Silicone Intimate Diver

July 3rd, 2009

This is an archived review of a discontinued product.

My experience with sea creatures as sex toys has proven unpleasant more than once now. For whatever reasons, dolphins and their cousins, the porpoises are perhaps a little too realistic for comfort. Such was the case with the Intimate Diver, a dual-stimulation vibrator.

A little information about this toy. Made of TPR silicone, the Intimate Diver is waterproof, of course. A note that this is not pure silicone, and while it’s generally more hygienic and less porous than jelly or cyberskin, for instance, it’s still porous, so anal use or sharing without a condom isn’t a good idea. You’re also limited to water-based lubes here.

My pink porpoise is posed so its forked tail – the clit stimulator – curls over its back toward its head – the internal/G-spot stimulator. The very tip of this toy is his nose, and he has a “fin” on each side as well as a vertical fin on his back. The body is this sea creature has a little give but is mostly firm. The fins, tail, and nose have more give because they’re thinner, but you won’t experience any rabbit ear floppiness with this tail (like on rabbit vibes with much thinner parts).

His head contains a bullet-style vibe, which is powered by 2AAA batteries that slip into an EZ load pack. As you can imagine, this doesn’t make it the most powerful toy. For me, the lowest and middle settings will do little more than tease; the highest likely won’t get me off but it’s decent. Unfortunately, the thicker TPR silicone isn’t great with vibrations, and it’s definitely more difficult to feel them in the tail. Furthermore, once inserted, vaginal muscles have a tendency to muffle some of the vibrations which even worsens the problem. Stronger vibes and a thinner tail might help with this but I just prefer toys with bullets at the clit, too, because of the pressure it gives. Unfortunately, the TPR silicone was soft enough that it wasn’t a good toy to grind with, either.

What ultimately turned me off from this sex toy is that its fins hurt upon insertion. I could plainly feel the side fins poking at me painfully because they were much denser than the tail or nose. I’m not really sure what purpose they’re supposed to serve; the back fin could possibly provide G-spot stimulation (although it didn’t, for me), but those side fines are pointless. It’s hard to feel aroused when you’re in pain. The moral of the story here: just because you want to model a vibrator after an animal does not mean it has to be completely anatomically correct. Fins serve a purpose in the water, not in my vagina.

It’s good to see California Exotic working with higher quality materials than jelly (even if they’re aren’t as quality as they’d have us believe) but it seems like a lot of corners were cut to make this toy.

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Bottle Rockets Nova

July 1st, 2009

I almost overlooked the potential of Nova because it wasn’t what I expected. Perhaps that is a lesson I need to take with me in every aspect of life? Needless to say, giving this tiny vibrator a second chance revealed its potential in a way I never saw coming. I definitely had to rethink my approach when writing the review after it made me squirt.

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Rabbit Rider

June 28th, 2009

This is an archived review of a discontinued toy.

The Rabbit Rider is a toy I’ve had my eye on for a while because it tackles an issue many women have with rabbit-style vibes: placement of the clitoral stimulator. It’s not exactly the only toy which does this but most other toys use a sort of springy cord rather than placing the rabbit bullet on a ring around the shaft as if he were riding it. The Rabbit Rider is aptly named. Unfortunately, this great idea has yet to become a wonderful implementation.

The Rabbit Rider is actually a versatile kit but isn’t really a typical rabbit vibe. It includes a vibrating bullet and a standard plastic vibe, both which have pink Cyberskin sleeves. The sleeve for the bullet includes a bunny’s head and ears, as well at the band which goes around the shaft, and the other sleeve is very typical, with a realistic texture and contoured head. Both sleeves are easy to remove and replace on each part and could potentially be used with other bullets or standard vibes, should you so choose. You can also use the rabbit clitoral stimulator alone, or the vibrator alone. Take off the sleeves and it’s almost like you have 2 new toys.

I’ve even seen suggestions of using the bunny as a cock ring and, while this is possible, it’s probably not especially pleasurable. The band is larger than any cock ring I’ve seen and super stretchy; I even wore it around my wrist for a short period of time. I just don’t think this piece makes a functional cock ring.

