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Review: Sohimi Norma dual-stimulation thrusting vibrator

Kate Sloan

One of the most encouraging things I’ve seen in my 11+ years as a sex toy reviewer is that you can get fancier features in cheaper toys now than ever before. There was a time when you had to spend a pretty penny for functions that are considered basic now, such as waterproofness or even having multiple settings. But technology has advanced to a point where you can get better toys for less, if you know what to look for. (That’s why I write reviews, baybee!)

I’m thinking about this because today I’m reviewing the Sohimi Norma, a toy that retails for $55.99 (at time of writing) but nonetheless has some qualities I’d expect to see in pricier vibes. It’s not perfect by any means, but there are some aspects of it that impressed me nonetheless, so let’s jump in and talk about it, shall we?

 

What is the Sohimi Norma?

This is a dual-stimulation vibrator, which aims to stimulate the clit and G-spot simultaneously.

The internal arm boasts a gentle curve, a semi-realistic head, and some gentle ridgy texture. It mainly functions as a thruster, pounding back and forth against your G-spot (hopefully), although it also subtly vibrates.

The external arm, designed for clitoral stimulation, features what Sohimi calls a “high-frequency vibration ball.” More on that later.

This toy also has a warming function. When Sohimi describes the Norma as a “4-in-1” toy, they are referring to 1) internal vibration, 2) internal thrusting, 3) clitoral vibration, and 4) heating.

 

Things I like about this toy

  • First and foremost: the internal arm’s thrusting is genuinely impressive for the price point. It pushes rhythmically against my G-spot with a surprising amount of force. It’s not quite as forceful as a Velvet Thruster, but definitely feels more impactful to me than the Fun Factory Stronic toys, which are all way more expensive than the Norma. The sensation can make me squirt, and reminds me of when a partner is fingerbanging me in a particularly vigorous way – which I like, personally, as long as everything is well-lubed, but YMMV!
  • There are 7 different thrusting settings, including some that are slow and steady, some that are fast and steady, and a couple that are more random/erratic. I tend to stick with the steady settings because that’s what my G-spot prefers, and I like that I can start at a slower speed and work up to faster thrusting (although I wish these settings were ordered differently; more on that below).
  • The vibration and thrusting can be controlled separately, as each has its own button that you can short-press to cycle through its settings. You can also turn off one of the functions and just focus on the other one if you want. I always appreciate this feature in dual-stim toys, since my G-spot doesn’t always crave the same intensity of stimulation that my clit does at any given time.
  • The Norma has a looped handle, which makes it more accessible and easier to hold onto for those of us who struggle with hand pain, muscle weakness, etc. It’s also just a stylish-looking feature – it’s a silvery rose-gold shade, and is visually reminiscent of the metallic plating found on some Lelo toys.
  • Sohimi says that the Norma can last 1 hour on a charge, assuming both functions are set to full power. That may not sound like a lot, but it’s actually really unusual for a dual-stimulation toy, since the multiple functions can be very taxing on a motor. I’ve yet to run out of power while testing this toy and only charged it once, when I initially got it. I’ve been surprised by how consistently the thrusting function just keeps truckin’ away inside me, even if I stretch out a masturbation session while reading erotica, watching porn, etc.

 

Things I don’t like about this toy

  • The main problem with this toy – and it is, unfortunately, a glaring issue – is that the clitoral arm is bad. When I saw that Sohimi refers to it as a “high-frequency vibration ball,” I imagined that maybe the ball would roll around in a fast oscillating motion or something, but it’s actually just a sphere-shaped vibrating appendage – and the vibration is very buzzy (i.e. high-pitched and surface-level). It’s decently strong for the price point, sure, but I find it hard to enjoy all that power when the vibrations are so buzzy that they make my clit feel noticeably numb within seconds. The only way I was able to get off with this toy was by angling it so that I could slip a better vibe onto my clit, while still enjoying the Norma’s thrusting internally.
  • For reasons unknown, the thrusting function starts on a fast setting by default, and you have to cycle through a couple of those + a couple of random/weird settings before you get to slower, steady thrusting. IMO the toy should start on this slower mode, since most people are going to want to build up from lower to higher speeds as their arousal increases.
  • This toy is loud AF. That’s par for the course with thrusting toys, I’ve found, but this one sounds particularly robotic and creaky, even when it’s inside me. (On the plus side, though, the vibrations aspect is relatively quiet.)
  • Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to test the heating function, because it requires you to press two buttons simultaneously while the toy is in standby mode, and no matter what I tried, I couldn’t seem to sync up my button-presses enough that the heat turned on. The toy always just acted like I only pressed one of the buttons, activating the thrusting or vibration. This could be due to my mild coordination issues from fibromyalgia, but even when it looked to me like I’d pressed them at exactly the same time, it still didn’t work. 🤷🏻‍♀️
  • The Norma is only IPX6 waterproof, which means you can wash it in the sink, or even use it in the shower, but shouldn’t submerge it in water or use it in the bath. I am a fan of bathtime masturbation so my hope is always for toys to be fully waterproof instead.

