Svakom Gaga

November 22nd, 2014

Svakom Gaga
$180 from Svakom

Sex toys and innovation.

Sex toys.

and.

Innovation.

Those words sounds really great when you put them together. Indeed, any number of companies want to take your money in exchange for whatever “innovation” they’ve added, even if you’re already seen it before. (-cough- I’m talking to you, Lelo, CEN and Doc Johnson -cough-). I suspect I’m not the only reviewer who cringes whenever she reads the word “innovation.”

The thing is, some companies are innovative. My experience with Svakom has generally been that this is one of those companies. However, innovation in and of itself isn’t necessarily good. It might be be able to achieve mass sales. Innovation may be good for only a few consumers. Innovation might make an item too niche for the general public. The word itself is heralded as an amazing thing, but sometimes it’s just different, and that doesn’t mean it good.

This is where Svakom’s Gaga falls. Gaga is a basic cylindrical vibe that reminds me of the Freestyle, but it’s generally thinner and narrower if I recall correctly. This “endoscopic” vibrator comes complete with a tiny camera and light built into the end, so you can see inside yourself as you use it. This means you need a compatible computer — Windows 7 and 8 will work just fine — and the USB cable. I don’t know why, but the fact that this connects to my computer makes me even more anxious about keeping the port clear of water. In fact, Svakom ships Gaga with an extra nub of silicone to cover it. Smart.

The vibrator comes with a disc. It’s not a software installation disc as much as it is a software-having disc. To be honest, I’m not sure that you have to use this program, but I’m not invested enough to figure out an alternative. So you need to have the disc inserted and the vibe connected via the USB cable. Then you have to turn on the camera with a button on the vibe. If you’ve got a webcam on your computer, the software will pick it up.

The program is incredibly easy to use but as I have an external DVD ROM, it’s kind of a drag. But you know what’s worse? You can’t really see anything when this is inserted. The addition of a light certainly helps, but the way the vagina is a potential space rather than a structured cave — you’re welcome for the awkward visual? — doesn’t work as well with the Gage as you might expect. Or perhaps it’s exactly as you’d expect if you gave it any thought.

I knew this before going in, but it was still a bummer. Other reviewers said that they bought clear, plastic speculums to use with this toy. But the thing it, you shouldn’t have to purchase something else to get the base use out of it! It should just work or come with everything you need to make it work. I didn’t want to shell out any more money.

To be honest, I wasn’t so disappointed. The idea of having to use a vibrator while it’s connected to my computer isn’t one that I find all that appealing. I know it would skyrocket the price, but a wireless transmission method or even being able to record the video and play it back at a later time just make more sense to me. Then again, I spend more on computers than some people do cars, and I can only imagine the sort of damage I might be able to do when tethered to my computer with a short USB cord in the midst of orgasm.

I feel the need to mention the vibrations before I wrap this up. They’re quite buzzy and disappointing. Leslie was a much better vibrator. This one’s easy to use, though. I wouldn’t recommend it for clitoral stimulation unless you can use the side of toys. I like to use the tip, but that’s where the camera is located rather than the motor.

This isn’t to say that no one  will enjoy Gaga. Some people will be into the idea of an endoscopic vibe much more than I am, and they’ll invest in a clear speculum. If you’re into medical and/or fetish play like this, the Gage might be the sort of unique item that you just have to add to your collection. However, I can’t see casual sex toy users rushing to the stores to purchase this vibrator, especially when it’s not strong enough to serve as a traditional fallback even without the camera option.

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Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Svakom Leslie

October 18th, 2014

Svakom Leslie
$175 from Svakom

So let’s talk about the shape. Leslie is a gently curved vibrator that will provide subtle G-spot stimulation. It has no hook a la Ella or Gigi, so you’re not going to get intense stimulation of your G-spot. The silky smooth silicone feels quite nice in my hand.

Yet, it’s not the shape or size of this toy that is its main appeal. Leslie is a self-heating vibrator that has the ability to raise temperature on its own and either in combination with or separately from vibrations.

A separate button enables you to turn on this function, which in and of itself isn’t that impressive. I don’t think I’d ever use Leslie without vibrations is what I mean. There’s a very gradual increase in heat, so you’re not worrying about burning yourself. At its warmest, it’s supposed to get up to 104 degrees F (40 C). If you’re just letting it test for curiosity’s sake, you’ll definitely feel the heat!

I would hazard a guess that some people wouldn’t feel it that much when used internally, however. I like it, though. Paired with the vibrations, I feel like this is a solid vibrator. There are 5 different modes:

  1. Continuous vibes (with multiple speeds)
  2. Escalation
  3. Pulsation
  4. Faster/stronger pulsation
  5. Fast pulsation

The manual lists 6 modes, but I’m not sure what the last one is. Perhaps heat? While the steady vibes aren’t too buzzy or weak. In fact, I really like them.

