Tantric 10-Function Chakra Massager

May 3rd, 2012

There are those who say that a good bullet is something that everyone should have in their collection. I’m kind of a picky beast, but this one goes out to them. The new Tantric line of toys by California Exotics caught my eye. The pink and black is my kind of girly and there’s this element of filigree or something similar that’s really up my alley.

With this little bullet, which is larger than the ones by Tantus but more cylindrical than an egg, this design feature is on the handle. It looks like a solid layer of pink with black plastic wrapped around it. You can see through to the pink plastic through the open areas in the design, which are cut out. Now, if this was on the toy itself, I’d be a little wary to use it because of cleaning, but it’s not. Worked into the handle is a soft heart-shaped button. It’s actually kind of discreet but you don’t need instructions to read it. This only adds to its feminine appeal.

The bullet itself is removable from the battery pack with that little jack. I’m not one to switch power sources and I do like the color theme, so this isn’t useful for me. It might be for you. This, paired with the battery cap, makes for a toy that’s not waterproof in the least. The cap screws off from the end of the pack but it’s the style that slides into place and only turns a little bit — like the Layaspot and a few other toys. I prefer a cap that fully screws on.

To its credit, the 2AAAs that power this pack a surprising punch; although, the vibrations are on the buzzy side. The pulsations were pretty impressive and there were multiple strengths of the same pulsation, which I liked. I’m not usually one for patterns but it worked with this bullet. Not all the patterns were as impressive to me.

The steady vibration left a little to be desired, though. It starts on the highest setting and goes down from there. Very few vibrations do that. I don’t want that. Consumers don’t want that. Although the highest setting is okay for a bullet, power queens are going to tired of it and want more, only to go “WTF?!”

After playing with this one for a while, my vulva felt all sorts of buzzy afterward. Although I did get off, it was mostly from a lot of boring into my pubic bone and less because of the bullet itself.

The bullet has a weird circumference seam around a quarter from one end. I can’t feel it in use, but it’s odd. While I do like the velvet cote in my hand, I also can’t feel it in use. The plastic does make clean-up a breeze but, like I said, be careful with the water.

Tantric 10-Function Chakra Massager doesn’t come with any accessories, but that’s not the end of the world. Just toss it in your nightstand or bag, and you needn’t even worry about lint.

CEN Sexpert

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Compact Discretion

August 16th, 2011

MyPleasure offers The Compact Discretion is a bullet vibrator that aims to be discreet and, in that, it is actually pretty successful. The vibrator itself, its cords, battery pack and control all sit within a case that looks like a short glasses case. It’s too small to fit glasses but you could maybe describe it as for cigarettes or business cards. Either way, it makes your vibrator super portable in addition to discreet.

But, aside from that, I didn’t like this toy a bit. As soon as I opened the case, a strong plastic/manufacturing smell emanated from it. Unfortunately, this is full of plastic parts that simply didn’t get enough airing out. You might be able to remedy this a bit by letting it sit open. I did but the smell didn’t complete dissipate.

Aside from the smell, another of complaint is the battery compartment. There’s a button you need to press down to slide the rectangular cap outward and up but it’s not very efficient and likes to stick. When the compartment does open, it 2-AA batteries. This leads directly into my next complaint. For a vibrator that uses 2-AA batteries, the Compact Discretion is absolutely weak. The vibrations are incredibly shallow and surface level. If I didn’t know better, I’d expect this bullet was powered by a single AAA! It’s nothing compared to the BNaughty, which I enjoyed quite a bit.

There’s a slider button to control the vibrations. Because they’re so shallow, I really can’t tell much of a difference between the five settings. They’re all steady; no patterns here. There’s tiny red lights to help show which setting you’re on but I don’t find them all that helpful.

Onward with the complaints! The cord between the case and the bullet itself seems quite short. I don’t use a lot of corded toys these days so I find it so awkward. The case is too big to hold during use, really, but if you set it down next to you, the cord makes things awkward. Although it’s attached to the bullet securely, the bullet itself feels cheap.

Because everything’s attached, you need to deal with the awkwardness while trying to wash without wetting the inner workings. You must also completely dry the bullet before returning it to its case.

I don’t have a lot of positives to say about this toy. It’s discreet but at the cost of being fully functional. I would spend the money on a higher quality bullet for sure.