 

Final thoughts

Ultimately I didn’t love the Sohimi Norma as much as I wanted to, because of the lackluster clit vibrations. I’ve said this before, but I wish more companies would prioritize motor quality in their vibrators; other bells and whistles just don’t matter anywhere near as much. The majority of people with vulvas require clitoral stimulation in order to reach orgasm, so the clit arm of a dual-stim toy needs to be damn good, or the whole toy suffers as a result.

That being said, I really like the thrusting aspect of this toy; it’s strong, variable, and pairs well with the curved shape of the toy’s internal arm, making for intense G-spot sensations that add substantially to my pleasure. I just can’t get off with this toy unless I use a different clitoral vibe with it.

Sohimi has plenty of other thrusting toys, and I’d encourage you to check them out if you’re looking for a thruster on a budget (and feel free to check out all my previous Sohimi reviews if you want more guidance). I look forward to a day when good clitoral vibes are easier to find on a budget, too.

 

Thanks so much to Sohimi for sponsoring this post! I was paid to write a fair and honest review of this product. As always, all writing and opinions are my own.

Review: Tracy’s Dog Flowliper

Kate Sloan
Apologies for the cat hair. You know how it is.

Pressure-wave toys have been around for about a decade, and most of them have been pretty samey. A few companies have branched out with innovations within the pressure-wave toy genre, like when Arcwave made one for dicks, or when Womanizer made one with an “Autopilot” mode, but for the most part, these toys have largely been relatively similar to each other. They usually feature a small nozzle that directs rhythmic air waves at the clitoris for “touchless” pleasure, a sensation some people like and some people don’t.

So I was glad to see the new pressure-wave toy from Tracy’s Dog, the Flowliper, because it genuinely does some things differently from a lot of other pressure-wave toys. Let’s talk about what sets it apart from the crowd.

 

What is the Tracy’s Dog Flowliper?

The Flowliper is a rechargeable pressure-wave stimulator for clitoral use. It retails for $36–46, depending on where you get it from.

And before you ask: I have no idea what the product name means. My best guess is that it’s a portmanteau of “flower” and “lip,” but who can say? (Tracy, I suppose. Or perhaps her dog.)

 

Image via Tracy’s Dog because I have misplaced one of my attachments, lol.

