egg Archives - of Sex and Love

Lelo Alia

January 4th, 2011

This is an archived review of a discontinued toy. You might try the most recent Ora, instead.

Insignia is the newest line by Lelo, the luxury sex toy company that has pumped out more new items this past year than I have fingers. I have been lucky enough to try several items, including the egg-shaped Alia. I was drawn to the Alia because it’s similar to a regular egg vibrator, but I have difficulty holding those, and I hoped that the hole in the center of the vibrator would ease the stress on my fingers.

Alia is like an egg with slightly flattened sides and a smaller egg shape cut out of the middle. It is slightly larger than your typical egg vibrator at approximately 2.5” long and 1.5” wide. While the outsides of this vibrator are coated in a firm silicone, the inside is lined with plastic painted to look metallic. It has a slight golden sheen, and if you found it difficult to tell whether it was gold or silver in images, it’s pretty much as difficult to tell in person. Unlike some other Lelo’s toys, the silicone is not as firm as I expected. There’s just a tiny bit of give, similar to the Estomed of the Layaspot. The velvety finish also adds to the feeling of softness.

It seems Lelo has been experimenting with packaging this year. Alia comes in a box that contains a foam shape to hold the vibrator and the included brooch while the other side has a liftable cardboard flap that houses the storage/travel pouch and booklets. I have found that the booklets like to slide to the other side, under the foam, and you need to insert your fingers into the foam holes to move the paper back into place in order to access it.

So, the brooch is a small metal pin that is in the shape of what I understand to be the logo for the Insignia line. Imagine an infinity symbol with an extra loop. I’m not really a fan of pins but it’s elegant looking and could spice up an outfit or you could put it on a canvas bag.

Lelo has strayed from their trademark controls with the Insignia toys and the controls actually match the brooch. The logo is engraved into the silicone while the buttons are embossed onto it. There is a + button on one side to turn on and up the vibrator while a – button exists on the other side to do the opposite. The button in the middle looks a bit like this () and allows the user to switch between modes. Those modes include various pulsation and escalation settings. There are around 8 but it’s hard to tell because that middle button needs a lot of pressure in order for the vibrator to respond. Sadly, Lelo has returned to the buzzier type vibrations with Alia. Siri is significantly deeper in terms of vibration. However, Alia is still much more powerful than Lily.

In use, I didn’t find the shape to help at all. In fact, it may have even made this egg-shaped toy more difficult to use. Depending on your finger size, you can fit 2 or 3 through the hole. Nevertheless, I just couldn’t find a comfortable and useful position that made use of the hole and offered the pressure I like. If you simply like to hold vibrators against you, then this may not be an issue.

Lelo has continued to provide the ability to lock your vibrators when not in use by simultaneously pressing – and +. I still say this isn’t as useful and being able to lock it during use but it’s handy for travel. Charging automatically unlocks an Insignia toy, which is important to remember. The manual states that it requires two hours to fully charge; although, mine was already charged. The LED light on the toy will remain white when the battery is full but will pulse as it dies. Users can expect up to four hours of usage from Alia but I have yet to reach that point. I also believe it uses the same adapter as Ina, Mona and Siri. AWESOME!

Now, I have to mention something odd. This toy is supposed to be completely waterproof. My understanding is that the silicone is supposed to stretch to accommodate the adapter when charging but “shrink” to cover the hole when not charging. My hole is completely open all.the.time. (Man, that sounds kinda naughty, doesn’t it?) I would absolutely NOT trust this in water if I didn’t know it was supposed to be fully waterproof. However, I gave it a thorough and fully submerged washing and it came out just fine. I wonder if the silicone port covers that Lelo previously used are a thing of the past.

Another change that Lelo has implemented with this product is the storage bag. It is now double-layered satin, black on the outside and white on the inside. I don’t think it looks as nice as plain black, but it offers slightly more cushion.

The bottom line for me is that Alia really isn’t an improvement over traditional egg vibrators in terms of strength, size or comfort. I would much rather use my $35 BNaughty, which has survived multiple trips to the shower and rough cleanings.

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Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

BNaughty

October 7th, 2008

BNaughty
N/A from

This is an archived review of a discontinued product.

