Compact Discretion

August 16th, 2011

Compact Discretion

Compact Discretion
$24.95 from MyPleasure

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.

1 Comment

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Laya Spot

January 8th, 2009

Laya Spot
$48 from Babeland

Hey! You can check out how I feel about Layaspot years later in this post in my A Toy A Day feature, where I give older toys another go ’round. Fun Factory has also released an updated version, the Laya II. Check out my review!

The Laya Spot might be small but it should never be underestimated. This toy’s tiny stature was both surprisingly small yet enough to get me off time and again. It has quickly rekindled the passionate spark in masturbation for me, causing me to increase my frequency. I would not be lying if this was the only toy I could for the rest of my sexual life, I would be satisfied and I think everyone with a clit should own one.  Period.

No matter how detailed a toy’s description is, I am nearly always surprised at its size when it finally shows up. Perhaps it was because of the close ups of the Laya Spot, but I didn’t realize it was so tiny. It’s no mini bullet but it easily fits in the palm of my hand, making masturbation much more effortless than before.

My Laya Spot is black and purple with the main body of the toy being a softer black Elastomed and the controls and battery cap a hard purple plastic.  This makes it a fairly hypoallergenic toy which can be cleaned with soap and water but Fun Factory does not recommend boiling or wiping down with alcohol so I’m not sure it can be sterilized.

Overall, it’s a quality toy which even the packaging suggests. I had heard that Fun Factory has impressive packaging and I must concur. The Laya Spot came in a box which didn’t waste a lot of space or packaging.  The box contained two “flaps,” with a bit of information about the toy. These flaps folded down and stayed in place with small magnets.  My Laya Spot also came with a small instruction sheet (in several languages) and a sample of Fun Factory’s water based (thus safe for everything) lube, ToyFluid.

The Laya Spot is a really unique shaped toy which I think is its best selling point. The rounded ends work perfectly for stimulation and I think this toy would work well for women of all shapes and sizes and perhaps even regular massage, too. With my fingers reaching toward the controls and the heel of my hand resting over the battery pack, I can easily control the Laya Spot. I use it like the instructions suggest, placing the Laya Spot over my mons. However, it could be used in a variety of ways – perhaps with the battery pack stimulating the vaginal opening which I didn’t try. The placement I like would also work well during many sexual positions so I hope to try that, too.

This position worked well when it came to using the controls. For the most part,  I was able to reach and use the controls which include 2 buttons. Holding the + button turns it on (while holding the – button turns it off) or increases the vibration. After the highest level, which I thought was pretty impressive for this small toy, it begins a couple patterns of pulsation.  So you have a lot of options, quite literally, at your fingertips.

Although the vibrations were very nice, I used this toy without having it on and also got off. I think the innovate shape is that effective. I also didn’t love the pulsation settings so I kept it on regular vibration most of the time. There are something like 7 levels of vibration so that certainly didn’t disappoint.

Most of the time, I used the Laya Spot through my panties. This wasn’t for any real reason but it definitely worked out. I finally decided I wanted to try out this little toy with the included lube so I lubed it up, slipped out of my clothes and began my merry journey. The combination of no fabric and lube provided a sensational vibrating feeling and the tip of the Laya Spot glided easily where I directed it with my hand. I soon came a handful of times.

I have yet to play with the Laya Spot and not orgasm so I’ve been pretty impressed. I also have had very satisfying orgasms with this toy and I am the queen of frustratingly unsatisfying orgasms so that says a lot. In fact, I feel so relaxed after playing with the Laya Spot. I’m usually so uptight about everything and something about this little toy just clicks with me and is extremely pleasing.

I also love that it’s small enough to take just about anywhere, which I imagine I will do in the future. It’s shape makes it fairly discreet so people won’t automatically know what it is. It is a little loud for its size, especially on higher settings but it’s not something you’ll hear through a wall.

So, is there anything I don’t like about the Laya Spot? The answer is “yes,” sadly. It’s only splash-proof, not waterproof. It would be damned near perfect if it were waterproof. The battery cap does seem pretty snug but I am not going to risk it. The battery cap is another issue. After inserting batteries (2 AAA), I didn’t close it all the way. The last little push you need to firmly close the cap, which twists on,  is pretty hard so it can seem like it’s fully closed before it is. Before I realized this, the cap popped off a couple of inopportune times.

Finally, and I don’t know if it’s just me, but the Laya Spot had a rather offensive odor when I first opened it. It was something like super-condensed BO. It has gotten better as I have washed it a few times since then and generally keep it in the fresh air. I really don’t know what this is about. I haven’t really read any reviews where others have experienced the same thing so I don’t know if it’s necessarily a material smell or what but it’s really, really unpleasant. Luckily, everything else about this vibrator is so impressive or I might have given up on it.

If you like clit stimulation, the Laya Spot is a great vibrator, any way you look at it. The unique shape made this an amazing toy, even when used without vibration and I cannot recommend it enough!

38 Comments

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

I Rub My wormie

October 26th, 2008

I Rub My Wormie
$32 from Vibrator.com

I Rub My Wormie, just plain Wormie from here on out, is satisfying but does not live up to its intended use which I see as a design flaw.

