thrusting

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: BeYourLover Fatima multi-functional detachable toy

Kate Sloan
Please forgive me for all the dust/lint in these photos, I didn’t feel like spending a springtime afternoon hunched over Photoshop 😂

I’ve never seen a toy like the BeYourLover Fatima before. And I’ve been in this business for 13 years (as of last week, in fact!), so that’s really saying something.

In fact, this toy breaks the mold so completely that I need to change up my usual review format, too. This is a multi-functional, detachable toy – it’s practically the Swiss army knife of sex toys! – so I’m going to write about each component of the toy individually, and then about how they all come together in a synergistic symphony. Let’s dive in…

 

One toy, two parts

Picture, if you will, a standard rabbit vibrator – except that the clitoral arm can be detached from the internal arm, so that each component can be used separately if you so desire. That’s the BeYourLover Fatima.

In this case, the clitoral portion of the toy uses pressure-wave technology (à la Womanizer/Satisfyer/Rose toys) rather than vibration. The internal/vaginal part of the toy (which is not anal-safe, FYI) vibrates and also thrusts. (That’s just an overview; more details to come in the sections below.)

Pros of the toy being made up of two detachable parts:

  • When you’re in the mood to, you can use either part of the toy on its own without needing to involve the other one. This is great if, for instance, you like to warm up with some clit stimulation before jumping straight to penetration.
  • That being said, although you can use the toy’s components separately, they are wirelessly connected to one another via Bluetooth, so the clitoral arm can essentially act as a remote control for the internal arm, which makes the toy overall easier to use.
  • Unlike most other dual-stimulation vibrators, this one will fit just about every vulva, regardless of the distance between clit and vaginal opening, because you can always detach the halves from each other.

Cons:

  • The way that the toy’s two parts can be ‘attached’ isn’t particularly secure; I don’t think there’s a magnet or anything else holding it in place, you just kinda jam the clitoral arm into its appointed hole as far as it’ll go and then hope it’ll stay. As you’d expect, it therefore dislodges a fair bit during use, especially when using the toy’s thrusting function – so I mostly ended up holding the clitoral portion in one hand, detached totally from the vaginal arm, which stayed inside me.
  • Naturally, when you’re holding the clitoral arm of the toy in one hand, you lose the ability to use the toy (as a whole) hands-free or one-handed, which sorta defeats the purpose of using a dual-stim toy in the first place.
  • Somewhat egregiously, you have to recharge each part of the toy on its own, as if they were two separate toys. I wish both could be charged at the same time while attached to one another instead.
  • When you turn off one component of the toy, the other component turns off too. You can turn it right back on again if you want to use it on its own, but it’s annoying that this happens at all.

Clit-warming technology

Quick-press the button featuring a thermometer icon on the toy’s clitoral arm and you’ll activate its self-heating function. Supposedly this heats up both the clitoral part and the internal part of the BeYourLover Fatima, although that wasn’t my experience.

Pros:

  • The clitoral heating function works quickly and pretty damn well. It never got too hot for my comfort (supposedly it reaches about 42° Celsius), but felt warm enough to pair well with oral sex fantasies. It was a relaxing sensation, too, like my clit was at a spa!
  • The heating button flashes to let you know when the function is activated, and you can turn it off whenever you reach your desired heat level.

Cons:

  • I wasn’t able to get the vaginal arm to heat up, although it’s supposed to. Only the clitoral heating function worked for me.
  • There doesn’t seem to be an auto-shutoff for the heating function, so theoretically it could overheat if you leave it on for too long, although I didn’t experience that in my testing.

 

Thrusting is a must

The internal arm of the BeYourLover Fatima has a self-thrusting function. It’s only the tip of the toy (2 inches or so) that actually thrusts. There are 2 steady thrusting functions, followed by 5 patterns which are more irregular.

