Posts Tagged ‘sex toys’
Lelo Smart Wands: for massage or… ?
The new LELO Smart Wands are truly gorgeous — deep, rich plum (or black if you prefer), sensuously curved, vibrating wands made of silicone with gold-colored accents on the handle. They’re sleek and almost too beautiful to hide away between uses. But “smart”? How is that supposed to work? Read on.
Lelo offers two models: medium and large. I was eager to test the large Smart Wand which promised the most intensity, but while Good Vibrations waited for that model, they sent me the medium size.
Beautiful, gift-worthy, art-quality wand, to be sure. But not nearly strong enough for me. It’s pretty weak, actually.
Now you may not need the vroom-vroom-vroom power intensity I do for clitoral stimulation — in fact, many of you are downright scared by the intensity I describe in my favorite toys. If you like subtle to medium intensity, you’ll likely love this pleasure object.
If, however, your sensations need extra power to fire, go for the big one! I was happy when I received the big guy for comparison.
The large model is about a foot long and weighs almost a pound. (The medium is about 8″ long and weights just under 6 ounces.) The large head sends vibrations to the whole outer vulva, which I like, not just the clitoris — though I know that some women prefer being able to pinpoint the clitoris.
Some reviewers have complained of hand numbing between the vibrations all the way from head to handle and the heaviness of the wand, but you really don’t have to tax arthritic wrists by holding it in the air or holding it at all. Thanks to the ergonomic styling, you can aim the rounded end where you like it, and barely lift the length of the wand to keep it there. So don’t worry when it feels hefty when you lift it.
Given the size — in both length and head size, similar to the Hitachi Magic Wand — I thought the vibrations would be similar in intensity to the Hitachi. No, nothing is similar in intensity to the Hitachi, sorry. But if you don’t need Hitachi power (and huge crowds of women do not, even at our age), this is an elegant alternative.
Why the “Smart” appellation? You can choose among eight vibrational patterns manually by pressing buttons — or you can hold down the pattern button to activate “SenseTouch” which automatically goes to 100% intensity when the wand is pressed to the body. Take it away from the body (why? a phone call? a break?) and it whirs down and waits on low. I honestly don’t know how valuable this feature is. I tend to just crank it up to maximum intensity and keep it there, no need for a break.
Oh! I get it! The “SenseTouch” is for giving a “real” massage (without the “wink wink”)! Of course, you want it to stop when you’re switching body parts for muscle relaxation. Whoops. I should have guessed from the illustration on the box. Silly me!
In fact, LELO’s own website says it’s for “deeply satisfying all-over body massage.” Why didn’t I think of that? Of course if you’re using it for all over body massage, you might have the numbing hand problem. I wonder why it’s made with a vibrating handle, since there’s no way to use that handle for anything other than holding on. Sex blogger Dangerous Lilly mentioned in her excellent review of the Smart Wands that if you hold the large wand in the middle of the handle (the thinnest part), the vibrations are weakest there.
Like all LELO products, you charge the vibrator (ooops — massager) for two hours first, then you have no cords to fuss with while you use it. It’s quiet and even waterproof! The vibrations are rumbly (which I prefer, personally) rather than buzzy, especially in the large model. Like all LELO products, the wands are made of medical grade materials. They come with a 1-year warranty and a 10-year product quality guarantee.
Whether you decide to enjoy your Smart Wand as a sex toy or a massage tool, I’m sure you’ll have many delightful experiences! Thank you, Good Vibrations, for sending me these elegant Smart Wands.
Tenga Egg reviewed by David Pittle
Tenga Egg Male Masturbation Sleeve
reviewed by David M. Pittle, Ph.D.
The Egg is a complete kit for a single use. Packaged within an egg-shaped shell is a very stretchable elastomer “stimulator” with ribbing designs to give a variety of sensations. To make this a complete, one-use kit, it includes a packet of lubricant, as well as the “stimulator” itself. The stimulator expands to fit almost any normal penis length and diameter to give a very good sensation. While sold as a one-use device, it will actually last up to about 10 uses. You can flip it inside out for cleaning and then add your own lubricant to
use it again. At about $8.50 each, that makes the Tenga Egg a real bargain.