The four buttons on Leslie work in an interesting way. There’s a single button to turn on and off the heat, and there’s no way to control the specific temperature as far as I can tell. The control panel remains lit as long as heat as on, so you’ll never forget it. There is a “S” button that you press and hold to power on and off. It takes a few seconds to do this. There are also two arrow buttons. Pressing them once will cycle through speeds or strengths of the current setting while pressing it twice takes you to the next setting. It’s not difficult but it is different to use.

The build reminds me of other upscale toys and, like I said, I love the silky texture.  However, During some of the modes, I can hear an obvious rattle internally. This wouldn’t stop me from using Leslie, but it’s a sign that more work could be done and it’s distracting on the lower settings, when you can more easily hear it.

Leslie isn’t terribly loud, but the stronger modes do seem louder than I’m used to. I’d like to see the maximum noise output be equal to the quietest setting ideally.

Leslie is rechargeable via port on the bottom of the toy. It’s not covered like other toys, but Leslie is designed to be water resistant. I think that water would minimize the heating effect as I always find water distracting when in the shower.

Although there’s no serious G-spot hook, the shaft is curved slightly and large enough to feel filling thanks to the rigid inner core. Size queens will have to look elsewhere, however. With an overall length of just over 8 inches, Leslie offers about 6 inches for insertion until you’ll hit the buttons. The control panel is in an interesting position, by the way, on the side of the toy and running vertical. You could insert past the buttons, but you won’t be able to adjust the vibrator obviously. At its widest, Leslie is about 1.5″ in diameter. The tip of the shaft tapers for easier insertion.

On the other side is the Svakom logo, which matches in shape. There’s an LED light that shines through, which I never noticed before. It’s really not going to be something you can even see during use, but it is pretty.

Don’t be like me and use silicone lube with this toy. It’s a bitch to wash off.

At $175, this toy is more than luxury priced. If you are spending that much, I’m not sure if I would recommend Leslie unless you really want to try the warming function, and you have the expendable cash. I completely understand that this is more than just your typical vibrator, but the temperature aspect isn’t so remarkable that I would recommend Leslie to everyone. Some discerning buyers will definitely enjoy it, however! When buying directly from Svakom, you have your choice of plugs, which is awesome!

Leslie comes in black, white, wine red and purple. In person, the wine red is more of a deep raspberry. Pink haters beware!

You can take your chances and buy it for ~ $130 at Amazon. You can check them out at my affiliate store for under $150, too! There aren’t that many retailers selling Svakom products, but Leslie is definitely one that would do well in an upscale sex toy shop, I think.

2 Comments

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Svakom Echo

September 5th, 2014

Echo
$110 from Svakom

Who loves to discover and try toys from new companies? This reviewer! And the newest company on my radar is Svakom, an American company with a European office. The company makes toys that are, at first glance, similar to Lelo. However, Svakom has some original designs that really make this brand worth looking at a second time… and I totally plan to write about those toys. For this post, however, I’ll focus on the Echo.

Echo is a tiny clitoral vibrator that is remarkably similar to Lelo’s Lily. Lily was one of those toys that I lusted over for months, but I was rather disappointed by the time I actually got to try it.

In fact, Echo even comes in similar shades, and buttons placed on the underside of the toy is one of the issues Echo shares with Lily that have made this experience more lackluster than I had hoped for.

Echo gentle curves so cup your pubic mound. The under side has less of a nub than Siri or the Layaspot, however, so I found myself having to press it against myself with some force to get the pressure and contact I enjoy. This makes it less than luxurious and more of a workout. It might work better during missionary sex where your bodies press it against you, but I haven’t been able to try it.

Because the buttons are on the underside, you need to lift it up or completely remove the clit to change the settings. I’m more apt to do the latter because it’s easier, but it also means you’re interrupting stimulation.

There are two buttons to control the toy, but they run vertically along the toy rather than Lily’s horizontal buttons.  Echo is much more narrow, too. This doesn’t make it any better – or worse. I’d prefer if it had a bigger nub rather than a more narrow body.

One button turns on the button. It’s not labeled, but it’s in the upper position. The lower button cycles through several steady vibration modes when you press it once. A quick double-click moves through two modes each of pulsation and escalation. Pressing for several seconds turns off the vibrator. Obviously, one button has a single function while the other button bears responsibility for all other functions. And the buttons are swapped with their roles from what you’re normally expect.

This wouldn’t be a huge issue if I loved the vibes, but I don’t. Echo has shallow vibes that aren’t super strong. I can get off with a lot  of effort,  but I’m not sure it’s worth it. According to the vibe, you’ll get 5 hours of use out of a single 1-hour charge. I haven’t used it that long to test, however. It’s fairly quiet, so you needn’t worry about noise.

I do like the finish, which is silky smooth and soft,  made of ABS plastic. It’s not silicone, but it’s one of the safer materials.

There is an open charging port on the end, so I’d be careful of that when washing, and this one isn’t waterproof so don’t take it in the shower or bath.

Echo retails for $110. that’s well over the price of some similar toys, like the Siri, which I am more likely to recommend. However, my other experiences with Svakom products have been pretty awesome so stay tuned!

1 Comment

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Image © MisterUnlucky; used with permission.