Air Suction Toy Comparison: Womanizer Starlet, Starlet 2, and Dame Aer

I happened to stumble upon the Womanizer Starlet when I was in a great little sex shop (read: bright, open, staffed by knowledgeable women) in North Hollywood that sadly no longer exists. My friend and I were both on the hunt for something new and fun, and we both landed on the Womanizer Starlet, a slightly more diminutive, and cheaper, version of the original Womanizer.

“I think this is going to be a game-changer,” my friend said prophetically as we stood at the cash register – and she wasn’t wrong.

Since that day, I’ve acquired what may or may not be… a silly number of clitoral suction vibrators. I currently own three: the Womanizer Starlet (apparently now called the Starlet Snow), the Starlet 2, and the Dame Aer. My original Starlet (which was purple and doesn’t seem to exist anymore) died a few years ago, at which point I replaced it with the Starlet 2, immediately hated it, and asked the company to replace my original Starlet, which they did (with the white Starlet “Snow” you see in these photos). I later bought the Dame Aer for a whole host of reasons, which I’ll get into during this comparison.

Air suction/air flow vibrators work by creating a seal around your clitoris (using the nozzle on the end) which then pumps waves of air on and around the clit – it’s supposed to be the closest thing to getting oral sex that doesn’t involve an actual tongue, though the results vary widely from toy to toy and company to company. Regardless, though, these vibrators have given me some of the best, and longest, orgasms of my life, usually with very little effort. It’s definitely enough to spoil a girl.

Now onto the comparison! Let’s go point by point, because this is going to take a while.

Material. The Starlet Snow and the Starlet 2 are both made of ABS plastic, while the detachable nozzles are medical grade silicone. The Aer has a complete medical grade silicone body with an attached nozzle. (Remember: You want to stick to water-based lube with silicone toys, especially in the case of the Aer.)

Appearance. The Starlet Snow is the smallest of the bunch, while the Starlet 2 and the Aer are a bit bigger and longer. I find the Aer is the easiest to hold in-use (and also has a matte surface that’s easy to grip), while the Starlet 2 can be the most annoying to hold in place. The Starlet Snow comes in (duh) white only, while the Starlet 2 comes in Cherry Red, Coral, and Sapphire Blue. The Dame Aer comes in Periwinkle and, exclusive to Sephora, Papaya.

Nozzle differences. The Starlet Snow and Aer nozzles are made of softer material than the Starlet 2’s; the Aer also feels more ergonomically designed to fit to my body, and easier to make a seal with. I find the Starlet 2’s nozzle to be hard and uncomfortable, making it more difficult to create a strong seal over my clit. As you can see from the photo below, the Starlet 2 has the largest nozzle opening, the Aer has the narrowest, and the Starlet Snow has the roundest nozzle head.

These are important factors to consider when choosing a vibrator of this nature, as the size and sensitivity of your clit will have a lot of impact on which of these toys feels best for you personally. There are about a million different air flow toys to choose from (maybe even too many – Womanizer alone has at least ten different models with different specs). But everyone’s body/clit is different, so keep in mind that what works for me might not work as well for you. It takes trial and error to know what feels good, and unfortunately you don’t know for sure until you buy it and try it (hence my burgeoning collection).

Functionality/buttons. The Starlet 2 and the Aer both have up and down buttons (as well as one pattern button for the Aer), so you can move freely throughout the different intensity levels/patterns while using them. The Starlet Snow has only one button, meaning you have to cycle through all four intensity levels to get back to the beginning, or turn the entire device off and then on again. For some more than others, this can be a real annoyance when you’re trying to have an orgasm.

Intensity levels/patterns. The Starlet Snow has four intensity levels, as does the Starlet 2. (I’m really struggling to see what, if any, improvements were made in the Starlet 2, aside from the extra button.) The Aer has five intensity levels as well as five patterns (including rollercoaster, my personal favorite).

Strength of vibrations. I suppose the only “upgrade” I can really find in the Starlet 2 is its vibrations, which are definitely thuddier and more intense than the Starlet Snow. But because I rarely go above even the second setting on the Snow, I don’t need or appreciate the more intense vibrations of the Starlet 2, and I often find them more annoying than pleasurable.

The Aer, on the other hand, has perhaps  what many would consider the “weakest” vibrations, but they’re a different feel from either Starlet – the Aer has a much more fluttery vibration that, in my opinion, feels the most like a tongue out of the three toys. The Starlet Snow is a bit in between, but I find that the orgasms I get from the Aer, while they may take a little longer, are almost always more intense than the ones I get from the Starlet Snow.

