Posts Tagged ‘sex toys’
PleX vibrating butt plug reviewed by Shamus MacDuff
PleX is a “customizable vibrating butt plug,” says its creator, Hot Octopuss. I see it more as a vibrating dildo for your rear end, more a pleasure plunger than a plug. The anal area is rich in erogenous nerve endings, whatever your gender.
Prostate owners will find PleX a fine “P spot” massager. The insertable part is 4.5 inches, more than enough to reach your prostate, which lies 3 to 4 inches from the start of the anal canal. But you don’t need to have a prostate to enjoy PleX for anal play.
How does it work? Anal toys give you a full feeling by putting pressure on internal erogenous zones. PleX’s 1.25-inch diameter (4-inch circumference) girth “full-fills” this via the
shape of its nicely tapered bulb. Once sufficiently slick with water-based lube, PleX glides in easily. You can then move it in and out or wiggle it all about. By adjusting the five different vibration patterns and varying the strength of the Treble and Bass levels, you’ll locate the perfect vibratory buzz and spot you seek.
What’s “customizable”? PleX offers many vibration options via Hot Octopuss’s unique Treble-Bass feature. This special technology has two motors that you control separately to produce a host of delightful sensory combinations. Each has five speeds and five vibration modes with adjustable frequency. With this customizable device you can experiment and mix different Treble and Bass levels until you find the one — or more — just right for you.
I first enjoyed this patented Treble and Bass technology in 2019 with the JETT, Hot Octopuss’s second wonderful penis toy after the innovative Pulse “guybrator.” In 2021, they extended it to the Kurve — a much-lauded toy for vulva owners, which Joan calls “a party in your vagina!”
JETT
Kurve
“Flex”? Hot Octopuss calls their toy “PleX with flex.” They promote the benefit of the insertable part bending up to 90 degrees in any direction. While that flexibility allows you to move PleX around at different angles, the bulb doesn’t hold or retain the bent position. It returns to its original shape almost immediately. “PleX with flex” may be a cute rhyme, but for me the flex adds nothing to the pleasure of the PleX.
Remote control: PleX comes with a remote control so you or someone else can change vibration levels without needing to touch the toy. The remote lets a partner surprise and stimulate you while you recline in pleasure. However, the remote is small — just 1.5 inches square — and very thin, making it easy to lose. It’s difficult to press the buttons on the remote with lubed fingers. (PleX’s controls on the toy itself are easy to manipulate, even with lubed fingers.)
Like all Hot Octopuss toys, PleX is made from body safe materials. Its sleek black matte silicone body with just a touch of chrome on the base radiates quality. It is completely waterproof (except for the remote), fully USB rechargeable via the pin cable included, and relatively quiet. It makes a delightful shower toy.
Personally, I find PleX to be much more than an anal toy. It’s a feel-good-all-over toy! Its separate patterns and vibration levels delight my penis, my scrotum, my perineum, and my nipples. I like to use PleX externally to excite these different erogenous zones before beginning anal play. Once I’m revved and lubed up, PleX provides a range of lovely sensations after insertion. I especially find it fun to alter the rhythmic variations and the vibration levels to explore different locational sensitivities.
PleX is a fine new fun toy from Hot Octopuss. Its versatility extends beyond the nether region, and it would make a superb gift for yourself or someone special.
—Shamus MacDuff, age 79, was oblivious to the delights of sex toys until about 5 years ago. He’s been making up for lost time! Read his other posts here.
Vibrators for Seniors – especially for first-timers
Are you new to sex
toys and nervous about buying one? Why should you even care about vibrators? You got this far in life without one, so what’s the big deal? Read on to learn more about vibrators for seniors.
A well-chosen, well-placed vibrator can be the difference between orgasm and no orgasm for seniors – it’s sometimes that simple.
Many older bodies need more intense stimulation than fingers or a mouth or partner’s genitals can provide. Our own or a lover’s hand and other body parts may feel wonderful and arousing, but many of us feel stuck without more intensity: vibrator-quality intensity.
