Fun Factory Yooo

April 15th, 2011

Fun Factory Yooo

This is an archived review of a discontinued toy.

Yooo is a fantastic vibrator. Its description might suggest it as an all-over massager, and its shape might be reminiscent of Mickey Mouse, but, damn, if Fun Factory didn’t knock the ball right out of the park. A lot of times I see these novelty toys and, in reality, they just don’t perform all that well. Cast aside your doubts! The tri-spherical shape of Fun Factory’s Yooo works amazingly.

Let me pause to tell you that I love spherical toys. Love them. I like pressure and grinding and spherical toys, like Yooo and Tuyo, offer this without being painful. I don’t have to position them in any certain way–they’re spheres! Although, I’ve found that this multi-sphered toy works best when in a vertical position to one sphere stimulates my clit while the other rests against my slit, so to speak. This leaves the third ball where I can press against it to get all the pressure that I like and control the toy.

Now, let me say that the controls could use some work. For whatever reason, I have to press the on/up button for a full five seconds as hard as I possibly can to get my Yooo going. It’s just really stiff but the other buttons don’t appear to be as stiff. The button set up is also quite easy to use. + to power it on and cycle upward, – to do the opposite and Fun Factory’s signature boost button to give it an extra kick.

The click-and-charge system is also in play here. Plus, the company has added a unique feature to its newer toys. The control area lights up when you touch it, and while I like the idea, I find the light isn’t bright enough or should be a different color. The light really doesn’t enable me to see the buttons any better. It’s not a big deal, though.

I’m a big fan of the density of the silicone. It offers a tad bit of give, which makes it perfect for grinding against. Like any silicone, it collects dust and lint but, because there’s no open ports or whatever, rinsing with water is A-okay. No silicone lube though, mmkay?

So, I haven’t even gotten to the best part, really. Yooo features not one, but two motors, and the vibrations aren’t super shallow. Yay for me. So some of the settings have some nice back-and-forth action going on, and this toy really resonates deep within my body. The shape and vibrations not only get me off but I enjoy getting there and that’s not something I can say with all toys, honestly. Vibrators like Lelo’s Siri do the job but don’t tend to really make me writhe in pleasure as they do so. With Yooo, I experience a more powerful orgasm.

Yooo isn’t as tiny as some of the clitoral vibrators that exist, but its design does hug the body, and I can squeeze my thighs about it to hold it in place. If you’re a thigh squeezer, you might enjoy the Yooo simply for that fact.

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Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

L’Amour Passion “G”

April 14th, 2011

L’Amour Passion "G"
N/A

This is an archived review of a discontinued product.

Can I be honest here?

Cal Exotics should take a cue from some of the boutique companies that make few toys but make them well. CEN just keeps pumping out toy after toy and I can’t even tell them apart anymore. The L’Amour “G” is highly reminiscent of the Couture Collection, and the name is a mouthful and a bitch to search for on their site. In short, there is absolutely nothing remarkable about this vibrator unless you count fact that it uses 2 AAs rather than AAAs.

The box and website describe a “[c]ontemporary intimate high quality massager” that features seven functions of vibration, pulsation, and escalation while remaining quiet. The functions are easy to use: one button is a dedicated power switch, while the other cycles through the settings. A light appears by the buttons when the toy is on to help you see but why it is red is beyond me. A nice white would better match and appeal to my sense of aesthetics.

In terms of shape of size, it’s a rounded, typical insertable vibrator. There are some grooves that run lengthwise to offer additional stimulation but sort of just look like the mold was mis-shapen. The plastic base and buttons are white with silvery details. The shaft is straighter than some might like; although, the silicon offers some flexibility. Of course, those you like firm G-spot stimulation might find that to be a hindrance to their enjoyment. The L’amour Passion G is 6.75” in insertable length, with a 1.5” diameter. It’s a decent, mid-sized vibrator that isn’t overly intimidating. The soft blue is also quite welcoming in appearance.

