, and it’s continued to operate as expected. The silicone is smooth, the shiny plastic top has stayed scratch-free with normal use, and the seams between materials are tight. The flex point between the internal and external arms feels solidly built, with no loosening or signs of strain.