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Rabbit Rider

June 28th, 2009

The Rabbit Rider is a toy I’ve had my eye on for a while because it tackles an issue many woman have with rabbit style vibes: placement of the clitoral stimulator. It’s not exactly the only toy which does this but most other toys use a sort of springy cord rather than placing the rabbit bullet on a ring around the shaft as if he were riding it. The Rabbit Rider is aptly named. Unfortunately, this great idea has yet to become a wonderful implementation.

The Rabbit Rider is actually a versatile kit but isn’t really a typical rabbit vibe. It includes a vibrating bullet and a standard plastic vibe, both which have pink Cyberskin sleeves. The sleeve for the bullet includes a bunny’s head and ears, as well at the band which goes around the shaft, and the other sleeve is very typical, with a realistic texture and contoured head. Both sleeves are easy to remove and replace on each part and could potentially be used with other bullets or standard vibes, should you so choose. You can also use the rabbit clitoral stimulator alone, or the vibrator alone. Take off the sleeves and it’s almost like you have 2 new toys.

I’ve even seen suggestions of using the bunny as a cock ring and, while this is possible, it’s probably not especially pleasurable. The band is larger than any cock ring I’ve seen and super stretchy; I even wore it around my wrist for a short period of time. I just don’t think this piece makes a functional cock ring.

Like most basic vibes, the one included is made of hard plastic, powered by 2AAs and has a dial base. The vibrations are surprisingly powerful and not whiny at all but this toy is much louder than I find to be acceptable unless we’re talking about my Miracle Massager or something similar. Granted, the sound is muffled once inserted; still, I felt self conscious at the noise of this one. The dial base wasn’t smooth to use – it was kinda of jerky and reluctant. I usually had to use one hand to hold the base and the other to turn the dial. Like any dial toy, twisting too far in the direction of “Off” can pop open the battery case.

The mini bullet which serves at a clit stimulator is like no bullet I’ve tried before. There is a power/mode button on the bottom of the bullet as well as a High – Low dial on the side of the bullet. The bullet has 5 modes; the first three are pulsation (medium, slow and fast respectively) and the last 2 are steady vibration with the very last being the stronger. All of this is powered by 4 small watch batteries and there are 2 sets (8 total) included. Note that 4 batteries are in the bullet initially and it won’t work until you move a small piece of plastic from the bullet. The ability to adjust the strength of the vibration on a bullet impressed me and even if this isn’t the strongest bullet I’ve tried, it’s incredibly varied. Furthermore, the pulsation was more than satisfactory. Unfortunately, you have to cycle through all 5 modes to turn it off and if you have the dial set to Low, you may think it’s off and drain the batteries. Out of everything in this kit, the bullet is the one thing I will likely continue to use.

Cyberskin was also another first for me. I’m not a big fan of realistic sex toys so I’ve never tried a Cyberskin toy. Immediately, I was amazed at just how soft this material is. I totally understand why they would make fake vaginas out of this stuff. However, vaginas and penises are different animals and I wasn’t sold that it would be a good material for a woman’s toy. I was also wary at the quality of this material. It’s extremely porous nature, fussy upkeep, lint attraction and musty smell are enough to deter me from Cyberskin toys in the future. From the washing the Rabbit Rider in the bathroom to the bedroom, it had collected a mass amount of lint and cat fur. I don’t even want to think about storage and since I have nothing to powder it with I’ll probably just see how long until the sleeves deteriorate.

I am happy to say that the Cyberskin did feel much more realistic in my cunt than in my hand. It could probably pass for the real thing and the vibrations were strong enough to stimulate a sweet spot or two, at least sometimes. But together with the clit stimulator, the Rabbit Rider was a flop. Literally. The soft nature of the Cyberskin offered little control over the precise placement of the bullet. It just sort of fell to the side and seemed limp. I think that even folks who like gentle vibrations of rabbit ears would find it difficult to get much out of the stimulator but a person likes me, who needs the bullet to rest snugly against the clit, would be especially disappointed.

I tossed the bullet aside and tried to use the sleeved vibrator against my clit to get off with much effort on my part and little help on its. Of course, if I had wanted to get off that way in the first place, I wouldn’t have been using the Rabbit Rider. I applaud Adam and Eve’s take on an idea that seems to be mostly unexplored but there’s a long way to go before it’s perfect. For starters I would swap the Cyberskin sleeves for a hygienic silicone vibe. Instead of a standard, straight shaft, I would use an ergonomically curved shaft with rotating beads and perhaps solve the issue of floppiness by using an open, hard plastic ring (think a thicker version of a fake jewelry ring which is not a full circle) or a band which opens on a hinge. I do like the functions of the bullet but I like them to be physically larger.

