Tag: oscillating toys

Honey Play Box review of TICKLER - header image with a red flower

[Toy Review] Honey Play Box TICKLER

Published on by Amy

I’ve reviewed a few Honey Play Box products before, including the bestselling Oly and a pair of tongue vibrators. They offer a large catalogue of products including vulva toys, penis toys, kink and BDSM gear, app controlled toys, and more. I’m pleased to be back with another Honey Play Box review this week: this time, we’re looking at the TICKLER rabbit vibrator.

Honey Play Box TICKLER

Product image of TICKLER rabbit vibrator for Honey Play Box review

The Honey Play Box TICKLER (or the TICKLER Wiggling G-Spot Vibrator & Tapping Clitoral Stimulator, to give it its full and rather ostentatious title) is a rabbit style toy. The shaft features two round, firm balls that move up and down, and the clitoral stimulator features another ball that makes a rapid tapping motion. Its shaft also vibrates.

The TICKLER measures 8.9″ in total length (just under 5″ insertable) and 1.65″ in diameter at the widest point. It weighs around 270g.

The TICKLER is made of body-safe bright red silicone with ABS plastic accents and button panel. It’s also available in black. It is IPX6 waterproof (able to withstand powerful water jets, but not submersible) and USB rechargeable.

I will confess that upon unboxing the TICKLER, I immediately sent a picture to a friend with a joke about the balls on the shaft. On first glance, I found the design somewhat baffling and couldn’t work out quite how it would feel. I’ll give it this, though: it’s different. And toys that are a bit different, innovative or creative always spark my curiosity.

Things I Like About the TICKLER

Product image of TICKLER rabbit vibrator for Honey

Despite my initial scepticism, I did find a lot to like about the Honey Play Box TICKLER. I confess I find one standard rabbit vibrator much the same as any other, and often lacklustre (with a few notable exceptions). So encountering one that’s genuinely a bit different had me excited to try it out.

With that in mind, what did I like about the Honey Play Box TICKLER?

  • The silicone is lovely and soft. It’s quite matte, so plenty of lube is important, but it feels high quality and nice to the touch.
  • The shaft is well-designed for G-spot stimulation, with a slight curve, a gentle taper, and just enough firmness.
  • The clitoral stimulator is very flexible. This makes it easy to position the toy correctly for your anatomy and comfort.
  • Once the toy is correctly positioned, the moving internal balls actually feel really good. I’m not sure I would describe the sensation as the product copy does – “pinching and releasing.” But I might describe it as a kind of rolling internal massage.
  • I love, love, love the tapping clitoral stimulator! It feels somewhat like a very rumbly vibrator, but actually reminds me more of many of the oscillating toys I’ve tried. The stimulation it offers is deep, getting right down into the tissue of the internal clit, and deeply satisfying.
  • You can use any of the three settings – vibrations, clitoral tapping, and rolling balls – together, separately, or in any combination. This makes the toy far more versatile and allows people who only enjoy certain types of stimulation to enjoy it. (For example, many people do not find internal vibrations pleasurable.)
  • There are an impressive 10 vibration settings (3 constant speeds and 7 patterns), 10 clitoral tapping settings (4 speeds and 6 patterns), and 10 ball massaging settings (3 speeds and 7 patterns) to choose from.
  • The buttons are well placed and easy to press.
  • The toy was delivered discreetly packaged, and presented inside a sturdy box with a pretty design on it.

Overall? Excellent.

Anything I Didn’t Like?

Product image of TICKLER rabbit vibrator for Honey

With all of those good things said, there were a few things about the TICKLER that didn’t work so well for me:

  • The battery life isn’t great. You’ll get around 1 hour of use out of a 2.5 hour charge.
  • The noise. The clitoral stimulator and vibrations are fine, but the massage balls make a horrible high pitched squeaking noise that’s intensely grating.
  • The vibrations in the shaft are very buzzy and numb me out quickly.
  • I wish the buttons were a bit bigger or a bit more clearly marked.
  • The shape and positioning of the balls makes it a bit of a nightmare to clean, especially as you can’t submerse it. I recommend using a body-safe sterile wipe to make sure you’ve got any bodily fluids out of all the creases and crevices, then rinsing it off with gentle soap and water.