If this rings true for you, you’re not defective – this is just how your body works. Lucky for us, there are many excellent options guaranteeing that you can find one – or many! – that get you from arousal to orgasm.
What do seniors need?
I started reviewing vibrators on this blog in 2009, when I was a mere youth of 66. The older I got, the fussier I became about the sex toy qualities that work best for seniors and for me personally. Now I review products “from a senior perspective” because the needs of older bodies differ from younger folks. For example:
- We need vibrators that give us intense sensation when needed. Our hormones and blood flow no longer rush to arouse us, so we need more powerful stimulation to rev us up. Man
y of us can’t reach orgasm without it. If we’re longtime vibrator users, we may find that a toy from our past is no longer strong enough. - We need vibrators that don’t quit on us. Arousal is slower and less dependable for most of us. Our vibrators need to warm us up and stay with us for as long as we need, without overheating, losing their charge, or irritating sensitive tissues.
- We want comfort. Older vulvas and vaginas are more delicate than they were in our youth. Despite needing more sensation, most of us don’t want hard materials or pounding pressure. We may need cushioning between the strong, rumbling vibrations and our sensitive skin.
- We want ergonomic design. Arthritic wrists and hands are common. It hurts when we must bend or twist our wrist to hold a toy in position. We like strong vibrations on our genitals but not pulsing through our hands. The best designed vibrators let us concentrate on our pleasure without worrying how long our wrists can hold out.
- Many of us want slimmer insertable toys. Vulva owners who enjoy vaginal penetration may require a slim fit for comfort now. Learn what you need for your own comfort. Check the dimensions of the thickest insertable part of a product before ordering.
- We require body-safe materials. Some of the cheapest toys (especially knock-offs from shady stores or Amazon) are made of toxic materials that don’t belong anywhere near the fragile skin of aging
genitals. Purchase quality products from known vendors. - Penis vibrators, no erection required. Penis owners benefit from the extra stimulation of vibrators. Older penises may have unreliable erections or ED, but they can still feel pleasure and reach orgasm with the right stimulation. They need sex toys that don’t require an erection to use it, unlike the “masturbation sleeve” products. Creative companies like Hot Octopuss and Fun Factory have designed powerful vibrators that work even when the penis is semi-hard or flaccid.
- Bonus points for easy controls. We want controls we can see and differentiate, even with slippery, lubed fingers. What a buzz kill when we meant to press “power up” for stronger intensity, and instead we hit “power off”! Please, sex toy manufacturers, don’t make us grab our reading glasses mid-action. Give us controls we can adjust by touch.
How do I know what I want?
If you’re a sex toy novice, don’t buy the first product that looks good in an ad or on the shelf. Obviously, you can’t take it to a back room to give it an orgasmic whirl before buying, but this process will help you choose:
- What do you personally need to orgasm? There are so many different shapes, sizes, and styles of vibrators, and we’re all different in what works for us. Read my “How to Choose a Vibrator” to narrow your choices. Answer the 8 questions there to narrow down your choices.
- Watch my Sex Toys for Seniors webinar. This 90-minute crash course in sex toys for seniors covers what vibrators can do for you that a hand or partner can’t, how to choose the b
est one(s) for you, busting myths about vibrator use (such as whether it will desensitize you and how to address a partner’s objections), and much more. I show you a large selection of highly recommended vibrators and help you decide if they’re right for you. See my webinar page for pricing. - Read reviews (such as mine from a senior perspective) to get a better idea of how certain toys work for some people. Use reviews to further narrow down your choices. Learn to discern between a review (someone personally tested the product and reports on the experience) and a marketing promotion (designed to sell the product, not help you evaluate if it’s for you).
- Emphasize quality over cost if you can afford it. The higher-priced items don’t cut corners in product design, body-safe materials, and reliability. They’ll last longer, too.
