Vibrator Won't Start? It Could Just Be the Bloody Travel Lock

The vibrator's charged. You're in bed, you're naked and you're already halfway there. You've pressed the button three times, and you're one more press away from saying, "Are you fucking kidding me?"

It might be locked. A travel lock stops a vibrator switching on when its buttons get knocked in a bag or drawer, and while it's on, the usual power button won't start it. That's infuriating when you're trying to have a wank. It's very useful when you're carrying a bag into somebody else's house.

Check for the lock before you charge it again

If you locked the toy before you put it away, unlock it before you assume it's flat. Easy to remember now. Less easy when you haven't used that vibrator for a month. Some locked toys briefly flash or pulse when you press a button, and others stay silent. Not every vibrator has a travel lock, either, so silence alone doesn't tell you what's wrong.

Try unlocking it before you plug it in. Otherwise you can spend an hour charging a toy that was ready well before you were.

An example: the We-Vibe Nova 2

On a Nova 2, hold the plus and minus buttons together for three seconds. A short pulse confirms the change, and the same combination locks and unlocks it. Connecting it to the charger also unlocks it, so if you've charged it after locking it for a trip, lock it again before packing.

Other toys use different controls. Once you've found yours, save the steps as a note or a screenshot. Yes, that's an unsexy bit of preparation. So is kneeling beside the bed with a vibrator under the lamp, swearing at a button you can barely see.

Test it before it goes in your bag

Switch the toy off, turn on the lock and give the power button a normal press. It should stay off. Then practise unlocking it, so you can tell a locked toy from a flat one. Do this at home. Forgetting the controls while your mother-in-law asks why your bag is vibrating adds an audience you probably didn't want.

Then pop it in a clean pouch or case, like a Fun Factory Toybag, away from anything that could press on the buttons. The lock stops it starting, and the case stops it getting knocked around. Our storage guide covers keeping it clean and easy to find, and our guide to travelling with sex toys handles the other packing questions.

Unlocked it and still nothing?

Now try the charging and battery checks in our guide to a vibrator that won't charge. Repeating the same button combination won't fix a separate charging fault. Don't prise open a sealed toy, or charge one that's damaged. If the basic checks get you nowhere, tell the retailer what you've tried, and it'll save you both starting with "have you turned it on?"

And if unlocking was all it needed, excellent. Put your phone down, turn off the lamp and get back to what you were doing. You've done quite enough troubleshooting with your pants off for one night.