Things I like about this toy

  • Tapping Attachment: It’s common these days for pressure-wave toys to come with more than one silicone head to go over the nozzle, to account for differences in clitoris size from user to user. The Flowliper takes this even further by including two different-sized nozzle heads and a third attachment that has a thin membrane of silicone covering its hole. This attachment turns the toy’s pressure-wave technology into a different sensation altogether: the membrane “taps” your clit rapidly, feeling almost more like mild oscillation than air waves. Using the toy with this attachment worked well for me as “foreplay” for using the more traditional nozzle heads, as it’s a subtler, gentler sensation that’s nonetheless pleasurable, especially when lubed. A lot of users (myself included, at times) have complained about pressure-wave toys feeling too intense, especially toward the start of a session, and this is a great solution for that.
  • Easy to Change the Attachments: Speaking of the swappable heads, I like that there’s a notch on each head which lines up with a corresponding notch on the toy itself, making it easy to orient the head correctly when you’re putting it on. This has occasionally been tricky for me with other such toys, so I appreciate this little quality-of-life addition.
  • Ergonomic Size & Shape: I like the elegant curves of the Flowliper. Holding it usually feels comfortable and natural, even with my chronic-pain-addled hands.
  • Buttons: The toy’s buttons are satisfyingly clicky and work as expected. There’s a power button to turn the toy on or off, two arrow buttons for navigating through the toy’s three steady speeds and seven patterns, and another button that switches the toy to its “Dynamic Pulse” mode (more on that in a sec). The buttons are also conveniently placed, exactly where my fingers naturally sit when I hold it. The power button is even located farther away from the other buttons so that I’m very unlikely to hit it by accident during use. (These button details may seem minor, but trust me – bad buttons can ruin a toy, and this toy has great buttons.)
  • Dynamic Pulse Mode: When I flipped through the Flowliper’s instructions and read about its Dynamic Pulse mode, I was intrigued, because it reminded me of Womanizer’s “Autopilot” mode, in which the toy controls itself, varying between different vibration patterns and speeds to give you an experience that feels more like a human partner touching you. However, the Flowliper only costs about one-third as much as the Womanizer Premium, so as you’d expect, the technology in the Flowliper isn’t quite as finessed. The toy’s Dynamic Pulse mode changes to a random pattern and intensity approximately every six seconds, keeping you on your toes. This has its downsides (see below) but I still found it boosted my arousal in a fun, pleasurable, and genuinely surprising way. Like Womanizer’s Autopilot mode, Dynamic Pulse mode has three different “ranges” it can operate within – low, medium, and high – so it won’t skip around wildly from high settings to low ones or vice-versa, which is a super useful feature for building gradually toward orgasm.
  • Price: At $36 (currently, as of this writing), the Flowliper is a very reasonably-priced pressure-wave toy, considering that the other sub-$100 pressure-wave toys I tend to recommend are in the $50-70 range. With its three different attachments, three speeds, seven patterns, and Dynamic Pulse mode, you get a lot of bang for your buck with this toy, since it can provide a bunch of different sensations.
  • Nice Aesthetic: I like the mix of smooth matte silicone and shiny frosted plastic that Tracy’s Dog has used for this toy. It gives it a distinct, surprisingly elegant look.
  • Useful LED Indicators: The LED light display on the Flowliper shows you which of the three Dynamic Pulse modes you’re in (low/medium/high) while that feature is engaged, and also tells you when the toy’s battery is running low and shows you the battery’s progress while it’s charging. These features wouldn’t be super notable on a high-end vibrator, but I’ve rarely seen “luxuries” like a low battery indicator on a toy of this price point, so it’s cool to see Tracy’s Dog raising the bar.

Things I don’t like about this toy

  • Buzziness: My main problem with the Flowliper is that its pressure waves feel high-pitched and not especially impactful – i.e. “buzzy.” This becomes more true as you turn up the intensity, and results in less-than-amazing orgasms for me. Granted, this could be due to the nozzles being the wrong shape and/or size for my particular anatomy, and thereby not being able to form a good seal around my clit; it’s hard to say. (The two nozzles that come with the toy have a side-to-side diameter of about 1.25 cm and 1.5 cm, and an up-and-down diameter of about 2 cm and 1.5 cm, respectively. On that note, these would not be suitable for people with especially large clits, including those with bottom growth from testosterone; for them, I’d recommend the Lelo Sila instead.)
  • Not Enough Steady Speeds: Of the 10 settings you can cycle through with the Flowliper’s two arrow buttons, only the first three are steady speeds; the next seven settings are patterns (more on them below). I strongly prefer pressure-wave toys that have at least 8-10 different speeds; otherwise the jumps between speeds tend to be jarringly intense and/or the highest setting doesn’t feel powerful enough (both are true for this toy).
  • Bad Patterns: The Flowliper’s seven pressure-wave patterns are largely erratic and annoying. While using them, I often felt that I was experiencing pleasure and arousal despite the pauses in between bouts of stimulation, not because of them. They would be good for creating frustration (hopefully the fun kind) during an edging session and not much else, IMO.
  • Randomness of Dynamic Pulse Mode: Because the Dynamic Pulse mode is literally random, it can cause me to ruin my orgasms by accident, if, for example, six seconds of steady air-pulses gets me close and then the toy switches to spaced-out pulses just as I’m coming. Granted, this is my own fault for leaving the toy on Dynamic Pulse mode while so close to orgasm, but theoretically it would be ideal if orgasms felt great regardless of what mode I was in, which isn’t the case with this toy.
  • Noise Level: The Flowliper isn’t wildly loud or anything – it’s definitely within the range of what I’d consider reasonable for a pressure-wave toy – but it’s nowhere near as quiet as some of the higher-end ones I’ve tried. As with most toys in its category, the Flowliper is louder when it’s not making contact with your body, and gets a bit quieter once it’s on your clit.
  • Not Waterproof: The Flowliper is rated IPX6, which means you can use it in the shower and wash it in the sink, but shouldn’t submerge it in water. As a bathtime masturbation fan, this is always a bit of a bummer for me, but it’s understandable at this price point.

