For the best part of two years now I’ve recoiled in quiet shame every time I’ve thought of how long overdue this review was. Now that I’ve eased myself back into blogging I’m happy to say (and a little bit relieved) that I’ve finally been able to put in the commitment to do this one justice. Without further ado, I present to you the AXIS!
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DOXY Butt Plug
What do you get when you combine a pandemic, an unseasonably warm April, and a 30% discount code at Lovehoney? Why a brand new buttplug review of course!
Read MoreDoxy Number 3
A few years ago a new company popped up in the South West of England, offering what was to be a rival to the famous Hitachi Magic Wand, and that company was Doxy. By any measure the Doxy Wand immediately took the Internet by storm, with every blogger raving about it, cam performers adding it to the top of their wishlists, and eventually that success spawned the all-metal Doxy Die Cast, and the innovative Doxy Don (formerly Skittle) – which I had the pleasure of reviewing back in 2015.
Late last year Doxy revealed the third in their line of vibrating wands, the aptly-named Doxy Number 3, an all-metal bodied wand in the vein of the Doxy Die Cast, but in a new compact shape, and I knew that it was finally time for me to try one out.
A couple of e-mails later and Doxy have very kindly sent me a Number 3, and today I’m finally going to review it!
I’m not a complete stranger to vibrating wands, having reviewed the Palm Power way back in 2013, but it’s safe to say that they’re a category of toy of which I own the fewest pieces. I am, however, completely taken in by the sheer power that can be delivered by something running on mains power, and that’s why I was so excited to try a Doxy.
The Doxy No.3 is a serious piece of kit; it has a 7 1/2″ solid brushed-aluminium body, topped with a shiny metal collar, giving it a feeling of real clout whilst retaining a sleek and attractive appearance. It’s capped with a solid metal head, largely covered in a velvety-soft matte black silicone, but with a band of shiny metal left exposed at the bottom to mirror the collar of the shaft. In all it comes in at a total length of just over 10″, with a circumference around the head of 5 3/4″, and a total weight of around 340g. It may be the compact model, but it still has plenty of substance to it.
The Doxy is powered by mains electricity, and has a generous 3m cord which allows it to reach even the most awkwardly-placed socket in a bedroom. It also features one of those handy plugs with the interchangeable prongs, so they can be swapped out and replaced depending on which locale you’ll be using the toy. The package does only contain the correct prongs for the region you buy it in however, so if you want to take it travelling you’ll have to make your own arrangements there.
The Doxy is operated by three buttons located slightly below the mid point of the body. There’s an on/off button, a (+) to increase the power, and a (-) to lower it again. As well as a constant vibration mode, a pulsating mode can also be accessed by holding the power button down for a couple of seconds whilst it’s turned off. For me the button placement is quite convenient, whether you be holding the wand with your thumb pointed towards the head, or with it flipped 180 degrees and your thumb pointed towards the cord. One nice feature is that the buttons light up when the toy is turned on, so they’re a little easier to locate if you’re using the wand in dim ambient lighting.
The wand itself packs a serious amount of power. Even on the lowest setting you can feel that sheer force as it turns on, and from there you have several other levels to move up into. One thing which did surprise me a little is that the No.3 isn’t all that rumbly. It’s definitely more a middling sort of vibration on the buzzy to rumbly scale. I can’t really comment on how this compares to previous Doxys, and if it’s merely a consequence of downsizing the wand, but I was expecting a deeper vibration. As with many toys I found that the lowest power setting had the most rumbly quality to it, compared to the higher ones.
In terms of use the Doxy really is a joy. You can start off in a very teasing fashion, just running it over the outside of the underwear, and already those vibrations start to have an effect and rouse what sleeps within. Moving it all around the genitals, and along the perineum, can continue to produce an effect without any direct contact with the erogenous zones, just allowing the vibrations in the surrounding areas to filter through. Using it straight against the penis is where it really shines though, running it up and down the length of the shaft, slowly encircling the head, and most importantly held up against the frenulum, or stroking it. With the Doxy pressed against the frenulum you could easily achieve climax in mere seconds if you really wanted to, such is the strength of it, but ultimately most will find greater pleasure in drawing the experience out. This is also where the pulsing mode comes into play, because this is absolutely my favourite way to use the No.3. With the Doxy pressed up against the frenulum, and pulse mode activated, the rhythm of vibrations into the penis feels fantastic, and further more you can adjust the interval between each pulse using the buttons, allowing you to ramp up the speed as you approach climax, for even better effect. Interestingly the Doxy does have more of a rumbly quality to it in this mode, as each time it stops and starts in between a moment of ramping vibration strength, it gives off a judder which can be felt deeper into the tissue.
