Posts Tagged ‘sex toys’
PalmPower: Now rechargeable!
8/8/2016. Updated review, thanks to the new rechargeable version of the PalmPower!
August 2016 update:
Woo hoo, my beloved little PalmPower now has a rechargeable model, aptly named the PalmPower Recharge. If you’re not familiar with the original PalmPower, read my June 2014 review below, then come back here.
The original model had to be plugged in while you used it. Not a big deal for most of us. But if you want to take your vibrator on a camping trip, or use it with a partner without getting tangled up, or you want to travel light on an overnight, you might have wished that you could charge your PalmPower, then take it away cord-free. Now you can. The PalmPower Recharge comes with a USB cord for recharging, then you can disconnect the cord and play on.
How’s the intensity compared to the corded version? Very similar, not exactly the same. I found the rechargeable a smidgen less intense and a bit more rumbly than the buzzier original model. It’s still powerful, especially given its small size. The design, size, shape are all the same, and the same attachments fit on both. Neither model is waterproof. You can remove and wash the cap (or other attachment), but you can’t use the PalmPower in the bath or the pool, sorry.
If you’ve wished you had a strong, portable, small, uncorded vibrator that didn’t require an outlet during use, the PalmPower Recharge will put a sweet, satisfied smile on your face. If you already have the original and the necessity of using it corded isn’t a significant annoyance, stick with that one.
Many thanks to the Smitten Kitten for sending me the new model, for promoting sex positivity and sex education, and for supporting my mission here. Wonderful folks, those Kittens.
If you’re curious about the ring in the photo above, it’s the Clitoring from Penelopi Jones. The design is the internal clitoris — quite a conversation starter, eh? After I bought mine, I asked if they would offer a discount to my readers and audiences — yep, if you enter “niceprice” in the coupon box, you get 15% off.
Original review, June 2014:
Drum roll, please: Introducing the PalmPower, a lightweight, ergonomically designed product that packs so much power into a small, silicone topped vibrator that it jumped to #1 on my personal Hit Parade the first time I used it. And the second time. And… you get the picture.
Let me back up. If I were inventing a vibrator that would be perfect for me, at age 70, and for most of you, dear readers over 50, it would have these qualities:
- Really strong.
- Body-safe materials.
- Really strong.
- Lightweight and ergonomic — easy to hold with arthritic wrists for as long as it takes.
- Really strong.
- Easy to power on and turn up the intensity, even when fingers and vibrator are well lubed.
- Really strong.
- Difficult or impossible to inadvertently decrease intensity, switch to unwanted patterns, or turn off by mistake. (Hate it when that happens!)
- Really strong.
- Won’t die, run out of charge, or otherwise kill the buzz (literally and figuratively) for as long as it takes.
- Really strong.
Until last week, the Magic Wand — my favorite since the 1970s — was the clear winner, with all but one of the qualities above. But you know that the Magic Wand, as stellar as it is in every other category, is far from “lightweight.” It’s huge and heavy, but we put up with that because of its world class performance. (And, frankly, it doesn’t take very long to reach our goal with the Magic Wand, so the monster heft of it does no real damage.)
The PalmPower has taken over as my favorite vibrator because it has all the qualities in my list. All of them, including lightweight. Best of all, as small as it is, the vibrations are super strong, strong, STRONG!
Using the PalmPower is simple. Plug it in (it comes with an assortment of plugs for different countries), press the button to turn it on. The longer you hold the button pressed in, the higher the intensity climbs! Release when you get the intensity where you want it, and it will stay there! (Sorry for all the exclamation marks, but I wish all vibrators worked like this.) Press and release quickly to turn it off. That’s it.
The head of the vibrator is a silicone cap that pulls off easily for cleaning or for trying a different attachment. To put it on, line up the “T” inside the cap with the “T” on the head, and it snaps right on. (I couldn’t get a clear photo of the “T,” sorry.)
I received two of the four possible attachments — one with narrow “ears” and one with widely spaced “ears.”
You can use the main cap and/or these attachments for honest-to-goodness massage, and the “ears” are also fun for penis stimulation. (Try the narrow ears on his frenulum, that sensitive, nerve-rich area where the glans meets the shaft on the underside of the penis.)