Final thoughts

It’s really awesome to see mid-range companies like Tracy’s Dog aiming for the stars by incorporating features normally found in much pricier toys, like useful LED indicators, multiple head options, and a mode that lets you lie back and let the sex toy do the work for you.

The Tracy’s Dog Flowliper is certainly one of the best pressure-wave toys under $40 that I’ve tried; its air pulses don’t feel overly aggressive and aren’t worryingly loud, it offers an interesting variety of sensations, and it feels elegant and comfortable in my hand.

The “buzziness” of this toy’s air waves, and the limitation of only having three steady speeds to play within, made it miss the mark for me – but don’t get me wrong: I’ve definitely had orgasms with this toy and enjoyed them. It’s not my fave, but it’s perfectly decent for the price point, and it makes me eager to see what Tracy’s Dog will come up with next.

 

This post was sponsored, meaning I was paid to write a fair and honest review of the product. As always, all writing and opinions are my own.

Review: Magic Wand Micro

Kate Sloan

I keep showing the brand-new Magic Wand Micro to everyone in my life, like, “Look at it!! Isn’t it so cute?!?”

And it is cute, but it’s also a pretty fucking great vibrator. Let’s discuss.

L to R: the Magic Wand Rechargeable, Magic Wand Mini, and Magic Wand Micro

How the Micro fits into the existing Magic Wand lineup

There are currently five toys in the Magic Wand lineup, and they are as follows:

  • The Magic Wand Original ($70) is the one that’s been around the longest, and the one you’ve probably seen in porn. It’s a full-size wand (12″ long by 2.25″ wide) and it plugs into the wall. It’s very powerful, but you only get 2 vibration speeds (sometimes affectionately referred to by sex toy reviewers as “fuck” and “holy fuck”) and no vibration patterns. It’s also got a porous head (all the other Magic Wands have a body-safe silicone head), so I wouldn’t recommend it, because the porosity means it’ll cling onto bacteria and get discolored over time.
  • The Magic Wand Rechargeable ($133) is, if you ask me, the best toy in the lineup, and the one likeliest to work well for most people. Like the Original, it’s full-size, but unlike the original, you don’t need to plug it into the wall, as it’s, well, rechargeable. That being said, you can use it while it’s charging, meaning that if it dies mid-session, you can just plug it in and keep using it. It has 4 speeds: the two high ones from the Original and two additional lower ones, which makes it a better pick for people who are more sensitive, more easily overstimulated, etc. It also has 4 vibration patterns.
  • The Magic Wand Plus ($80) is basically a hybrid between the Original and the Rechargeable. It’s a full-size wand with the same 4 speeds as the Rechargeable but no vibration patterns. It plugs into the wall and can’t be used wirelessly. If you’ve got a limited budget and can’t afford the Rechargeable, I’d suggest the Plus over the Original, because the silicone head and additional speeds make it well worth the extra ten bucks. That being said, I’ve found that it’s a bit louder than the Rechargeable.
  • The Magic Wand Mini ($76) is, of course, smaller (9.6″ long by 1.9″ wide) and lighter, which can be attractive qualities if you want to use your wand during penetrative sex and/or if you have difficulties with muscle strength, dexterity, etc. The Mini is rechargeable and it cannot be used while it’s charging. It has 3 speeds and no patterns. Despite its motor offering comparable RPMs (revolutions per minute) to the larger wands, the Mini feels less strong and less rumbly than its larger siblings, although it’s still plenty powerful for a wand of its size.
  • Finally, the Magic Wand Micro ($65) is indeed quite small, at 4.5″ long by 1.3″ wide, so it’ll fit between bodies during penetrative sex more easily than any other Magic Wand. It’s rechargeable and it can’t be used while charging. It has 3 speeds and 4 patterns to choose from. Its vibrations are less strong than those of the larger wands, but it still packs a punch for its size and is surprisingly rumbly. It’s not waterproof (none of the Magic Wands are). It also comes with an optional/removable wrist strap for added dexterity/grip during use.
L to R: the Magic Wand Micro, We-Vibe Tango X, Lelo Lily 3, and Lovense Exomoon