If there was one weakness in the egg that I tried, it was the lack of instructions in English. The only instructions were printed in Japanese on the lubricant package. One would think that instructions were not needed for such a simple device, but applying the lubricant to the inside of the stimulator is done with an included funnel device and the method of doing all this preparation is not self-evident.
However, aside from the lack of instructions, this is an excellent product. It provides marvelous sensations, comes in a wide variety of interior ribbing designs and as a bonus, is usable even by men suffering from erectile dysfunction. The penis does not have to be hard to get the benefit of the Egg. I certainly could feel that there was ridging, but I doubt I would feel the differences between the different egg designs. Maybe someone who has a more sensitive penis might. I really liked this Egg and will probably buy them in the future.
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| Tenga Egg inside out to show texture |
Notes from Joan:
The Tenga Egg comes in a variety of textures and designs. Dr. Pittle reviewed the “Wavy” design, pictured here inside out so you can see the texture.
The Tenga Eggs are available from our friends at Good Vibrations .
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| David Pittle |
David M. Pittle, Ph.D., is a therapist in San Rafael, CA, who has been helping people with sexual issues for over thirty years. Many of his clients are age 50-80, when good sex is important, and dissatisfaction may lead to loss of shared intimacy that can threaten the total relationship. David
specializes in helping women who are not experiencing sexual satisfaction and men with non-medical and medically-related erectile dysfunction or other issues. Visit his website here. Please see Dr. Pittle’s review of the Hitachi Magic Wand here.
(I am sad to tell you that my friend, sex therapist David Pittle died December 2017. We value his sex toy reviews. Read his other reviews here.)
Note from Joan: Please see my other vibrator reviews by clicking here. Keep scrolling down — there are many! I love to hear from you and welcome your comments about any sex toys reviewed here, because our experiences are all different, and your experience will help other readers decide which toy is right for them. (However, if you’re a sex toy retailer, I don’t permit links that compete with the retailers I endorse — spammy, highjacking comments and links won’t see the light of day.)
X1 Orgasmatron review: If a jackhammer is sexy
When “Dr. X. Treme” offered to send me the X1 Orgasmatron for review, I jumped at the chance. It’s a funny looking contraption — one of my Naked at Our Age Facebook followers asked if I got it from Woody Allen when I posted a photo.
The actual machine resembles a black plastic light bulb, over which you fit a bubblegum pink dildo. The light bulb has one cord, but you have two more cords to attach before you can plug it into a wall socket.
Yes, three cords, total. Once you’re all plugged in, so to speak, you dial up the intensity you want, and supposedly get a physics-law abiding orgasm. According to the inventor’s website, http://www.doctorxtreme.com:
This vibrator’s design is based on an understanding of the applied physics of sex machines… Most vibrating machines only move a tiny patch of skin on the tip of the clitoris. While this part of the body is incredibly sensitive, the clitoris is like an iceberg. A vast structure of nerves exist beneath the surface of the skin that are not stimulated by a typical small-mass vibrator.
I’m sorry, I really wanted to like the X1 Orgasmatron. But it didn’t work that way for me. If my clitoris was an “iceberg,” the X1 Orgasmatron was a giant jackhammer battering away at it–and at my hand which was trying to hold it.
I have no idea how it might have worked as a dildo, because at 1.9 inches in diameter, it was much too girthy for me. Dr. X. Treme assured me,
The “dildo” can also act as a mechanical finger on the outside of the clit, and that is how some users exclusively use it, as well as turning the whole human hand into a vibrator.
So that’s what I tried to do.
Unfortunately, it was uncomfortable to hold, the “fingertip” was very hard (consider a softer, slightly squishy attachment, Dr. X.), and the combination of the noise, the silliness of having three cords to contend with, and needing to use both hands just to keep it from escaping as it clattered about made the experience too unsexy to continue.
Yes, I tried dialing down the intensity, but then it was just one more toy that didn’t deliver. I wanted the intensity — but not in the style of a silicone jackhammer.