TICKLER by Honey Play Box Review: Verdict

This strange little design is far more effective than I thought it would be on first glance! It has a lot to recommend it and is reasonably priced. If you enjoy rabbit vibrators and are looking for a dual stimulation toy with a little something different to offer, the TICKLER is a great pick.

The TICKLER retails for £59.99. You can use code COFFEE for 15% off this and any other product sitewide.

This Honey Play Box review was sponsored, meaning the company paid me to write a fair and honest review. Sponsorship helps to keep the site going and allows me to keep bringing you honest and sex-positive content. All views are, as always, my own.

Header image for Hot Octopuss Pulse Queen review

[Toy Review] Hot Octopuss Pulse Queen

Published on by Amy

Those of you who have been floating about in the sex geekery space for some time may remember the Hot Octopuss Queen Bee which hit the market in 2017. Hot Octopuss rose to fame for their Pulse, an innovative penis toy which draws on medical technology that uses oscillation to enable ejaculation in people with severe spinal cord injuries. Pretty cool no? The Pulse can be used on either a hard or flaccid dick and was a major breakthrough in accessible toy design that centres disabled people.

Following that success, Hot Octopuss naturally wanted to offer something for vulvas, too. That’s where the Queen Bee came in. Unfortunately, the Queen Bee – while great in theory – fell short in a number of key areas. It was loud as fuck, kinda ugly, and stopped working if you applied any significant pressure. I didn’t hate it as much as some bloggers did, but I was highly underwhelmed.

For all these reasons, when I learned that Hot Octopuss had released a brand new and improved toy for vulvas, I couldn’t wait to try it out. Meet the Hot Octopuss Pulse Queen.

What is the Hot Octopuss Pulse Queen?

Hot Octopuss Pulse Queen

The Hot Octopuss Pulse Queen is described as “the world’s first wand with PulsePlate Technology™.” It’s not really a wand in the traditional sense, and its shape is similar to that of many clitoral suction toys. It is a clitoral stimulator that uses high-amplitude oscillations rather than vibrations to deliver deep and rumbly sensations.

The Pulse Queen is made of body-safe silicone (with a plastic control panel on the back) in an attractive shade of turquoise – one of my favourite colours! It is rechargeable, waterproof, and comes with a storage bag.

What I Like About the Pulse Queen

Buckle in, because I have a LOT to say about the things I love about this toy.

Hot Octopuss Pulse Queen

  • The deep, rumbly stimulation makes me cum fast and reliably and hard. It’s like all the best things about a super rumbly vibrator, only… better. Mains-powered wands are the only other type of toy I’ve ever tried that provide stimulation like this. The orgasms I have with this thing feel inevitable, like it’s going to pull them from me even with minimal effort on my part. Without putting too fine a point on it, heartbreak-induced depression hasn’t exactly been making me feel very sexy lately. But with this toy I can push through that and have an orgasm even when my head isn’t entirely in the game.
  • The shape of the oscillating head. It tapers to a gentle point, offering targeted clitoral stimulation. Prefer a broader sensation? Just tilt it slightly to the side and use the edge rather than the tip.
  • The toy is light and the curved handle makes it comfortable and ergonomic to hold. I can use this for much longer than I can use a wand before I start getting hand or wrist cramps. Joan Price, one of my absolute icons in the sex ed and sex positivity world, specifically calls out this toy as “good for arthritic wrists.”
  • The dual speed controls mean you can scroll up and down through speeds as you like, and a third button allows you to switch between oscillation settings. There are six patterns as well as constant oscillation. I could live without the patterns but, thanks to the easy and intuitive controls, I don’t hate that they’re there. Each setting has an impressive 9 intensity levels to choose from.
  • The buttons are well placed, easy to press, and satisfyingly clicky. They’re also large enough and have distinctive enough shapes that it’s easy to feel for them without looking and press the right one. No risk of hitting the wrong one at the wrong moment and accidentally ruining your orgasm.
  • It is fully waterproof. This means it’s easy to clean as well as enabling you to use it in the bath or shower, if you want to. (Not really my thing, but it might be yours!)
  • Though it’s designed with clits in mind, I am reliably informed it also feels great on penises.
  • It’s really pretty! Seriously, did I mention how pretty it is?