How the Micro compares to other small vibrators you might know

  • The We-Vibe Tango X ($79) doesn’t have quite as much power as the Magic Wand Micro, but it is rumblier for most of its speeds, so it can effectively feel stronger at times because it reaches deeper clitoral tissues and doesn’t cause temporary numbness as easily/quickly as buzzier vibes. The Tango X also has more speeds to choose from (8 vs. 3), is waterproof, and is quieter than any Magic Wand even on its highest speed.
  • The Lelo Lily 3 ($79) is of comparable rumbliness to the Magic Wand Micro, but is not as strong. The Lily 3 is waterproof, has more speeds, and is noticeably quieter than the wand, but it also vibrates your hand a lot more because it’s smaller/slimmer, and the buttons are harder to press in the heat of the moment.
  • The Lovense Exomoon ($79) is rumbly, quiet, and waterproof, but doesn’t get near the Magic Wand Micro in terms of vibration strength.

Things I like about the Magic Wand Micro

  • First and foremost, it really is impressively rumbly and powerful for its size. On a sensitive day, I can get off using the first speed of the Micro. For reference, I can also sometimes get off on the lowest speed of the Mini and Rechargeable, largely due to the low pitch (i.e. rumbliness) of their vibrations, which makes the vibrations feel more impactful and pleasurable than buzzy ones (for me and many others, anyway) even at low settings.
  • The aesthetic is really fucking adorable. Like, I know you’ve seen the pictures, so I won’t harp on it about it for too long, but I absolutely adore the miniaturized look of this wand. It makes me smile and giggle with glee. I think many people who are familiar with the full-size Magic Wands – whether as a user, the partner of a user, or even just a fan of porn featuring these wands – would have a similar reaction.
  • Like all the Magic Wands (setting aside the porous head of the Original), the Micro feels really well-made. The quality and construction are beautiful, the mechanics work as they should, and there’s a 1-year limited warranty incase that changes.
  • The addition of a wrist strap is interesting and (I think) wise. Smaller vibrators can indeed be harder to keep a good grip on, especially when your fingers are lubey, and looping the strap around my wrist helps a lot with that.
  • As you might expect, the Micro is decidedly the quietest of all the Magic Wands. It’s certainly not silent, but I never feel like anyone in the next room might overhear what I’m doing, which I can’t say about any other Magic Wand.
  • Like the Mini, Rechargeable, and Plus, the Micro has a silicone head with just the right amount of squish to feel comfortable during use, but not so much as to soften the vibrations significantly. It’s also got that same rounded-squarish shape that I like about the other Magic Wand heads, which means I can narrow the vibrations into a smaller, more focused shape by tilting the vibrator 45° to the right or left, thereby positioning just the corner of the head on my clit. I love this versatility, as someone who usually (but not always) prefers a more pinpointed sensation rather than a broad one.
  • Naturally, because the Micro is so small, it never gets in the way of any dildo or butt plug I might be using at the same time, even ones with quite bulky bases. Likewise, it would fit between bodies during penetrative sex much better than the larger wands (I haven’t gotten to test it this way yet because my partner and I are currently 500 miles apart, but I’m sure it’ll happen at some point).
  • The Micro charges via USB-C. I actually have mixed feelings on this because, while I was originally excited to be able to conveniently charge a vibrator with the same cable I use for my laptop and Kindle, you actually aren’t supposed to use charging cables other than the provided one (which is, annoyingly, VERY short), and I found that the Micro wouldn’t even charge when I briefly connected it to my USB-C laptop charger (probably something to do with the wattage?). But it is good to see more sex toy companies moving toward using common charging systems rather than their own proprietary ones.
  • I like that the Micro is cheaper, at $65, than a lot of its direct competitors, like the other rechargeable clitoral vibes mentioned above. I think you’re getting quite a bit of bang for your buck for that price.
  • This might be a niche point to make, since obviously most people don’t have a zillion different sex toys like I do, but sometimes I really like the Micro as a warm-up for using the Magic Wand Rechargeable. Even on its lowest speed, the Rechargeable can be a bit intense for me to start with, especially if I’m not already aroused, but it feels like a perfect continuation from the Micro if I decide mid-session that I want more power or that I want the vibrations to be spread out across a larger surface area. That being said, as I’ve mentioned, the Micro works perfectly well for me on its own, too.
L to R: the Magic Wand Rechargeable, Magic Wand Mini, and Magic Wand Micro