Pros:

  • This thrusting function is unusually quiet. Don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely still audible, but it’s not gratingly loud and mechanical-sounding like many other thrusters.
  • The thrusting feels good and adds to my pleasure, albeit not quite as intensely as I was hoping, for reasons I’ll describe below.

Cons:

  • Two steady speeds is really not enough, especially since the first one is already quite fast. My kingdom for even just one slower speed, so I don’t feel like I’m starting a session with jackhammer-esque speedy pounding. (I’d get back on Tinder if that’s what I wanted!) After the two speeds is a handful of patterns, most of which have too much space between thrusts to be useful as anything more than a frustrating tease.
  • If you try to control the thrusting via the button on the vaginal arm (rather than via the button on the clitoral arm), you have to double-click it every time you want to turn the thrusting function on or change to a different thrusting mode. I kept accidentally either single-clicking it (which engaged vibration instead) or long-pressing it (which turns the entire toy off).
  • I thought this toy was gonna hit my A-spot, but I think its shape and length aren’t quite right for that; it always feels like it’s almost hitting the spot but not quite. Your mileage may vary, since your vag may vary!
  • As with many self-thrusting toys, this one tends to slip out of your vag gradually over time, so you gotta either hold it in place by hand or anchor it there with a pillow or similar between your legs.

…Oh yeah, and it vibrates

The internal arm, that is. I don’t really care about vaginal vibration that much – my internal erogenous zones prefer motion and pressure over vibration – but some people dig it.

Pros:

  • There are 3 steady speeds, which is better than 2. That’s probably the most generous thing I could say here. (There’s also 5 vibration patterns, and as established, I don’t tend to like patterns much.)

Cons:

  • My biggest problem with the BeYourLover Fatima as a whole: If you want to use the thrusting function and the clit-stimulating function at the same time, then you will be forced to also use the vibrating function. There is no way to turn it off, so far as I can tell, without also turning off one or both of the other functions. This is battery-inefficient for those of us who’d rather just feel the thrusting + clit stim, and is particularly frustrating because of my next point:
  • These buzzyish vibrations drown out the subtleties of most other sensations, including the Fatima’s thrusting and especially its delicate pressure-wave clit stim. When I turn up the intensity of the clit portion in hopes of being able to feel it, it turns up the internal vibration too, drowning out the clit stim even more. This is ultimately why the Fatima can’t get me off.
  • The button that controls the toy’s vaginal arm is placed on the very tip of its handle, so I frequently bump it by accident when trying to push the toy deeper, resulting in an unexpected setting change, or sometimes in the toy shutting off altogether. Needless to say, this is irritating and distracting.

 

This thing sucks… your clit

As mentioned, the detachable clitoral arm of the BeYourLover Fatima uses pressure-wave technology, stimulating your clit with rhythmic air-waves. It has 7 modes.

Pros:

  • These pressure waves feel really good! They have a low-pitched ‘rumbliness’ to them that I find much more satisfying than many other air-pulse toys at this price point, which stimulates my clitoral network in super enjoyable ways.
  • The ‘mouth’ of the toy is well-shaped and well-sized, for my clit at least, with a diameter of about 1″. It creates a soft, comfortable seal around my clit when properly lubed, and stimulates more of the clitoral shaft rather than just the tip.
  • All 7 of this clit stimulator’s settings are steady speeds – no patterns to be found here. Hurrah! The gradation from speed to speed is gentle, not jarring.
  • The buttons on the clit stimulator also control the toy’s vaginal arm, if it’s turned on. This is a much easier and more convenient way of cycling through thrusting speeds or vibration speeds without having to move your hand. The buttons are also easy to locate by feel.
  • I like the ergonomic S-shape of this clit stimulator; it’s easy to hold onto and move around as needed. It’s sort of like a sperm-shaped little Satisfyer Penguin.

Cons:

  • Whenever I tried to use the Fatima with its two parts attached to each other, it didn’t maintain suction on my clit very well, because the thrusting action often caused the seal to dislodge. This is a pretty crucial flaw in the toy’s execution. As stated, I tended to use the two components detached from one another instead, for this reason among others.