Like every other CEN toy I’ve ever seen, this one is waterproof. That usually doesn’t win me over, though. I’m not much for playing in the bathroom but if you are, this might be a plus. This is also a characteristic that all the non-rabbit, L’amour vibrators seem to share and none of the shapes are necessarily varied enough that I would recommend one over the other. Like every other vibrator, CEN states this is quiet. Whisper quiet? I think not. You don’t need to hold it to your ear to hear it. Will it wake the neighbours? No but.. eh.

The price point for this entire line also seems ridiculously high. For such a basic piece, I couldn’t really recommend this, especially to someone who’s just getting into sex toys. For a few more bucks, you can get something rechargeable by Fun Factory.

Maybe I’m just super jaded but the L’amour Passion G is just utterly forgettable. I don’t see why California Exotics needs two lines of remarkably similar silicone vibrators.

CEN Sexpert

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Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

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Sweetheart I Rub My Duckie

March 7th, 2011

Sweetheart I Rub My Duckie

Sweetheart I Rub My Duckie
N/A from

This is an archived review of a discontinued toy.

I have a soft spot for the duckie vibrators. Time and again, they have proved to be not quite as functional as they are novel, but I keep requesting them, anyway.

Thus, I am now the owner of an adorable Sweetheart I Rub My Duckie. Like the Santa duckie I already possessed, this one is travel-sized and comes in a plastic heart. The duckie sits on a stand against a pink background, and she looks super glamorous through the clear plastic in front. A bow attaches to loops at the top of the plastic, but you can pop the duckie out by removing the tape along the side.

The duckie has fashionable accessories: a feather boa that I think my cats have already stolen (removable because who wants to get it all yucky during play?). She is pristine in white/light cream with light teal eyes that are definitely feminine. She’s sort of like a monochrome version of the Paris Duckie, which I also own. There’s a tiny rhinestone jewel on her bill that adds to the feminine allure.

This particular duckie was stubborn when it came time to insert batteries, though. The cover is a piece of plastic (the entire thing is molded plastic, actually) that you push into place and turn to lock (the reverse opens it). A screw driver is handy (or fingernails of steel) but the hard plastic on mine seems to be slightly misshapen, making the entire process a pain in the ass. Unfortunately, all my hard work was for naught because my duckie didn’t work anyway. )= When I insert the battery (a single AAA), replace the battery cover and turn the dial from Off to On, nothing happens. Nada. At all.

Luckily for me, I enjoy the duckies for their aesthetic appeal and I already own a similar model so I am familiar with their vibration strength and operation. The small size means you’ll probably rely on the tail or sides, the broadest part, for pressure but the face and beak offer some pinpoint stimulation (all external, I don’t even know how you’d go about inserting this!). All the engraved text on the bottom makes me hesitant to use. I would really not have to clean off lubes and liquids from the tiny cracks and crevices.

Although the knob would indicate that the vibrations are adjustable, this is actually a one-speed toy. Considering how difficult it can be to turn the little knob, you’d think they would go with a push button control (or belly squeeze, as with the larger duckies). I was able to get off when I used the Sweetheart Duckie’s Santa cousin, but it’s not the type of toy I default to. The vibrations, as I recall, as relatively strong for the size but I’ll take a AA-powered toy over this, any day. In addition to this, the duckies do not tend to be all that quiet, so close your door, put on some music, and run the bath in the background, just to be careful.

To add to my disappointment, the Sweetheart Duckie does not float upright in water. Rather, she flops right over onto her side or back. After testing this out, I was further disappointed to find that water had found its way into the battery compartment. Even if the duckie had worked, I wouldn’t expect it to work for long, after several uses in the water or cleanings. But I’m not surprised because all of my duckies really did have a cheap feel to them when it comes to quality of craftsmanship.

tl,dr; The Sweetheart Duckie is cute, especially in her packaging, but maybe she should stay there because quality of these products is really hit and miss and you can find a decent toy for a comparable price without all the noise.

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Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Lelo Alia

January 4th, 2011

Lelo Alia

Lelo Alia
N/A from

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

Get up to 30% off at MysteryVibe

OhMiBod Freestyle

January 1st, 2011

OhMiBod Freestyle

OhMiBod Freestyle
N/A from

While OhMyBod no longer makes the original Freestyle, there is a newer G-spot version.