Some potential issues to keep in mind

  • Most importantly: while Vibratex clearly has worked very hard to make the Micro a true Magic Wand, in that it’s good-quality and quite powerful for its size, it won’t satisfy true power queens/kings/monarchs. Its highest speed is about as strong as the 2nd speed of both the Magic Wand Mini (which has 3 speeds total) and the Magic Wand Rechargeable (which has 4). It’s about as rumbly as the Mini but definitely not as rumbly as the full-size Magic Wands.
  • Notably, the Micro also gets buzzier as you turn it up. For me, it never gets so buzzy as to cause the annoying itching or irritation that some super-buzzy vibes can cause, but it can lead to some of the temporary desensitization I associate with buzzier vibes, so sometimes I have to move the Micro up and down or in circles during use to get enough stimulation to reach orgasm. 3 steady speeds also just isn’t very many, and I wish there was even one more.
  • Because the Micro is so small, its vibrations are transmitted into your hand more than they would be with larger Magic Wands. I don’t personally find this too annoying/distracting (and it’s certainly not as bad as the vibration transfer on, say, the original We-Vibe Tango) but it might annoy some people.
  • There are only two buttons on the Micro’s control panel: a power button to turn the toy on or off, and a “Mode” button that cycles through its 3 speeds and 4 patterns. This means that if you reach the top steady speed (for example) and want to go back to the first steady speed, you either have to press the Mode button an additional 5 times to get back to the beginning, or hit the power button twice to turn the toy off and then on again, which brings it back to the first speed. Again, this isn’t something that annoys me too much personally (which might be because I used to constantly use the aforementioned original We-Vibe Tango, which had the same issue), but if you like to move up and down through speed settings a lot – or if you hate vibration patterns and never want to encounter them – then you’d probably prefer one of the Magic Wands that has “+” and “–” buttons (the Mini and Plus) or a wand where the patterns are accessed through a separate patterns button (the Rechargeable).
  • The neck of the Micro is very bendy, which could be a pro or a con, depending on how you like to use vibrators. If you like to apply a lot of pressure, you’re better off with a wand that has less give, like the Rechargeable.
  • Although I haven’t gotten to try it this way yet, I have a feeling the Micro wouldn’t work as well on penises as, say, the Rechargeable does, because it just covers less real estate. But who knows. Maybe I’ll update this review when I have an opportunity to put the Micro on my partner’s dick and ask them what they think. (Also, I recently spoke to the dominatrix Lady Pim about this and she pointed out that the Micro might be the ideal toy for penis-possessing folks who like small penis humiliation, so there’s that…!)

 

Final thoughts

I’m delighted with the Magic Wand Micro. It’s tiny, portable, and adorable. It serves up rumbly vibrations worthy of the Magic Wand name (although true power hounds should still spring for a bigger wand). It makes me smile every time I look at it, and makes me come every time I use it. I have a feeling it’ll become a bedside staple of mine, just like its larger siblings have been for years.

 

You can currently preorder the Magic Wand Micro from SheVibe and it’ll ship to you once it’s available. The expected release date is October 31st, 2023 (happy Halloween, lol!). I would recommend ordering it this way, rather than on Amazon, because there are a lot of Magic Wand knockoffs on there.

 

Full disclosure: Vibratex sent me this product for free, and I am also currently working with them on a Magic Wand-related project (which will be announced at some point!), but as always, I only write stuff I actually believe. This review is as accurate and unbiased as I know how to make it, because I believe my readers deserve my honest opinions, and I know you only trust me because of my consistent honesty about products, including this one.

My New Favorite Menstrual Cup Might Be the Best One I’ve Ever Tried

Kate Sloan
All images via DivaCup

I’ve been using menstrual cups for nearly a decade and a half. With a few exceptions – like times when my period randomly arrives while I’m traveling and don’t have a cup with me, or times when my vagina is too sore for insertion so I temporarily switch back to pads or free-bleedin’ – I have never gone back.

Cups are just too good. They’re more convenient, better for your body than pads and tampons, more cost-effective, more environmentally friendly, and (once you get the hang of them) they can even be less messy.

My go-to cup for many years was a large Yuuki cup, which I liked because of its high capacity and how seldom it spilled or leaked. But back in October I received a press release from the people at DivaCup about their new Diva Disc and my interest was piqued.

Like Kleenex or Band-Aid, DivaCup is a brand so closely associated with their product category that some people use their brand name even when talking about other products by other brands. My very first menstrual cup was a DivaCup, way back in 2009 (I subsequently moved on because I found that the soft silicone they use was causing leaks/spillage for my particular body). They know what they’re doing when it comes to menstrual cups.