Did you notice that the slogan of XTreme Orgasmatronics is “Less pants, more science.” What did you make of that? I had to ask Dr. X. Treme, “I don’t understand ‘less pants’ – do you mean fewer trousers, or less heavy breathing?”
He replied, “The idea of the tag line is that when one applies physics to sex toy design it’s still real science but trousers are no longer needed in order to go to work.” Oh…. May I respectfully suggest that Dr. X. rethink this tag line? One more thing to rethink: the X1 Orgasmatron retails for $180.
If a sex toy doesn’t work for me, I try to figure out who would like it. After all, I’m just one person with particular tastes, and just because I’m ready to pull out all three cords doesn’t mean you won’t love it. If my jackhammer analogy made you squirm with delight rather than recoil, you’d probably have fun with this. Whether you’d have $180 worth of fun, I can’t say.
Update: in case this 2012 review inspired you to get your own Orgasmatron, sorry, there are no purchase links because the company went out of business.
We-Wibe Touch, Tango, and Salsa: Small and Sweet!
We-Wibe doesn’t just make vibrators for couples, I’ve discovered. I’m really enjoying the three new We-Wibe vibrators for solo play that Kama Sutra Closet sent me:
- The We-Vibe Tango is a tiny (3″x 5/8″) lipstick-shaped vibrator, fine for clitoral or vaginal pleasure.
- The We-Vibe Salsa is a tiny (3″x 5/8″) rocket-shaped vibrator, fine for clitoral or vaginal pleasure.
- The We-Vibe Touch is a palm-sized (4″ x 1.8″ x 1.2″) clitoral vibrator, shaped to cup the vulva.
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| We-Vibe Tango |
The difference between the Tango and the Salsa is the shape — would you rather have a flat area against your clitoris, or a narrow tip?
Though I liked the lipstick shape better, I found that it was hard to keep it from rolling around (thus moving the flat part away), especially when it and my fingers were coated with lube.
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| We-Wibe Salsa |
Internally, they act similar to a bullet vibrator, though slim and longer than the usual bullet. There’s no pull-string, but as long as the vibrations are still going, it will shoot right out if you stop clenching and push a little. (In fact, it will shoot right out if you’re not careful to clench or push with a finger!)
Do not, however, insert these little toys anally, because they don’t have a flange base and can indeed get stuck inside. You don’t want to be the emergency room doctor’s next story about what he had to remove from someone’s rectum.
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| We-Vibe Touch |
The Touch is for external use only, and it’s my favorite of the three — although I wish (oh, there she goes again…) the vibrations were stronger. I like that it’s a little rubbery and flexible rather than really hard. The shape is lovely — just tuck it where it fits over clitoris and parts of the vulva, and let it work its magic.
All three together are small enough to fit in a hand, and lightweight enough to be your special travel buddies. They’re discreet and quiet for solo pleasure, even if someone is in the next room. They’re also small enough to fit between bodies during sex with a partner, if you need extra clitoral stimulation, as many of us do.
Despite their tiny size, they pack quite a strong vibrational punch. Each has four intensities for steady vibration plus four different pulsing patterns. You just push the soft button at the end, and vibrations change — no dials or complicated controls. (Personally, I just turn it up to the strongest, steady vibration and enjoy, but many people really like the pattern options.) Push and hold, and it turns off. Easy–except when the vibrator and your fingers are lubed, when it’s apt to skitter out of your hand and across the bed. Capture it with a washcloth, or — better — get the washcloth ready first!
These We-Vibe playmates are completely waterproof, so you can get your enjoyment in the shower or tub! They’re made of body-safe materials: the Tango and Salsa are PC-ABS thermoplastic, and the Touch is medical-grade platinum silicone. All are eco-friendly, carbon-neutral in their manufacturing and distribution. They even come with a storage pouch, which I always appreciate.
Rechargeable, they fasten magnetically to a cute charging bulb, and in less than 90 minutes, they’re recharged enough to go for two hours.
Thank you, Kama Sutra Closet, for sending me these dear little vibes to review! I’ll be tucking them in my suitcase next trip!