It may come as a surprise to some to read that, despite the fact that I own more vibrators, dildos, sex toys and massage candles than any person ought to own, I hadn’t tried an OhMyBod vibe until just recently. The company was wonderful when I contacted them about reviewing a product and it wasn’t long before I was holding my very own OhMiBod Freestyle vibrator.

And it’s a big ol’ box! The Freestyle comes in one of the largest packages that I have seen for non-rabbit vibrators. A white box opens to reveal yet another container, this one a plastic box with rounded corners that actually contains the vibrator. For some reason, I had a hell of a time opening the box for the first time, but I have since been able to open it with more ease.

The larger box also contains AC adapters for use in other countries, the charger, the wireless transmitter (with batteries), and a 12” AUX input connector—the type of connector that headphones use. Now, I am no stranger to technology or sex toys, but I definitely had to consult the instructions to figure out how to set this all up. The booklet may come in many languages, but the connection instructions are really small and easy to miss.

Basic usage includes connecting the headphone jack of your music source. Then, to enjoy music, you can plug your actual headphones into the other end of the transmitter or connect the included AUX input cord to some speakers while the MP3 connector goes into your music source.

After turning the cap to the music setting, it will vibrate in tune with your music, and, boy, is that something else. It really is. As everyone else has stated, your favourite song may not work so well with OhMyBod vibrators, even if a song you consider quite sexy. Some songs barely register at all and produce pretty much a constant vibration, while other songs are more effective with the use of the Freestyle vibrator. I find it nearly impossible to detect with songs will work best with the Freestyle, to be honest. It’s really a tossup and you’ll have to adjust the sensitivity on the transmitter (via a volume-type wheel) for every song that plays.

Of course, even if your song produces an interesting vibration, it may not be enough to get you off. This is probably why OhMiBod designed this vibrator with a basic vibration mode they call “manual.” To use it, simply turn the cap to the furthest setting and adjust the strength and mode with “-“ and “+” buttons. I think it’s a little easier to gauge the strength and type of vibrations this way, too. Freestyle has more shallow vibrations, but they are strong. For example, stronger than We-Vibe or Lelo’s rechargeable vibrators. OhMiBod describes a total of seven settings for manual mode: low, medium, high, escalation, fast pulsation, super speed pulsation, and a short-short-long pulsation. As far as I can tell, the pulsation modes are only available in one strength, but they are pretty strong.

So when you’ve found your perfect song of whether you’ve just turned on the manual modes, you’ll probably wind up inserting the Freestyle vibrator. This one in a straight, cylindrical vibrator with rounded ends. I was a bit surprised at how large it was. I think I was expecting something closer to the Alumina vibrator I reviewed, but this one is much longer (8”) and girthier (1 1/8”). It’s still a smaller vibrator in terms of width but bigger than I expected.

Because it is so straight, it’s a general vibrator. I can stimulate my G-spot with straight vibrators because of its location but everyone can. Despite its rigidity, Freestyle feels softer to the touch because of the velvety treatment of the ABS plastic. This is something that I have difficulty feeling in use, however.

There are a couple of unique points about the Freestyle. It is listed as splash proof, which makes me think the best use is in the tub or shower, with your transmitter connected to some speakers. This method also aids in discretion and can help cover the noise from the vibrator itself. If privacy is a concern, I would warn you that the Freestyle, while not the loudest vibrator I’ve ever tried, isn’t as quiet as I’d like it. It reminds me of a small RC car, and the sound actually competes with the sound of the music when I use headphones. On that note, some of my earbuds sound distorted when using the Freestyle’s transmitter—but not all of them.

The included manual states that you can expect the transmitter to work up to 25 feet away from the vibrator itself, so you could technically use it—or let someone else use it—in another room if you wish. I have successfully used it up to fifteen feet away, but, like any wireless device, walls can be problematic, so I doubt it’d work if you have your own bomb shelter but forgot the Freestyle’s transmitter outside. Or something. You know.

So, while it’s a novel item that won’t become my go-to toy, Freestyle is decent and, even if it was just a rechargeable vibrator, it would get the job done. But I don’t love it.