More than the sum of its parts?

Man, I love when sex toy companies take a big swing, innovation-wise. I’ve never seen another sex toy company attempt anything quite like what BeYourLover has done with the Fatima. But did their gamble pay off?

Overall pros:

  • It is genuinely cool to have a toy that does so many things, and even does some of them well! With all the different configurations in which you could use this toy, it’s like having a few different toys in your arsenal for the price of one. That price, by the way, is currently $69.99, which I think is fair for what you get: a self-heating pressure-wave clit stimulator that acts as a remote control for a vibrating vaginal thruster.
  • The clitoral stimulation the Fatima offers is delightfully rumbly and pleasurable, with a nice variety of 7 speeds to choose from.
  • Being able to use one toy as a remote control for the other is really clever, and makes it so that using this toy feels like an integrated experience even when the parts are detached from one another.
  • It’s IPX7 waterproof! Yay!

Overall cons:

  • The toy’s vibration, which cannot be disengaged while other functions are engaged, drowns out a lot of the pleasure that those functions could otherwise provide. As a result, I was only able to get off with the Fatima if I either used the clit stimulator by itself (so I could actually feel it), or used the thrusting function by itself while using a different vibe on my clit.
  • It makes sense that this toy has a battery life of only about an hour, given its numerous power-hungry functions – but that’s aggravatingly short nonetheless, and one wonders if the toy would have a better battery life if its vibration function was separable from its other functions. It’s also annoying and inconvenient that each component of the toy has to be recharged separately.
  • The way the toy’s two components attach just isn’t secure enough, which results in mishaps like the clit stimulator losing suction or falling off altogether.

The Fatima is a thrillingly unique toy, and I’m sure it’ll make some folks very happy. But as for me, it mostly made me happy insofar as it’s a fascinatingly inventive design that could be an indicator of where sex toy technology is headed. 👀

 

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.

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: Velvet Thruster Sammie

Kate Sloan

Having been in this business for as long as I have, I can usually tell from a mile away if I’m going to love a toy. I’m not always 100% correct in my assessment – because it’s my junk, not my brain, that ultimately determines whether a toy works for me – but my hunches usually lean in the right direction.

So when the folks at Velvet Brands – who make the Velvet Thruster line of toys – asked if they could send me something, I was excited. I’d wanted to try one of these fuckers for years, because I had a strong suspicion that I’d love them. AND I DO, as it turns out!

 

The good

Velvet sent me their Sammie thruster, which is the biggest one they make. It’s got 7″ of insertable length and a hefty 2.25″ diameter. But my vagina’s not a superhero every day, so it’s great that they also sent me the Jackie attachment, which can be swapped for the Sammie attachment when I want to be fucked by something slimmer. This approach, of having a base unit that you can use with multiple different heads, is brilliant; it’s one of the many nice features that elevate Velvet Thrusters from regular self-thrusting toys and make them into something more akin to a fucking machine.

See, fucking machines are the go-to recommendation if you want something strong that can rhythmically pound into you without requiring much effort on your part. (As a frequently lazy masturbator, I understand this desire.) But a good fucking machine can run you upwards of $500, and also tends to take up a massive amount of space. So I love that the Velvet Thruster is relatively compact, and reasonably priced for the amount of power you get ($255 in the USA, $352 up here in Canada).

Because this thing is indeed fucking powerful. When I’ve tested other thrusters before, some (like the Fun Factory Stronic toys) have created a motion so small that it’s more akin to jiggling back and forth than slamming in and out of you. That can still feel plenty good at times, but when you really want to get fucked, it may not be what you reach for. Other thrusters I’ve tried have had such weak motors that they peter out when pressure is applied, and seeing as the vagina muscles (and anal muscles) contract and pulse during arousal and orgasm, it can be hard to get consistent stimulation with that type of toy, which can result in lessened pleasure and a weakened climax.