Like most basic vibes, the one included is made of hard plastic, powered by 2AAs and has a dial base. The vibrations are surprisingly powerful and not whiny at all but this toy is much louder than I find to be acceptable unless we’re talking about my Miracle Massager or something similar. Granted, the sound is muffled once inserted; still, I felt self conscious at the noise of this one. The dial base wasn’t smooth to use – it was kinda of jerky and reluctant. I usually had to use one hand to hold the base and the other to turn the dial. Like any dial toy, twisting too far in the direction of “Off” can pop open the battery case.

The mini bullet which serves at a clit stimulator is like no bullet I’ve tried before. There is a power/mode button on the bottom of the bullet as well as a High – Low dial on the side of the bullet. The bullet has 5 modes; the first three are pulsation (medium, slow and fast respectively) and the last 2 are steady vibration with the very last being the stronger. All of this is powered by 4 small watch batteries and there are 2 sets (8 total) included. Note that 4 batteries are in the bullet initially and it won’t work until you move a small piece of plastic from the bullet. The ability to adjust the strength of the vibration on a bullet impressed me and even if this isn’t the strongest bullet I’ve tried, it’s incredibly varied. Furthermore, the pulsation was more than satisfactory. Unfortunately, you have to cycle through all 5 modes to turn it off and if you have the dial set to Low, you may think it’s off and drain the batteries. Out of everything in this kit, the bullet is the one thing I will likely continue to use.

Cyberskin was also another first for me. I’m not a big fan of realistic sex toys so I’ve never tried a Cyberskin toy. Immediately, I was amazed at just how soft this material is. I totally understand why they would make fake vaginas out of this stuff. However, vaginas and penises are different animals and I wasn’t sold that it would be a good material for a woman’s toy. I was also wary at the quality of this material. It’s extremely porous nature, fussy upkeep, lint attraction and musty smell are enough to deter me from Cyberskin toys in the future. From the washing the Rabbit Rider in the bathroom to the bedroom, it had collected a mass amount of lint and cat fur. I don’t even want to think about storage and since I have nothing to powder it with I’ll probably just see how long until the sleeves deteriorate.

I am happy to say that the Cyberskin did feel much more realistic in my cunt than in my hand. It could probably pass for the real thing and the vibrations were strong enough to stimulate a sweet spot or two, at least sometimes. But together with the clit stimulator, the Rabbit Rider was a flop. Literally. The soft nature of the Cyberskin offered little control over the precise placement of the bullet. It just sort of fell to the side and seemed limp. I think that even folks who like gentle vibrations of rabbit ears would find it difficult to get much out of the stimulator but a person likes me, who needs the bullet to rest snugly against the clit, would be especially disappointed.

I tossed the bullet aside and tried to use the sleeved vibrator against my clit to get off with much effort on my part and little help on its. Of course, if I had wanted to get off that way in the first place, I wouldn’t have been using the Rabbit Rider. I applaud Adam and Eve’s take on an idea that seems to be mostly unexplored but there’s a long way to go before it’s perfect. For starters, I would swap the Cyberskin sleeves for a hygienic silicone vibe. Instead of a standard, straight shaft, I would use an ergonomically curved shaft with rotating beads and perhaps solve the issue of floppiness by using an open, hard plastic ring (think a thicker version of a fake jewelry ring which is not a full circle) or a band which opens on a hinge. I do like the functions of the bullet but I like them to be physically larger.

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Hard to Please?

June 21st, 2009

I am hard to please. I can admit it. I don’t want to have to adjust to my sex toys; they should adjust to me. This is one of the reasons I’ll probably never own the Sasi even though it seems really cool. I just couldn’t use it in my way. It’s also why I wouldn’t have picked out Evolved’s waterproof Seduction myself. While it’s a nice toy, it’s just not the best toy for me. You can read more at my review on EdenFantasys.

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Stranger

June 8th, 2009

Stranger

Stranger
N/A from

This is an archived review of a discontinued product.

