Starting in the mid-1990s, the waterproof vibrator began to make regular appearances in sex toy catalogs. While it might seem like the main benefit of the waterproof vibrator is that you can use it in the bath, shower, or outdoors on a rainy day, in fact the boon of waterproof vibrators is that they last longer because they are easier to clean and not as likely to break due to water getting into the battery case -- traditionally a common cause of vibrator breakage.
Making a vibrator into a waterproof vibrator wasn’t very difficult. All the manufacturers did was to include a rubber “o” ring that fits between the cap and the vibrator body and, when fully tightened, creates a waterproof seal. The image above shows one example of this ring.
One caveat about the waterproof vibrator is that if the ring breaks or falls off, the vibrator is no longer waterproof. You can usually replace the ring yourself (if you don’t feel like taking your vibrator to the hardware store to ask them for help with a fitting, you can just measure the diameter of the vibrator at the base and ask by size).
Even with a waterproof vibrator, you should take caution to dry around the cap after you wash it and before you unscrew the cap, as even a little bit of water in the battery case can kill your vibrator.
Some manufacturers refer to their vibrators as waterproof and others refer to water resistant. In most cases, what they mean by "waterproof vibrator" is that it can be fully immersed in water and may be used in water. Water-resistant vibrators usually cannot be fully immersed for any period of time, but are made to not break if exposed to even a little bit of water.
When choosing a vibrator be sure to ask the retailer for a clear description of what the manufacturer promises, and what you can do if the vibrator breaks as a result of exposure to water.