- Learn as much as you can about the products you’re considering, asking yourself, “Which one(s) would be right for my needs, my challenges, my preferences? If there’s a progressive, education-based sex toy store in your area, visit in person. If not, purchase from online retailers that emphasize customer satisfaction and an openness to the needs of our age group, such as the ones I link to in reviews and on my blog’s right-hand column.
I originally wrote a slightly different version of this post for the Lion’s Den blog. You can see the original here.
Rocketeer Vibrating Penis Enhancer Sheath review by Shamus MacDuff
Think of the Rocketeer Vibrating Penis Enhancer Sheath as a “booster rocket” for self-pleasuring. When I saw ads for it, I was eager to try it out. Rocketeer is an innovative sheath that wraps partially around and sits atop your erect penis. It attaches to your member and around your scrotum via three stretchy loops. The nine-speed motor is easy to turn on and off. Rocketeer is waterproof, relatively quiet, made of silicone, and recharges easily through a USB cable provided. It is a unique new design. What’s not to like?
I was very excited when the Rocketeer made by Gender X arrived from Betty’s Toy Box. I charged it, cleaned it thoroughly, and prepared to take it for a ride. But it didn’t fit me properly. Only two rings of the potential “three ring circus” this toy promises attached to me. The one that stretched around my scrotum went on easily and comfortably, as did the one that looped around the base of my penis. But the ring meant to encircle my erect penis head flopped forlornly nearly an inch too far away. Imagine my frustration!
The packaging for Rocketeer mentions that it is 6.06 inches long. But I didn’t expect that it would only fit those with erections of that length or greater. Alfred Kinsey was a pioneer in sexuality research who made many important contributions. Unfortunately, one of those, published in the 1960s, was based upon highly problematic data: self-reports from men who measured their own erect penises. From that flawed information Kinsey and colleagues concluded that average erect penis size was over 6 inches. Evidently, Rocketeer’s designers relied upon this outdated information.
Rocketeer displayed on Betty’s Toy Box dildo
In the half century since Kinsey’s work, many more careful studies of erect penis length have been done. These use measurements taken by health professionals rather than provided from self reports. The resultant more accurate data show that human erect penis length forms a statistically normal distribution: the average is between 5.1 and 5.5 inches. The range between 4.5 inches and 5.8 inches covers 68 percent of the men measured, and from 3.9 inches to 6.3 inches covers 95 percent of the variance.
An erection measuring 6 inches lies in the top 15 percent for penis length, and an erect penis of 6.3 inches is in the 95th percentile, which means only 5 out of every 100 exceed that length. These data highlight Rocketeer’s major problem: the toy has been constructed to fit an erect penis of 6.06 inches or more. That design miscalculation means that it will not properly fit the great majority of its potential customers!
The photographs below show Rocketeer mounted on dildos of different sizes. Granted, these dildos don’t have scrotums, but you get the idea of the fit.
Rocketeer on 5.2″ dildo
Rocketeer on 4.75″ dildo
Rocketeer on 6.0″ dildo
Given my frustration, I tried a work-around to see if I could experience at least some of the sensations the toy might offer. I doubled the penis head ring back on itself and placed it onto my member so that, bunched up, it remained briefly in place. I then pulled a condom over this bundle. That snugged it enough so I could start the motor and receive at least a modicum of the motor’s patterns.
While these felt good in a low-level sort of way, I felt cheated. And I’m afraid this toy will disappoint any owner of an erect penis measuring less than 6.06 inches in length. I can’t speak for those who measure more. While the basic plan of Rocketeer is a good one, unless Gender X remakes it in a length that will fit more than a mere 15 percent of their intended market, I’m afraid their rocket has misfired.
If your erection length is right for the Rocketeer, watch Carolyn’s upbeat video about ways you can use it for solo and partner fun, including during intercourse. Although Rocketeer Vibrating Penis Enhancer Sheath didn’t work for me, I wish to emphasize that Betty’s Toy Box is a great source of excellent products. I encourage you to visit their site. Use this link and the coupon code JOAN10 for a 10% discount off any purchase.
