There is a new model of the Hitachi Wand that is on the market these days and because it is such a loved sex toy by so many there has been a good amount of debate on the Internet with regard to the changes made. There have also been a lot of myths being spread around about it so we thought it best to state the facts as outlined by the manufacturer so that you will be clear about what changes were made and what is true.
The first and most obvious change was the packaging as you can see to the left. One of the other changes that you can see on the packaging is that the name has also changed from the Hitachi Magic Wand to just Magic Wand.
The mechanical changes that were made to the Magic Wand by Hitachi are as follows-
- The old Hitachi model used a resistor while the new Hitachi (found here) uses a circuit board instead. The circuit board controls both the on and off feature as well as the two power settings of low and high.
- The new Hitachi Magic Wand also has sealed bearings along with increased internal ribbing for added strength.
- The metal head of the old Hitachi Magic Wand has been replaced with a new hard resin head.
- The motor of the New Hitachi Magic Wand is exactly the same as the older version with the same wattage rating of 24. There have been some misinformed people on the Internet (what else is new right?) saying that the new Hitachi Magic Wand has less wattage than the new one but this is false. There was one review on the Hitachi that said specifically that the old Hitachi Magic Wand had 20 watts whereas the new Hitachi Magic Wand has only 10 watts. It is remarkable that an inaccurate statement like that can be so specific but that is simply not true. Again, as confirmed by Hitachi themselves, both the old and new Hitachi Magic Wand have a 24 watt rating.
- It is important to understand how wattage works when looking at this issue as well. Wattage used at one time during use can vary by the power setting it is on (low or high) as well as how much pressure is being applied to the head of the Magic Wand. It can used at a low setting with minimal pressure on the head as low as 9 watts and then as more pressure or speed is applied to the Magic wand the wattage usage can jump as high as 24 watts which is the maximum power rating it is capable of providing.
- You cannot get the U.S. version of the Hitachi Magic Wand shipped outside of the
United States. This is in place to protect consumers by Hitachi. Any reseller caught sending a 120 volt outlet plug based Hitachi Magic Wand outside of the U.S.A. can be cut off by Hitachi (or their distributor) and not allowed to sell them anymore. The reason that Hitachi does this is because even with a power adapter there can be problems with their product working properly when not used in a 120 volt outlet (as used in the United States). It can also cause premature wear and even damage to the Hitachi Magic Wand and in turn cause the manufacturer's warranty to be made void. If you live outside the United States, you should opt for a different product if you are ordering from a U.S. retailer rather than attempt to purchase the Hitachi Magic Wand from them as you are not protected and you are going to be told by the retailer (if they are ethical) that they cannot sell it to you.
- There has also been debate about the cost of the Hitachi Magic Wand. Some people think that there is some sort of "price fixing" going on and we would like to address that. There is a MAP in place on the Hitachi Magic Wand. A MAP stands for Minimum Advertised Pricing and it means that a reseller may not sell the Hitachi Magic Wand for less than what Hitachi dictates. A MAP is different than an MSRP (Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price) as it is not a suggestion of how much to sell it for, rather, it is telling retailers that they cannot sell it for less.
As of now the MAP is $59.95 which means that if you see it selling for less somewhere else you really should avoid purchasing it from that seller. The reason for this is because all authorized resellers of the Hitachi Magic Wand have to sign a legal agreement that states they will not sell it for less than the MAP.
If a reseller is caught selling the Hitachi Magic Wand for less they are cut off and can no longer get it. That means that if you see someone selling it for less they may not even be able to deliver what they are promising you, they may be causing the consumer to have a voided warranty, they may be selling you an old version or they may be selling you something that is used. Regardless, it is something you want to avoid as it may leave you a victim of an unscrupulous reseller who clearly does not play by the rules.
Fake vs. Authentic Hitachi Magic Wands-
Because the Magic Wand by Hitachi is so popular it is important for consumers to be aware that there are companies making fake Hitachi Magic Wands and they have the exact same packaging so a good question is how can one tell if they are getting the real Hitachi Magic Wand?
Here is how to tell if you Hitachi is real or fake-
- A real Hitachi Magic Wand has a rectangular blue plate that surrounds the on and off switch, whereas those knockoff versions typically will have one that is oval.
- The genuine Hitachi magic Wand is UL rated and you will see a black UL in a circle to let you know it is. UL stands for (Underwriters Laboratories) and they provide safety-related certification to let you know if an electrical product you are buying has passed tests letting you know it is safe to use. A counterfeit Hitachi Magic Wand will not have a UL rating.
- An authentic Hitachi Magic Wand comes with a one year warranty in the box and a knock off Hitachi Magic Wand will not have this.
- Make sure when buying a Magic Wand by Hitachi that you know who you are buying from as many resellers on the Internet (including those on sites that allow for third party sellers like Amazon and Ebay, etc.) may make it more difficult to research whether they are an authorized Hitachi Dealer.
If you want to learn where to get the new version of the Hitachi Magic Wand or shall we now say it properly... Magic Wand by Hitachi, make sure to check out one of the most ethical companies selling sex toys on the market today as they only sell phthalate free sex toys, paraben free lubricants and are of course are an authorized Hitachi dealer that offers a free store warranty in addition to the manufacturer's warranty-