NOT SO with the Velvet Thruster! This thing’s motor has so much oomph that it doesn’t give a shit what my vagina is doing, it just keeps on truckin’ (and fuckin’). Its six speeds range from a slow-and-steady pace to a much more frantic 140 strokes per minute. The sensations are much stronger and more consistent than those I’ve gotten from any other self-thrusting toy, and it makes me come super hard.  I’ve never used a full-on fucking machine, because I’ve never had the space to spare and don’t often masturbate in the positions necessitated by such a behemoth; this Velvet toy delivers all the chutzpah I’d want from a fucking machine, but suits my needs much better.

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about the shapes and textures of the attachments I was sent, because they’re both utterly lacking in curve, and have a semi-realistic veiny texture along the shaft. With ample lube (which is required with this toy – more on that below) and enough warm-up/arousal, the texture was a non-issue; if anything, it left me feeling even more thoroughly fucked after a session, in a good way. And as for the shape, well, these heads are long enough to hit my A-spot on each thrust – with a little manual help from me by finding the right angle during initial insertion – and so I’m more than happy with them. The 2.25″ girth of the Sammie can feel too big for me some days, especially with how firm it is, but then I can always swap to the Jackie for a subtler experience.

Velvet sent me an optional suction cup base for this toy (pictured), and I think it’d be a smart thing to throw into your cart if you get one of these. It opens up your positioning options substantially, making it much easier for you to back up against a wall to get fucked, or sit on the dick from above as it thrusts up at you from the floor. These aren’t common positions in my masturbation repertoire at all, but it’s fantastic to have the option, especially since this is the exact type of toy I’d reach for if I wanted to feel like a real human was well-and-truly railing me.

The toy’s “balls” act as a flared base which makes it anal-safe; Velvet sells an anal-specific attachment, but the others work just fine in your butt too. I also like that the toy’s power button is on its balls, which face away from you during use; this makes it almost impossible to accidentally turn the toy off mid-session.

Oh yeah, and it can last 6-8 hours on a charge. Impressive.

 

The bad

My complaints about this toy are mostly the usual ones you’ll hear about almost any thruster. Namely: it makes a loud, mechanical whirring noise during use, and it’s bigger than your typical sex toy so it might not fit in small nightstand drawers. That being said, I find both of those qualities to be forgivable, given this thing’s dazzling power output.

You will need a lot of lube with this toy. You just will. Not only does it help with surface friction – which would be a major issue otherwise, due to the toy’s draggy matte silicone and veiny texture – but it makes the thrusting go more smoothly and makes it less likely that the toy will shimmy its way out of you.

The main logistical issue I face with this thruster – and many other thrusters – is indeed that it tends to work its way out of my vag as it thrusts. You need to anchor the handle against something to prevent this from happening; a firm pillow between your legs could work, and of course, if you’ve suction-cupped the thruster to a wall or floor, those surfaces will provide helpful resistance. But my most common solution to this problem, because I’m lazy, has been to bend one knee so my ankle is braced against the toy’s handle. The toy is long enough that I can do this comfortably, even though my fibro-ridden knees complain if I bend them too much for too long. Having to keep my ankle in one spot during use isn’t ideal, of course, but it’s not all that obtrusive and usually doesn’t bother me, especially since it results in me getting fucked so hard I see stars.

The thruster’s buttons sometimes seem uncomfortably far away from me; I usually have to bend over a bit and look at them in order to change speeds. But this isn’t the type of toy I tend to change speeds on very often, compared to, say, a clitoral vibrator, so it hasn’t been too much of an issue.

