Posts Tagged ‘vibrator review’
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 my reviews of newer models. I deleted the dead links but didn’t delete the review because, hey, Jeffrey Dean Morgan.
How could this happen? A sex toy that gives fast orgasms to this aging woman? As if I didn’t love the earlier version of the Womanizer enough, the new Womanizer W500 is better. It’s exceptional.
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 |
5. It comes with a classy, black satin storage bag instead of a bright, bubblegum pink case.
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| Jeffrey Dean Morgan |
FYI, yes, I dislike the name “Womanizer.” So I renamed mine Jeffrey Dean Morgan. You’re welcome!
Sybian Update: New Silicone Attachments!
Sybian goes silicone! The wonderful folks at Sybian have been tirelessly working on how they can increase our pleasure and our orgasms, and use body-safe, easy-to-clean silicone. They’ve just created two beautiful silicone attachments that are rocking my world.If you’re saying, “What’s a Sybian?” please read my original review first. Then return here to learn what’s new.
If your preference is vibration to your clitoris and vulva without penetration, the unique design of the Orb is my dream vibrator. It consists of an orb (hence the name) at the top of a ramp-like structure, and all of it vibrates powerfully.
This is perfect for those of us who like stimulation to a large area — not just the clitoral glans, but the whole vulva. It can be used in several ways, depending on how you position yourself and it:
1. You can press the ramp part against your labia with the orb at your clitoris.
2. Turning the Sybian around, you can press the orb against your vaginal opening and the ramp slides over your labia and clitoris. You may find it challenging to get into position if you’re straddling the Sybian for this position — see the alternative “Recline and Tilt” described below.
3. If you just want the orb against your clitoris, you can turn it around so that the ramp doesn’t contact anything — you just feel the orb part.
Experiment — there’s no way to use it “wrong.”
If you like penetration and you prefer a slender width, the G-Wave stimulates your G-spot with a smooth bulb that’s only 1.27″ in diameter, atop a stem that’s even more slender: 1.1″ in diameter. Sybian really listened to me when I told them that many of us in our later years prefer — even require — a slender toy for penetration.
Because the penetrating part rotates rather than thrusts, it can feel much fuller than the measurements indicate, depending on how high you dial the rotation. Slick the G-Wave with lubricant, and it inserts smoothly and gently or strongly (your choice) rotates in your vagina, stimulating your G-spot. It doesn’t feel like a penis — it feels more like a lover inserting a couple of well-placed fingers and moving them around. Delicious.
The “wave” part (see the wavy lines?) rests against your labia and clitoris and vibrates you to paradise. I like the width of the wave section — it vibrates against your whole vulva. The vibration control is separate from the rotation, so you can dial it to vibrate to any intensity from light to rumbly strong to I-can’t-believe-I’m-experiencing-this — you’ll decide what your limit is.
Suggestion: Start with a low vibration and no rotation. As you become aroused, dial up the vibration a little at a time, and add the rotation if you like it.
If you look up other reviews of the Sybian, especially the videos on YouTube, you’ll think that the only way to use this phenomenal sex machine is by mounting it. You can do that — either on your knees (yeah, like we can get on these old knees at our age?) or with the Sybian on a platform and your feet on the floor. However, there’s a much easier and more comfortable way to use it. I’ve nicknamed it “Recline and Tilt.”
As I suggested in my earlier review of the Sybian:
If straddling is uncomfortable for your hips, or if you can’t relax that way, you can lie down on your bed with the Sybian between your legs on its power-cord end. Then tilt it forward so that the attachment contacts your genitals without putting weight on you. It’s fine to use it this way — it won’t harm the Sybian or you.
Once I discovered how well that position works, I never went back to mounting my Sybian. Both of these new attachments are particularly fabulous if you’re reclining, relaxed, and tilting the Sybian onto you or into you.
If you already own a Sybian, these attachments will add tremendously to your pleasure. If you don’t already own a Sybian, Bunny Lampert, daughter of the inventor, is offering my readers a $75 discount with the code “JOAN75“!
Order the Orb, the G-Wave, or both attachments here. Learn more about the Sybian here.
Bonus: These silicone attachments also come with pretty, satin storage bags.
Talking sex toys on Dan Savage’s podcast
Dec. 12, 2015: I am moving this post from July 2015 to the top, because I have many new readers and some of you might need holiday tips for sure-to-please sex toy gifts for a lover or for yourself. Enjoy!
And if you don’t have my latest book yet, The Ultimate Guide to Sex after 50 is a gift that will give you information and resources after the holidays are just a memory. — Joan
I had the pleasure of recording a guest segment on Dan Savage’s Savage Love podcast, answering two caller questions. It’s live here: Episode 456. I’m on the Micro (free) version for 10 minutes and on the Magnum (paid subscription) for more than 20 minutes.
At the end of our Magnum segment, Dan asked me for some quick vibrator recommendations for the over-50 crowd. Here are the ones I mentioned, with links to my reviews so that you can learn more about them:
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| Magic Wand |
Magic Wand (rechargeable): It has everything we loved about the Original Magic Wand plus new attributes that make it the ideal sex tool for those of us who need really strong vibrations.
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| Sybian |
Sybian: Can I call a 22-pound, vibrating, mountable, power tool a “vibrator”? That’s like calling the Sydney Opera House a music device. Straddle the Sybian, turn the dial to control the sensations, and enjoy.
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| The Pulse |
The Pulse: A pulsing, oscillating, amazing vibrator for penises that does not require an erection for his pleasure!
Here are some more favorites that I would have added if we had more time:
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| Eroscillator |
Eroscillator: Especially fabulous for clitoral stimulation during partner sex because it doesn’t get in the way of two bodies.
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| Private Gym |
Private Gym: A penis workout for stronger erections — including weights. This is no gimmick!
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| Womanizer |
Womanizer: A sex toy that sucks your clitoris — and that’s a rock-your-world sensation!
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| Palm Power |
If you’re new to my blog, it isn’t just sex toys all the time, but yes, I do review sex toys a lot, and always from a “senior perspective.”
What’s a “senior perspective” and why do we need it?
- Our need for long, slow arousal requires a vibrator that doesn’t overheat, run out of battery charge, or burst into flames if we need to use it for a long time.
- We want sex toys that don’t strain arthritic wrists.
- They must be made of body safe materials, especially with our thinning genital tissues.
- We want to be able to see the controls without having to put on our reading glasses.
- Above all, we need intensity: strong vibrations. We’re battling our (lack of) hormones. And we’re winning!
If you’re new to Dan Savage, he’s super smart and sex-savvy. Check out the free mini-version of his weekly Savage Lovecast. Even better, in my opinion, is the paid Magnum version that’s twice as long and ad-free. If you don’t yet subscribe to the Magnum version, it’s well worth the small amount of money to hear the longer version each week. Plus when you subscribe, you get to listen to ALL the past episodes — years of them! You can read Dan’s sex advice columns here. Dan is over 50 now — welcome to our world, Dan!
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| Joan and Dan, showing actual height difference |