Another way I found that it’s quite nice to use the Doxy is around the anus. Just gently pushing it up against the external muscle makes the entire thing quiver and tingle, and feels quite lovely. It almost makes you wish there was a way to use it internally, and as luck would have it I’ve seen photos of a prototype cap for the No.3 by Nexus, which would turn the Doxy into a prostate massager, and frankly I love that idea.
The Doxy can of course be used for non-sexual purposes, merely as an all-purpose massager. Pressing it into various areas of the body, especially around the back and neck, does feel quite soothing and therapeutic, so I’d definitely recommend trying it. One thing people may be concerned with is the weight of the Number 3, due to the all metal body, as I have heard stories of people’s arms growing tired whilst using the Die Cast. I have to say though that I never experienced any problems, and found the Doxy quite comfortable to use the entire time.
With regard to noise, the Doxy is louder than many other vibrators; something which naturally comes with being a mains powered toy, but the volume of it is acceptable. In my experience it can be heard faintly on the other side of standard modern bedroom door, but not through a thin partition wall, especially if there’s furniture up against it, so I wouldn’t be too concerned about using it if you’re sharing your accommodation.
I have to say, on the whole I do really like the Doxy Number 3. The only slight drawback for me is that it’s not more rumbly, as those are the vibrations I crave more than any other. The Doxy does an absolutely fantastic job though, and has many uses, and has delivered many great orgasms in the process of testing it. I would have no hesitation is recommending it to any of my readers.
Thanks so much to Doxy for sending me one to review, the Number 3 is available from: Lovehoney UK, Lovehoney EU, Lovehoney US, Lovehoney Australia, SexToys.co.uk, and SheVibe
Babes ‘n’ Horny – The Mack Dildo
It’s like 1996 all over again. I can hear it already, ♪ Return of the Mack. ♪
Hey everybody! I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year. Sorry for my absence so far in 2018 but I’m currently far away avoiding the continuing Winter weather, and shan’t be back until next month.
Thanks to the miracle of post queuing I had the foresight to line up a few reviews to fill the gap, so let’s get on with this one!
The Mack is my first dildo from Babes ‘n’ Horny, a London-based company that’s been supplying the UK with hand-poured artisan sex toys since all the way back in 1993. With 25 years experience honing their craft I was pretty excited to get my hands on one and put it through its paces.
Never being one to start small, the Mack is a whopper of a dildo. There’s simply no getting around that. It’s a serious chunk of silicone, all 721 grams of it to be precise. At 10” in total length, and with a base diameter of 4 ½” you can start to get an idea of just how big it actually is.
Sitting on the table across from me it towers over everything, with a staggering lean that makes Pisa look positively vertical. It’s this unusual shape that makes the Mack unique. It’s like the tusk of a baby elephant, starting small at its rounded tip, and getting ever wider as it curves down towards the base.
At the narrow end it measures 4 ½” in circumference, while at the widest useable section it’s an incredible 9”, effectively doubling in size.
The shape does make the dildo especially good at one thing, and that’s in use as a training tool. The slow gentle taper, combined with the curve in the shaft, helps it to both work its way deeper into the body than you might ordinarily be able to manage, and gradually dilate the sphincter muscle to accommodate wider toys. It’s very useful as a practice toy if you’re interested in testing your limits.
In terms of a dildo to thrust with I’d say the Mack definitely has a learning curve, and it’s something you have to figure out along the way. The first mistake that I made was trying to insert as much of it as I could right at the very beginning, and then once I tried to thrust with it I found that I couldn’t really feel anything. The problem with this approach is that once you’re down near the thick base of the dildo you’ve completely loosened up and relaxed your sphincter, so by the time you start pulling it out again the thinner sections of the shaft fail to make any contact with the areas where you want there to be sensation.