Anything I Didn’t Like?

The Pulse Queen is significantly quieter than the Queen Bee, but it’s still pretty loud. Something to be aware of if you have family or roommates at home. It’s probably no louder than a typical wand but for some reason it feels more grating to me. It might be the frequency, or it might just be the dissonance of the toy’s small size with its noise output. Either way, I can live with it but I don’t love it.

Hot Octopuss Pulse Queen

The battery life isn’t great, offering around 40 minutes of runtime on a full charge. It’s not a huge problem considering that this thing typically gets me off in under five minutes. But it does mean you’ll need to remember to charge the toy regularly if you’re using it a lot (which, erm, I am!) It may also be a problem for those who take longer to reach orgasm.

It’s also worth noting that, like the Queen Bee, the Pulse Queen also stops oscillating if I press it too hard against my vulva. This is probably just a feature of this type of technology and basically unavoidable. It’s worth noting if you prefer a lot of pressure, though.

I also have to have a small gripe about the gendered language here. Does it really have to be called a “Queen”?

Hot Octopuss Pulse Queen: Verdict

The Pulse Queen is, despite some small issues, one of the best new sex toys I have tried in a very long time. It’s an incredible upgrade on the Queen Bee in every way. Honestly I’m hesitant to even call it an upgrade. Naming conventions and passingly similar concept aside, it’s pretty much an entirely new toy. And it’s so, so, so fucking good.

This is how you do an oscillating toy for vulvas.

The Hot Octopuss Pulse Queen retails for £99.95 (and $99.95.)

Thanks to Hot Octopuss for sponsoring this review. This means that they paid me to write a fair and balanced review. All opinions and writing are, as always, my own.

Header image for a review of the Sohimi Mini Tongue Vibrator

[Toy Review] Sohimi Mini Tongue Vibrator

Published on by Amy

[Update 31/10/23: this toy appears to have been discontinued. Dead links have been removed accordingly.]

There are some sex acts that are relatively easy to mimic with toys, such as penetrative sex. There are others which are more difficult, though companies have tried valiantly – the blowjob being one such example. And then there are acts that it is seemingly impossible to replicate with a toy. Exhibit A: cunnilingus.

Suction toys have claimed for years that they simulate oral sex. Toys like the Sqweel have tried and, if the reviews are to be believed, largely failed. Today I’m reviewing the Sohimi Mini Tongue Vibrator, another toy that claims to simulate cunnilingus. But how did it fare? Let’s find out!

Sohimi Mini Tongue Vibrator

The Sohimi Tongue Vibrator is a mini clit tickler toy, featuring a large rounded base topped with a small flickering tongue. When the toy is on, the tongue oscillates or flicks rapidly back and forth.

Sohimi Mini Tongue Vibrator purple clitoral vibrator
Image credit: Sohimi

When I unboxed this toy, the first thing that struck me was how small it is. Yes, I know it’s called a mini vibrator, but I wasn’t expecting it to be quite this small. It measures a petite 3″ in height and 2″ in diameter. The tongue is about 1″ long. Thanks to its tiny size, it is super light and fits neatly in my small hand.

The best way I can describe this toy is to say that it reminds me of a cross between a flower and one of those plastic candles with artificial flames that you get on restaurant tables.

Sohimi tongue vibrator for women and people with vulvas

The Sohimi Mini Tongue Vibrator is 100% waterproof and rechargeable via the included USB charging base. It is made of body-safe and surprisingly soft matte silicone in an attractive shade of purple. And yes, it’s definitely real silicone!