The Diva Disc is a bit different – it has a flat-ish design compared to a regular cup, so it sits horizontally in the vagina rather than vertically, which some people might find more comfortable and intuitive. I certainly find this disc easier to insert than many of the traditional cups I’ve used, largely because there’s no need to twist it around to create a suction seal once it’s inserted – you just fold it in half to make it small enough for insertion, shove it in there, and it unfolds on its own and usually finds the right position without issue.

It’s got a couple of features that set it apart from other menstrual discs I’ve tried. One is its “leakproof shield,” a thin piece of silicone that stretches across the top of the disc near where your vaginal opening will be, which prevents blood from sloshing out of the disc when you pull it out. This is usually a big problem with discs, because their flat design makes them act like a “blood drawer” (as one menstrual-cups blog put it), prone to spilling blood if you’re not super careful about the angle you pull the disk out at. I don’t have to be anywhere near as careful with the Diva Disc because the shield keeps blood mostly contained as I’m transporting the disc from my vag to the sink to rinse it out.

Another key feature the Diva Disc has is a silicone pull-tab, which makes removal much easier. I usually hate the little “stem” at the bottom of a traditional menstrual cup and have cut the stems off most of the cups I’ve owned, because they typically just poke me in the vaginal wall and don’t offer much practical benefit when I can always just grab the base of the cup with my fingers, twist to release the suction seal, and pull the cup out. But I’ve come to really enjoy the convenience of the pull-tab on the Diva Disc; I don’t have to reach as far inside myself to get it out, which ultimately results in less discomfort and less mess.

As for more basic considerations: the Diva Disc leaks less, and is way more comfortable, than most of the cups I’ve owned. My vagina can get sensitive to penetration during my period after a while, but the Diva Disc’s shape and soft silicone are comfy enough that they don’t bother me, even when my vag is throwing a tantrum. The capacity of this disc is great, and it’s supposedly suitable for up to 12 hours of wear (although I try to take mine out and rinse it off every 8 hours, at most, for vaginal flora health reasons). The disc is a dark grey color, which – while it doesn’t especially spark joy for me – would probably make this product feel more welcoming for nonbinary and transmasc menstruators. As is common in the cup world, this disc also comes with a little storage bag, so you can keep it lint-free when you travel with it. Ideal.

I really wasn’t expecting to fall in love with the Diva Disc when the Diva company sent it to me, but it’s quickly become the only menstrual product I want to use when period time comes around. Kudos to the makers for creating a genuinely well-thought-out product that does its job with minimal hassle required. Menstruating is never fun, but it’s made my period tolerable, which is really all I can ask for.

 

This review wasn’t sponsored, I just really like this product.

Review: YoYoLemon Vibrating Pussy Pump with Tongue Licking Motions

Kate Sloan

I really love oral sex. It’s such a basic-bitch opinion to hold that sometimes I feel vaguely guilty or embarrassed about it. Like, girl, you wrote a whole book on kink and BDSM. Surely your favorite sexual activities are more interesting than “insert genitals into mouth”?! And yet, at the same time, oral sex isn’t boring at all – there can be power dynamics involved, and intricate technique considerations, and a meditative headspace for either giver or receiver. Plus, you know, it feels really fucking good. (Why am I pitching you on the merits of oral sex?! Probably preaching to the choir, huh.)

Anyway, today I’m reviewing yet another oral sex simulator, the YoYoLemon Vibrating Pussy Pump with Tongue Licking Motions. It combines suction with up-and-down flicks of a silicone tongue, to provide an experience that theoretically mimics the oral sex technique likeliest to get me off: sucking and licking the clit simultaneously. Is it any good? Let’s talk about it.

 