The trick I found was to only insert as much of the dildo as you need for one good stroke, and then it performs more in line with what you might expect. As with any curved dildo there are two main orientations in which you can use it, curved towards the spine, or curved towards the prostate. With it positioned for the latter I found that the prominent ridge on the head was especially effective at simulating the prostate. It seemed to favour short shallow thrusts, and you could really feel the shape of the head intensely rubbing back and forth to a very pleasurable effect.
With the Mack positioned the other way around it really benefited from being used a little deeper. This time it was that impressive girth of the shaft that was really pressing up against the whole prostate every time the bottom of a thrust was reached. It’s a slightly different sensation to the pinpoint intensity of the ridge, but it feels equally as good and it’s always nice to have the option of each.
One downside to the unwieldy size of the Mack is that it’s somewhat awkward for solo use. You’re more or less relegated to placing it on a surface and riding it, because the weight and shape of the base doesn’t make it comfortable to hold. Even when riding it I found that the base would rarely sit flat against the surface it was resting on, because in that position the curve felt too extreme for comfortable use, so it ended up tilted forwards onto one of its edges.
What I do imagine the Mack is great for though is pegging, because that base is going to fit extremely securely into an O-ring harness, and the whole thing will hang down more naturally from the body at just the right angle. You are going to want a secure harness though, as the weight of the Mack requires serious support.
The Mack is a really nicely made toy, so I can definitely attest to the quality of Babes ‘n’ Horny products. As with anything that’s completely handmade there are a few little peculiarities, such as the odd bump or divot that doesn’t seem as though it’s supposed to be there, but it’s really very minor.
The dildos are available in practically every colour that you can imagine. I got mine in this stunning shade of red, which I’d hoped to show off more, but the high gloss finish is so shiny that I could barely get the camera on my phone to focus on it!
The Mack isn’t cheap, but if you want to make an investment in a dildo you can grab one from their website.
Je Joue Classic Bullet Vibe
Now that Autumn seems firmly upon us, I hope everyone had a great Summer and made the most of whatever good weather there was. This month Je Joue have launched a trio of exciting new bullet vibes, and they reached out to me to see if I’d like to review one. I’m always keen to support companies that hail from right here in the land of tea and crumpets, so naturally I said yes, and you can catch the review below!
Je Joue has been around since 2008, and despite them being a British company this is actually my first time reviewing one of their products, so it’s one of those rare reviews where I start off with no preconceptions.
Their new range of bullets consists of the Classic, the G-Spot, and the Rabbit, and their names more or less tell you what you need to know about them. I opted for the Classic as it seemed the most appropriate for my uses. The G-Spot has a similar design, but a little longer and with an angled tip for insertion, but not really anal-safe, while the Rabbit has two little “ears” at the top, similar to a design I’ve enjoyed in the Jimmy Jane Form 2.
Probably the first thing worth noting about the Classic is that it’s a little bigger than your typical bullet vibes, such as the RO-80mm from Rocks Off, or the We-Vibe Tango, so it’s not going to be fitting inside the bullet holes of any of your toys. This does limit its applications somewhat, but if you find those vibes a little fiddly in your hands then then added size here could help.
The basic design of the Classic is pretty much what you’d expect from a bullet, although it does slightly remind me of a half-smoked cigar, with its extra girth and contrasting flat and tapered ends. One nice feature about the Classic is that the hard plastic body is covered with a plush velvety silicone with a matte finish. The entire tapered end appears to be made from this silicone, with the plastic body not extending into it, which gives a nice squishy tip to it. At the very end of the vibe a silicone flap conceals a USB charging port, and when it’s in place the bullet is completely waterproof.
The Classic has five speeds and seven different patterns to choose from, and these are selected with three buttons on the side of the bullet, positioned near to the base. Holding the (+) button turns on the bullet, and each subsequent press increases the power, while pressing the (-) decreases the power, and holding it turns the bullet off again. A button marked (S) is used to cycle through the patterns.
