What better way to kick off February than with a review for an all new Tantus toy, kindly provided to me courtesy of the wonderful folks at SexToys.co.uk. Of all the things in my now-vast toy collection anal beads aren’t something that I’ve had a lot of experimentation with, so I was rather pleased when I got the news that I’d be testing out this particular piece. Check out the review after the jump!
There are two main varieties of anal beads available on the market today, those that feature individual beads connected together by a thin cord, and those moulded out of one single continuous piece of material, of which these are the latter. Each has its own pros and cons, but from a personal standpoint these are the type which I favour.
The Tantus anal beads are made entirely from 100% platinum silicone and are available in the singular colour choice of black. As with all Tantus products the beads are manufactured to an exceptionally high standard, free from any mould lines or defects, and are intended to last indefinitely. The surface of the beads incorporates a smooth shiny finish which reduces drag, but which does have the propensity to attract dust, so you many wish to rinse them prior to use. Silicone is a great material for a toy such as this, and indeed any toy, because it’s completely body-safe, odourless, and non-porous. It’s by far one of the most superior materials you can buy.
The beads are 9″ in total length, with around 8 3/4″ being physically insertable. The design features a straight shaft with six equally-spaced bulges located along it, followed by a smooth 1 1/2″ long neck section similar to that which you might find on a butt plug, and topped off by a very thin base. The base is flared and measures 2 3/8″ wide, making it perfectly safe for anal play. The top-most bulge is the smallest with a circumference of only 2 7/8″, while the others are all slightly larger at 3 3/8″, and the spaces in between are significantly narrower at only 2 1/4″.

Anal beads are designed primarily as an active toy rather than a stationary toy, and its with a mind to removing them more than it is inserting them. The beads come out just as easily as they went in, and this time the base can be used as a handle to pull on in the process. As the beads come out you get a series of little pops as the sphincter passes over each bulge, but they’re not a major event. The downside to the solid-form beads is that the sphincter doesn’t close completely between each bulge like it would if there was a string there, so instead of going from closed to open as the beads are withdrawn, it goes from slightly open to slightly more open, which lessens the impact. For the more novice anal user the sensation that it delivers will probably be enough to feel quite satisfying, but a more experienced user would likely desire a larger ‘pop’ that can only come with a thicker toy.
One of the slight downsides to the toy is that once you’ve removed it you can’t stand it upright anywhere on its base. The floppiness of the material causes it to immediately droop to one side, shifting the centre of gravity, and causing it to topple. Either you re-insert it again as soon as you’ve removed it, you take it to the bathroom to wash it, or you clear an area where it’s safe to lay down a lube-covered toy.

You can buy the Tantus Silicone Anal Beads from SexToys.co.uk.
For those outside the UK they’re also available directly from Tantus.