A Toy A Day #1: Laya Spot

September 2nd, 2016

I recently took a look at my nightstand and realized that there were dozens of toys that I neglect. Not only should I use them more, but I should use them at all. Even my favorites have been collecting dust as of late. More often than not, I use toys only to review them and stick to manual stimulation when I want to get off because it’s quicker and more convenient.

There’s nothing wrong with this per se, but I do feel as though my sexuality isn’t completely integrated with the rest of my life lately. And it’s not just because I am perpetually single.

Regardless, I can change the situation with my sex toys. So as summer winds down, batteries will be recharged, and I will work my way through the draw. I expect to remember how much I loved some toys, be disappointed with those that I have grown apart from and be surprised by toys that has finally won me over.

I plan to detail this attempt in a little project called A Toy A Day.

Layaspot, Desire clitoral vibe and Siri 2

Layaspot, Desire clitoral vibe and Siri 2

There have been a number of toys that I liked or even loved while my fellow bloggers were lukewarm or even less satisfied with them. Fun Factory’s Laya Spot was perhaps the first. I enjoyed it so much that I powered past a disgusting BO-like smell right out of the packaging. And when my first one died after years of steady use, I replaced it.

Some months ago, the batteries in my Laya Spot died. It’s one of the few toys that I keep around that doesn’t have an internal battery and one of select few that runs on AAA batteries. Laya Spot’s strengths were never the vibrations. They’re lackluster and toward the buzzy end of the spectrum, which I don’t necessarily love.

No, it’s always been the shape of the Laya Spot that does it for me, so it’s no surprise that after switching to fresh batteries, I was able to get off within 60 seconds. Using the Laya Spot feels good, not utilitarian. And it’s all due to the shape. That drastic angled with the rounded tip has always nestled between my labia like it belongs that.

Laya Spot is also one of the few clitoral toys I have that’s rigid, and I cannot help but think this has something to do with why the shape works well for me. Not only is it pronounced, but I can easily achieve pressure thanks to the material. Fun Factory described it as Elastomed, but it feels like a slick-ish plastic to me, so movement is easy.

Throughout my years of using Laya Spot, I’ve used it over my underwear and directly against my skin. If I’m lazy and perhaps haven’t had time to clean it, I’ll use my underwear as a totally not effective barrier. But because it’s the shape and not the vibrations that I love, I rarely use it directly against my skin.

Now that there are fresh batteries in my Laya Spot, I’m sure I’ll find myself reaching for it in the dark of night when I half wake up, aroused and delirious.

Comment

Categories: A Toy A Day

Revel Body

November 19th, 2013

This is an archive post. SheVibe no longers sells the Revel Body or attachments.

revel body
What can I say about a vibrator that others have dubbed the “shit orb”? Seriously. I guess I’ll start by saying I don’t think this is necessarily a shitty toy. In fact, it uses some new technology and does some things in a way that make sense to me. However, as a whole, it’s a very peculiar vibrator that’s going to work for a very particular sort of person. I think the success of a sex toy often hinges on its versatility, but if the Revel Body doesn’t work for you, there’s no “plan b” about it. $180 is a lot of money for a toy that just might not work for you. Fortunately — unfortunately for the company — I expect a lot of these will go up for sale or swap as us reviewers finish with them.

But let me tell you what you need to know about this toy to see if you’d like it. The Revel Body is a spherical base with a cylindrical hole down the center. The hole and base of the attachments are magnified so they stick together when you insert it. This is brand new to me, and the magnetic attraction is amazingly strong. Don’t worry about it not working because it’s not going anywhere during use. This led me to stick the attachments to my refrigerator. So that’s kinda cool.

There are multiple attachments, and I’ll talk about them in another post. The main attachment has a rounded shape. It’s inconspicuous, boring perhaps. There head is made of silicone that’s squishier than the rest of the toy. The silicone sphere has a texture that’s quite easy to grasp. I rather like this about it. It’s not so small that it will cramp your hand. It’s not the first time that I’ve enjoyed a round toy.