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Goliath

May 22nd, 2009

Goliath
$88.70 from Tantus

Tantus now makes a Super Soft version of the Goliath

Tantus is a brand many people love but which never much appealed to me because so many of its products are for harness use.  Although harness compatible dildos can absolutely be used harness-free, I found many of the designs by Tantus to be a little, well, boring and too smooth.  On the other hand, many of the dildos have an overabundance of ridges, ripples and bulges, which don’t work very well for hard and fast thrusting. It really takes a particular dildo to please me, texture and shape are of utmost importance and since I haven’t mastered the art of G-spot orgasm, I usually stick to sex toys which stimulate my clit. However, I was interested in trying some of their products when PinkCherry offered, and browsed through their collection. I wasn’t looking for the super smooth, Silk trio of dildos and the Echo, while beautiful, seemed like a bit too much for me. I wound up choosing the Goliath .
goliath
With its metallic purple shine and lifelike veins and contoured head, Tantus has produced a pretty good looking dildo. Luckily, its unrealistic colour balanced off its more realistic shape because I don’t like my dildos to be too true to life. Like other Tantus products, this dildo is 100% silicone (advertised as “100% ultra-premium platinum silicone” on the package) which means no harmful chemicals (promising you a rash and irritation free experience, unlike mine with Sil-A-Gel))or porousness and you can thoroughly clean Goliath by boiling or bleaching but, since I don’t plan on sharing or using this dildo anally, warm water and soap will suffice. The packaging claims that “with minimal care, Tantus Toys can last a lifetime”; because they can be sterilized, you can even donate them to friends should they outlive your need or, dare I say, will them to your children. 😉

If you hadn’t guessed already by the name, Goliath’s stature is anything but small. Weighing in at 7 1/2″ in length and width with a girth at 5 1/2″, it’s not a toy for beginners or those who like things thin. And, after trying it out, I would also say it’s not a toy for those who like their insertables soft. The silicone material is rather rigid and while it doesn’t feel as hard in my hand (I can squeeze a bit and bend the shaft), once nestled inside my pussy it feels rather unyielding. Coupled with its size, it provided for an experience more uncomfortable than I bargained for.

Of course, as with any toy of such a significant size, lube is a must. Water-based lubes are safe with any material and higher quality silicone lubes may always work. Even with lube, I found there was initial resistance when I inserted Goliath. After passing my pubic bone, it became easier but it seemed like even though I wasn’t inserting much of the dildo, it quickly assaulted my cervix. Perhaps the thickness of the shaft makes Goliath seem shorter than it is but I felt like I could insert less than I usually can with my toys. Maybe it’s just perception or it could be that there seems to be a bit more leeway with thinner toys and cocks but it just didn’t feel like this dildo was made for my body, at least for thrusting. However, I did enjoy the sensation of having this dildo inside while focusing on clitoral stimulation. I always enjoy the way it feels when my muscles contract in orgasm around an object.

Goliath’s veins were discernible but not overly so. I didn’t really feel either way about them. The same could be said for the provided bullet which turns this into a vibrating dildo (I hate the term LOL). The one speed, silver bullet is pretty standard size, battery (3, watch style) powered and operates with a push button on the end. For its size, the vibrations are decent but the definitely become more muted once inserted into the dildo. I could barely feel them at the tip; although, the vibrations were more easily felt at the base.

Overall, the bullet seemed much cheaper than the toy. I’m sure they are better bullets. More than once, the vibration didn’t seem to want to work correctly because the bullet is so fickle. Additionally, I had a difficult time inserting and removing the bullet, which comes separately from the dildo. The package advises using lube, which I had to do in order to insert it. Insertion without lube meant the bullet barely went in. However, despite the fact that I applied lube, I had one hell of a time removing the bullet. First, the cap popped off, then it started randomly vibrating and after about 10 minutes of wrestlin’ with it, I finally pulled the bullet loose.

I think a much better use of the hole is the Tantus suction cup which allows you to play with your toys on any flat surface. At first, I noticed that the smooth bottom of Goliath has a bit of suction but it’s not enough to secure it so a surface.

In the end, I was left a well-made, high-quality dildo and I expect it to last no less than a lifetime (even if the bullet was disappointing); however, the combination of size and stiff silicone left me wanting, well, a little less. I’m sure that some will love the Goliath and there’s probably a Tantus dildo which will work well for me but the search doesn’t end here.

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