There are two more attachments that I did not receive — one turns the PalmPower into a rabbit (clitoral and vaginal stimulation) and the other is designed for G-spot stimulation.
6/267/14 update: I’ve tested the additional attachments. The “rabbit” doesn’t do much for me, but I was surprised to discover that I really like the G-spotter! Here’s why:
- It fits so snugly that the PalmPower becomes hands-free (!)
- The strongest vibrations are concentrated on the clitoris (where the cap presses), with more subdued vibrations right against the G-spot (where the internal part presses)
- You can play with tapping it, rocking it, or just letting it sit and vibrate. Yummy.
The Palm Power does have some cons, but I’ll overlook them because of all the pros:
- It has to be plugged in while in use. (It comes with a nice, long cord, though, so you don’t have to station yourself near the wall socket.)
- Only the silicone cap can be washed — the rest has to be wiped down without getting it wet. Be careful with the lube.
Hmmn, I think those are the only cons. It’s a fabulous product!
Thank you, The Smitten Kitten, for introducing me to the PalmPower and sending me my new best buddy in return for an honest review.
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| Joan pretends the PalmPower is a microphone |
Siime Eye: vibrator + camera for vagina selfies
Reviewing sex toys is tough work, but somebody’s got to do it. Usually I say that as a joke — the “work” involved is almost always joyful. However, at times I have to work pretty hard for you, dear reader, such as this review of the Siime Eye.The Siime (pronounced “SEE-ME”) Eye from Svakom is a very slim vibrator, 1-inch in diameter, designed for internal stimulation, and it has a special attribute: a camera!
Yes, at the tip of the vibrator is a camera which is designed to let you take a photo or video of what’s going on inside your own or a partner’s vagina. I could, I fantasized, see what my vagina looked like relaxed, aroused, and during orgasm. I could see what my cervix did. Knowledge is power!First things first. You need to download the Siime app onto a smart phone, tablet, or laptop. The app sets up its own wi-fi network. Once the camera and the app are both turned on, you pair them using the password you’re given (you can change it, but why bother?).
Easy peasy following the instructions in the app. Now everything the camera sees is viewable on your device. You can snap photos or record videos of the inner workings of your vaginal canal to export to your personal photo gallery or, I suppose, to YouTube. (No, dear reader, I did not upload mine to YouTube because… just no.)
The truth is that it didn’t quite work that way. Truth #1: I discovered that vaginal secretions do not make for a clear camera lens. In fact, all I saw was a coated, cloudy, pinkish blur.
Aha, now I understood why several other reviewers, such as Emmeline Peaches, Penny for Your (Dirty) Thoughts, and Carnal Queen, said that a clear speculum was a necessary add-on purchase before being able to use this product as intended. The nice folks at Siime Eye told me that there’s no need for a speculum, but I don’t know where they found clear, non-coating vaginas.
So I ordered a clear speculum, size small, from Amazon. I wasn’t sure how I’d work the two together, but it turns out that the opening between the two arms of the speculum can be adjusted to make room for the Siime Eye. So far so good.
But then I discovered Truth #2: There’s nothing about an inserted speculum that is sexy or even allows for the possibility of arousal. I got a clear view, yay, but there was no way that an orgasm would happen with that thing in me. Truth #3: Although the Siime Eye is a vibrator, that’s meaningless when it’s inside a speculum. It would only vibrate the plastic of the speculum. Still, it was interesting to see what was going on in there.
Truth #4: Older vaginal tissues are thin and fragile. (I knew that.) As I wiggled the speculum and the Siime Eye around trying to make them fit right and show what I wanted (much like robotic surgery, I’d guess), I felt enough discomfort after a few minutes to abort the operation. The discomfort persisted, and I discovered some light bleeding. That was from the plastic speculum, not the Siime Eye — which is smooth silicone, slender, and perfectly comfortable on its own. My first attempts at a vaginal selfie failed.
With the camera turned off and the speculum banished to another room, the Siime Eye becomes a slim, buzzy, penetrative vibrator. For women who have discomfort during insertion of a normal-size penis or dildo, this body-safe silicone vibrator might be a pleasant alternative. The shape is straight and narrow, not designed for G-spot stimulation.