The Wormie, the lesser known but certainly not lesser cousin of the I Rub My Duckie by Big Teaze Toys, arrived in a frustrating plastic blister pack and, of course, I had to struggle with it to get it out. (Perhaps a more ecofriendly box might be a better choice?) Once that battle was won, things steadily improved. I thought that the cardboard packaging which displayed the Wormie on a log with leaves in the background was a cute touch. Wormie sent an invitation asking “Your leaf or mine?” One thing I also thought was a great use of packaging; the paperboard display on which Wormie arrived unfolds to display instructions and information. I really like like because it doesn’t waste extra paper but I missed it the first time through and I suspect others may as well.

The packaging outlined Wormie’s features including its “easy grip, multi-textured body” as well as “soft2touch skin,” which is a soft outer covering of the toy that is free of pthalates, PVC and Latex. The package also recommends that this toy be used with a water based lubricant so I suspect that there is more than just plastic in this Wormie – specifically silicone. Additionally, Wormie’s neck has an “ergonomic bend to reach those (G)reat spots.”

I Rub My Wormie is a multi-speed vibrator powered by 2 C batteries, which I would have proffered were included as I had to buy them especially for this product. The battery pack originally contains a plastic sheet which needs to be removed and the cap – the end of the tail – fits on tightly when batteries are inserted.

I really felt I was in for a treat.

Unlike a real worm, the Wormie is cute and quite large. Some may find the adorable face on this not-so-little guy a bit disturbing but I definitely found it cute and this unique design makes it more of a discreet toy. Wormie is also pretty large which actually inhibited my play a bit. The Wormie is quite impressive with his 8 inch length and 2 inch diameter.

The vibrations were also quite strong, making this toy perhaps the strongest in my collection. However, with only 2 speeds, more variation would be nice. I wish there had been an in between level of stimulation because I felt the higher level was too strong; it made my hand uncomfortable to hold it but the lower level was a little lacking. Still, the vibrations added more to my experience than vibration tends to do with most toys.

An extra feature was Wormie’s little feet. There are 2 rows on them on the bottom totaling at least a couple dozen. This felt very pleasurable rubbing against my labia and clit. I originally did not put much stock into the feet but was surprised at the element they added.

However, I think Big Teaze Toys may have gone a little overboard with this one. Wormie’s bulbous head, which is supposed to stimulate the G-spot, was so large that I could barely insert it even when I had it lubed up enough that I could barely maintain a grasp on the toy. I tried insertion in the shower and dry to no avail. I’m not sure if anyone can successfully insert the Wormie! The little insertion I managed was very uncomfortable. Because g-spot stimulation is a selling point, I think the design falls a little short. I would perhaps make the neck flexible or even straight and make the head the same size as the rest of the body.

Speaking of the rest of the body, it seemed the perfect size for insertion and I even tried it out that way. Of course, the on and off switches are at the end of the tail so this idea didn’t work so well but I liked using the head as a handle.

I had the most success using Wormie on my clit, with his head between my legs and feet against my skin. The head felt similar to oral sex when I moved it and because it was bigger than many clitoral stimulators, the pressure felt great. As I mentioned, the vibrations were pretty powerful so I generally stayed on the first level. I liked using Wormie’s tail as a handle because the vibrations weren’t making my hand uncomfortable. I believe the motor is located around the neck so I had a little buffer for my hand.

Although satisfied by the Wormie as a clit toy, I am a little puzzled about one aspect of the massager. Because the package recommends a water based lube and I suspect the Soft2Touch Skin may be silicone, I wonder how insertion is supposed to happen in a wet environment. Water dissolves waterbased lubricants and I certainly had a harder time even attempting insertion in the shower. Nevertheless, the Wormie held up very well in the wet conditions and I felt the battery compartment was very snug.

While I can forgive Wormie for not working as a vaginal toy because he feels so nice on my clit, I am a little annoyed by the amount of noise he makes. Wormie is loud. On the low speed, this waterproof vibrator can be dully heard through a closed door. You may be able to get away with it if no one is listening in. However, it’s clearly audible through a closed door on the high speed and you won’t be able to hide your Wormie time from anyone! One other annoyance is that you can actually hear the batteries jostling around inside Wormie’s body which makes it even noisier.

Lastly, I think the button position could use a little work. When using Wormie through my clothes to stimulate my vulva and clit, I found that I accidentally turned him off more times than once. It’s a little frustrating for the toy to all of a sudden stop working. Ironically, when I want to turn him on and off, I sometimes have difficulty pressing the switch. Perhaps some sort of digital or electronic button would be better than the switch beneath the skin. Furthermore, I actually found myself unscrewing the battery compartment when I held on to Wormie’s tail in some positions. I think this whole area could use a little work.

Despite his flaws, I am happy with my new buddy. I will continue to use the I Rub My Wormie as a clit stimulator and enjoy his soft skin, feet and vibrations even if the Wormie is a little loud and doesn’t work quite as intended.

3 Comments

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Image © MisterUnlucky; used with permission.