The Freestyle makes a rattling sound when used. It’s almost as if the casing isn’t quite as snug as it should be and music that makes it pulsate a lot highlights this. Additionally, it takes two hours to charge and while that is supposed to provide five hours of usage, I didn’t even get a full hour before mine died. Lastly, the “convenient” travel case is, quite simply, stupid. Everyone knows that when you’re traveling, you don’t want something bulky and that is exactly what the travel case is. OhMiBod could take a cue from Lelo and simply include a storage pouch for the adapter, vibrator and transmitter. For this same reason, some consumers will throw away the case simply because of limited storage space. It’s a nice idea (the foam cutouts fit the pieces perfectly, and there are even holes for removing the vibe and transmitter so it doesn’t get stuck), but not the best idea.

My gripes about the Freestyle by OhMiBod really are minimal, however. If you’re the type of person who really enjoys playing with things because of their “neat” factor and have the $130 to spare, you should pick it up. If novelty doesn’t do it for you, however, I’d skip this toy.

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Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Pure Silicone B.O.B.

October 15th, 2010

Pure Silicone B.O.B.

Pure Silicone B.O.B.
N/A from

This is an archived review of a discontinued item.

I am at a point in my sex life where I generally prefer silicone toys. They’re safer. They’re versatile. They come in awesome colours. When a sex toy store wants me to do a review, but they don’t carry any silicone, I doubt whether I want to work with them, but let me say this: silicone alone is not a great toy make. Really, a mediocre design will not be saved by the material.

California Exotic’s Pure Silicone B.O.B. falls squarely into this category. It’s a realistically designed, phallic vibrator in silicone. Mine came in a bright pink. I mean bright. It has a vein-like texture, a contoured head and expands in a ball-inspired toward the design. This expansion is complete with a few dozen soft poky things.

They are, as you can imagine, useless. They don’t really stimulate the entrance to my vagina and the toy isn’t flexible enough that I can bend it toward my clit. The testicle design doesn’t offer anything physically, either. You might use it to grasp the toy, however. The shaft is slightly flexible. I say this because around the halfway mark, you can tell that the Pure Silicone B.O.B. is covering some hard structure inside. When I would clench or tried to bend the toy as mentioned, this hard structure was uncomfortable against my G-spot but I simply prefer toys that are a little softer in that area. You can probably achieve about 30 degrees of bending.

In use, I found the toy to just be a little small. It only has a diameter of 1.14″. It may be good for beginners but not me, personally. The small shaft is straight and the difference between the shaft and head size is smaller than I am used to. I had a hard time stimulating my G-spot with this vibrator and that’s pretty unusual.

However, its easy to use. There’s a single power button that turns it on or off and another button to cycle through the settings. If you press the second button when the Pure Silicone B.O.B. is off, it will turn on. It’s an interesting toy because it remembers the setting you left it on. I find this interesting but not necessarily practical because it confuses me as to which setting it will be on. Maybe it’s just me, but starting on a low, steady vibe makes sense and helps to orient me.

Anyway, I’d be more oriented if I could tell the settings apart and.. it’s super hard. The Pure Silicone B.O.B. uses 2AA batteries but I was not expecting the vibrations to as buzzy as they are. I mean, if you didn’t know better, you’d almost expect this to use a single AAA battery or even watch batteries. It’s ridiculous. I have no idea why you’d create a vibrator that uses 2 AAs but not make it use them to their full potential.

I’m not lying when I say that I can only tell the settings apart by sound. They all feel exactly the same. There’s supposedly “10 extreme functions of vibration, pulsation, and escalation” but all I feel is one: not strong or deep enough. So while this is waterproof, I cannot imagine using it in the shower and actually being able to feel the vibrations.

The waterproof aspect makes it easy to clean, however. You can rinse away and lubes (water-based only) and give it a good scrub.

Ultimately, the Pure Silicone B.O.B. is certainly not my battery-operated best friend. I’m not sure that calling it “buddy” is even all that applicable. It’s more like the guy at the party who likes you but doesn’t get the hint that the feelings aren’t shared. Sorry, BOB.

