The violet wand is a device made for physical therapy that suits electrosex play. It has a base or handle that plugs into an electrical outlet and various glass or metal attachments. Oddity and curiosity shops may sell vintage violet wands. Modern violet wands are available through upscale sex toy shops and online retailers.
What Does a Violet Wand Feel Like?
A violet wand creates a shocking feeling through static electricity. It can provide a wide range of sensations, according to Emme Witt-Eden, a professional dominatrix and kink expert.
“Electricity has a specific feeling that can't be replicated through impact play. With TENS units, the current actually penetrates the muscle, while a violet-wand current only travels near the skin's surface,” she explained. “On a low setting, the violet wand creates a crackling, tingling sensation, though turning up the power can increase to painful zaps.”
“There are a lot of different responses to the wand, which can be extremely fun to explore—many people get the giggles or get squirmy, some people find the sensations very sensual, some people like to feel and sink into the intensity of their senses being overwhelmed and stimulated,” added Amy Julia Cheyfitz, an AASECT certified sex therapist and BDSM educator.
Why Do People Like Violet Wands?
Violet wands are a versatile tool that people can use for everything from relaxing stimulation to sexual torture. That versatility can help them appeal to people with a variety of sexual tastes. Using a violet wand can also be an exciting way to spice up someone’s sex life.
“Violet wands can also be used in ways that allow you to play with anything that is conductive, like stainless steel silverware, holiday tinsel, and even your own fingers and touch,” added Cheyfitz. “That often appeals to people who want to be creative and incorporate new items and sensations into their play.”
The sensations a violet wand provides are very unique and arousing for some people. “I think these weird sensations along with the danger (and elegance) of the wand are what attract electro-players,” Witt-Eden said. “It's frightening to submit to such a force. Building fear along with the peculiar sensation of electricity against one's flesh can be a refreshing change to typical spanking and whipping during kinky sex. And, of course, some masochists actually enjoy the pain. They may even develop a particular fascination with that type of pain, the same way some subs prefer piercing or caning.”
People get taught from a young age that they shouldn’t play with electricity, so breaking those rules and enjoying a violet wand can be thrilling as it’s taboo. This can make using a violet wand as mentally stimulating as it is physically stimulating.
Do Violet Wands Hurt?
Violet wands can hurt if they’re set to a high intensity and fitted with an attachment that concentrates the electrical sparks. However, on a lower setting with an attachment that spreads out the sparks, a violet wand will only tickle the skin.
Violet wands use a very low amperage that’s safe for use on most people when used as recommended. However, any electrical play can be dangerous. There is the potential for danger if a full-strength household electrical current comes through the wand instead of its usual low amperage. Modern violet wand manufacturers typically add a safety gap, which ensures a full-strength current can’t pass through a faulty or deteriorated violet wand. However, some violet wands, including vintage wands and cheap wands, don’t have this protection. All violet wands can also be dangerous to people with some medical conditions and when they’re applied to some parts of the body.
The potential for danger can be part of the appeal of violet wands for some people. They might enjoy the idea of taking control of something that seems dangerous and using it for their sexual pleasure.
Related Terms
Here are some terms related to violet wand:
- Electrosex devices: An umbrella term for tools used for erotic electrostimulation, or electrosex.
- Wand: A long toy with a handle used for concentrated stimulation, such as a violet wand or a wand vibrator.
- Toy: A general term for any plaything, including sex toys.
- Kit: A selection of bundled products meant to be used together, such as a violet wand kit which includes the wand and attachments.
- Electrostimulation: Short for electrical stimulation, is the practice of stimulating the body through electrical currents applied to the skin, either as a part of physical therapy or for erotic purposes.
- E-stim: A common abbreviation of electrostimulation.
- Electroplay: Using electrostimulation during sexual play.
More About Violet Wand
Violet Wand Kits
Violet wand kits are electrosex products that bundle violet wands with violet wand attachments. These can be a good option for beginners wanting a range of attachments to start their journey and more advanced practitioners seeking to add variety to their play. Anyone purchasing a violet wand kit should research their options carefully to ensure they buy a kit that matches their experience level. These bundles can also be expensive and may contain items buyers don’t really want. Some electrosex experts recommend beginners instead research their options and build their own kit that better suits their needs.
