vibrator

Review: Fun Factory Stronic Eins

Kate Sloan

The Stronic Eins is one of the most interesting and truly new sex toys that has been launched in a long time. And unlike most “revolutionary” toys, it’s actually as amazing as it claims to be.

For those of you who don’t know, this is no regular vibrator: instead of buzzing or rumbling, it thrusts. It moves back and forth in small but very noticeable motions. When you masturbate with it, it basically does the hard work for you. Brilliant, right?

I chose the hot pink one. It’s a great shade of pink, so hot it’s almost red. The toy feels sturdy and high-quality. Fun Factory’s silicone is always a drag (both literally and figuratively), but it’s nothing a little water-based lube can’t fix. The toy doesn’t come with a storage bag (which is frankly a bit shocking for a $200 product), so you may want to wrap it in a plastic baggie or something when you store it, to avoid the dreaded lint attack.

A strange thing I love about the Stronic is its buttons. It has three buttons – “Fun” (which turns it on and off) and a regular set of plus and minus buttons. They are dome-like, fun to press, and difficult to set off accidentally. This is always a good thing.

Like many other FF products, the Stronic charges via Click ‘n’ Charge. My toy came with a charger but apparently some don’t; it may depend on the retailer. Many places carry the charger separately for about $5, so it’s not a big deal to add one to your cart.

There is a nub toward the bottom of the toy’s shaft that is meant to stimulate the clitoris. While the shaft is inside me, there is no position or angle which could ever allow this nub to hit my clit in a million years. Fortunately, this isn’t the type of toy that gets my clit going anyway. (I use my Eroscillator for that.)

The tip of the Stronic barely curves up, and yet it’s astonishingly effective. It has to be positioned juuust right in order to hit my G-spot, but once I get it into place, it’s heavenly. (Hint: this is not a toy you should insert all the way into your vagina, like you might with a dildo, unless your G-spot happens to be super deep.)

The Stronic has a variety of different pulsation speeds and patterns: “samba,” “rattle,” “gallop,” and so on. Some are a steady back-and-forth, while some vary. I prefer my thrusting steady, so I use those modes almost exclusively. The higher settings get so fast that they start to feel almost like weak vibration instead of like thrusts, so I’m not really a fan of those – but the lower modes work beautifully.

I was very, very surprised by how well my vagina responds to the Stronic Eins. I get that pleasurable “need to pee” feeling almost immediately once the tip of the turned-on toy comes into contact with my G-spot. Combined with a great clit vibe, I can have intense blended orgasms in a short amount of time – every time. This toy homes in on my G-spot and just keeps on truckin’ until I’m done, which can’t always be said for a lover’s penis or even a dildo I’m thrusting with my own hand.

But that’s not to say that it’s better than those things. It’s just different. The Stronic doesn’t feel like a lover fucking your brains out, nor does it feel like getting slammed hard with a dildo. It’s a smaller, more delicate, more precise, more concentrated motion, sweeping right over my G-spot with each thrust.

The Stronic needs to be held in place or it’ll wiggle its way out of your vagina. You can’t hold it too tight, though, or the thrusting motion will be impeded. I like to lightly brace a couple of fingers against the toy’s handle to keep it from shimmying out of me; a pillow can also be used for this purpose.

It may look like a girthy toy, but keep in mind that you probably won’t be inserting it very deeply. It needs to go in just far enough for the tip to hit your G-spot, no further.

I’ll be honest: it’s hard to recommend a $200 sex toy. This is the most expensive toy I’ve ever reviewed and I’m trying very hard to imagine whether I would plonk down that kind of money if I hadn’t been sent the toy for free. Knowing what I know now, though, I think I would. There is absolutely nothing else like this toy on the market and it is worth the money if you like thrusting.

Buy the Stronic Eins if you want some low-effort lovin’ for your G-spot, and if you can contend with the $200 price tag, sticky silicone, and lack of a storage bag. It is worthy of your money.

How to Use a Hitachi Magic Wand Without Hating Every Minute Of It

Kate Sloan

I’m not the biggest fan of the Magic Wand. The vibrations are too strong, too sudden, and too surface-level. Many, many people rave about the famous Hitachi, and I am not one of them.

However. There are ways to adapt the Magic Wand to make it friendlier for people with vulvas like mine – people who prefer stimulation that is less numbing, less broad, and/or less jarring. Here are some tricks I’ve learned that work for me.

1. Warm up. You have to do it when you use big dildos so it makes sense to do it with powerhouse vibrators too. Try using a smaller vibe until you’re very turned on, and then switch to the big guns.

2. Use a fabric barrier. I usually use my Hitachi through my underwear and sometimes through my yoga pants too. Hell, if I’m on my period, I can even use it through a menstrual pad – it’s that strong. Stick some fabric between you and your wand and you may find it a lot more manageable. You can always remove those barriers later if you want a more direct sensation.