The BNaughty egg vibrator by BSwish is definitely a toy for grown ups! Boasting a velvety smooth feel and 4 powerful levels of vibration, all packed into a completely waterproof package, this is a great egg for sex toy amateurs and connoisseurs alike. Of course, every product has some sort of claim, and as often is the case with sex toys, these claims usually turn out to be false. However, I was definitely open to surprises when the BNaughty (a play on the word “be,” as all of the company’s toys are called) arrived in my mailbox.

One of the first things I noticed was the packaging. The BNaughty comes in a sleek red and black box which matches the toy itself with a modern design featuring a woman in lingerie. The clean lines of the packaging are very mature and would be just as fitting on the packaging for consumer electronics, like an iPod. This slick box is a far improvement over the plastic blister-packaging of adult store “novelties” and gives the BNaughty the impression of being a legitimate product rather than something that should be hidden away.

The box contains a description of the BNaughty, describing its “compact oval shape, its silky touch and pitter-patter vibrations” as well as a few notes such as the necessity of 2 AA batteries (not included) and a warning that the vibrator should not be used on swollen or inflamed body parts and also that the product makes no medical claims. Interestingly enough, it seems that the toy itself is not the only silky thing in the package, the box itself feels very smooth.

The package contains the BNaughty egg vibrator, which is attached to its remote, and an additional small, cinching sac, which is perfectly inconspicuous for carrying or storing the toy. First impressions of the bnaughty were good. I immediately noticed was a delicious colour it was: a vibrant cherry red. This is not the colour one comes to expect from sex toys but, rather, the colour one might expect in fashion or alternative hair! I was very impressed with that aspect alone.

Closer inspection revealed several promising aspects of the toy. Both the remote and egg felt very sturdy and secure, and they had a soft, velvety texture as promised (pet owners rejoice—the material does not collect lint!). Furthermore, there were no chips or cracks anywhere that could cause injury, lead to breaking of the naughty, or make cleaning difficult. Also, the wire between the 2 components was well insulated and connected securely, with caps on either end to ensure waterproofing.

The egg itself is pretty straightforward, a very smooth device, and while not exactly seamless, this shouldn’t be detrimental to the experience. On the other hand, the remote has some improvements over other typical ones. For starters, it’s ergonomically contoured to be comfortable to hold and easy to grip in situations where it’s easy to lose the remote – such as in the shower.Also, since both parts are meant to be waterproof, the battery packed which is housed in the remote has a very tight and secure fit.

I tried the BNaughty first in the shower and then outside. I was very pleased with this vibrator. It’s the first of its kind that I’ve used and it’s very powerful despite it’s small stature. In fact, of it’s 4 settings, I didn’t expect to go any higher than #2. I did find, however, that in the shower, I needed to turn the egg up to 3 to compete with the sensations of the water. The BNaught held up very well in the water, with no problems.

I then took it took the bedroom where I was able to experiment a bit more. Smaller vibes like this one are great to use in a variety of ways as they’re so easy to manipulate and I found exploring this to be quite delightful. Outside of a wet atmosphere, I use the BNaughty on the second setting, usually. I found that this pretty little egg did the trick quite nicely once I got the hang of it.

The BNaughty also works well during couples’ play. It can just as easily be wielded by a partner and, because of its small size, can be used during intercourse, between your bodies, and against the clitoris. I found this to be especially delightful and the BNaughty came through again.

The only downside I experienced with the BNaughty – yes there is 1, but only 1 – was that it was perhaps too powerful. Often, the hand holding the toy took the brunt of the vibrations, which became a little uncomfortable. After playing with the toy for a while, both my hand and clit felt a bit twitchy and uncomfortable. Unfortunately, there’s no way around this because egg vibrators have no handle, and I suppose it’s the price I must pay for the enjoyment the BNaughty gives me otherwise.

My experience with the BNaughty, my first with this style of toy, was very enjoyable. This gorgeous, discreet little vibrator is strong enough for even experienced players yet not threatening in the least. For solo or couples play, the BNaughty proves pleasurable and will certainly enhance your experience.