I was really excited to receive not one but two Fun Factory vibes in one week. The first one blew my mind with its size, power, and flexibility, and the second amazed me with its softness. I mean, when I first withdrew the Stranger from Fun Factory’s signature packaging, I was amazed. I had played with a few silicone toys, all quite stiff and firm, sometimes painfully so. I didn’t even know they made silicone that soft and it was a welcome surprise. Of course, the thinner tip of this vibe is the softest, and it becomes firmer as it becomes thicker, but there’s a fair amount of give the whole way through.

Of course, that’s not the only benefit of using silicone. Fun Factory presents us with another non-porous toy that can be sterilized by wiping down with an alcohol solution. For my purposes, I simply clean with soap and water or toy cleaner, but I like to covet my toys. Who says you have to share?

Like other Fun Factory toys, the Stranger exudes quality. It has a reassuring heft but isn’t bulky in any way. The soft violet silicone has more friction than other materials but is smoother than some silicone I’ve felt. The silicone is molded with ribs on one side, reminiscent of a snake or the tail of some mythical dragon. There is a slight forward lean of the tip of this toy, but I need a more drastic curve to reach my G-spot. There are 2 etched lines on the back of the toy, in roughly a “V” shape but do not meet at a vertex; otherwise, the back of the toy is smooth except for a small Fun Factory logo right above the base.

The base, made of hard plastic in several shades of grey, houses 2 AA batteries which give this vibrator a substantial amount of power but not as much as the Boss. The battery cover pops off by pinching 2 slightly indented points on either side of the toy. Squeezing hard enough causes the cover to pop right off by itself with a click. It took a little practice for me to find the easiest way to do this as I have small hands. The best placement for my fingers is closer to the base than the tip of the toy. The cap goes back on with another click and feels very secure.

My Stranger comes equipped with the old style of Fun Factory controls – a dial decorated with flower-star hybrid. It’s a very unique style of dial, however. Turning either way turns on the lowest setting of vibrations and continued turning increases the vibration. Although not the quietest toy I have, the Stranger isn’t the loudest, either. It’s an appropriate hum. At the highest setting, there is a small “click”. From this setting, turn either way to turn the vibration down or off. There is another slight click when the vibrations are off. It seems to be important to turn the dial slowly, otherwise it skips over most of the vibration settings. I went a little too fast when I was first testing it. I think this makes the toy ideal for those who like to work their way up to the highest setting.

But I’m not really that type of person. I like to go for it right away so I turned it up high, applied some water-based lube and went to work. Well, sort of. I’m just not super sensitive to textures so the ribbing on the Stranger, while pleasing to the eye, made little different to my pussy. The size was also a little lacking and I think this is probably the smaller insertable vibe I have. The Stranger has a circumference of 4 1/2″ and a length of 6 3/4″, 5 3/4″ which is insertable. I like something a little more, at least girth-wise. And, because the Stranger doesn’t have any clitoral nubs or anything, there wasn’t much else it could do. I also found the silicone to be too soft for the pressure I need during clitoral stimulation.

So, I pulled out the Boss and let him finish the job, a little disappointed in the Stranger. While I think it’s a quality toy, far better than some I have used, it’s just not the right size for me. I may break it out from time to time but it won’t get as much use as some of my other Fun Factory toys. This might be for the better, too. It’s a bit more difficult to clean the Stranger because of its crevices and it also collects lint and hair like crazy. God thing it’s splash proof because I think frequent use would require quite heavy washing. It’s also safe for the shower, too, but not for full immersion.

All in all, the Stranger just isn’t my cup of tea. The lack of size overshadowed the high quality of this toy and its decent vibrations. For someone who likes their sex toys a little smaller, however, the Stranger would be perfect.

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Sensual Curve

June 5th, 2009

This is an archived review of a discontinued product.

All in all, the Sensual Curve was wholly forgettable which probably explains why, every time I sat down to write this review, I just couldn’t think of anything to say. I couldn’t remember if it led me to orgasm or even made me feel good. I couldn’t remember if the insertable portion stimulated my G-spot. I couldn’t remember if the vibrations were easily felt on all parts or even how I felt about the material.