In case you want to play with the Siime Eye camera for other uses, it doesn’t give a sharp image unless you’re right up against your subject. Compare the photo of my face from just inches away (blurry) with that of my eye, close enough that a sneeze would poke it out. I wasn’t expecting the camera quality of a medical-grade endoscope, so that wasn’t a big surprise.
I wanted to like the Siime Eye, really I did. It’s such a cool idea, and my Svakom contact person was very helpful and patient. Playing with a partner would likely give you better results than I had solo. And if you’re into doctor play, this will be your tool of choice! I’d love to know your experiences with it.
The nice Svakom people also sent me the Keri, a spoon-shaped clitoral vibrator that’s small, ergonomic, and light enough for travel. The design keeps it out of the way during partner sex — very handy when you need an assist during partner penetration. However, I’m lukewarm about the Keri because it’s buzzy, not super strong, and the handle vibrates almost as much as the working end, which can irritate your hand and wrist and get in the way of pleasure.
If you’d like to try Siime Eye, it’s available on Amazon through an authorized distributor at this link or on Svakom’s own website.
The Pulse, the King of Penis Vibrators
12/18/16 update: Read about the new Pulse III on my 2016 Holiday Gift Guide for Seniors!
6/30/15 update: There is an even newer version of this product — The Pulse II — which David Pittle reviewed. See his update below. Enjoy!
Presenting… The Pulse, a pulsing, oscillating, amazing vibrator for penises that does not require an erection for his pleasure!
That’s right — unlike other vibrating “sleeves,” the penis does not have to be hard to start enjoying it. Spread open the flexible flaps, rest your penis in it, turn it on, and enjoy the sensations.
The fabulous folks at Smitten Kitten first showed me this vibrator, praising its qualities. The Pulse penis vibrator works for men of all ages, and it’s especially splendid for pleasuring an older man. If you get erections erratically, this toy will make you hard. If erections are not in the picture, you’ll still feel tremendous sexual pleasure.
Of course I had to get some men of our age to test the Pulse for us. You can imagine how easy it was to get three volunteers! These men all live in different places, and I wanted to give them each plenty of time to play and experiment, so I arranged with Hot Octopuss, the British manufacturer of the Pulse, to send one product, and the dear folks at Smitten Kitten sent two more.
Here’s what my Pulse-pleasured guys told me:
Richard:
I’m a man, almost 58, who has had a number of sexual issues going back more than 8 years. Most of my issues — temporary impotence, lack of sensation, pain with orgasm — are because I’m a prostate cancer survivor who was treated surgically. Recently I’ve been able to resolve many of these issues.
Given my past challenges, I’ve haven’t taken a lot of time to explore penile sex toys beyond cock rings and therapeutic penis pumps. I wasn’t sure what a toy could do for me anyway. But that changed with the Pulse! While not a traditional sleeve toy, it does deliver vibratory sensations to the penis. It has a number of speeds and intensities that are easily set by a lighted button.
It has a unique feature where some of the vibrations are concentrated in a circular section that delivers an extra boost to the highly sensitive underside of the head of the penis. For me, it’s been a great erection builder. I’ve enjoyed taking the time to play and experiment with the various settings of intensity.
Because I still have some limited sensation, I’ve not been able to reach orgasm using the Pulse exclusively. But it is a very pleasurable toy and has warmed me up to some very nice plateaus. It’s made of hard plastic and high-grade non-toxic silicone. It can be used with or without lubricant, but is more effective as a “stroker” toy when used with lubricant. It’s easily cleaned with a damp cloth.
Paul:
The Pulse is one toy that’s worth the money! It has easy-to-use controls, fits nicely in the hand and has a coin-like, raised bump inside at just the right place. It feels wonderful!
On the low setting, with a little water-based lube, this thing got me hard in no time. And this was after I’d had sex and a great orgasm earlier in the day. I’m over 50, so that’s saying a lot. The next day, this thing had me orgasming in minutes.
Watch out if you get lube on the hand you’re holding it with though — it can get slippery. It performs well, but does take a couple minutes to clean due to the ribs inside. A quick wipe with soap and water does the trick — it can’t be submerged.