Does it feel like cunnilingus?

I… no.

The thing about cunnilingus is that it’s not just about the back and forth flicking sensation of a tongue. It’s actually a combination of many different sensations – the warmth and wetness of a lover’s mouth, the feel of their hot breath on your bits, that moment when they bury their whole face between your legs as if they want to devour you. So much of what makes cunnilingus great just cannot be replicated with a toy.

So no, the Sohimi Mini Tongue Vibrator does not really feel like oral sex. But that doesn’t mean it’s a bad toy.

But does it feel good?

Yes, it actually does!

Given how choosy my clit is and how much of a power-queen I tend to be, I was a little skeptical to begin with. Would a tiny little clitoral vibrator costing $27 be able to do anything for me?

Well, I am happy to report that it did! The flickering motion feels fantastic and distinctly different from a traditional vibrator. The tongue is structured yet flexible, so it’s ideal for those who love pinpoint stimulation but want something a bit gentler than a hard plastic vibrator.

Flickering tongue vibrator clitoral sex toy

It took a little experimenting to get it right. My clitoral glans is extremely sensitive and direct stimulation is usually too intense to be pleasurable. In the end, I discovered that the most pleasurable way for me to use the Mini Tongue Vibrator was to allow the tongue to flicker against the side of my clit. (The left side is more pleasurable on my body, don’t ask me why.) So if you get one of these, take the time to experiment and try out different placements to see what works for you.

Pro tip: this is a toy that you really need to use lube with. Without it (even when I was quite wet) I found the tongue flicking action uncomfortable. Add a very generous blob of water-based lube to the tongue itself and/or your vulva before you start, and reapply as necessary.

Controls and Interface

The Sohimi Mini Tongue Vibrator operates on a one-button interface, which sits in the centre of the toy’s base and is easy to press. Hold it for two seconds to turn on, cycle through the patterns with quick presses, then hold it for a further two seconds to turn off.

The Mini Tongue Vibrator has 10 settings total: 3 constant speeds and 7 patterns. I think it’s well-known by now that I don’t generally care for patterns much. This is a “stick it on the highest constant setting and leave it there” toy for me.

Other Important Info

The Mini Tongue Vibrator is certainly not a silent toy, but its volume is well within the range of what I consider acceptable. It makes the same kind of low, consistent buzz as a mid-powered vibrator.

It’s also worth being aware that this toy isn’t really one that you can press hard into your vulva (or you can, but the flickering motion will be severely impeded.) Too much pressure and it will stop flicking or slow down a lot.

The pictures on the website seem to imply you can use this toy internally. Which, obviously, I had to try. The verdict? You technically can, but it probably won’t do anything. The tongue is so short that it can’t get even an inch inside the vagina so, unless you particularly enjoy stimulation right at your entrance, this is an external-only toy.

Final Verdict

I’m going to declare this one “surprisingly good for the price!” No, it doesn’t feel like cunnilingus, but it provides something a bit different to a standard vibrator that still feels really good. It’s also small, portable, and body-safe.

The Sohimi Mini Tongue Vibrator retails for $26.99.

Thanks to Sohimi Sex Toys for sponsoring this review. I was paid to provide my honest and unbiased thoughts – all opinions are my own.

Header image for Zumio S review

[Toy Review] Zumio S

Published on by Amy1 Comment

Those of you who have been reading my work for some time may remember that I tried the original Zumio last year. I’d had extremely high hopes for it, as it was touted as The Ultimate Clitoral Toy and, well, clit stimulation is my jam. But I loved it much less than I hoped/expected to, and ultimately it’s sat in my sex toy stash drawers unused for the last year. I just didn’t get on with it

Therefore, when Zumio approached me to review their new S model – designed for those who are more sensitive or didn’t enjoy the intensity of the original model – how could I say no?

