thrusting

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

mb

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.

Review: Bestvibe Thrusting Rotating Vibrating Heating Realistic Dildo

Kate Sloan

What is the Bestvibe Thrusting Rotating Vibrating Heating Realistic Dildo?

This toy is a realistic silicone dildo, with a longer-than-usual handle to help with holding it and thrusting it. It vibrates and also thrusts.

 

Things I like about this toy

  • While it’s a bit of an eyesore to have a big plastic handle attached to the bottom of your otherwise-realistic dildo, and might take some people out of the moment fantasy-wise, I found it good for accessibility reasons. As someone whose hands get sore sometimes due to my fibromyalgia, I appreciated having an easier way to hold onto this toy than the claw-hand position I usually have to adopt with handleless realistic dildos.
  • The vibrations are actually pretty good (except for the fact that there’s only 2 steady speeds, as mentioned below). They’re on the rumblier side of what I was expecting, albeit still buzzier than rumbly classics like the We-Vibe Tango and Swan Wand.
  • I like the dimensions a lot. The insertable length ranges from 5.1″ to 6.3″ (it expands and contracts when its thrusting function is engaged) and the diameter is 1.6 inches. For me, that’s filling and satisfying but still comfortable, which is ideal.
  • I like the realistic appearance of this dildo, and am glad that more body-safe realistic dildos are available at lower price points now than those offered by, say, Vixen Creations or Tantus.
  • You can control the vibration and the thrusting separately! Hooray!
  • Unlike some other thrusters of this type, this one never pinches my skin awkwardly when it’s thrusting.
  • It’s waterproof!

Things I don’t like about this toy

  • When used the way I assume you’re meant to use it (balls facing down, rather than blocking my clit), the buttons are on the side of the toy that’s facing away from me, so I can’t see them during use. This is incredibly inconvenient and distracting.
  • The thrusting tends to slow down/weaken as soon as the toy’s inside me, and especially when I clench my vag muscles around it. This should not happen and can really mess with my build toward orgasm.
  • This toy has no curve whatsoever, which noticeably reduces the pleasure it could otherwise give me. I have to tilt it in pretty specific ways to get it to rub over my G-spot and/or A-spot.
  • The vibration function only has 2 steady speeds. That is not enough steady speeds.
  • The thrusting function sounds like a witch cackling. I don’t know how to explain that further. It just does. It’s very loud, erratic and distracting.
  • Apparently there is a heating function (there’s even a heating button on the toy), but it just didn’t work for me at all, no matter what I tried.
  • Bestvibe also advertises this toy as “rotating 360 degrees” but this is misleading, as there’s no rotation function. I think they mean that the handle makes it easier to manually rotate the dildo inside you if you want to, but 1) why would you want to? and 2) that’s not what people are gonna assume it means when you say that your product rotates.

Final thoughts

I’d definitely consider using this Bestvibe toy if I wanted to jerk off with a realistic dildo but was lacking the hand strength that day to thrust it myself. Its thrusting function is good and its handle also makes it easier to thrust manually even when my hands are feeling weak/sore.

But it has so many functional problems – especially its button placement, noise level, and the thrusts’ tendency to slow down as soon as any pressure is applied to the toy – that I find it hard to justify recommending this to anyone. Another Bestvibe toy I reviewed recently is a way better realistic thruster and can get me off much more easily and enjoyably, so go check that one out if you’re interested in this type of toy.

 

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

Review: Bestvibe Cupid 3-In-1 Heating Thrusting Vibration Realistic Dildo

Kate Sloan

It is a known fact that I love dick. I didn’t always, but now, after many years of sexual activity with many lovely dick-owners, I am very much a fan. (And no, none of that is me giving you permission to send me pictures or textual descriptions of your dick. I like the ones I know, the ones I consent to see. Nonconsensual penises are ugly and gross, no exceptions.)

So, naturally, I am a fan of realistic dildos as well – provided they’re well-made. And it’s even more intriguing when those dildos are capable of doing some of the things human dicks can do, like feel immediately warm upon insertion or thrust in and out. This Bestvibe 3-in-1 dildo can do both of those things and more, so I was excited to review it. Let’s talk about it!

 

What is the Bestvibe Cupid 3-in-1 Heating Thrusting Vibration Realistic Dildo?

Phew. Bestvibe’s product names are always such a mouthful! Maybe we should just call this the Bestvibe Cupid, for short.

The Cupid is a realistic silicone dildo with a 6.3-inch insertable length (it’s 8.66 inches total, including the balls and suction cup base). It has a diameter of about 1.7 inches at its largest point.

However, in addition, this dildo can vibrate, heat up, and thrust in and out. It comes with a small remote control that allows you to control these three functions.