This is the only criticism I have: It comes with a USB charger cord but without an adapter to plug into a wall outlet. Fortunately I had one, and you can pick one up cheap.
David M. Pittle, Ph.D (age 70+):
Most men’s sex toys seem to be some form of sleeve to simulate a vagina. The Pulse is different. Like the sleeves, it is a tube for the penis to enter, but it is open at the top with wings that bend out, so the penis can be simply laid into the tube on top of the strongest point of vibration. This creates the greatest sensations on the most sensitive part of the penis, the frenulum.
This is an amazingly versatile sex toy. My experience with it was “five stars.” That puts it right up there with the Hitachi Magic Wand.
I was skeptical about the battery because battery toys that are powerful run down fairly rapidly. Ten or fifteen minutes of use and they need recharging. Not the case with the Pulse. In a tribute to battery engineers, the Pulse ran for four sessions of 15 to 20 minutes and was still going strong.
This is a great product. The only criticism I have is that it can’t be immersed in water. The water will get into the battery compartment. That is somewhat minor, but given the price, a waterproof charging system would have been nice.
Update: David received a sample of the new Pulse II Solo and had this to add:
There is a new king in town: The Pulse II Solo. First, the new model’s vibrations are not only stronger, but also feel more effective and include programmed patterns. Second, the vibrations come from a piston mechanism designed for penile stimulation. Third, it works longer per charge. There are many other improvements, but these are the most apparent.
The Pulse II Solo maintains the open top with expanding wings. A flaccid penis can easily be inserted. As it responds to the vibratory stimulation, it becomes as hard as it can and continues to increase sensitivity. As this happens, those wings spread to accommodate the growth in girth.
The vibratory plate, located under the penis glans at its most sensitive area, is large enough to continue to make contact during the expansion. There are many nerve endings at the base of the penis. The Pulse II Solo is able to simultaneously excite these nerves without losing touch with the nerves in the glans.
As you can tell, I was excited by the original Pulse, but I’m an out and out fan of the Pulse II. It is without doubt the best vibrator sex toy for men with erectile challenges that I have seen. As a sex therapist often dealing with older men with erectile dysfunction, this is very important to me. I will certainly be recommending this product.
I applaud the Hot Octopuss company which has taken pro-sex political stances and is promoting improved sex for seniors. Their blog entry, “Coming Of Age: Over-55s Most Sexually Satisfied” is worth reading.
(I am sad to tell you that sex therapist David Pittle died December 2017. We value his sex toy reviews. Read his other reviews here.)
Note from Joan:
The Pulse is amazing for men. It claims that the outer part also pleasures a woman partner for use by a couple together.
In my case, not so. The inside part that holds the penis is comfortable and stimulating for him, but the outside part that supposedly can stimulate the clitoris is mostly hard plastic and doesn’t vibrate much, not the least bit sexy for me. Of course, your experience may vary, and another woman reported getting plenty of pleasure from it. [Note: This comment was based on testing the original Pulse. I’ll update it when I’ve tested the Pulse II Duo, which I understand is greatly improved.]
My recommendation is to let the man use this on his own — he’ll love it, and he deserves a superb sex toy of his own!
Check out Shamus McDuff’s review of the Pocket Pulse.
I hope you’ll join me in thanking Smitten Kitten and Hot Octopuss for the sample products and for continuing to support my senior sex education work by ordering from them directly.
Womanizer W500: Outstanding Clitoral Suction Vibrator!
2/12/22: This Womanizer model is no longer available. Please check out LoveHoney’s current array of Womanizers. I deleted the dead links but didn’t delete the review because, hey, Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
If you read my review of the original Womanizer, you may remember that the clitoral suction made my world rock and roll, but I had to keep my eyes closed to keep from being distracted by the tacky design. This new version is better than the original for all these reasons:
2. There are two sizes of clitoral cup to envelope clitorises of different sizes and varied states of protrusion or retraction. |
| controls on back |
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| Jeffrey Dean Morgan |
FYI, yes, I dislike the name “Womanizer.” So I renamed mine Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Thank you, LoveHoney.com, for arranging for me to test the Womanizer W500.
