The fatal flaw of the Jimmyjane Form 2

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The Jimmyjane Form 2 was so close to perfect. Until it wasn’t anymore.

I started noticing, while using the Form 2, that the vibrations shift. Seemingly out of nowhere, they migrate out of the ears — where they belong — and into the base. The motor starts whining loudly, and the vibrations on my clit become very diffuse and weak, so it’s nearly impossible to orgasm. This freak-out can only be rectified by pulling the toy away from the body.

And this is not something that happens only sometimes. It happens constantly, rendering the Form 2 useless as a clitoral stimulator. Especially a $145 one.

[Update, 02-15: Shawna at Sex Siopa had a new Form 2 sent to me in 2014 to see if this issue persists. It does, but it’s different. The glitch is no longer obscenely loud, and it now takes the form of an odd pulsating within the motors. I guess this is an improvement because it’s marginally more pleasurable, especially if you’re cool with pulsations, but it still happens just as often and makes the Form 2 an unpredictable pain in the ass to use. Get a LELO Siri 2 instead.]

At first, I was hopeful that I just had a defective Form 2. I emailed Jimmyjane, who were more than willing to replace mine1. They weren’t sure if what I was describing was a defect, but they did say:

There is a natural change in the vibration pattern when pressure is applied to the ears as the motor weight shifts and the rotation pattern is interrupted. This is a result of us adding the ears2 so close to the surface (for extreme power) and we felt it was important to have flexible ears (which is why the motor weight is able to shift).

I was getting worried. Then I started chatting with (and reading reviews from) many fellow Form 2 owners — Sundae, Tuesday, Sophie, NuMe21, and Carnivalesq and her mom — and they all reported that it was happening to them, too. When I asked Tuesday if her Form 2 had this issue, she replied, “That’s exactly what happens. Repeatedly.” From pressure, yes, but also from very light touches. Sophie agreed with me, saying, “it doesn’t take a lot of pressure to make this toy go bonkers.” Because I’m not applying pressure. My Form 2 freaks out the moment it is nestled between my labia. It’s beyond ridiculous.

It seems that pressure, angle, and/or surrounding skin can trigger it.

So Jimmyjane sent me a new Form 2, along with a return label for me to mail back my first unit. Well, I found out quickly (on my first masturbation session with it) that my second Form 2 was just as bad. And I now have complete confirmation from Jimmyjane that the problem is something engineered into the toy:

We did test the new unit we sent to you, to see if what you were communicating was the normal movement of vibration, and that unit was functioned as all FORM 2’s do. As I mentioned, the vibration works as a weight moves around inside the motor. As you bend the ears, the weight shifts, altering the vibration pattern.

And so it is: the issue cannot be described as a defect or even a glitch. The Form 2 is simply engineered that way; the vibrations are meant to move into the base, significantly cutting down on the vibrations in the ears. And this happens very, very, very easily, so easily that I am confident any consumer would face the same problem.

Tuesday also got a replacement. And her experience was the same:

JJ sent a replacement, but the replacement is no different from the first one . . . When I called JJ they first told me that that’s the way they worked, then that a replacement might have the same issue. Maybe they’re tired of sending out replacements.

Jimmyjane should be tired of sending out replacements. This should be a sign. We, the consumers, are not happy. We do not like this flaw. We should not have to learn how not to trigger it. As Sundae says in her video, “you don’t want to have to babysit a vibrator to get off . . . the glitch really makes it often unusable . . . if I can pull out a $10 bullet from my drawer and use that, and that consistently works for me, then I’m a little disappointed in the toy that’s $145 and can’t deliver the same.”

My contact at Jimmyjane assures me that my comments have been forwarded to the product development team, who are looking into the issue closely. I really hope that is true. I certainly don’t expect Jimmyjane to alter their product on account of one consumer/reviewer’s opinion, which is why I’m not getting my hopes up for a fixed Form 2. However, if you own a Form 2 and agree with me, please email Jimmyjane (customerservice at jimmyjane dot com) and let them know. I doubt the Form 2 will be changed unless many people recognize this issue and pester them about it.

This saga has such a disappointing ending. I loved the Form 2 for a moment there; then I started experiencing the freak outs, and they became more and more frequent. Lately, I’ve become so irritated and frustrated with my Form 2 that I no longer want to use it, and I sure as hell don’t want to recommend it to anyone else. I’ve never done a 180 on a toy before, but shit — I don’t want to steer people toward an expensive toy that is built to decrease in sensation when used in a very normal way.

And so, I am sorry for writing such a positive review of the Form 2. It is my obligation, as a reviewer, to tell you when a toy has serious problems. So I am telling you now. If you buy a Form 2, you are taking a gamble that the freak outs won’t bother you. And that’s a big gamble to take. (As always, you’re better off buying an Eroscillator.)

  1. To their credit, Jimmyjane has been a pleasure to correspond with.
  2. Motor?