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Review: Lovense Spinel app-controlled thrusting sex machine

Kate Sloan

What is the Lovense Spinel sex machine?

Regular readers of this blog already know that I adore sex toys made by Lovense, the leading company in the long-distance sex toys game. I was in an LDR with my wife for over 7 years before we were finally able to move in together, and I’m also newly dating someone who lives 2,500 miles from me, so trust me when I say: I have put these toys through their paces, and they hold up.

The Spinel is the latest release from this innovative company. It’s described as an “app-controlled multi-attachment thrusting vibrating & heating sex machine.” As you may know, a “sex machine” is traditionally a big, bulky behemoth that can piston a dildo in and out of you at top speeds. With the Spinel, however, Lovense is trying to bring you sex-machine-level power, at a way lower price point and smaller size than most of the classic sex machines.

The Spinel consists of many different parts, which can be paired and swapped out in various ways:

  • A base unit, which powers the thrusting and has buttons on it that can be used to control the toy in lieu of using the Lovense app
  • A “G-curve” attachment, which is shaped to target the G-spot with its deep curve and its broad, flat head
  • Another attachment which is straighter, longer, has some lightly rippled texture along its shaft, and can additionally heat up and vibrate (which the G-curve attachment cannot)
  • A “clitoral base” attachment which can be optionally paired with either of the other two attachments, to rub against your clit with each thrust
  • A detachable, angle-adjustable suction cup stand, which enables you to affix the toy to a flat, hard surface (like a shower wall or tile floor) for hands-free use
  • A detachable, angle-adjustable handle for handheld usage
L to R: handle, clitoral base attachment, G-curve attachment, non-curved attachment, and base unit

Things I like about the Lovense Spinel

  • Strong, fast thrusting: If you like to get well-and-truly railed, you’ll probably enjoy this toy. Its thrusting is much stronger and more decisive than something like a Fun Factory Stronic (RIP). Whether I’m targeting my G-spot with the “G-curve” attachment, or massaging my whole upper vaginal wall and A-spot with the straight-but-gently-rippled attachment, the thrusting feels really good. Pairing it with a good clit vibe leads to some intense orgasms, and this toy can even make me squirt. Yay!
  • Modular parts: I love how much customizability you get with the Spinel. You can use either of its two penetrative attachments, swapping them out as desired, and can also pair either/both of them with the included “clitoral base attachment” to add some clit stim into the mix (although it didn’t work so well for me – more on that later). The removable attachments also make this toy easy to wash – you can clean the attachments with soap and water, without having to get the base unit wet (it’s only splashproof, not fully waterproof, and only when the charging port cap is on).
  • Multiple functions: The intense thrusting served up by the Spinel would be enough on its own for many users, but it also has a heating function and a vibration function, albeit only when you’re using the non-curved attachment (the curved one only thrusts, for some reason). The vibration is nice: rumbly, good range of intensities, and doesn’t distract too much from the main event, the thrusting.
  • App controllability: As with all the other Lovense toys I’ve tried, this one connects quickly and easily via Bluetooth to Lovense’s app, which enables you to control the toy yourself or hand over control to a long-distance partner, among numerous other functionalities. In the Spinel’s case, you can control the vibration strength and thrusting speed independently from one another – although, if you’re using the “G-curve” attachment, you can only control thrusting, since that one doesn’t vibrate.
  • Noise level: It’s surprisingly and unprecedentedly quiet for a fucking machine. Usually they whir and creak intolerably, but this one just sounds like the gentle thwack-thwack-thwack of far-away helicopter rotors, even when you turn up the thrusting to high speeds.
  • Multiple ways to hold (or not hold) it: The Spinel’s removable suction-cup base works great, and it’s easy to adjust the angle the way you want it. It also comes with a different, handle-shaped base for those who prefer using toys in a handheld way. When using the non-curved attachment, I tended to just hold the base unit in my hand without a handle or base, and that worked well too. These different options for holding the toy (or using it hands-free) make it a lot more versatile, not to mention much more accessible for people who struggle with chronic pain/muscle weakness/etc. like me.
  • Portability: The Spinel is way smaller than your standard-issue sex machine, and could therefore be carted around to sex dates, vacations, etc. I wish that it came with a nicer bag or box to carry around all its various components in, but the box it came in works fine for this purpose. The Spinel is a good option for anyone who wants a fucking machine but doesn’t have much living space to spare.
  • Price: As far as fucking machines and thrusters go, the Spinel is (I think) fairly priced, at $199. It delivers a lot of thrusting power, and includes a versatile set of attachments and accessories, which makes it a particularly good deal compared to other high-powered thrusting toys like the Hismith Premium 3.0 ($420), the VVD Sex Saddle ($350), and the Velvet Thruster ($255).
  • Turbo mode: The Spinel’s “turbo mode” instantly speeds up the thrusting to 150% of its current speed, regardless of what setting you’re on. Normally I don’t like this type of feature because it’s usually implemented in a way that makes it too easy to trigger accidentally, but in the Spinel’s case, you can only activate this mode by either holding down the thruster button on the base unit for 3 seconds, or tapping-and-holding for 3 seconds on a specific part of the app interface. This pretty much ensures that the toy only goes “turbo mode” when you actually want it to – such as during the lead-up to orgasm, when it could be most useful.
  • Aesthetic: The Spinel’s base unit features a pale pink-and-blue gradient which I really dig (trans pride flag colors, anyone?). When it’s set up on its suction-cup base, it almost looks like a fancy podcast mic…
  • USB-C charging: Most Lovense toys use a proprietary charger instead, so it’s nice for once that I could charge this toy with the same charger I use for my laptop if need be.
Featuring clitoral base attachment + G-curve attachment on suction cup base

