Smartballs (Black/Magenta)

July 10th, 2009

Smartballs

Smartballs

Smartballs have been reviewed a million times. Probably more. I can’t think of any toy which has been reviewed more. I actually cringe when I read another new review for them so I don’t want to inundate you with what you already know but I still wanted to try them for myself and PinkCherry provided them for me to do so.

In the event that you forgot or haven’t stumbled across one of those reviews, here’s a quick rundown: Elastomed (specially treated, non-porous elastomer), weighted, silicone retrieval cord, 0.3 lb, 4 1/2″ length, 4 1/2″ circumference, “ribbed”, dual-colour (with multiple colours available), vaginal exercisers with flexible connector which can be washed with soap/water or toy wash (but no boiling); made by Fun Factory (with Fun Factory’s standard packaging).

There are a couple things which are remarkable:

  • Smartballs are not round, they are actually oblong.
  • The connector is longer of that in the Luna Beads or K-Balls.
  • The combination of these things means a longer exerciser overall.
  • Different colours seem to offer differing amounts of stimulation via internal ‘vibrations.’
  • Smartballs offer the most stimulation via ‘vibration’ than either the Luna Beads or K-Balls.
  • Smartballs are also the heaviest which I consider no coincidence.
  • The retrieval cord is connected to the end of one ball, which is very points.
  • Silicone lube can be used.

There are also a few things I experienced:

  • Smartballs are more difficult to position than K-Balls. I needed to readjust them to find the right place for them to sit. If they were in a different position, they were uncomfortable, even painful. They also wanted to slip out more. I feel this is all due to the longer connector and oblong shape.
  • The ridges offered no help for insertion. My fingers were nowhere near there; however, insertion wasn’t so hard that I needed the ridges.
  • The ridges made no difference in sensation.
  • The retrieval cord on Smartballs is stiffer and more annoying than the cords on similar vagina balls.
  • Like all vaginal balls, the Smartballs push out tiny air “pockets” (queefs, I guess?) from the vagina. This can be annoying/distracting or may not affect you at all. I always have to get use to it, when I first put them in.
  • Although I could feel the inner vibrations more, they weren’t pleasurable. Furthermore, the shape of the balls didn’t work with my shape as well as the K-Balls. G-spot stimulation was little to none.
  • I was able to experience intense G-spot stimulation with one ball poised at the entrance to my vagina and a strong massager-style vibrator.
  • The pointy end where the cord is, fucking hurt/pinched!
  • Vaginal balls are not good for stationary activities.

My personal preference for kegel balls is not Fun Factory’s Smartballs. They are certainly well made but my specific shape and the oblong balls do not mix very well. I think all of my issues would be solved by making the Smartballs round and while I know every woman is different, I think that one improvement would make them more enjoyable for the majority of women.

It is of significance that Fun Factory has released a sort of Smartballs 2.0 with their Teneo Duo Smartballs. These exercisers do lack the painful, pointy place as the way the retrieval cord is connected has changed. However, they still appear to be oblong.

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Categories: Reviews, Sexual Health and Beauty

Luna Pleasure Bead System

December 21st, 2008

Luna Pleasure Bead System
$59 from SheVibe

Lelo now sells three versions of Luna Beads, including an updated pair with silicone cord, Mini Luna Beads, and Luna Beads Noir.

When I requested the Luna Pleasure Bead System to review from Babeland, I expected a high quality set vaginal exercise balls to facilitate Legels and possibly add pleasure.

In reality, I got a quality set of vaginal balls which may well help strengthen my PC muscles but this exerciser doesn’t seem to soar above comparable tools.

What I think is that the value of having 2 pairs of weighted balls is somewhat exaggerated and, while it sounds novel there isn’t much to back up the claims. I would have been a little more satisfied with 1 set of balls because this is a solid product. I wanted to badly to love my first Lelo product but, unfortunately, I only like it.

What worked for me are the baby blue and pink pairs of weighted balls which look quite elegant in their stretchyPhthalate-free silicone holder (and stay in place due to notched ridges in the beads themselves) and the subtle movement of the balls within to remind me periodically of the balls within myself. I also enjoyed the sleek, white cardboard box in which the product arrived. This contained a black storage box with a tray for both sets of balls which is nondescript enough to keep on your bathroom counter or nightstand without drawing notice to itself and, if someone is curious, the balls themselves do not look like sex toys. Alternatively, the white satin pouch provides even more discreet storage options and would work well if you are traveling with your Luna Beads.

What didn’t work so well for me was the bare retraction string which felt unhygienic without a coating and sometimes cut into my finger during removal. The subtle “vibrations” of the inner balls were not pleasurable in any way. The large size of the Luna Beads made it unnecessary to use my PC muscles to keep them from falling out and also difficult to insert initially (insertion proved easier over time). Removal also was difficult because there was a suction effect between the “crown” bead and my vagina, hence the string cutting into my finger (however the string has proved strong thus far).The instructions and pouch are both stored beneath the balls and I didn’t even realize they were there for nearly a week! While I like the storage box, the plastic cover on top of the balls is quite difficult to remove sometimes.

The biggest problem with the Luna Beads is that the idea of incremental resistance to increase PC muscle control is dubious at best. Starting with the lighter beads and moving to the heavier ones would make sense if one or both of the pairs were of different sizes. Because they are so large, it’s not any harder to keep the heavier balls inside and the heavier balls don’t really offer any more ‘resistance”. There is no way the Luna Beads are going to fall out of anyone during normal activities. In fact, because it’s easier to feel the “vibrations” of the heavier balls, it makes more sense to me to start with them and move on to the harder-to-feel vibrations of the lighter balls once your PC muscles are strong.

Furthermore, although the instructions simply say the vaginal balls will work best during activities like running or swimming, these are not a passive tool, in my opinion. The instructions include no actual suggestions for activities to do when the Luna Beads are inserted and I think this would be valuable material.

While using the Luna Beads, I masturbated, peed, walked, sat, lay and did other activities. I found them to be fairly comfortable but often forgot they were even in which seems a bit counterproductive. They do make an audible sound when you’re moving but once you add layers of clothes or background noises, others will not hear. While peeing, one ball did slip out but I was able to stop them from falling out completely. Orgasming with the Luna Beads inside did not feel all that different than without.

I feel that overall, Luna Beads are a quality product but the effect of having two pairs of weighted balls is little to none. I expected more from the two sets of balls, and do feel a bit disappointed in that respect. If this were simply one set of balls, I think I would be more satisfied. As a single set of vaginal balls, the heavier of the Luna Beads does seem to work well. After using them about 5 times, I do feel I have more control over my muscles and I will continue to use them periodically. However, I am not overly put off because I do not feel I need to use vaginal balls.

21 Comments

Categories: Reviews, Sexual Health and Beauty

Image © MisterUnlucky; used with permission.