Noise level. This is one of the only major drawbacks of the Aer – it sounds like a damn plane landing! I bought the Aer to use during partnered sex, because its shape is better suited for that than the Starlets’ (the only other air flow vibrator I’ve seen that seems as well-suited for partnered, penetrative sex is the WeVibe Melt, which I don’t own but would love to try). Sadly, though, I never get to use it for that purpose because I live in an apartment and the noise is just… too conspicuous, even for me. Consequently, I pretty much only use the Aer on my own, under several layers of blankets. It’s a real bummer, because I think the Aer would be great during sex.

On the other hand, I am able to use the Starlet Snow during sex (with some finagling), and it is much quieter – the quietest of the bunch, for sure. The Starlet 2 is slightly louder, but nothing earth-shaking, and fine for an apartment.

Battery life. This is where the Starlet Snow and Starlet 2 really lose points: both vibrators have a measly 30 minutes of battery life (again, I ask: exactly what improvements did they make with the Starlet 2??), which is barely enough to get me through a single jack-off session. The Starlet can easily make me come in less than half an hour, but if we’re being real, I rarely masturbate for such a short amount of time, lol. On the other hand, I’m usually edging, turning the Starlet on and off periodically, so it can work when I’m not trying to go for too long. The Aer, however, gives a much more respectable 1.5 hours before dying – which I appreciate also because I don’t always have to charge it in between sessions (I get so tired of perpetually charging my Starlet Snow).

I’ll also note here that the original Starlet doesn’t seem to have the longest shelf life. My first Starlet died after less than a year, and my second Starlet (Snow) stopped charging properly after about a year (but was replaced by the shop I bought it from). That’s not a great track record. If you are going to buy a Starlet Snow, I definitely recommend buying it from a shop with a good warranty system, like SheVibe, and registering the product with Womanizer so it’s covered by their warranty as well. A vibrator that’s nearly $80 should not be dying after less than a year, and if it does, you deserve a replacement or a refund.

[Edit: I just discovered that Womanizer now offers a 5-year warranty on all its toys, which is really fantastic and eases a lot of my fears about recommending the Starlet Snow.]

Waterproof? The Aer and the Starlet 2 are both fully waterproof. The Starlet Snow is not.

Cleaning. The Starlets both come with detachable nozzles, which you can simply remove and clean with some soap and water, or boil. The bodies of the Starlets are a different matter, though – the small seams and the engraved Womanizer logos on the backs make for a lot of tiny, very annoying crevices that need to be periodically cleaned out with a toothbrush or toothpick. The Aer, on the other hand, is all one piece and can be easily cleaned with soap and water.

Price. The Starlet Snow is $79 (and really should be less in my opinion), as is the Starlet 2, though it appears to be on sale at least for the moment. The Aer is a pricier $95, but worth it in a lot of ways, if you ask me.

If you couldn’t tell, the Dame Aer is far and away my favorite of the three toys. It’s ergonomic and comfortable to use, easy to clean, lasts longer and has the most levels and patterns to choose from, and gives me by far some of the best orgasms. (For real, we’re talking looong, intense orgasms that just build and build and build.) It feels sleek and higher end when I hold it (and kind of looks like an Apple product). Unfortunately, it is quite loud and conspicuous – not the vibrator you want if you’re sharing living space and trying to be discreet. It’s also a little pricier than the Starlets, but with good reason – the inclusion of the five different vibration patterns is a big plus in my book, as is the battery life.

The Starlet Snow is my little workhorse… until it’s not. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this one lasts longer than its predecessors, and keeping my warranty on hand (as should you, if you decide to buy one). To be honest, though, I find myself using the Starlet Snow pretty damn often, despite its deficiencies: during partnered sex (if you can manage to pull off a position where you can use the Starlet at the same time, it can be great – reverse cowgirl, for instance), or on my own when I’m in the mood for a different feeling than the Aer (it’s hard to describe them, but each toy definitely has its own distinct feeling, and I like to mix it up) or I just don’t feel like announcing to the neighborhood that I’m masturbating! The Aer may not actually be quite that loud, but it can be awfully distracting in a little apartment.

I really don’t enjoy the Starlet 2, unfortunately. Keep in mind that this is largely a personal thing, and your feelings will vary largely depending on the type of stimulation you like – but man, the Starlet 2 is just not for me. I hate the hard, unyielding nozzle that irritates the skin around my clit. I hate its big, round, smooth plastic body that’s difficult for me to hold, especially if I get a little lube on it. I hate that it’s the same price as my little Starlet Snow, and yet has few discernible upgrades (okay, it is waterproof). The only thing I actually like about it is the color.

But everyone’s different, and what’s my trash may well be your treasure. (I sincerely wish I could gift the Starlet 2 to someone who might actually use it, but alas. You shouldn’t do that with sex toys.) You can buy the air flow vibrator of your choice from a reputable shop like Early2Bed, or directly from Dame or Womanizer.