Things I don’t like about the Lovense Spinel

  • Clitoral base attachment: While it’s an awesome idea to include a clit-stimulating attachment with a toy like this (since, as I’ve written here countless times before, the majority of people with vulvas require clit stimulation to reach orgasm), in practice there is very little distance between the penetrative part of the toy and its clitoral stimulator, so the clit part ends up bumping my urethra/the underside of my clitoral shaft instead. It pummels that area pretty intensely, because of the strength of the toy’s thrusting, which isn’t my jam but might be somebody else’s.
  • Too fast: This is very much a matter of personal taste, but the Spinel’s lowest thrusting speed is faster than most humans could sustain. Could be great for you if you enjoy really fast thrusting (and I know lots of people do!), but I am a person who often says “Slower, please!” while partners are fingerbanging me (for instance), so I always wish there were some slow-but-hard thrusting settings on these things. I also find that the Spinel’s thrusts feel less impactful the more you increase the thrusting speed – as with many other thrusters, it just starts to feel like vibration after a while.
  • Sometimes stalls out: If I try to push the toy too deep inside me, or hold onto its handle too firmly, sometimes the mechanics stall out, interrupting the rhythm of the thrusting. The toy will then work extra hard to catch up, so the next few thrusts afterward are jarringly firm.
  • Slightly finicky setup: I’d recommend keeping the instructions handy the first few times you switch out attachments, etc., as it’s a little tricky to figure out initially, although pretty easy and fast thereafter.
  • Issues with the handle base: Try as I might, I wasn’t physically able to push down the button which presumably allows you to change the toy’s angle while using the handheld handle – but, as I mentioned, I have a disability which affects muscle strength, so maybe the average person would be able to do it. Sucked to not be able to use what would otherwise be a rad accessibility feature, though! Additionally, when you try to use the handle at the same time as the non-curved dildo attachment, the handle faces away from the person being penetrated – so it’s really more useful for partnered play than for solo play.
  • Probably not anal-safe: Listen, you could try it… but I wouldn’t recommend it. There’s always a chance, albeit a tiny one, that the attachment could untwist, pop off, and get stuck in you. Stick to vaginal use for this one.
  • Long charging time: You have to charge the Spinel for 2 hours and 40 minutes to get it fully juiced up, which is longer than most other Lovense toys take to charge (makes sense, given the power of the Spinel’s thrusts!). That charge will last you a maximum of 4 hours and 17 minutes.
  • Charging port cap: Much like my otherwise-beloved Magic Wand Waterproof, the Spinel has a silicone cap which covers its charging port, but which is not attached to the body of the toy in any way. This makes it super easy to lose the cap (in fact, I’m pretty sure I’ve already lost mine), which renders the base unit non-waterproof, so you’ll need to take extra care to avoid getting water in the charging port when cleaning. On the plus side, Lovense does include one spare charging port cap in the box incase you lose yours too.
  • Can only use included attachments: Since there are some fucking machines (like the Hismith mentioned above) that let you use dildo attachments from any brand that makes compatible ones, it feels worth mentioning that the Spinel can only be used with the two attachments Lovense makes for it, at least currently. These attachments top out at a 1.53″ diameter and 5.29″ insertable length, so users who prefer larger penetration are outta luck.