So I had to force myself to give it another go ’round, hoping it would spark some memories. It did but, really, I don’t feel like I have much to say about this toy. I mean, like so many other dual stimulators, it fails as doing either very well but, for some reason, I just don’t feel like it’s a big loss.

So here’s what you need to know:

This dual stimulation vibrator is made of pink rubber (the colour it sort of strange; it looks faded) and is not waterproof. It definitely has that skunky, rubber smell and is stronger than some toys I’ve had but isn’t the worst. The vibrations stem from the bottom of the toy, which also acts as a bit of a handle but I find that annoying because my hand absorbs most of the vibrations. The vibrations are better felt in the clitoral stimulator, which looks like two short tentacles (and even has sucker like bumps on the inside) and curves slightly toward the body, than the smooth insertable portion which tapers and ends in a bulb (which exists to stimulate the G-spot, I imagine). This makes insertion extremely easy and only a little water-based lube was needed. The whole thing is run on 2 AA batteries and operates by dial control. While I usually don’t like dial controls because they’re either too touchy or not touchy enough, this one actually worked really well and because the dial is grooved, it’s also less slippery to use than others.

Unfortunately, the level of vibrations provided by this toy just weren’t mind blowing and I felt it best in my hand. Even on high, I thought this toy works better for teasing or warm up and I don’t do much of either so it might be better in the collection of something who likes lighter vibrations than I do. The rubber is stiffer than some other materials I’ve tried (silicone, jelly, TPR, TPE) and the clitoral stimulator doesn’t really vibrate loosely like a lot of clitoral attachments do on softer toys. The stiffness also felt a little uncomfortable or painful at times. Combine this with the fact that the prongs seemed to have a tendency to curve back toward my vag, and away from my clit during use (and since they’re stiff, I can’t really adjust them much), and the external part wasn’t that great.

Occasionally, the vibrations did hit a sweet spot internally but this wasn’t consistent, either. Sometimes the sex toy seemed to brush my G-spot but it wasn’t moving any mountains and it was difficult to maneuver, given the stiffness of the material, and have both places adequately stimulated. I also felt that the cord was unusually short at just under 22″ – even my crappy Venus Penus has a 3-” cord – and while it works okay for masturbation, partner use make find this problematic.

One of the things I really like to do with dual sitmulation toys is to grind against it and push it tightly against my pubic bone. Grinding was out because of the clitoral attachment but even when I tried, it jsut felt uncomfortable and too hard. I also couldn’t get enough pressure on my clit which is something I get from rabbit-style vibe with larger bullets. The shape of the little prongs just didn’t allow for pressure at all.

While the Sensual Curve may seem a steal at arond $20, it doesn’t do anything really well. The pourous, foul smelling rubber was too stiff. The vibrations were weak and misplaced. The toy didn’t find my G-spot consistently and the cord was freakishly short. Yet, you can bet I’m not done trying similar toys!

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Touch your partner online with KIIROO

I Love My Boss

May 26th, 2009

This is an archived review of a discontinued toy.

..and you can be sure I’ve never had reason to say that before, until now. Unfortunately, the Boss vibrator has some of the same issues as real bosses. Like, there are a couple of different versions, which leads to some confusion. Which is the real boss? Who do I actually report to? I mean, there’s the new Boss Lady in town with her pink power suit. But there are also a couple more bosses who demand your attention. The original boss, even though his position seems to have been liquidated, can still be found stuck in his old-fashioned ways. He seems to be making his presence known, complete with dial-style controls. Finally, some folks like myself are familiar with a sort of transitional Boss. You could say that while he looks more like the old Boss (colour), he acts more like the new one (control type). While some people prefer the old boss, he has been giving his pink slip and the Boss Lady is here to stay.