3. Get a penetrative attachment. Vixen Creations makes a beautiful silicone one, but it’s pricey, so you might want to start with a cheap porous one to make sure you like it. These attachments can be used for penetration, sure, but they also transform your Hitachi into a more pinpointed clit toy. You can focus the vibrations right onto your clit instead of having them spread over your whole vulva, and that might make it easier for you to get off with your wand.

4. Experiment with pressure. Some people need to press the wand hard against their vulva to feel anything at all. Some may have a better time if they hold the toy very, very lightly so it’s just barely grazing their genitals. Try out different amounts of pressure and see if you can find a way that works.

5. Experiment with placement. My favorite way to use my Hitachi, which I only just discovered a couple of weeks ago, is to hold it on one of my outer labia, so my clit only receives vibration via the skin next to it, and not from the wand directly. This feels really great and allows me to avoid a lot of the numbness I used to get from my Hitachi. Try positioning yours somewhere other than the place you’d normally put a vibrator; you might find a goldmine.

6. Use a dimmer switch. I do not officially recommend this, because the Hitachi isn’t meant to be used with a dimmer so you may experience electrical shorts or even electrical fires if you try it. But many people say that they wouldn’t be able to use their wand pleasurably if not for their dimmer.

7. Keep it moving. Leaving the Hitachi in one spot for too long can cause numbness. If you move it around your vulva – maybe in circles, maybe up and down, or maybe in a sporadic and unpredictable pattern of your choosing – you may escape most or all of that numbness.

What are your best Hitachi tips?

Review: Lelo Large Smart Wand

Kate Sloan

For a long time, reviewers have been complaining that Lelo vibrators just aren’t strong enough. They’re beautiful, elegant, ergonomic, rechargeable, and high-quality, but many clits-o’-steel have been unimpressed with their strength.

Well, no more. Because the large Smart Wand is one of the strongest vibrators I’ve ever tried, and also one of the best.

For all you Hitachi enthusiasts, take a moment to imagine how your sex life would change if your beloved wand didn’t need to be plugged into the wall in order to work, and if you could actually take it in the bath with you. Mindblowing and life-changing, right? In that case, you probably need a large Smart Wand, pronto.

Before I start sounding too much like an infomercial, let’s get some gripes out of the way. Yes, the toy is 100% waterproof, but the charging port is just an open hole on the end of the toy’s handle. It can be really anxiety-producing to watch bathwater slowly flow into an open orifice on your $135 sex toy. The hole is just as waterproof as the rest of the toy, but I still think Lelo should have at least put a little peel-back silicone plug in that spot, to set bath-bound consumers’ minds at ease.

As for the color… I must admit, I did not order the white wand and it wouldn’t have been my first choice; the one I chose was black but I ended up with the white one nonetheless. The white tends to show every speck of dirt or dust that makes its way onto the toy. However, I do think it would make a lovely bridal/wedding gift, what with being ivory-colored and luxurious.

Most of the toy is covered in satiny-smooth silicone, while the inner edge of the gently curving handle is made of metallic gold plastic that makes it easier to grip the toy. The Lelo logo is embossed into the handle, but it’s high enough on the toy that it would be difficult to accidentally get any lube or natural juices into the grooves of the letters, which is an improvement on some previous Lelo designs.

The head of the massager has a bit of flex to it, like most other wand-style vibes, but it’s minimal. If you like a lot of firm pressure along with your vibrations, this toy can provide it.

Like most massager-style vibes, the part of the Smart Wand that will be touching your genitals is very big and broad. I thought I wouldn’t enjoy it because usually I like something a little more focused, but it didn’t bother me in the end.

Can I just say how much it annoys me that Lelo steadfastly markets this toy as a body massager? Granted, it does work great for body massage, but let’s be real here – Lelo makes sex toys, and has always been upfront about doing so, so why suddenly change the game and act like this vibrator is meant for solely G-rated usage? There is literally no mention of genitals, sex, or masturbation in the Smart Wand instruction manual. This annoys me on principle, but luckily, doesn’t change the awesomeness of the toy itself.

And let me tell you, it is awesome. This massager has very strong vibrations. Though the Smart Wand has multiple speeds like all Lelo vibes, I usually only use the third and fourth ones, because the toy is that strong.

The first three speeds are rumbly, causing the toy to visibly tremble back and forth, while the rest are buzzier – but all feel great. Like the Hitachi, this toy may need to be muffled with underwear or a towel for some users to enjoy it, but it’s worth it.