Final thoughts

I’ve been particularly adoring Lovense toys recently, as they enable me to connect with long-distance sweethearts almost as intimately as if we were in the same room together. My favorite lately has been the Lush Mini, which satisfies my G-spot just fine, most of the time… but there are other times when that spot craves to get truly and utterly fucked, in which case a powerful sex machine like the Spinel can give me what I want.

For myself personally, I found it a bit too fast, and wished it had some slower settings… but the Spinel has so many features to recommend it, like its versatile modularity, amazingly low noise level, small form factor, and accessibility for folks who struggle to thrust a dildo themselves. It’s also way more reasonably priced than a lot of sex machines on the market.

I’ll be interested to see if Lovense introduces any more attachments for the Spinel in the future. I could see it becoming a fan favorite, but based on what I know about the fucking-machine enthusiast community, I would imagine some users would prefer larger penetration than the Spinel can provide as-is. Just an idea, Lovense! 😜

Overall, though… The Spinel is a truly impressive toy, and it’ll be the first thing I reach for the next time I want to get railed at a distance.

 

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: Honey Play Box Vibrosa

Kate Sloan

What is the Honey Play Box Vibrosa?

Having been in long-distance dynamics for years at a time, I am no stranger to sex toys that are remotely controllable via Bluetooth. This is one of those – and while it looks, at first blush, like a pair of Kegel balls, it’s actually a vibrator designed to stimulate the G-spot and/or A-spot.

Each of the toy’s two “balls” has its own motor in it, and you can control those motors either separately or simultaneously using the Honey Play Box app. It’s made of silicone, and measures 4.64″ long by 1.45″ wide.

Things I like about the Honey Play Box Vibrosa

  • The HoneyPlayBox app is well-designed and has a bunch of cool features. You can use the 10 preset patterns (of which more in a second), or freely control each of the toy’s two motors separately; the interface is similar to that of Lovense toys. Connecting the toy to the app was quick and easy, too, and I didn’t experience any disconnection issues while testing.
  • While I normally dislike vibration patterns, the Vibrosa’s preset patterns are great, mostly because they’re all unrelenting rhythms with very little space between buzzes. To me, each of these patterns felt markedly more like being fingered than steady vibration would. You can also select songs from your music library to sync the vibrations to, if you prefer, which I found was another reliable way to strike the right balance between exciting variance and consistent rhythm.
  • The vibration quality is lovely: rumbly, deep, non-numbing. Each of the toy’s two motors seems to be tuned to a slightly different timbre, so you get some variety of sensation between the two. Somehow this makes it feel even more like someone is actually fingering my G-spot, which is cool.
  • The vibrations transmit somewhat into the toy’s “tail,” which sits on the outside of the body, so you get a bit of clitoral stimulation while using the Vibrosa – not enough that I could get off with it (as a member of the majority of vulva-owners who need clit stim to come), but enough that it noticeably adds to my pleasure.
  • The Vibrosa’s shape feels comfortable to me, and hits my G-spot well once I get it into the right position. Some of the vibrations transmit to my A-spot, too, if I insert the toy deeply enough – which feels really good and also offers more sensation options to whoever is controlling the vibe for me. Its grippy silicone ensures it doesn’t move around all that much, either, even when I get really wet.
  • It’s relatively quiet in use, as wearable Bluetooth-controllable vibes always should be, IMO, since you might want to use them discreetly in public places sometimes!
  • The toy can run for as long as 5 hours and 50 minutes on a one-hour charge – good news for those of us who hate when a vibrator dies mid-scene and want it to happen as seldom as possible!
  • It’s IPX7 waterproof, meaning you can safely submerge it in water while cleaning it or using it in the shower/bath, etc.