The vibrations transmit through the magnetism so that the entire attachment vibrators in the hole. Of course, this means it’s the type of toy that you can’t achieve a lot of pressure with; otherwise, it dulls the sensation. This is absolutely a deal-breaker for me, which is a shame. I rather enjoy pressure, but I also like something about the revel body…

The vibrations. They’re rather deep and rumbly, and they’re designed to be that way rather than strong. I can deal with weaker vibrations if they’re strong. Interestingly, as you increase the strength of the vibrations, the frequency goes up. The manual explains that it’s the third setting or so that is the deepest. They feel buzzier as you increase them. In fact, you can continue to increase the frequency to the point where you can’t even feel it. This happened to me, and I could have swore the Revel Body was broken. I guess I don’t understand the point of these “higher” settings, like why do they even exist?

I was instructed to press the “-” button five times to fix it, which worked. However, the idea that the strongest/deepest vibrations are somewhere in the middle just makes sense to me. I just.. don’t need anything else. Nevertheless, you get both high and low power. Press the power button to switch — the light strength indicates high or low. At many settings, I didn’t notice a difference. In many ways, Revel Body just seems overly complicated.

Furthermore, I need to be able to apply some sort of pressure, and the Revel Body just doesn’t provide it. You get a sphere that doesn’t do anything when it actually makes contact with you. You have to hold it at a very particular location away from your body and this is just annoying. Obviously, this isn’t the type of toy where you just turn it on and stick it in or on wherever you want to stimulate. It’s sort of like the Eroscillator in that this is a toy that you have to learn, not one that learns you. And let’s be honest.. ain’t nobody got time for that.

Another issue is that it’s the loudest on those most rumbly settings. This is because the attachment is moving the most in the hole. It certainly makes sense, but the Revel Body is not whisper quiet in any way, not like the site suggests. It’s more like some of the wands, and your body won’t muffle this sound because you can’t press it to yourself.

If you do happen to like hte Revel Sonic, note that it’s fully waterproof thanks to the design. This makes cleaning easy, too. It charged on a donut-shaped base where contacts meet together. It looks kind of cool, sort of futuristic but that means jack if the toy doesn’t get you off. The vibe comes with a USB cable and an AC adapter, so you can charge it from an outlet or your computer. Yawn. This is expected now. According to the manual, 90 minutes get you a full charge, and you’ll get about 60 minutes of use per charge.

So what can I say? It’s interesting. There’s some ideas I like. The design is sharp, but Revel Body will probably never get me off.

3 Comments

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

lingerie

Maia Toys Giveaway

March 13th, 2013

Who doesn’t love a new sex toy company? If you’ve read anything that I post here, then you know I like new things. I like new ideas and companies and I things different. Maia Toys is not only a new company, but it’s one that has bright yellow vibrators and kegel balls, and I think this is worth noting even though I hate yellow. I just know how much you guys like different, and I’m totally cool with that.

Vibrating Kegel Balls

Also, who doesn’t love a new company that’s willing to work with bloggers and will send you an entire box crammed to the gills with said vibrators and dildos? Welp. I love that. Maybe you won’t. Especially if your in laws open the box. This was not an issue for me, of course.

There’s a few other things that I like about this company:

  • They make silicone items
  • Their designs have clean lines
  • Teal!
  • Maia Toys offers a 90-day warranty

The current lineup has a handful of kegel balls, dildos and vibrators. I want sent the single G-spot vibrator, the vibrator kegel balls and the twisty dildo. To be honest, the naming confuses me a bit because Maia Toys uses names for the colors  such as “porpora” for purple. The site describe items by type, but the package uses a number code like D3 for the silicone dildo. Still, I enjoy the designs.

What does this mean for you, dear reader? Only good things. This entire post is leading up to your very own chance to win not one but two items from Maia Toys. I have in my possession two toys to ship out: the vibrating kegel balls and the G-spot vibrator, both in bright freakin’ yellow. Now, the vibrator is pretty straight up, but the kegel balls are something a little new. It’s an exerciser with inner balls and a motor, which makes the whole thing a little different and more stimulating than your generic vag balls. It’s not for everyone, but you won’t be out anything if you win this giveaway because it’s free.