How Do Violet Wands Fit Into BDSM
Violet wands were first used for electrosex within the BDSM community. Dominants can apply a violet wand directly to a submissive’s skin or apply sparks indirectly. They can use their body as a conductor or connect the violet wand to other toys, such as a Wartenburg Pinwheel. Violet wands can also help BDSM practitioners bring new role-playing scenes, such as a mad scientist and their creation or a dungeon master and their prisoner, to life. Some practitioners may also use violet wands for BDSM branding.
Witt-Eden says “The violet wand is something that a dominant can introduce into a session once they've already explored the basics with a sub. After the genital torture with clothespins, clamps, and other biting metal devices, electrostimulation is a great next step. It's a wonderful way to increase the psychodrama of a session, dimming the lights and entering the room with a violet wand in hand, the glass electrode part of the wand lit up.
“As dominant, I’ve used the violet wand as a threat to get my submissives to behave. I’ve also used it as a punishment tool to correct misbehavior, and also as a way to get a submissive to show their allegiance to me. By enduring the pain, they express their submission (and inferiority). This is also a way for a dominant to make the submissive endure something in exchange for a reward (often the prize is being able to sexually pleasure the dominant, or receive pleasure from the dominant). But, as I mentioned above, for submissives who are masochists, the pain experienced with the violet wand is a pleasure in itself.”
What Devices Are Similar to Violet Wands?
A transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation machine, or TENS machine for short, is another device originally used for pain management that can suit electroplay. These machines generate small electrical impulses which get transmitted to the body through electrode pads applied to the skin.
A neon wand provides a similar shocking sensation to a violet wand. The primary difference between these devices is the inner core. The neon wand has a solid-state metal core rather than a Tesla coil, which helps it create slightly sharper sensations than the violet wand. The Kinklab Neon Wand generally has less range than the violet wand and is often significantly cheaper for the base kit. Optional accessories, like a body contact probe, electrosex paddle, and electrosex whip are available for use with the neon wand.
Safety and Consent Using Violet Wands
Before play, all parties should give their full, informed consent. They should be open about any health conditions and discuss their limits and how they might like the scene to play out. Choose a well-ventilated play space and inspect the violet wand to ensure it’s in good condition, with tight connections and cords and electrodes in good working order. Remove metal jewelry, including watches, and any clothing with metal threads, buttons, or studs. As metal conducts electricity, users should take care care around metal piercings, braces, and restraints. They should also handle any glass attachments with care to prevent breakage.
It’s best to start using a violet wand on the lowest setting before increasing the intensity. People should use it on their own skin to test the sensations before using it on a partner. "Only by knowing what the wand feels like on your own skin–with all the settings–will you understand what your sub is experiencing," Witt-Eden said. The smaller the part of the attachment in contact with the skin, the more intense the sensations will be.
Beginners should only play with the violet wand below the waist, well away from the heart. With experience, users might apply the wand to the head and chest. They should keep the wand away from the eyes and any parts of the body with metal implants. Violet wand attachments for external play shouldn’t get put inside the body.
Users should keep their violet wands dry and use them only on dry skin to prevent electrical shorts and burns. They shouldn't be applied to fabrics that are flammable or meltable.
Violet wands are unsuitable for use on anyone pregnant or with an electrically-operated medical device, such as a pacemaker or insulin pump, due to the risk of electrical interference and damage. People with illnesses including heart disease, nerve damage, epilepsy and other seizure disorders, and conditions that impact bruising or electrical impulses also shouldn’t use violet wands. People also shouldn't use violet wands on or near electronic devices or items impacted by electromagnetic fields, such as credit cards, or conductive fluids like beverages and urine. Violet wands are only suitable for use on healthy skin, free from sunburn, melanoma, heat rashes, warts, moles, or open cuts that could become irritated.
Everyone has different preferences and tolerances, and what might seem like light play to one person may be intense to another. People should communicate openly and monitor their partners to ensure any play with a violet wand is mutually enjoyable. As electroplay can be intense, SexToyCollective.com recommends limiting play sessions to between 20 and 30 minutes. Switch the violet wand off after use or when changing attachments to prevent injuries.