At its lowest setting the Classic feels quite rumbly, and when you press it against the body you can feel the vibrations penetrating deeply. As you start to increase the power, however, the story changes. As the strength of the vibrations becomes more intense, they also become more buzzy, and that deep penetrating vibration becomes a shallow surface sensation. It’s definitely a powerful vibrator, it’s just not powerful in the way that I’d like it. As someone who enjoys using vibrators on the penis, I find a deep rumbly vibration that penetrates into the tissue much more satisfying than vibrations which only tickle the surface skin, so this did dash my hopes a little.
The patterns consist of a few different sequences of pulses going at various speeds, combined with a couple where the intensity of the vibrations gradually ramps up and down, and these are always fun to play around with. I’d call these the tried and tested vibration patterns, as it seems to be the ones you encounter most often, with nothing too out of the ordinary.
In all of its modes the Classic remains pretty quiet, which is always a bonus. It’s not going to draw the attention of anyone on the other side of a door or thin partition wall, so you can use it quite discreetly.
In terms of use the Classic is a good little vibrator, and very enjoyable, despite not being as rumbly as I’d like. The soft matte silicone felt very comfortable against the skin, and glided smoothly against it, allowing for a manual stimulation of the frenulum in conjunction with the vibrations. I found that this technique worked well with the bullet on constant at the lowest power setting, and felt quite pleasurable, but it also felt satisfying to hold the bullet stationary and experiment with the patterns at a higher intensity level, as this produced a broader spectrum of sensations. As the power ramps up with each pulse it goes through the full range of that low rumble through to the strong buzz, so you get a little taste of everything, and that uniqueness certainly helps to make up for its other shortcomings. Although at times I did find myself craving more of that rumbly power that I get from some of my other vibrators, I had no trouble climaxing with the Je Joue Classic, it just felt a little more drawn out.
The big question for this review, really, is whether or not I’d recommend this bullet, and for that I have to bring out the We-Vibe Tango, because the Tango has become the benchmark against which I judge all bullets. In a market that’s saturated with a wide array of different vibrators, it’s imperative to compare and contrast what you’re getting at any given price point. The Je Joue Classic retails for around £45 – £50, depending on where you’re shopping, which puts it in direct competition with the Tango, which is available for £50 – £55, and this I feel is where the problem lies. By itself the Classic is a good enough vibrator, it’s waterproof, it’s rechargeable, it offers a selection of different patterns, but at the end of the day it’s no Tango. It simply lacks that sheer deep rumbling power that the Tango puts out, and for the sake of £5 the Tango would be the one you’d want to go for every time. As much as I’d like to tell you to go out and support a British brand, if you’re looking to squeeze out every last bang for your buck, then I’m afraid this isn’t the bullet.
Pulse III Solo
Happy New Year to all my lovely readers, and what better way to kick off 2017 than with a brand new review for everybody’s favourite ‘guybrator’ manufacturer, and XBIZ Award-winning Boutique Pleasure Products Company of the Year, Hot Octopuss!
Sticking to what seems to be their two-year development cycle, the guys at Hot Octopuss have just launched the third iteration of their much acclaimed Pulse, and they’ve kindly sent over a Pulse III Solo for me to test out. So, without any further ado…
The original Pulse first launched back in 2013, as a challenger to then market leader in male vibrators, the Cobre Libre by Fun Factory, and it quickly became one of my favourite toys. The following year, reinforcing that competition drives innovation, we were treated to Fun Factory’s answer in the form of the revamped Cobra Libre II, and then only months later Hot Octopuss returned to us with their line up of new Pulse II models. I remarked back then that 2015 was a good year to own a penis, and indeed it was, but two years down the line the question is what new heights are Hot Octopuss about to take us to with the Pulse III? I know I’m excited to find out.
The Pulse III builds directly on the advancements of its immediate predecessor, the Pulse II, and represents a straight evolution of the original concept, though this time the change is far less of a leap than from the Pulse to the Pulse II.