Things I don’t like about the Honey Play Box Vibrosa

  • Unfortunately a couple of the toy’s more interesting features just straight-up didn’t work for me. The “pressure sensitivity mode,” wherein squeezing your vag muscles around the toy is supposed to increase its vibrations, didn’t work at all, and the built-in A.I. chatbot kept erroring whenever I tried to speak to it.
  • The toy itself has only one button, which you can use to cycle through its 10 present patterns, none of which is just steady vibration. To control it any more granularly than that, you’ll need to connect it to the HoneyPlayBox app on your phone. I find this mildly annoying as someone who sometimes can’t be bothered to mess with apps when my hands are all lubey and I just want to concentrate on fantasies or porn, etc.
  • Minor gripe, but when using the preset vibration patterns via the HPB app, there is no visual feedback for the top (the person controlling the toy) as far as what the current pattern actually is/feels like. I would imagine most tops would want more precise control and would therefore stick to the ‘free control’ function.
The ‘free control’ interface in the Honey Play Box app, which enables you to control the toy’s 2 motors separately

Final thoughts

Lately I’ve had a few excellent long-distance vibrator sessions with a new sweetheart who lives on the west coast, and it’s been reminding me just how awesome these toys are. They allow you to connect sexually with someone who’s potentially thousands of miles away, and to feel almost like you’re actually being touched by that person. There are a lot of complaints I could make about being alive in 2025, but lack of good sex toy technologies is certainly not one of them!

The Honey Play Box Vibrosa offers the benefit of having two separately-controllable motors, unlike similar Bluetooth-compatible G-spot vibes such as the Lovense Lush. This allows its usage to feel more like I’m actually being fingered by a partner, since, in practice, most humans won’t finger you in the exact same spot for many minutes at a time; typically they’ll mix things up, trying out different depths and angles, and this toy allows for more variety in that way.

I wish that its pressure-sensor function had actually worked for me, but aside from that, I think this is a pleasantly rumbly vibrator that would work well for long-distance play and/or surreptitious public play, because of its comfy wearability and quietness. Shout-out to Honey Play Box for making such a solid toy!

 

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.

One of the Hottest Things a Dom Can Ever Say to Me…

Kate Sloan

There are plenty of things doms have said to me over the years that reliably send a shiver up my spine. “That’s an order.” “Did I say you could move?” “Good girl.”

But one that I’m thinking about a lot these days (because a wildly hot person has said it to me a few times lately) is: “Duly noted.” Let me explain…

With all the discourse these days about whether A.I. chatbots and porn video games are suitable replacements for human companionship (IMO: no, but you do you!), I find myself frequently pondering: What makes humans uniquely sexy, much sexier than any cheap simulacrum rendered in ones and zeroes?

The answer I come back to again and again is desire. A robot cannot want me. It can perhaps convincingly pretend to want me, but whenever I recall that its desire is constructed, my proverbial boner deflates in an instant. Mutual desire is the bedrock of any sexual encounter I’d want to be a part of, and the whole shebang feels hollow and flimsy without that foundation.

For similar reasons, it’s incredibly hot when a dom says “Duly noted” (or variations thereof) in response to me dropping some info they might want to implement later – like that I enjoy having my hair pulled, or that I sometimes burst into cathartic tears while being praised during a spanking. It demonstrates their desire for me, their desire to make me feel intense feelings in optimal ways – and it also demonstrates their desire to know me better, to understand what makes me tick sexually. I can’t think of many things I find hotter than that.

A robot, by contrast, may well remember things you’ve told it, but its own desires aren’t a factor in deciding what to “duly note” about you. And so I don’t really give a shit what a robot chooses to remember about me. If fucking me is like an adult video game, I don’t want to be ‘played’ by a robot that’s calculating its route based on probabilities; I want to be a fun challenge for a smart, focused human who brings their own turn-ons, talents, and ambitions to the table. (There’s a reason I adore the ingenuity of human speedrunners on Twitch but refuse to watch tool-assisted speedruns, which I find boring by comparison!)