I’ll also say that this thruster is very firm. The silicone gives it a tiny bit of squish at the surface, but overall it’s way way harder than any human dick would be. This can be wonderful if you’re craving strong sensations, but less so if you want something realistic-feeling or more forgiving. I always feel thoroughly fucked after using this toy, and I find that cunt-ache kinda hot and fun in most circumstances, but if you’re prone to pain/discomfort from penetration, you’ll probably want to stick with a smaller attachment and, again, use a shit ton of lube.

Notably, it’s not waterproof. This makes me slightly sad as someone who would love to get fucked during a leisurely bathtub wank, but it’s by no means a dealbreaker for me.

 

Final thoughts

I’m really delighted with the Velvet Thruster Sammie. It provides enough force and consistency to fuck me the way I like, and I often have stellar orgasms when I pair it with a clitoral vibe.

It may not be appropriate for all situations – I wouldn’t use it if I was concerned about someone overhearing me, for instance, or if my vag was sore – but it’s the best toy I’ve found for fulfilling the specific craving to get ploughed hard. And since my partner lives 500 miles away from me and I’m not dating/fucking anyone else at the moment, that is indeed a craving I encounter from time to time.

Do I wish the Velvet Thruster was a little squishier, a little quieter, and a little cheaper? Sure. But is it also the best thruster I’ve ever tried? Absolutely. And that, folks, is the thrust of my argument.

 

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: Bestvibe Glans 10 Vibration 3 Thrusting Cock Ring Anal Dildo

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Note from Kate: Here’s a toy review written by my spouse!

Which is better: being a jack of all trades, or a master of one? There’s a long-running debate in the business world about whether it’s more advantageous to be a career generalist or a specialist. There’s even a buzzword for people who do both: “T-shaped people.” Come to think of it, that sounds a little like the shape of a good butt plug, doesn’t it?

But when it comes to sex toys, most multifunction products disappoint me by doing everything just a bit worse than their single-purpose counterparts, and not making up for it in the combination of their features.

That was my biggest concern when last month, Kate asked me to review the Bestvibe Glans 10 Vibration 3 Thrusting Cock Ring Anal Dildo. That name – what a mouthful (assfull?)!

 

This toy styles itself a 4-in-1, which is a lot of trades to jack off, or rather, to be a jack of. It’s a butt plug, it’s a cock ring, it’s a thruster, and it’s a perineum stimulator – all things I frequently crave on their own but have never tried all at once. So, of course, I agreed to review it. I had to know what this toy would feel like; the combination of a thrusting plug and a cock ring was too hard to pass up.

The Bestvibe Glans (as I nicknamed it) is a 1.7″-thick, 4.5″-long, black silicone butt plug. It’s shaped like an idealized penis with a prominent head, textured neck, and prostate-targeting coronal ridge. The plug’s base extends 6.69 inches (nice) and ends in a 1.3” stretchy cock ring. The IPX6-waterproof toy arrives in a crinkly storage bag with a small battery-powered remote and USB charging cable. The plug takes around 2 hours to charge and can run for an hour or so straight.

Since this toy does four things, I’ll discuss them individually and how they work together.

 

Butt Plug

First and foremost, this toy is a butt plug. And as a butt plug, the Glans is stellar. Its soft silicone, manageable girth, pleasant weight, and flared base made it easy to insert and wear during play. Even covered in plenty of water-based lube, it stayed in place perfectly during my testing sessions, thanks to the rippled base and pronounced tip.

While the plug doesn’t have a prominent curve like an Aneros or Pfun for intense P-spotting, its glans gave my prostate plenty of pressure and pleasure when I squeezed around it, even before I turned the toy on.

 

Animation via Bestvibe

Thruster

But wait, it thrusts! Many of the best thrusters on the market are made for folks with vulvas, so I’ve long been envious of toys that do the thrusting for you, and this toy absolutely fucks.

After turning it on by holding the power button on the toy’s base or the included remote, the toy both vibrates and thrusts. Keyword: “both,” because there’s no way to disable thrusting while it vibrates, or to have it just thrust without the vibration. That’s A-okay with me because the two sensations feel amazing paired together.