The biggest shake up in the previous generation was that it introduced separate “Solo” and “Duo” models aimed at slightly different markets, and the Pulse III maintains this distinction. The original Pulse offered multifunctionality aimed at couples play, while still primarily being a toy for the man, and it did this by offering a secondary point of vibration which could stimulate a female partner during use. The Duo models represent the point of continuity with this concept and are most consistent with the original design, while the Solo units have dispensed with this aspect altogether, instead moving towards a focus solely on individual pleasure.
Today I’m going to be once again looking at the Solo version of the latest Pulse, which has the welcome advantage of being slightly less expensive than the Duo. I’m pleased that they’re maintained this divergence in the design, because who wants to be paying for a feature they won’t be using?
So what exactly is the Pulse III Solo? I’ve been speaking so far with the assumption that everyone has read one of my earlier reviews and has a general understanding of the nature of these products, but for the benefit of those coming to this afresh. The Pulse is a vibrating male masturbatory aid, or a ‘Guybrator’ to use the term they’ve coined, and it’s one of the very very few vibrators aimed specifically at men. It differs from nearly all other male masturbators on the market, such as your Fleshjacks and Tengas, because it takes the conventional thinking about how men get off and turns it on its head. Most male sex toys aim to replicate the natural sexual experience as closely as possible, that is they involve the penis being thrust inside something in order to stimulate it to the point of orgasm. The Pulse on the other hand requires absolutely no motion on the part of the user, and brings him to climax via the use of powerful vibrations targeted directly at the most sensitive part of the penis. For any man who’s experienced the joys of vibrator use before then it probably doesn’t seem that revolutionary, but within the realm of male sex toys it really is.
The design of the Pulse III closely follows on from the Pulse II, employing the same shape and the same materials, and with no notable difference in the size. Unfortunately that does mean that it maintains Pulse II’s smaller opening into which you place your penis, compared to the original model, which is something I’ll come back to. The central channel is where the “Pulse Plate” lies, and this is the piece of technology which produces the vibrations, or to be more accurate, the oscillations. It’s strategically located to make contact with the sensitive underside of the penis, where the nerve-rich frenulum is located. The channel isn’t entirely enclosed, and is flanked by two flexible silicone “wings” which adapt to accommodate the size of penis placed between them. It’s quite a stylish toy on the whole, and it’s well made from quality body-safe materials such as silicone and ABS plastic.
To use the Pulse III you first begin by inserting your penis into the channel, and what’s quite beautiful about the whole way the product is engineered is that doesn’t really matter what state your penis is in, be it hard or soft, circumcised or intact, with the foreskin retracted or not. It’s functional in all situations, which is beneficial to anyone who might suffer from erectile dysfunction or a tight foreskin, for example, which limits their ability to use other toys, or be intimate with a partner. One thing that does carry over from the Pulse II is that the channel is still on the smaller side, and that bodes less well for more endowed men, specifically men with more girth, or in this case a wider penis. The flexible silicone wings feel noticeably snug around the penis, and they have the same problem as in the first two models, whereby they’re only flexible in their top half. I’m going to briefly quote myself as explanation.
One thing I did notice though is that the “wings” are flexible mainly at the top half, and not towards the bottom, so while the top section can become almost infinitely wider the bottom of the channel always retains the same semi-circular shape. Where this could cause an issue is that most penises don’t have a completely circular cross-section and are wider from left to right than from top to bottom, so depending on the size and shape of the penis you may find that once inserted to the fullest extent the shaft may hover above the Pulse Plate without actually making direct contact. This probably won’t be an issue for most people, but if your penis is very wide in one direction, and not so much in the other, then it’s worth bearing in mind.
Like many I happen to have a penis which is wider in one axis than the other, and the narrower channel does exacerbate the issue of flexibility with the wings. Instead of my penis lying completely level and flat along the channel, the pressure from the wings causes it to twist to try to conform with the narrow space, breaking optimal alignment with the Pulse Plate. The only way to really deal with this is to manually push the head of my penis down into the Pulse Plate and hold it in place, which works but which isn’t ideal if you were going for a hands-free experience. From my experience this size of channel is less than optimal, but again perhaps there’s some evidence which shows it’s more suited to the penis size of a greater number of people, and it’s not enough to be a deal-breaker either way.