The moment when someone actually employs information they previously “duly noted” – says the exact right thing at the exact right moment, touches the exact right spot in the exact right way – is one of the hottest moments that can ever happen during sex/kink, if you ask me. It communicates, all at once: 1) I pay attention to you and remember things you say, 2) I am astute, clever, and resourceful, and 3) it turns me on to make you feel good. I mean, what could be sexier than that?!

Now, doms, I know I’ve given you a powerful tool here, but don’t go around dropping this line left and right like it’s some kind of secret password… It works best when used judiciously – because, unlike a robot, your brain doesn’t just store information indiscriminately. Your brain picks and chooses what’s worth “duly noting,” and when to put that knowledge into action. And that sharp discernment is what makes you irresistible to subs like me, who want to see you ‘win the game’ fair and square: no cheat codes, no algorithms, just your gorgeously imperfect human body and brain, doing what it does best.

 

Fellow subs, do you also have a weakness for this particular line? Any standout memories related to it? Feel free to sound off in the comments!

 

This post contains sponsored links. As always, all writing and opinions are my own.

Bottoming is a Skill! (+ some tips on how to build it)

Kate Sloan
Photos by mb, of me finding out that Nick Jonas was performing in the Miscast video we were watching, lol

I am a good reactor. That is to say, I am good at reacting to things. I used to think this wasn’t even a skill – but through sex, kink, and comedy, I’ve learned that it absolutely is.

Over the course of a typical week, I’ll attend at least one improv show, and have kinky phone sex with a partner at least once. While these two activities occur in different places, contexts, and headspaces, in many ways I bring the same skills to the table for both: I dial up my natural reactions slightly, making more noise than I would if I was alone, because my responses serve a social function. They communicate what I’m enjoying, which helps the partner or performer hone their approach over time; they encourage any others present to react more openly too – and perhaps most crucially of all, they provide positive feedback which can make someone feel good, motivated, and appreciated.

Audience members at comedy shows might think they matter less than the performers they came to see, but without attentive audiences, performers simply couldn’t do what they do, or at least wouldn’t enjoy it nearly as much. And by the same principle, when you’re bottoming (i.e. receiving sensation) in a kink scene, you might feel like you’re “not really doing anything” and like your top is “doing all the work” – when, in fact, it’s your receptiveness and reactivity that’s making their “work” feel like play! They might even feel lucky to get to top someone like you.

Suffice it to say: Bottoms aren’t just punching bags and cock sleeves – we’re a living, breathing, positive feedback loop, with skills worth boasting about. How do you build those skills, though? I could talk about this for hours, but here are 3 quick tips from my years of bottoming:

Amplify your reactions

A lot of people learn to be ultra-quiet when receiving pleasure (or pain, for that matter) while growing up, so for some of us, it may not come naturally to make noise at first. However, you can practice this skill, like anything else.

Moaning (or gasping, whimpering, etc.) is not automatically inauthentic just because you consciously choose to do it. You’re merely turning up the volume on your natural reactions to make them more legible to your top, which they will find both hot and useful. It gets easier the more that you do it, I swear. (And if you hate making noise in a silent room, put some music/white noise/rain sounds on, for fuck’s sake!)

Unlearn your people-pleaser tendencies

If you, like me, struggle with a compulsion to always say ‘yes’ and do what people expect of you, you might just be a people-pleaser. It’s an understandable maladaptation, but when it comes to bottoming, it can corrode the connection between you and your top. In order to play safely, they need to trust that you will safeword or say ‘no’ if you want/need to – which means you have to be able to say ‘no,’ even to someone you really like, and even when you’re incoherent from subspace.

I needed a few years of trauma therapy to address this issue, but even just saying ‘no’ to your partner about innocuous things (e.g. “Do you want Mexican food tonight?” “No, I had Mexican food last night…”) can be good practice. Work that muscle until it’s strong!

Ask yourself why

When something feels good during sex/kink, either physically or psychologically, ask yourself why that is. In other words, ask yourself what you liked about it, and file your answers away. Do the same for anything you decidedly don’t like – what made it unpleasant for you? You can share this info with tops as needed.