To enter this giveaway, please use the PromoSimple form below. The giveaway is open the US and Canadian residents as I am personally shipping this. All entrants must type in address, which I will only even look at if you win. I won’t share any personal information. If you’d like the form to remember your information, log in with your email address.

Maia Toys Vibrators

Sometimes the form doesn’t load. Click here to view it in its own window.

Giveaway ends April 14.

Good luck!

12 Comments

Categories: Giveaways

Waterproof Power Stud Cliterrific

December 29th, 2012

Waterproof Power Stud Cliterrific
$22.99 from CEN

So, I never would have picked this toy by myself. I think the fact that CEN calls it a “dong” is a good indicator of that. It’s essentially a realistic dildo with a vibrator mechanism added in as an afterthought. It’s got veins, a head and some strange bumps that really evoke the image of a dude who shaved about a week ago and is kind of prickly. This isn’t starting off very favorable, is it? I

To be honest. I have nothing positive to say about this one. I’m far too tired to fake it with a vibrator, okay?

It might look realistic ish. If bright pink and pitch black ever are. And the size is about right with 6″ or so of insertable length. But it doesn’t feel realistic. The PVC — again, not my choice — is very plasticy. The product description calls it soft, but it’s soft in the way that plastic is. It’s nothing like silicone. It doesn’t feel good. The veins and head are lost on me because it’s just ick. In your hand, you can tap it with a finger and hear the hardness of the PVC . I don’t know how the hell this made it past the inspection process.

I mean, at least it doesn’t collect lint? I don’t know.

That’s not the only incredibly offensive thing about this toy. Y’all know that I like some power and depth to my vibrators. I shy away from any that take AAA batteries because of this. When I forget, I am always disappointed. The Layaspot is the only exception to this rule ever. With 2AAs, I figured I might not hate this.

Guess what?

I was wrong.

For starters, the control is on the side of the shaft. It points up when this is inserted with the ridiculous nubs upward. When you consider that a) the shaft doesn’t bend or flex and b) I’m not going to insert this down to the giant testicle base, they’re useless, but I digress.

The button on the side of the shaft gives you three levels of steady vibes and they all suck. Or blow. Or fucking rot. Pick one. They’re stupidly week. Like trying to get off by sticking your vulva toward the wind. I don’t even know what that means, but it would probably work better than this.

I gave up in thirty seconds. I’m sorry. This just isn’t a good toy at all.

Maybe you can use this waterproof vibe to clean your tub. I don’t know. Please don’t buy it. If you really want realistic, anything by Vixen is a better bet. While the BOB has the stupid nubs, it at least feels better. The Posh Teaser 2 is definitely stronger, prettier and ultimately more useful in my book, too, if you need something cheap!
CEN Sexpert

Comment

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

lingerie

Wanachi Rechargeable Massager

July 27th, 2012

Wanachi Rechargeable Massager

Wanachi Rechargeable Massager
$43.96 from Adult Sensations

I’m not going to lie, part of the reason I requested to review the Wanachi Rechargeable Massager is simply because I remember them showcasing it on that one sex toy shopping TV show, the name of which completely escapes me now. I can literally hear one of the hostesses talking about it and, you know, I thought it might be nice to have a rechargeable full-size massager. Both of mine, while powerful and small, require me to tether myself to the outlet. I have pulled my Miracle Massager cord out of the outlet more than once, guys.

As is there were any doubt from the name, this is Pipedream’s Hitachi knockoff. There’s really not much difference as far as I can tell; although I’ve never used a Hitachi. I don’t think I would want to now, to be honest. The box for this vibrator was huge because, well, the vibrator itself isn’t a petite thing. It’s heavier, longer and wider than my Miracle Massager… even combined with my Inspire. I was just not prepared for this monstrosity. The head of this massager is like the size of my fist.

I also wasn’t surprised for it to be charged. I’ve gotten lucky with toys that way, lately. They usually aren’t but this one was. A slider switch let me easily move between the two settings.. and I was immediately disappointed. The vibrations on the lower setting weren’t any stronger than some vibes that take 2AAs or 3 or 4 AAAs. They weren’t as buzzy, sure, but they were just plain weak. Any of the Jopen vibrators blow this one right out of the water.

