Tropicana Banana Vibrator Review: Creative Design, Disappointing Execution

Design

The Tropicana Banana is a really unique novelty toy shaped like a banana that's been cut in half. As someone who loves exploring different design concepts for sex toys, I appreciate how creative companies can get while thinking about female pleasure. This banana design is definitely eye-catching and fun.

The shape is interesting. The top has a tapered tip where the "banana head" is, which is meant to provide more precise stimulation. The other end is broader and could theoretically be used for different types of stimulation, though I wouldn't recommend internal use since it's very short and could get lost.

It only has one button (the power button), which keeps things simple. Press it for 2-3 seconds to turn it on, press again to cycle through settings. The magnetic charger is a nice touch. You just place the banana on top and line it up with the magnet.

It comes with a storage pouch, which is always a big plus for keeping your toys clean and protected. The banana is part of a larger Tropicana product line with other variations, which shows Play is committed to this playful design concept.

Quality

The Tropicana Banana is made from silicone plus ABS, which are body-safe materials. The construction feels decent enough. Nothing feels like it's going to break immediately.

The magnetic charger is well-designed and convenient to use. The waterproof construction seems solid, which is good for cleaning and potentially using in water.

However, the quality issue here isn't about durability. It's about fundamental design flaws that make the toy difficult to actually use for its intended purpose.

Experience

This is where things fall apart for me. I really wanted to like this toy. The design is fun, the concept is creative, and the vibrations are very powerful. But the execution has a fatal flaw: there's absolutely no vibration isolation.

When you turn this on, your entire hand vibrates intensely along with the toy. I cannot concentrate on pleasuring myself when my hands are going numb from the vibrations traveling through the entire device. The sensation of strong vibration in my hand while trying to focus on using the toy is incredibly distracting and uncomfortable.

The tip does vibrate strongly, which should be good for precise stimulation. And yes, the motor is very powerful. You can definitely feel those vibrations. But what's the point of powerful vibrations if they're making your hand so uncomfortable that you can't focus on your own pleasure?

I tried multiple times to make this work, but I honestly couldn't finish using this toy. The hand numbness and distraction from the vibrations completely killed any pleasure I might have gotten from it.

Performance

The Tropicana Banana is powerful, I'll give it that. The vibrations are strong and intense. But power without proper design is useless.

The website claims this has "whisper quiet vibrations," which is absolutely false advertising. This toy is actually pretty loud. You can hear it from about a meter away, which means it's not discreet at all. If you have roommates or live with family, they're going to know exactly what you're doing.

Battery life is supposedly up to 2 hours of run time. I charge my toys for about an hour as a standard practice, and that seemed to give it plenty of power. Though honestly, I couldn't use it long enough to test the full battery capacity because the hand vibrations made it impossible to continue.

The single-button operation works fine. It's straightforward to turn on and cycle through settings.

Materials and care

The silicone plus ABS materials are body-safe, which is good. The toy is waterproof, so cleaning is straightforward. Just wash with warm water and mild soap, rinse thoroughly, and dry with a towel.

The waterproof construction means you could technically use this in the shower or bath, though I'm not sure why you'd want to given the other issues.

Storage is easy with the included pouch. At least when you're not using it (which will be often if you have the same experience I did), you can keep it clean and protected.

Packaging

The packaging is standard. It comes with the vibrator, magnetic charger, storage pouch, and manual. The manual shows that this is part of a larger product line with different shaped variations, which is interesting from a design perspective. The magnetic charger is a nice premium touch compared to standard USB cables.

Price

At approximately $22 USD, this might seem cheap for what you're getting. But if I can't use it, it's not worth anything to me.

This is a case where the price doesn't matter because the product doesn't deliver on its basic function. A $22 toy that sits in your drawer unused is worth less than a $60 toy you actually enjoy using.

For the price, you're getting decent materials and an interesting design concept. But you're also getting a toy with a fundamental flaw that makes it difficult or impossible to use comfortably. That's not a good value regardless of how low the price is.

I'd rather spend more money on something I can actually use than save money on something that just frustrates me.