Things I like about this toy

  • The suction is much stronger than I was expecting, and certainly stronger than you’ll find in a lot of toys in this category. It’s much more akin to an actual fucking clit pump than a paltry oral sex simulator, in that I can feel – and see – it drawing more blood into my vulva with each suck, and it stirs up arousal very quickly as a result. Sometimes the suction can get a bit too intense for my tastes (more on that below) but the first suction setting out of three turned out to be the sweet spot for me, and I never used either of the other ones except to briefly test them out for this review.
  • The wide mouth of this toy (2.2″ across) sets it apart from a lot of other clitoral suction toys because (depending on the size and shape of your clit and labia) it will likely suck on not just your clit but some of the flesh surrounding it, which creates a very different sensation. I really liked how it essentially caused my outer labia to be stroked up and down on either side of my clitoral shaft with every rhythmic suck, which gave me a deeper, more full-bodied clitoral sensation than toys that focus more on the clit alone or even just the very tip of the clit. I also think the size of this toy’s mouth might make it suitable for transmasculine people with bottom growth, and since it’s a gorgeous shade of kelly green (rather than pink or purple), it might suit them from a visual gender affirmation standpoint as well.
  • The suction motion is so wide and strong that it ends up physically moving my clit around inside the “mouth,” so that the tongue inside lands on different spots on my clit at different points in the suction cycle. This creates a sensation that’s much more varied and dynamic than a toy is usually able to provide, which makes the stimulation feel a tad more human/realistic.
  • You can control the suction and licking separately from one another; they each have their own button to flip through their modes (3 suction intensities and 9 different licking modes, the first 3 of which are steady speeds), and you can also use only one of them at a time if you feel like it.
  • If you turn off the suction function at just the right moment, you can get it to maintain the exact amount of suction you want, while you continue using the tongue’s various settings. Personally I prefer rhythmic sucking but I think this is a cool feature for people who want more sustained suction.
  • The suction seems to automatically release when the toy is turned off, which is good from a safety standpoint. I also found that (when properly lubed) the toy would easily release from my vulva even when the suction was on, if I just angled it up or down a bit.
  • To some extent you can control the degree of the suction by angling it various different ways. I didn’t always want the full amount of suction the toy was producing, so I could tilt it slightly to prevent it from reaching its full potential in that regard for a subtler sensation, at least until I got turned on enough to handle the more intense suction.
  • This toy is IPX6 water-resistant, which means you can wash it in the sink or shower without fear of ruining it, but shouldn’t submerge it in water.

 

Things I don’t like about this toy

  • For me, the main problem with this toy is that the tongue is not stimulating enough. The suction is awesome, and gets me very turned on, but I need that little somethin’ extra from the tongue to get me over the edge, and it just doesn’t press hard enough (or maintain its rhythm well enough when pressure is applied) to make this a fully enjoyable experience for me. It also vibrates buzzily, which definitely contributes to the sense of nearly-numbing “not quite enough”-ness. I was able to reach orgasm with this toy but it was never quite as satisfying as I was expecting/hoping for. I think this could be fixed by removing the buzzy vibrations from the tongue, making them rumblier, and/or improving the tongue’s motor so its strokes feel more impactful.
  • The 3 suction settings differ only in intensity of suction and not in speed. This was a bit of a disappointment; at a certain point I wanted to be sucked faster, but still couldn’t handle more suction than was being doled out on the first setting.
  • This toy’s pretty big and bulky for its product category. It would be trickier to integrate into penetrative sex than some other clit suckers/lickers I’ve tried, and also didn’t always feel comfortable to hold after a while. I tried using it hands-free by holding it between my thighs but it didn’t tend to sustain a good enough suction seal on my vulva when I did this.
  • There are a couple of tiny holes at the far end of the toy which have something to do with the suction function, and I found that when I accidentally covered them up with a fingertip, the suction would become erratically more intense, sometimes uncomfortably so. These holes are in a place where they’re really easy to cover accidentally, inconveniently enough.
  • I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: all suction toys should have a manual-release button. If your toy dies or malfunctions mid-suck, you need to be able to release the suction without relying on the toy’s mechanics to do so for you.
  • It’s on the louder side of the spectrum. A lotta mechanical whirring.
  • It has a pretty short battery life – you’ll get 30-60 minutes of use from a 90-minute charge, depending on which settings you’re using.
  • As with most toys of this type, you gotta use a lot of (water-based) lube to keep it feeling good and mouth-like.

 

Final thoughts

At $55 USD, I think the YoYoLemon Vibrating Pussy Pump with Tongue Licking Motions is fairly priced for what it is: a powerful clit pump with added tongue-like stimulation.

For me personally, this is the type of toy I’d reach for if I wanted to get physically aroused fast, since its suction is very effective – but I’d switch to something else when I wanted to actually get off, because I just don’t find its tongue stimulating enough, what with its high-pitched vibrations and insufficiently strong strokes.

If you love having your clit sucked – or think you would – then I think this toy would be a good buy. To me it certainly feels more like a human sucking me than many other such toys have, and while the tongue wasn’t totally my clit’s cup of tea, it might very well be yours.

 

This post was sponsored, meaning I was paid to write a fair and honest review of this product. As always, all writing and opinions are my own.