Learn more about erect penis length:
- “Average-Size Erect Penis: Fiction, Fact, and the Need for Counseling,” Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy.
- “The Average Penis Size For a Male Isn’t as Big as You Think,” Men’s Health UK.
===============
—Shamus MacDuff, age 79, was oblivious to the delights of sex toys for penises until about 5 years ago. He’s been making up for lost time! Read his other posts here.
Mini Magic Wand Review
Do you love your Magic Wand, but you wish for a smaller, lighter, yet still powerful version? Or do you wish your clitoris could experience the Magic Wand that everyone raves about, but the size of the original is daunting? Welcome to the new Magic Wand Mini Cordless Rechargeable Vibrator from Betty’s Toy Box. You’ll get the same quality and most of the power at half the weight.
But is it small? It’s not small. When I think “mini,” I mean toys that are small enough to toss in a purse or stuff into the toe of a sock that’s going into my suitcase, like the We-Vibe Touch or Tango or the Hot Octopuss DiGiT: palm-sized or
smaller. This isn’t that! However, compared to the regular Magic Wand, it’s mini. To compare:
Magic Wand Rechargeable: 13 inches long, weighs 1 pound 5.1 ounces, handle diameter 1.9 inches.
Mini Magic Wand: 9.5 inches long, weighs 9.7 ounces, handle diameter 1.5 inches.
What about power?
Yes, it’s strong, though not as strong as the bigger models. The Mini Magic Wand has 3 power settings, vs. the Magic Wand Rechargeable’s 4 power settings and 4 patterns. The Mini has plenty of power for most of us – including me, and I need strong vibrations. However, the second and third settings are higher-pitched (buzzier) than the bigger model. If rumbly vibes work best for you or you need the power of the highest setting, you’ll probably want to stay with the larger wand. If you usually stay within the first settings of the Magic Wand and your clitoris does not demand rumbly, this will be a great choice for you.
Controls are intuitive: press the power button, then press “+” for more intensity and “-” for lower intensity. Controls are easy to see and use without reading glasses.
Other attributes
The head of the Mini is body-safe silicone, with a little cushioning that can make all the difference when you’re pressing it to your clitoris. The neck is flexible, so that you can get the best position for your wrist. At our age, we have to think about these things.
The head is much smaller than that of the Magic Wand Rechargeable, which has its pros and cons. Pro: it doesn’t take up so much room (vulvar real estate, I could call it) if you’re also inserting fingers, a penis, or a dildo into your vagina while you use the Mini on your clitoris. Con: if you like more vulvar coverage to stimulate the internal clitoris, you might prefer the larger version.
The slimmer handle is as much a bonus as the lighter weight. It’s much easier for my small, arthritic hand to hold, letting me forget about the logistics and just enjoy the sensation.
Like the larger Magic Wands, it’s noisy. Close the door, turn up the music, send your family members to the movies.
I was delighted to find a full-sized user manual in the box, with clear, large black print on white pages. Thank you, Vibratex (and shame on all the sex toy companies that send tiny guides with light lettering on a colored background, impossible to read). But do we really need 5 full pages of warnings plus additional warnings on almost every page? I can’t even count the number of “Do not…” and “Never…” Sure, we want to know what not to do, but let’s not scare people away from using pleasure tools. Vibrators are not high-risk products. What if every restaurant menu contained 5 pages of what could happen if we choked on our food, ate enough to make us vomit, or scooped it up from the floor?
I was surprised that the Mini did not come with a storage bag.
Caveats
- Do not use while plugged in. Plug it in only for charging, and do not leave it plugged in for more than 4 hours.
- Use only water-based lubricant.
- Use for no more than 20 minutes to prevent overheating. (Don’t worry, you won’t need 20 minutes!)
- Clean the head carefully after use without submerging in water. It’s not waterproof.
- For external use only.
Thank you, Betty’s Toy Box, for sending me the Magic Wand Mini Cordless Rechargeable Vibrator in return for an honest review.
For 10% off your purchase, use coupon code JOAN10