To turn the Pulse III on you hold down the button on the left hand side and it jumps into a constant vibration mode at its lowest intensity. It’s a very powerful deep rumbly vibration, and from here you can either adjust the strength of the intensity using the + and – buttons on the right hand side of the Pulse, or as with the Pulse II you can cycle through 5 different vibration patterns by pressing the power button. There’s also a brand new “Turbo Function” whereby you can skip directly to the most powerful vibration setting. The strength of the vibrations is truly impressive; they penetrate deep into the shaft and can be felt all the way down to the pubic bone, and they even have the effect of making the penis appear blurry at times because the whole organ itself begins to vibrate. This “total vibration” is one of the most unique features of the Pulse III, because although the vibrations are being applied directly at the frenulum, they don’t simply feel localised here, but can be felt all over. Feeling every inch of your penis vibrating is fascinating, and entirely new, not to mention intensely pleasurable. It’s miles away from conventional masturbation, and it’s this whole new world of sensation which makes it all the more interesting. What really makes it special though is the patterns; the ability to experience a good rhythm of vibrations takes the experience to another level, and you have a choice of slow or faster, as well as a couple of more elaborate patterns. Because the vibrations from the Pulse are so strong it does run the risk of overwhelming you at times – especially as the Pulse III is now 25% more powerful – so if you want a long drawn out session of pleasure, then you have to be careful that it doesn’t push you over the edge too soon. If you do manage to get it just right, and have an extended period of foreplay with the toy, then the orgasm that it rewards you with is quite explosive at the end, and definitely worth it.
The one major drawback of the toy is the noise. It’s not a subtle device at all, and that could be problematic for a lot of people. It sounds like a little lawnmower engine chugging away, and is liable to rouse suspicion if you live in close quarters with others. I know I’d have trouble relaxing if I was using it and I knew there was someone on the other side of a thin partition wall. The noise has been an ongoing issue with the Pulse since the very start, and frankly it’s a little disappointing that it’s not something they’ve been able to address. It was easy to overlook in the very first model, less so in the Pulse II, but by the third generation it’s hard to excuse.
Another point I do want to raise about the Pulse III is regarding the buttons. They’re smaller than on the original Pulse, and much stiffer too, which can make them awkward to push. The upside is that they’re less likely to go off in your luggage, but they can be a struggle to operate while your penis is in the device, and this goes doubly if your penis doesn’t quite fit in it properly and you’re already using one hand to secure it in the right position. I mostly raise this with the thought of people with dexterity issues, however, because for everything the Pulse does to aid those who struggle sexually the buttons could trip them up.
The Pulse III is a fully rechargeable toy and it comes with a USB cable which now clips onto a magnetic charging port at the rear. This is a really convenient feature and a welcome upgrade, and the other advantage is that it’s 100% waterproof, which makes it far easier to clean afterwards.
I have to say that on the whole the Pulse III feels like a huge leap forward compared to the original Pulse, but only a relatively minor step up from the Pulse II, and therein lies the dilemma. I’m impressed by how the guys at Hot Octopuss keep on working to improve their device, perfecting it a little more each time, but you have to wonder who it’s aimed at. If you don’t already have a Pulse, then I wholeheartedly recommend that you buy the Pulse III. If you own an Original Pulse, then the Pulse III is well worth the upgrade. If you have the Pulse II, however, I honestly can’t say that there’s enough there to justify buying a new one. The Pulse III is more like a Pulse 2.5 in this regard, it tinkers around the edges, but there’s nothing added which you absolutely need to have. It’s not like a smartphone where there’s a genuine incentive to make the transition every time.
The Pulse III is once again a more polished device, and I love the strong vibrations and exciting patterns it offers. I definitely think that every guy should try one. My only caveat would still be to guys with a thicker (wider) penis, because if the original Pulse or Pulse II felt too snug for you then the Pulse III will only maintain that frustration.
Thanks to Hot Octopuss for providing me with the Pulse III Solo to review, and you can buy it directly from them, as well as any of the fine retailers I have links to on my blog, Including SheVibe, Lovehoney UK, Bondara, and Lovehoney U.S.