Since the dawn of time (or at least it feels that way), the female orgasm has been depicted as an elusive, unpredictable force. Some people even genuinely believe it doesn't exist at all. And we're not talking about clitoral, vaginal, nipple orgasms or anything specific like that. Just the simple act of having an orgasm by any means.
But the truth of the matter is, the female orgasm is very real and very magical. If the physiological factors don't make that clear (that is, the heavy breathing, dilated pupils, and increased heart rate), then the pelvic floor contractions certainly do.
That's right: an orgasm is more than just a rush of feel goods and shallow breathing. It's a unique rhythmic, involuntary contraction of the pelvic floor. In fact, the Big O for women happens in three distinct patterns — and the Lioness Smart Vibratorcan show you which one you have.
So who cares if your fingerprint has ridges or whorls. I want to know if your orgasmlooks like an avalanche, a volcano, or an ocean wave.
What research has shown about orgasm patterns
Back in 1982, a study was conducted to take a look at pelvic floor contractions (aka orgasm) in eleven women, and what they found were three distinct "patterns": Type I, Type II, and Type IV (because apparently Type III has only been found in cishet men). For decades, these patterns went undernoticed, under-researched, and really only talked about by sex nerds like us.
That all changed in 2023, though, when our favorite DPT, Dee Hartmann joined Jim Pfaus, PhD for a research study that took things a little further.
The researchers recruited 54 women to use the Lioness Vibrator 2.0 and asked them to do one thing: masturbate to orgasm while the smart vibrator recorded their pelvic floor muscle contractions.
The results were twofold. First, the Lioness and its ability to capture orgasm datathrough muscle contractions were validated. Gone are the days of needing a lab to tell you what your pelvic floor is doing it — you can use a super sleek, super smart vibrator in the comfort of your home instead! Second to that (and perhaps even more exciting), this study also validated the three patterns that we've identified as the predominant orgasm patterns through our data. We're not talking cute little names for patterns in a graph — we're talking groundbreaking, scientifically proven biological contractions that visualize the unseen effort of your body during climax. No other device can do what ours can — and no other body does exactly what yours does.
So now that we know they're real, let's get into what an orgasm might look like: an ocean wave, an avalanche, or a volcano.
What an orgasm actually looks like
If you've got visions of Meg Ryan at a dinner table in your head, get them out. We're going to answer the question "what does an orgasm look like" in a way you've never seen before. No eyes rolling back, no open mouth moaning, and no shaking legs.
We're talking pelvic floor contractions and what an orgasm actually looks like. Here's what we've seen with our own two eyes and research:
Ocean Wave: Do you ride the waves of pleasure?
The "Ocean Wave" involves rhythmic squeezing and relaxing of the pelvic floor (and averages 23 seconds long).
As a building sensation begins, these contractions start fast and slowly tapers off, often looking like a sine wave graph. The pelvic floor contracts and releases multiple times, though the number of times can vary from person to person and from orgasm to orgasm.
Fun Fact: If you're someone who feels your orgasm in rolling waves of pleasure, congratulations—you're part of the majority. This is the most common orgasm pattern we've seen, and that prevalence was reflected in Hartmann's study with 24 of 54 participants having this pattern.
Avalanche: Does your climax cascade?
The "Avalanche" maintains higher pelvic floor tension throughout stimulation, then releases in cascading contractions that decrease over time. It is similar to the Ocean Wave in that it's also a series of rhythmic pelvic floor movements lasting 20 seconds on average. Unlike the Ocean Wave, however, avalanche orgasms start from a high point and gradually relax over time with a decreasing force.
Volcano: Do you erupt with ecstasy?
The "Volcano" pattern—the rarest pattern to occur— shows lower baseline pelvic floor tension that suddenly explodes into intense contractions. Think sudden eruption rather than gradual build. Unlike its ocean wave and avalanche counterparts, the volcano orgasm is one, extended pelvic floor movement. (And in case you're wondering, these ones last an average of 18 seconds long.)
One small step for woman, one giant leap for womankind
Understanding whether you're a wave, volcano, or avalanche isn't just cute biofeedback trivia — it's science-backed sexual health. It's also the first step in defining the roadmap to your version of empowered and improved sexual satisfaction.
You don't live in a world where female sexuality and orgasm are up for debate anymore. You live in a world where there's cold hard proof that your orgasm is a force of nature, waiting to be explored. Will you heed its call?
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Find your orgasm pattern today!
Your sexual fingerprint is waiting on the other side of a few masturbation sessions.
Grab your Lioness Smart Vibrator and claim your title as Smartest Women in the Bedroom.
Because when it comes to orgasms, a little experimenting can go a long, strong, orgasmic way.