S is for… Stats

The Zumio S follows broadly the same model as the original Zumio. It features the trademarked SpiroTIP, a very small head which works not by vibrating, but by spinning very fast in tiny circles. The idea is that many people with vulvas enjoy fast circular motion on their clitoris. The Zumio can achieve this more intensely and for longer than a finger. As sex toys go, it was a genuinely innovative idea. I know a lot of people who loved the original toy.

The Zumio S is a slightly lighter shade of purple than the original. It comes with a cap to protect the fragile tip when not in use. The overall aesthetic can best be described as a slightly futuristic electric toothbrush.

The Zumio S is a rechargeable toy and comes with a little charging cup that you stand the toy in, as well as a cable which you can plug into any USB adapter. According to the copy, the charging time from low battery to full charge is a slightly ridiculous SIXTEEN HOURS. But honestly I found four quite sufficient. The battery life from a full charge is around 4 hours, depending on intensity of use.

This toy is waterproof up to a depth of 0.5 metres, should you wish to take it into the bath or shower. It also has a travel lock, so you can prevent it turning on by mistake in your bag! (Always awkward. Ask me how I know.)

S is for… Safety

The Zumio S is made of ABS plastic with a silicone cover over the plastic SpiroTIP. This means it is completely body-safe. A generous slather of water-based lube will greatly enhance your experience with this toy and reduce any risk of discomfort from the sheer intensity of it.

As the Zumio S is waterproof, you can wash it in warm water with some gentle soap. To sterilise it, sit the tip in a 10% bleach solution for ten minutes then rinse thoroughly, or use a body-safe medical wipe. Click here for a more in-depth guide to cleaning your sex toys.

S is for… Settings, Power and Controls

The Zumio S features 8 levels of intensity and – praise whatever deity you believe in – no fucking annoying patterns!

This toy features a simple 3-button interface, with a small on/off button and the up/down power buttons set in a figure-8 shape just above. The buttons have raised edges, making them easy to feel for without needing to pause to look for them. I did find the power buttons a little fiddly and sometimes had to press them more than once before the setting changed, which was annoying.

I should say, for the benefit of fans of the Zumio Original, that the S is definitely gentler. But “gentler” is also relative and this toy still packs a serious punch.

S is for… (Some of) My Experience

I’ll be honest: my Zumio S hasn’t left my bedside since I first tested it. I really, really like this toy! The slightly wider and silicone-covered (and therefore softer) tip really solves the “so intense it’s painful” experience I had with the original model. And what’s left is just… the glorious kind of intensity.

If I’m sufficiently warmed up, the Zumio S can bring me to orgasm in less than five minutes. For me, that’s very fast. On the other hand, if I’m in the mood for a slower and more involved play session, I like to start out with the S on the lowest setting and slowly build up and up and up.

One thing to note is that this is definitely a “first orgasm” or a “one orgasm” toy for me. I tried using it to get myself off a second time, and found the type of stimulation was all wrong for that. Once I’ve come once, I need broader and deeper stimulation for subsequent orgasms. (Doxy time, anyone!?) As with anything in sex, your mileage may well vary.

S is for… So what’s the verdict?

If you are a fan of intense and focused clitoral stimulation, get yourself one of these! If, like me, you tried the original Zumio and found the tip too small or too hard, the S might just surprise you. A couple of small annoyances notwithstanding, Zumio have absolutely knocked it out of the park with this one.

The Zumio S retails for $98 at Shevibe. I’ve not been able to find a UK stockist outside of Amazon yet, but I’m hoping Lovehoney will get it in stock soon!

Thank you to Zumio for sending me this product in exchange for an honest review. As ever, all views are my own. Images are property of Zumio. Affiliate links are contained within this post.

Header for Zumio review

[Toy Review] The Zumio

Published on by Amy

As a lover of intense clitoral stimulation, I’ve wanted a Zumio ever since I first learned about them. But they’ve always been in the category of toys I would never buy at full price –  they’re expensive and I had no idea if they would actually work for me.

