[Update: As of March 2021, the Queen Bee has been discontinued. Dead links have been removed. However, I’m leaving this post up for informational purposes.]

I’ve been wanting to try the Queen Bee from Hot Octopuss (who I love), ever since I saw the prototype last Eroticon. With the Queen Bee, HO have created a toy for vulvas using the same “PulsePlate” technology as their revolutionary Pulse for penis-owners.

In their words: “Unlike conventional sex toys, the Queen Bee uses a ‘piston’-type mechanism in order to generate extremely deep and rumbly oscillations.” Basically, it oscillates rather than vibrates.

Now, I am a lover of broad clitoral stimulation – pinpoint does it for me sometimes, but I have to be careful with it as it can cross into being painful really quickly. Toys with big heads that stimulate the whole clitoris and vulva are really where it’s at for me. There’s a reason the original Doxy is my favourite thing in the world, folks.

My experience with the Queen Bee each time I’ve used it was one of a slow-build orgasm. This isn’t a “get me off in 2 minutes from cold so I can sleep” toy, but more of a “luxurious, long, slow session that ends with an orgasm so explosive my partner can hear it from the other end of the house” toy. I love it. It’s staying in the little pile of toys I reach for regularly.

My Ratings (all scores out of 5★)

Price: ★★
The Queen Bee retails for £119 from Hot Octopuss directly. I do think it’s quite expensive and generally struggle to justify the cost of toys that are over £100. Don’t forget you can use my exclusive code, CK10, for 10% off before the end of December!

Materials: ★★★
The material is TPE, which I will admit put me off initially as this tends to be a porous material. However, Hot Octopuss uses medical-grade, non-porous TPE that can be thoroughly sanitised. When I asked my contact about this, they provided a handy info-sheet which is really thorough and reassuring. This transparency, combined with Dangerous Lilly’s endorsement, gives me full confidence to say that this toy is made of a body-safe material.

It doesn’t have quite the sensual smoothness of silicone and it’s reasonably firm. The material is unfortunately a little grabby against the skin, so a spot of water-based lube really enhances the experience. (Then again, when DOESN’T lube make something better?)

Appearance: ★★
No pink in sight! The Queen Bee is a dark steely grey and looks a bit like a hairbrush. It’s not a beautiful or even a pretty toy. The whole look of this toy just screams “I MEAN BUSINESS, I AM NOT HERE TO BE DECORATIVE.”

Ease of Use: ★★★
Opinions in the blogosphere vary over this one, but I find the Queen Bee’s controls reasonably easy and intuitive to use. It has 4 buttons in a line: On/Off, pattern change, speed up and speed down. They’re easy to press and I found it easy to change the setting mid-use without breaking my flow.

One thing I noticed when using the Queen Bee was that I didn’t have to press it hard against my vulva to get the most out of the stimulation it provides. In fact, the sensation was much stronger and more satisfying when I held it lightly against my body. That’s a pretty big problem if you like pressure or being able to push against a toy in use.

Ease of care & cleaning: ★★
The Queen Bee is fully waterproof, making it easy to clean with soap and warm water for thorough sanitising. You can also clean it with a body-safe sterile wipe (I buy mine in bulk from medical suppliers.) 

The Queen Bee does have a huuuuuuuge seam where the oscillating plate joins the rest of the toy. Fluids and bacteria could easily get trapped here, so be extra thorough around this area when cleaning it. For this reason, I’d hesitate to share it without a barrier in a non fluid-bonded relationship. You could use it through a dam or other barrier, but I can only imagine that would dampen the intensity of the oscillations.

Versatility: ★★
The Queen Bee has six different settings – constant and five different patterns – as well as multiple speed options to choose from. I found even the lower speeds quite rumbly and satisfying, though it did take the top speed to get me off. The Queen Bee is also waterproof, if taking your toys in the bath or shower with you is your thing.

It’s advertised as having a “gentle warm up massage” sensation if you use the back of the toy (opposite the PulsePlate) but I think this is really a stretch – it didn’t feel like anything at all and probably won’t to anyone but the extremely sensitive.

As it looks like a hairbrush, I kind of want to use it as a spanking tool, but I don’t recommend actually trying this as it might damage the oscillating mechanism.

Intensity: ★★★
It’s difficult to compare the Queen Bee, an oscillating toy, against a conventional vibrator, so I am going to resist doing so. Let’s just say it’s pleasingly rumbly on the lowest settings and moderately powerful on the higher ones! I enjoyed using it but I wanted more from it.

Overall Score: ★★
Meh? I was hoping for more from this, given how amazing Hot Octopuss’s toys for penises are supposed to be.

The Queen Bee definitely won’t do it for everyone. If you like pinpoint stim exclusively, this isn’t the toy for you. If you like pressure, it definitely won’t work for you because pressure stops the oscillations from working properly. But if you like broad sensations and are looking for something a bit different to classic vibrations, you might find it suits you.

One final thing of note: MY GOD this thing is loud! Now I don’t really mind toys being loud as much as some people do, because I live with my intimate partner and have no housemates, kids or family at home. But seriously, this fucker is enragingly loud. If you’re easily distracted by noise, skip it. If you live with other people and need a discreet toy, this is not it.

Thank you to Hot Octopuss for sending me the Queen Bee in exchange for an honest review. This post contains affiliate links. Header image courtesy of Hot Octopuss and reproduced here with their permission.