One of the things tops have consistently complimented me on is that I know what I like/want/need – but it took a lot of work for me to get to that point! Self-knowledge is often hard-won, and expressing that self-knowledge to someone else can feel super vulnerable – but that’s part of what makes kink such a beautiful practice: it invites us to know ourselves and our partners better, to see different sides of ourselves, to uncover the deep ‘whys’ of our own pleasures and joys.

Fellow bottoms, what other skills do you think are important for us to hone?

 

This post contains a sponsored link. As always, all writing and opinions are my own.

10 Creative Ways to Write a Sex Toy Review

Kate Sloan

I’ve been writing sex toy reviews for 13 and a half years (!!), and in that time, I have experimented a lot with form and genre. These days, you’ll mostly see me writing within a specific template, because it’s easiest to write, easiest to skim through, and does well on Google… but if I had my druthers (and my link juice), I would much rather write reviews that are a bit more creative! And I’m sure I will again, someday, when the right toys come along.

To hopefully help inspire other writers, here’s a list of 10 alternate formats that make for great sex toy reviews…

1. Erotica story

It’s a classic for a reason! Lots of people are turned on by sex toy reviews, and you can always lean into that, if you feel comfortable doing so. For instance, I’ll occasionally start a review with a flowery retelling of my first session with a toy, or of the first time I used it with a partner, etc. Some would say this’ll make readers more likely to click your affiliate links, too, since a horny shopper is an eager shopper…

2. Diary entry

As a lifelong diarist, I adore this method. One of my favorite examples is Girl on the Net’s review of the We-Vibe Nova, in which the vibrator becomes a jumping-off point from which to talk about her recent gut-wrenching breakup. Sex toys aren’t just mechanical objects – they can also trigger old memories and stir up emotions, from elation to loneliness to resentment to rage. There’s no use in keeping your toy review’s tone placid and peaceful if that wasn’t your experience of the toy!

3. Cultural commentary

Another fave of mine… Trends in the sex toy industry are often predicated on larger sociocultural trends, which are interesting to point out and commentate on. For example: Why are realistic dildos seen as more threatening than non-representational ones? What does the sometimes-racist marketing of strokers say about the past and present of racial politics? And what do clitoral suction toys say about gender?

4. Comedy of errors

Typically I don’t plan to write this type of review, but sometimes a testing session goes so thoroughly awry that I have to… like when a glass egg got stuck in my vagina, or when I tried to stick a shoe in my ass. Hey, nobody said a sex toy review couldn’t have plot, jokes, or the looming threat of danger!

5. Love letter

Some sex toys really are that good. You can write a Shakespearian soliloquy to your favorite one, or an erotic missive, or a heart-rendingly romantic screed – whatever comes pouring out of you, so to speak.

6. How-to

This works best for especially complex or unusual sex toys, the likes of which a reader may not have encountered before. How do you set up a Sybian? How can you work vibrating nipple clamps into a variety of kink scenes? What are the best practices for wielding a rubber flogger?

7. Lab report

I could see this format working well for a toy that makes a particular, falsifiable claim, such as “It’ll always bring you to orgasm in 60 seconds or less.” Test the hypothesis, quantify your results, and publish your findings! (See Danielle Bezalel’s Magic Wand experiment for a fantastic example.)

8. Fashion piece

I’ve done it before and I’m sure I’ll do it again. Some sex toys are just so cute-looking that they deserve to be coordinated with your outfit(s). This format works especially well for wearable items, like bondage harnesses.

9. Fiction vignettes

I used to sometimes write pieces about what toys I thought would be found in the nightstand drawers of specific fictional characters I adored, like Chuck Bass from Gossip Girl or Rosa Diaz from Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Similarly, you could write about various different fictional people trying out the toy and what their experience of it might be. This is a fun way to show different facets of a toy’s capabilities.

10. Interview

No, I’m not suggesting you interview a sex toy… although you can certainly try! What I actually mean by this one is: you could use a toy with a partner (or multiple partners) and then interview them about the experience. Sometimes, people who aren’t in the sex toy industry at all will have surprisingly great insights about products’ shortcomings and upsides – and could there ever be a better testimonial than “I begrudgingly agreed to test this out for my partner and then it made me come harder than I could ever have predicted”?!

What are your favorite alternate formats for sex toy reviews, dear readers?

 

This post contains a sponsored link. As always, all writing and opinions are my own.