The Zumio, for those who don’t know, is a new type of clitoral stimulator. It looks a bit like a purple electric toothbrush, and has a very thin, plastic rod tip – known as a SpiroTIP – which “whirls around in tiny circles”. It’s designed to mimic the movement of a finger circling the clit, only… more, faster and harder. Observe:

The Zumio, a purple sex toy with a small plastic tip. Shaped a bit like a toothbrush.

Anyone who has been reading my work for any length of time knows that I am frequently annoyed by sex toy marketing claims. Zumio created some waves in the blogosphere by claiming that this toy will make a person with a clitoris come in 60 seconds or less. Dangerous Lilly, blogger and reviewer extraordinaire, has covered in detail why this is problematic, so I don’t feel a need to go into it in depth. However, I will admit to really hoping this toy would finally be the answer to getting me off clitorally very quickly… and being disappointed/wondering if I’m “broken” when it inevitably didn’t.

But let’s back up a minute and take a closer look…

The Zumio is made of ABS plastic and silicone. The bit that makes direct contact with the body is plastic. Therefore it’s body safe, non-porous and non-toxic. It also happens to be waterproof, if wanking in the bath or shower is your thing. It’s charged via USB and comes with a little charging stand that makes it remind me even more of a toothbrush.

The user interface is 3 simple buttons – an on/off switch, one to turn the speed up, and one to turn the speed down. There are 8 speed settings in total, and no “patterns” or any of that silliness. (I hate patterns).

The Zumio retails for $98 US.

My Experience…

The Zumio is about as pinpoint as pinpoint stimulation can get. The tip is also hard. For that reason, I was nervous – direct contact to my clit is often too intense and painful for me. Even so, I dove in and started off on the lowest setting. I quickly discovered that my suspicions were correct. Even on the lowest setting, the hard plastic tip against my clit was intense to the point of painful.

No matter – that problem was solved by putting my knickers back on and using the toy through my panties. I don’t do this with any other toy (except very occasionally the Doxy 3) because I need a lot of stimulation to cum. Through the underwear, I found this toy much more enjoyable and that was how I eventually got off with it. If you try it and it’s too intense, try with a layer of clothing between the tip and your clit.

Contrary to what is apparently the more common experience, Zumio is a slow-build toy for me. If I’ve got an hour or more to spend slowly teasing myself, ramping up through the speeds one at a time, and toeing the line between “so intense it’s blissful” and “so intense it’s painful,” the orgasm at the end of it is delicious. But pretty much the only thing that can get me off quickly is wands, so I might not be the person to trust on “quickness of orgasm” factors. All bodies are so different.

Care and Clean-Up

The Zumio comes with a little drawstring storage bag, big enough to fit the toy, docking stand and charging cable, which I appreciated. All sex toys should come with storage bags and so few do. Given how thin the tip is, I’m a bit nervous about it getting broken in storage. Be careful with how you store this toy – you probably don’t want to throw other things on top of it.

Clean-up is a pinch. The Zumio is waterproof, so you can wash it thoroughly with warm soapy water. You can also wipe the tip clean with a body-safe sterile wipe (I get mine in bulk from medical suppliers – much cheaper than toy cleaner).

You can’t use a condom with it, though you could use a barrier like a dam. But the easiest thing to do if you want to share it between partners is just to thoroughly clean the tip between users.

Do I recommend it?

Honestly, I personally loved it less than I was hoping I would. That doesn’t mean I don’t recommend it – I just recommend it to a very specific subset of people.

If you like extremely pinpoint clitoral stimulation, you’ll probably love it. But if you’re into broader stimulation it’s probably not for you. If you have a clit that likes very intense, very direct stimulation, Zumio’s got you covered.

Zumio is a genuinely innovative toy and different to anything else on the market. For that, it is certainly to be commended. So many toy companies claim to be innovative, and so few actually are.

You can buy your Zumio from SheVibe or Peepshow Toys.

Thanks to the good folks of Zumio for sending me this product in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are entirely my own. Affiliate links appear in this post.

Header image for the Hot Octopuss Queen Bee review

[Toy Review] The Queen Bee by Hot Octopuss

Published on by Amy1 Comment

[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.