Much fuss was made about the Smart Wand’s “SenseTouch” mode, in which the vibrations will stay on a low level until they touch your skin, at which point they will ramp up suddenly to a much higher level. This is supposed to feel like the gradual pressure that a masseuse’s hands can provide. I didn’t think much of this mode and won’t be using it, but I can see how it could be useful for someone who plans to use the wand primarily for actual massage.

It’s worth noting that my Smart Wand is the large one; other reviewers have found that the medium version is not nearly as strong. So if power’s what you’re after, get the large.

My final issue with the Smart Wand, which might just be a glitch in my particular toy, is that the buttons are very sensitive. Sometimes I press the “plus” button once, to move up to the next speed, and it skips a few speeds randomly, moving up to a much stronger one than I’m ready for. This can be remedied quickly by pressing the “minus” button until it goes back to a speed I’m comfortable with, but it might be worth considering if you’re very sensitive and would be horrified by sudden earthshattering vibrations on your clit.

But overall? Fuck, man, I love my Smart Wand. It’s absolutely gorgeous, it’s stronger than almost any other vibe in my collection, it can be used anywhere I want (including the bath), and it serves up some hella intense orgasms. Hallelujah, Lelo!

Thanks, Sex Toys Canada! You’re the best!

Big Sex Toy News! + Massager Vibes

Kate Sloan

Ladies and gents, are you sitting down? Because I’ve got some earthshattering news for you…

The Hitachi Magic Wand is no longer called the Hitachi Magic Wand.

I’m just piecing together tweets from the International Lingerie Show to try to figure out what happened, so forgive me if I’m off the mark, but it seems that the Hitachi brand decided it no longer wanted to be associated with the Magic Wand and almost stopped production, before Vibratex took on the responsibility of continuing the Wand’s legacy.

It has apparently been renamed simply the “Magic Wand” (how hard is that going to be to get used to?!) and the motor has been updated to be smoother and more reliable (but still just as strong, so don’t worry).

I have extremely mixed feelings on the Hitachi – whoops, I mean Magic Wand – but they were mostly negative, I guess, because I gave mine away months ago. It was too buzzy and numbing for my tastes.

My wand-style massager of choice is the Bodywand, which is stronger and more adjustable than the classic it’s modeled after. It also has a cuter aesthetic.

I hear good things about the large Lelo Smart Wand, too, though I haven’t had the pleasure of trying one yet.

My very favorite massager-style vibe, though, is always and forever the Wahl 2-Speed. It’s heavy and awkward to hold, but it makes up for those shortcomings by being stronger and rumblier than the Magic Wand. Amazing.

Are you perplexed by the Hitachi news? Will you buy the new Magic Wand? What are your other favorite massager vibes?

Photo via Laura Anne Stuart.

Review: JeJoue SaSi

Kate Sloan

Imagine how you would feel about a lover who was totally inept at getting you off, who always seemed to change their technique just as you were getting close to coming, and who approached your genitals with a grimace of apprehension, and you’ll understand how I feel about the JeJoue SaSi.

Several years old and probably discontinued by now (though still available through Sex Toys Canada), the SaSi seemed unbelievably innovative when it first launched. It’s an oral sex simulator consisting of a small ball moving around underneath a silicone covering in various patterns that are meant to be tongue-like. Most notably, you can actually “program” the SaSi using its “skip” and “don’t stop” buttons, so it’ll learn what kind of patterns you like and give you more of those.

In theory? Bravo, JeJoue, you brilliant geniuses! In practice? Ugh, fuck you, SaSi, I hate you.

Problem number one: the motions kind of suck (and not in the “oh, yeah, suck on my clit just like that” way, unfortunately). They’re random, erratic, and weird. My inner labia and the sides of my clit have never gotten so much lovin’ in their life – which is great for them, I guess, but those aren’t the most responsive parts of my pussy. There are only a few patterns that focus on the top-centre of my clit where most of my sensitivity is, and none of them are a steady back-and-forth or up-and-down motion. This makes no sense.

Problem number two: the ball is too damn slow. It has three speeds and even the highest one feels merely like teasing and not like actual competent tonguing.

Problem number three: the SaSi does have vibration in addition to its minuscule movements, and you’d think vibes would improve the sensation, but I actually can’t feel the ball moving when the vibrations are on. I suspect this is because the ball can barely be felt when the vibrations aren’t on.

To the SaSi’s credit, it’s an elegant-looking toy, it feels relatively ergonomic in my hand (like a computer mouse!), and its silicone covering is removable so you can wash and sterilize it without ruining the rest of the toy. These are all good things, but they’re not enough to make SaSi a good or even passable sex toy.

If you want an oral sex simulator that may actually be able to get you off, try the Sqweel 2 or the oscillating mode on the Jimmyjane Form 2. But please, for the love of all things sexy and orgasmic, do not buy the SaSi. It is 100% frustrating and cruel.

Thanks, Sex Toys Canada!