As you tap the one button on the toy or the +/− buttons on the remote, the cock springs to life and cycles through its three thrusting speeds, topping out at 100 thrusts per minute. The plug telescopes 0.4” back and forth, which may not sound like a lot, but feels highly satisfying as you feel the base stimulate the anus while the head hits the P-spot. After a while, I could sense how the friction had excited both my prostate and my hole. The drag eventually led to a pleasurable heat that reminded me of getting fucked by a partner with a strap-on.

The downside here is the controls. The only way to change which vibration pattern you’re using is to also increase or decrease the thrusting speed. Independent controls for these two functions would have made it much easier and less frustrating to use. It sucks to loop all the way around and get fucked too fast or slow just to switch up the vibration.

 

Cock Ring

Oh, right, it’s also a cock ring. The ring has a 1.3” diameter with no adjustability other than stretch. While it’s impossible to make a cock ring that will fit all bodies, I think adjustability is important because dicks come in all shapes and sizes and even can vary in girth and firmness by the day.

I typically use cock rings for a few reasons: to increase the hardness and sensitivity of my erections, to make my orgasms stronger, and to last longer while penetrating. This cock ring worked well to increase sensitivity but wasn’t as good at boosting firmness as harder rings with tighter fits, and I don’t think it’d help me with stamina because of all that anal stimulation.

While the manufacturer suggests slipping the ring just around the base of the penis, I found I enjoyed it a lot more when I used it how I use most cock rings: around both the penis and the scrotum, which also helped with fit and comfort.

 

Perineum Stimulator

This t’aint it.

This toy’s claimed perineum stimulation amounts to a hilariously tiny section of the connecting silicone covered in a bumpy texture that theoretically rubs against your taint while the toy fucks you. In my testing, no matter how I wore the plug and ring, there was no way this was going to press my perineum, and even if it did, its texture and the vibrations that reached it were far too subtle to provide any noticeable stimulation. My perineum, and the prostate accessible through it, respond best to either deep pressure or sensual stroking, and these tiny ineffectual bumps provide neither. I wish they had just left them out.

 

It’s All Coming Together

The Bestvibe Glans is a great butt plug, a powerful anal thruster and vibrator, and a pretty good cock ring if it fits your dick. But it truly shines when those separate functions work in combination. The plug provides a feeling of fullness, the thruster/vibrator fucks your ass and rubs your P-spot, and as it does, the cock ring tugs on your junk to keep you hard and sensitive for additional stimulation. The blending of all those sensations made it very easy to make myself come with this toy without even needing to touch myself or penetrate anything with my dick, which can feel gender euphoric for me, in addition to just being a fun time.

In addition to trying this toy and having fast, intense orgasms with it as advertised, I also took it for a spin under the dominance of my Keyholder while locked in a chastity cage and forbidden to come. Neither of us was sure if the ring would fit around both the steel cock cage and my balls, but its stretchiness made that a breeze. If you’re into orgasm control and denial, it can be super fun to hand the remote of this toy to your dominant partner and let them fuck you with it while you can’t touch your cock. Not to mention all the other fantasies this toy could enable: a “threesome” where you’re fucked by a hard cock while you use yours to fuck another partner, a dominant who distracts you by remotely rubbing your prostate and keeping you erect while you orally service them, or even as a way to have strap-on sex while you’re all alone or away from your partner.

At less than $50 USD, I strongly recommend this toy to just about anyone with a prostate and a penis who likes them both stimulated simultaneously. The Bestvibe Glans taught me an important lesson: not all multifunction sex toys are bad, and even when their individual parts do have flaws, the combination of different sensations within one object can be a huge benefit all on its own. Fewer things to buy, charge, pack, clean, and coordinate during sex. If you’ll excuse me, I gotta put this thing back to work. I have, uhh, many different jobs for it to do.

 

This post was sponsored, meaning we were paid to write a fair and honest review of the product.