 

Things I like about this toy

  • The dimensions are great for my particular vag. It’s got enough length to hit my A-spot easily if I keep it anchored deep inside me by placing a pillow between my legs at the base of the toy (more on that below), but I can also position it more shallowly to hit my G-spot. The girth is wide enough to feel satisfying but not so wide as to need much warm-up before inserting it (for me, anyway). I am very much a fan.
  • Visually and tactilely, the toy is quite realistic. The closest thing I can compare it to is actually dual-density silicone dildos like the VixSkin toys, in that it’s realistic-looking in quite a detailed way and feels both squishy and firm. The Cupid isn’t dual-density like those toys are, but its mechanical core feels very similar to the firm silicone core of a dual-density toy, so that in use they actually feel very much alike.
  • The thrusting! Oh, the thrusting. A lot of self-thrusting toys feel pretty weak – more like a perpetual-motion machine on somebody’s cubicle desk than a hard rough fuck – but this one has some serious strength behind it. At its best, it feels almost as good as a real live human fucking me. And since its steady modes are much more rhythmically regular than the average human is capable of being, it gets me off more easily than most people can with their dicks. (By the way, whenever I talk about getting off from penetrative toys, assume that I mean “with added clitoral stimulation via my fingers or a vibrator,” because – like the majority of people with my anatomy – I don’t orgasm without clit stim.)
  • While a more pronounced curve would’ve been my preference, the subtle curve of this toy is good enough to hit my spots the way I like. It helps that it has a well-defined coronal ridge which can rub against those spots on every thrust.
  • It’s got a suction-cup base. This normally isn’t something I care that much about, since the combo of chronic pain and laziness means that I almost always masturbate lying on my back in bed – but with a thrusting toy, it can be nice to be able to back up onto it, or sit down on it from above, or whatever.
  • The wide base also means this toy is harness-compatible, which is interesting. I wonder what it would feel like if a mechanically-thrusting device was simultaneously thrust in and out of me by an actual person… However, even if you turn all the mechanical functions off when using it this way, the Cupid also functions perfectly well as a regular strap-on dildo.
  • The Cupid costs £49.99, which (at time of writing) works out to about $60 USD or $81 CAD. That’s a really reasonable price for something that looks and feels this realistic and has this many functions.
  • The toy comes with a small battery-powered remote, which is auto-paired to the dildo. All you have to do is put the battery into the remote, turn on the toy by long-pressing the power button on its base, and press one of the 3 buttons on the remote to activate one of the toy’s 3 functions (or use more than one at once, if you prefer).
  • On that note, each of the 3 functions can be controlled independently – so if you want vibrations but no thrusting, or vice-versa, you can do that, or you can use both at once.
  • This toy is safe for both vaginal and anal insertion (though, as with any other toy, you’ll need to sanitize it in between using it anally and using it vaginally).

 

Things I don’t like about this toy

  • It had a bit of an oily residue when it first arrived, which made me think it might be made of an unsafe material. However, after washing it and (later) doing a flame test on it, now I’m pretty sure it’s made of real silicone, and just had some residue left on it from the manufacturing process (which is pretty common and is the reason most companies will tell you to wash a toy before using it for the first time).
  • The button on the base of the toy is really hard to locate and press, especially if you have hand strength issues like I do.
  • The toy is decently loud, like most thrusters are. The sound diminishes when it’s inside you, however.
  • There are only 3 thrusting settings. The first one is hard, fast, and steady. The second one is more erratic, switching between a few different speeds, which I guess is meant to feel more authentically human but actually just annoys me. The third is slower, steady thrusting. I like the steady settings but wish that there were more of them, and that the toy started on the slowest setting and worked its way up from there.
  • As with many warming toys, I can’t actually detect the heating function in this toy. These functions usually take a few minutes to reach peak heat and the heat itself is usually pretty subtle, which makes it hard to notice, especially since, by that point, usually I will have put the toy inside me already and so my body will already have warmed it up a bit.
  • The remote is battery-powered rather than being rechargeable, and uses a type of battery you’re unlikely to have just lying around the house (27A 12V). There’s also no markings on the battery chamber or in the toy instructions regarding which way the battery should be oriented, so you just have to guess and then flip it around if your first guess is wrong.
  • Additionally, there’s no way to control the toy without the remote, so if you lose the remote or its battery dies mid-session, you’re shit outta luck. This is honestly probably my #1 issue with this toy. Remote-control toys should always have buttons on the unit itself if at all possible.
  • As with most self-thrusting toys, this one will tend to shimmy its way out of you if left to its own devices (so to speak), so you’ll need to keep it in place by putting a pillow or somesuch against the base of the toy, between your legs – or by making use of its suction-cup base to attach it to a firm surface like a wall, floor, or mirror.
  • The vibrations are so weak and buzzy that they can barely be discerned. Don’t get this toy if you want internal vibration; thrusting (or being manually thrusted) is the only thing it does well.

 

Final thoughts

Of the latest batch of products Bestvibe has sent me (more reviews to come!), the Cupid dildo is by far my favorite. It’s rare to find a thrusting toy that actually feels anything like getting fucked, and that can elicit orgasms as intensely and reliably for me as this toy does.

It definitely has some issues – mainly its limited settings, terrible vibrations, and awkward controls – but in my view these are ultimately forgivable, because its thrusting is so damn good. Much like some of the people I have dated/fucked, its issues seem minor in comparison to the pounding it can provide.

 

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.