CEN Sexpert

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Categories: Reviews, Vibrators

Rhythm “O” – Bounding Bunny

October 5th, 2010

Rhythm "O" - Bounding Bunny

Rhythm "O" - Bounding Bunny
N/A from

This is an archived review of a discontinued toy.

The Rhythm “O”™ – Bounding Bunny is.. weird. It’s weird looking and weird feeling and just plain ol’ weird. This rabbit vibrator comes in Barbie pink or a lavender shade of purple. I received the first color. The base, bullet, and internal mechanisms are all pink, with the shaft and clit stim actually coated in a clear layer of TPE so you can see everything through it. The TPE has a slight swirl design that I did not notice during play.

What you see looks like a corn cob. I’m not kidding. I’m not the only one who thinks so, either.

So these individual “kernels” of hard plastic are what California Exotics call pleasure beads, and they move in and out in a wavelike pattern. It’s similar to the Passion Wave, which I loved, but that used discs, instead. I didn’t love the Rhythm “O”™ – Bounding Bunny. In fact, I didn’t even like it. When it was inserted, I could feel it was doing something and that something did make me squirt but it wasn’t even remotely pleasurable. It was almost.. clinical.

For once, I was decently satisfied with the strength clit stimulator vibrations. Very few rabbits are decent in that sense. Unfortunately, the bunny is located a little further down the shaft–6″– than many rabbit vibes so the fit wasn’t quite optimum for me. I wound up taking the toy out to just rub the bunny against me. That’s super disappointing for a “dual” stimulator.

If you’re familiar with my tastes, then you will also know that I prefer toys with a bit of give. Beneath the TPE, which is a bit loose to allow room for the movements of the beads, the shaft is full of hard mechanisms. There really isn’t much give, and the 1.5” diameter of the shaft feels bigger than it is. This isn’t helped by the fact that the shaft is rigidly straight. Some rabbits have a flexible wire in the shaft so you can become more comfortable, but this isn’t the case with the Rhythm “O” – Bounding Bunny.

Function aside, the control is simply horrendous. I have complained about controls in the past, and I have also had no difficulty using CEN rabbits, but the Rhythm “O” – Bounding Bunny is just awful and the opposite of intuitive–whatever that is.

There are a total of five buttons. There is an “On/Off” switch that turns on or off just the bunny bullet. Below this is a button printed with the number “7” that pages through the settings. Next to these buttons is a single LED light that changes colour and flashes to correspond with the modes.

To turn on the shaft, you have to press a different pair of buttons. These buttons use the typical up/down arrow setup and shaft modes correspond to three vertical LEDs that are randomly displayed toward the top of the control pack (next to the bunny buttons).

My problem with this is that both functions would easily work if CEN decided to go with just the arrow mode or just the On/Off and mode button. This is all far too much to think about during use.

But, wait! There’s more.

California Exotics has included a “Hot” button that changes the toy (both functions) to a random setting. That’s actually kinda neat but I find most of the settings are too similar to make it effective.

As you can guess, there is no master Off button. You have to turn off both of the functions manually. This doesn’t help convenience or discrection, IMO. And if you’re really in a hurry, who the hell wants to have to turn on both functions separately? Not I. I like to be able to control them separately, but it’s like CEN just reusing buttons from other toys to make this monstrosity.

These digital buttons are set in a slick plastic base. I found it really difficult to hold when I was using silicone-based lube, which, as I have discovered, is compatible with TPE but not VixSkin.  CEN suggests water-based for use with this toy, for whatever reason. A velvety treatment to the base would make it easier to handle in slippery situations.

Despite washing this toy, I still find it difficult to grasp and remove the battery cover because silicone lube is stubborn like that. When you do unscrew the cover, there’s an EZ-load style battery pack for the 4-AAA batteries. The toy has an O-ring built into it, and I’d trust it to be splash-proof for washing or shower play; however, the cap isn’t as secure as some toys, so I wouldn’t advise submerging it.

For those of you who are interested, there’s a video on the California Exotics website that explains this all in depth. If you ignore the voice work, that is.

CEN Sexpert

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