Like any employer, sometimes the Boss just doesn’t mesh with some folks. There seem to be a lot of issues revolving around opening the battery compartment on both styles. The battery cap pops off from the boss with sort of a partial twist which can be confusing. Furthermore, there have been reports of the Boss not completing all his duties fully or at all. He has failed to vibrate and/or pulsate for some unless they fidget with the battery pack or controls (and sometimes that doesn’t even help) but I think a boss should just do his job. Luckily for me, mine did.

If you’re considering the Boss to get the job done, you’ll notice he comes well-dressed for the job. With his clean lines, defined head and velvety matte texture (which might mean using an extra drop or two of water-based lube), it’s hard to not be drawn to the boss. The Boss has a gentle curve and substantial girth (1-3/5”) so heads up, size queens. With an insertable length of just under 7″, the Boss knows how to dress for success and his overall appearance lured me into cooperation.

But it was his performance that got the best review! Although not the largest toy I own, The Boss feels incredibly filling, even bigger than he is. The silicone is firm enough for thrusting but soft enough that he feels as though he’s conforming to me especially. One of the last toys I tried, while large, never felt filling. If there is one area in which the Boss excels, this is it! Were I to search for the perfect size and shape of cock, I would walk down the line up of cock with The Boss in my hand, comparing, and I cannot help but wonder if anything or anything will compare. I definitely think the texture and shape of the Boss give the impression of a toy bigger than the Boss is but, hey, sometimes you have to know when to fool people into thinking you’re more than you are.

Billed as the perfect G-spot vibe, I didn’t find that he quite hit mine right during solo play but don’t doubt his firmness would make him the right man for the job if someone could intervene for me (damn my short arms). Yet, the Boss isn’t a man so hard you need to be afraid – he has a sensitive side. The Boss is definitely soft and flexible. The top half of the shaft is pure, flexible silicone, while the motor is located toward the middle of the shaft, on the bottom half.

Using the Boss’s flexibility to my advantage has turned this into the perfect dual-stimulation toy. I know he doesn’t look like much of a double-tasker, but being able to bend him upward so that the little clitoral nub makes contact is amazing. Otherwise, I don’t think that little clitoral nub will do much of anything; in fact, that was even the thought I had about it right out of the package. While I’ve used the Boss to get off with the head on my clit, bending him has definitely provided the best orgasms. I find that I can sometimes get into such a rhythm that thrusting him provides stimulation against both my G-spot (the thrusting causes the vibe to curve back in a way it otherwise wouldn’t) and clit, in sequence.

I’m glad, for once, that The Boss proved me wrong. He has proved to be a much harder worker and easier to work with than I would have originally guessed. For instance, I thought he had some control issues, in the beginning. It was difficult to push his buttons to access the multiple levels of vibration and pulsation. My small hands struggled. However, because my grip on the toy was actually reversed when in use, I found the buttons easier to use this way and was soon provided with 7 or so pleasing levels of vibration (provided by 4 AAA batteries). While not the strongest toy in my collection (that pleasure goes to the Miracle Massager), the boss was not disappointing, either, and his 3 levels of pulsation were not the wimpy kind – I definitely felt them deep within. All the while, the Boss used only a suitable indoor voice and you’d never know he was just a room over. I would have to say, however, that the Boss does not perform consistently. The vibes were much stronger near the clitoral bump than the head of the shaft.

Of course, I’m a critical person and I couldn’t help but notice a specific area where the Boss’s traits were over-exaggerated a bit. Rumors about the Boss say that he is good at giving an extra boost to get the job done when it’s really getting down to the line. I was not impressed by the turbo boost button at the end of the vibe. Essentially, it seems like an extra level of steady vibration, which you can press when orgasm is near, to set you over the edge. I didn’t find the boost to be that powerful, and the fact that you need to hold it down also hampers the effect. It would make more sense if, say, I could press the boost button once and get a few seconds of extra power without needing to hold it.

Nevertheless, there are a few understated qualities of the boss that make him a pleasure to work with. He’s not afraid to get his hands wet, which makes him perfect for use in the shower and easy to clean.

If you can’t tell yet, I’ve really gotten used to working with the Boss and I look forward to our teamwork in the future.

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