On the high setting, it wasn’t quite so bad… but it was still like the low on my Miracle Massager or Inspire. The vibrations of the Wanachi Rechargeable Massager were so lackluster that I plugged it in, thinking maybe it wasn’t charged all the way. Unfortunately, it was.

I wish my disappointment ended there, but it doesn’t. I was resting this hulk (hey, they should make it green!) against my clit, and the edge of the head was doing okay for me, when it just died. Now, I think I’d gotten off once or twice, and I sort of wasn’t paying attention as I finished The Great Gatsby, but the vibrator died well within 30 minutes. That’s right, after I double-charged the thing, it just died.

Now, I wish I could say “whoa! these guys says I should get 3 hours of time,” but I can’t. Honestly, the product description is so freakin’ vague. I’m not sure what the advertised amount of usage is, or how long Pipedream recommends that I charge this vibrator for. Regardless, it wasn’t strong, small, quiet or long-lived enough for my tastes. The only way in which this massager really didn’t disappoint me is with its flexible neck. It’s super flexible. Way more than the Inspire.

I think you might assume that it’s as strong as the Hitachi, but it’s just not. If you want cord-free, take any vibrator that runs on 2AAs. It’ll do you better than the Wanachi Rechargeable Massager, by far.

[Edit]

Oh my god, you guys. This thing is a fuckin’ zombie. I accidentally bumped it on my nightstand, and it works again! I didn’t charge it, I just turned it on and it worked. I’ve been able to get a few more sessions of use out of it. While it’s still weaker than you’d expect, it apparently works longer. I just don’t know why. Perhaps it overheated the first time, which is definitely not a sign of quality. Your guess is as good as mine.

4 Comments

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Pink Mystic Wand Vibe Giveaway, Sponsored by Babeland

April 15th, 2012

I am so behind in posting reviews and giveaways. I’ve just been doing a lot more writing, you know to pay the bills, and I’m feeling a little burned out when it comes to all my blogs. Luckily, my review pile is shrinking, so I’ll probably slow down for a while. In lieu of my awesome reviews, I do have a couple giveaways for you.

The first is for a pink Mystic Wand from Babeland. Now, I haven’t personally used this vibrator, but it receives high ratings from my fellow reviewers and consumers alike. Right now, you can actually buy it on sale and 10% of the proceeds go toward breast cancer funds. That’s cool enough, but this wand vibrator steps it up from your traditional design by adding a flexible neck and variable speeds and pulsation. Plus, it runs on batteries, so you won’t be tethered to the wall.

Babeland carries an attachment for you to use your Mystic Wand for G-spot and clitoral stimulation. Finally, the wand comes with a carrying bag, which is always nice.

Mystic Wand

If you’d like to win your very own Mystic Wand, keep reading! I want one comment for each entry type. Some entries are allowable once per day, like Twitter. Please do not leave your email address in your comment body as this is unnecessary. I can see it just fine as long as you enter it into the form!

  • Stop by Babeland and tell me something you like about the shop —Mandatory.
  • Leave a relevant/thoughtful comment on any other recent (three months or so) post. Leave a comment here with a link to your comment.
  • Follow me on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway (once daily). For example: @adriana_r is giving away a pink Mystic Wand vibrator. Visit of Sex and Love to enter https://ofsexandlove.com/?p=3966 Ends 5/01
  • Stumble/like this post on StumbleUpon (you can find a handy Share/Save widget on every post page that allows you to submit this post to social bookmarking sites).
  • Blog about this giveaway, including a link directly to this post.
  • Subscribe to my feed via email. With my new FeedBurner URL, you can receive updates straight to your inbox. Comment with the email address you used on FeedBurner for this to count!

 Giveaway will end on May 1 and is open to residents of the continental US.

Babeland

64 Comments

Categories: Giveaways

Make love to your long distance lover online

Zone Bliss Purple

April 10th, 2010

Zone Bliss Purple

Zone Bliss Purple
N/A from

The Zone Bliss is a uniquely designed vibrator which automatically earns brownie points for a couple characteristics:

  • It looks like a rocket ship
  • It can be used hands free
  • The base is made of sturdy plastic while the insertable portion is a removable silicone sleeve
  • It’s surprisingly strong
  • The controls are super easy to use

But it falls short in several key ways:

  • The design blocks access to the clit (when used vaginally) unless it is turned so the buttons are unreachable
  • It’s too short for me to actually kneel over
  • The base is too large for me to sit on
  • The texture does not add stimulation
  • The shape is not ideal for storage

The design, although original, is straightforward. A cone shape points upward, resting upon tripod. As I mentioned, the base itself is plastic, and the cone is sheathed in a removable silicone sleeve. This makes cleaning a breeze; you can wipe down the plastic and wash the sleeve with soap and water or clean it with a bleach solution. I was worried about lubes or liquids finding their way beneath the sleeve but, thus far, it has not been a problem. It’s perfectly ‘sealed.’

However, this toy is far from problematic. From the initial insertion, I struggled to find any position in which I could use the Zone Bliss comfortably. I tried kneeling and sitting to no avail. I could not kneel low enough for even half insertion, and the hard plastic of the base pushed uncomfortably when I tried to sit. Some bodies might work better for this, and then, conceivably, the Zone Bliss could rest on an even surface (the legs all have little rubber feet on them, which also dampens the noise of it vibrating against the surface). I bet this would work better in a kneeling position over a firm-ish pillow (perhaps one of the Liberator shapes).

I could use it a little more successfully on my back, with legs up. I was also able to achieve full insertion with this method, but even with the Zone Bliss fully inserted, I experienced more issues.

The two buttons to control this vibrator are on one of the legs. To reach the buttons, I situate this leg so it’s in front of me, but then it blocks access to my clit, and the side legs fight for position where my thighs are. So I can rotate the toy so that no legs are directly in front of me, but then the buttons are not really accessible. It seems to me that it would make more sense to put the buttons on the bottom.

Other than that, the soft plastic buttons are decently sized and easy to find because they’re thick. One turns the toy on and cycles upward while the other turns it off. That’s all it does: turns it off. I wish this button cycled downward, too. There are three speeds of steady vibration, which are a little buzzier than I’d like but surprisingly strong. Then again, it better be for a power source of 3 AAs. In fact, I think I’d like to see more vibrators require the extra battery. Then there are multiple pulsation modes:

  • Short-short-long pulse
  • short repeating pulses
  • This short escalating pulse thing
  • Escalation

After escalation, the steady vibration continues again instead of the toy shutting off. It’s kind of confusing. As you can guess, this toy is not the quietest I have ever owned. Most of the base seems to be hollow plastic, so the vibrations sort of reverberate through it. It’s quieter than it would be when resting on a hard surface because of the rubber feet, but this one just might be heard through a closed door.

If I could find a comfortable position, I might like the way the Zone Bliss feels inserted. I could not detect the embossed “chevron” shapes, but the short, squat shaft was appropriate filling for me without being horrendously long. It stimulated my G-spot, but it is short enough – 3.5″ – and lacks the curve that many women need for G-spot stim. Even if it weren’t a bit of a hassle, I could not recommend this toy to newbies or women who like smaller toys. At the base, the shaft has a diameter of 2″. It does taper slightly toward the tip, but much of the shaft remains around 1.5″ in diameter.

In case you were wondering, this vibe is not meant to be submerged. The battery pack clicks in and out like most remotes, so it’s definitely not waterproof.

The Zone Bliss has a lot of depth, too, which means it cannot be stored just anywhere. Your best bets are in a drawer, on a shelf, or in a deep box. I would not store it in any sort of bag. The Zone Bliss also arrives in a rather large, cylindrical plastic container, which is not at all practical for storage unless you collect unique-looking “hat boxes.”

The Zone Bliss is really the sort of toy that is best for people who like to have novelty toys but don’t necessarily mind if those toys are not all that practical.

2 Comments

Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Image © MisterUnlucky; used with permission.