Get your PC muscles in shape with Luna Beads!

Luna Beads are marketed as an exercise aid for toning your pelvic floor muscles; an alternative to doing kegel exercises, if you will. They're rather like a large set of ben wa balls, with a silicone harness to keep them in position for optimal effect. Optimal exercise effect, that is, because on the grand scale of things to induce sexual excitement, they really didn't do much for me.

Appearance/Construction: Luna Beads come in a downright elegant and sturdy black storage box. There are two pairs of semi-translucent balls, a pink pair and a blue pair, with a white silicone harness. The kit also comes with a classy little drawstring pouch to store your assembled set (perfect if you want to carry them with you). Everything about Luna Beads is definitely high quality, and aesthetically tasteful.

The hollow outer beads are made of PC-ABS plastic, with weighted rubberized balls inside each sphere. They fit, via molded ridges, into the durable silicone harness (awkwardly called a "composition girdle" in the user manual). One ball in each color coded set has a synthetic loop of string (the "retraction leash"), to facilitate removal.

Features & Usage: Each pair of colored ABS beads provide a different level of exercise. The light pink balls are 28 grams each, and the light blue balls are 37 grams apiece. Depending on the current fitness level of your pelvic floor muscles (PC muscles), you can wear one ball in the harness, wear both 28g balls, one of each set, or both 37g balls at once (at which point you can tell people you have blue balls … sorry, couldn't resist that one!).

According to the user manual (and I do suggest reading it … which is a rarity in the relatively self-explanatory world of sex toys) simply inserting one or two balls in the silicone harness, and wearing them for 30 minutes a day will auto-magically exercise your PC muscles the same way diligent kegels will.

Technique: Put simply, insert the assembled bead/harness set, and go on about your business.

The manual recommends starting with one or two of the lighter-weight balls at first, until your muscles get used to them. Personally, I didn't have any trouble wearing both of the heavier balls right from the start, but if you've given birth, your pelvic muscles might be in need of a little more strengthening than that.

Conclusion: Some women claim their Luna Beads make activities like climbing stairs or riding a stationary bicycle a whole new experience. Sadly, either because I have vaginal muscles of steel or I'm just an insensitive cow, I hardly noticed them most of the time. I wore them all day at work once, and didn't notice much of anything except an ocassional "shifting" sensation when the weighted balls moved around. But, if you consider them more of an exercise machine than a toy, I suppose that's all well and good.

Luna Beads would be more properly thought of as a "sexual health aid" than an actual sex toy. While (apparently) some women find them quite stimulating to wear, buying a set thinking you're going to have the long, slow orgasm of your life would probably be a mistake. However, if you keep meaning to do kegels regularly, but keep blowing it off like any other well-intentioned exercise regimen, they're an easy and relatively fun way to achieve the same effect.

If you're looking for a really exciting way to work your pelvic muscles, I'd suggest a remote control toy like the Cry Baby (an insertable bullet vibe with a remote control … just imagine the mischief you could get into with a willing accomplice!). However Luna Beads are intended primarily as a muscle-toning aid, not an orgasm machine, and the benefits of strong pelvic floor muscles are many and varied! Stronger sensation during orgasms, being able to provide greater stimulation to your male partner during penetration, and improved bladder control are just the benefits that spring to mind… so Luna Beads could well be a worthwhile investment, even if they don't make you weak at the knees!

Naughty IS nice with this little vibe…

This little vibe arrived in one of the hands-down classiest packages I've ever seen a sex toy packed in. Of course, that's got nothing to do with how it performs, but it definitely got my attention to start things off. By the time I was done with my first test drive, I was quite pleased to see that the contents of the package lived up to my first impression.

LOOKS: If you find yourself feeling self-conscious about buying sex toys, because they're usually packaged in see-through plastic, and half of 'em have naked people cavorting around on the labels, you'll appreciate the bNaughty waterproof bullet vibe at first sight! As for the vibe itself, there are three colors available: A deep red, a warm mahogany and simple, classic black, all with a nice, matte finish, which, for some reason, just looks classier than regular old shiny plastic. Top it all off with a nice drawstring storage bag, and the whole presentation makes you feel like you're really treating yourself to something special.

CONSTRUCTION: I'm not sure how they managed to get such a velvety-soft finish on what is essentially your basic, plastic egg vibrator, but it's fantastic. The cord connecting the egg to the controller is covered in color-matched plastic, with reinforcing collars at both ends to protect it from wearing out. The faster/slower buttons are covered with a flexible plastic membrane, and are easy to use whether or not you're looking at the controls.

FEATURES: The bNaughty is waterproof, first and foremost. Not "water resistant" (which is code for "it might be OK in the shower, but forget about the bathtub), but actually billed as waterproof. It has 4 vibration speeds, ranging from "barely a tickle" to "oh MY", with idiot proof controls (up arrow = faster, down arrow = slower), and an easy-access screw-off battery compartment cover. The one feature that would be *really* nice is having a rechargeable built-in battery, but I've bought quite a few rechargeable AA battery sets, so I always have a few extra around.

TECHNIQUE: To be perfectly honest, the bNaughty did not have the horsepower to get the job done by itself, for me. Not that I don't still like the little thing, because I do … it just needed a little help in my case. Luckily, I had my trusty Pocket Rocket handy, and that was all the bNaughty needed to go from "oh MY" to "OHMYGAWD". It's kind of a similar effect to a rabbit vibe, but you have a lot more control over the pocket rocket than you ever do over the position of the rabbit's built-in bullet. (Best of all, the nice little bag the bNaughty comes with is plenty big enough to tuck the Pocket Rocket in with it.)

CONCLUSION: If you're satisfied with less-intense vibrators, the bNaughty might do the job for you just fantastically. If you need a little more oomph, the bNaughty is a fantastic companion to your favorite clit vibe, and adds some serious zing to oral sex! It would probably also be outstanding for prostate stimulation, but you might want to put a condom on it, to give you something more than just the power cord to help pull it out.

Holy instantaneous orgasm, Batman!

The Hitachi Magic Wand lives up to it's reputation. If the Rabbit Habit is a well-meaning guy who isn't quite getting it right, but manages to get the job done anyway, the Hitachi is an anonymous screamingly-orgasmic quickie in a public restroom.

LOOKS: The Magic Wand looks like something out of a medical supply catalog. There's nothing even vaguely beautiful or sexy about this toy. It was designed as a muscle massager, and it shows. You could leave it lying around the house, and nobody (who didn't already own one themselves) would be any the wiser as to its x-rated applications.

CONSTRUCTION: The massaging head is a slightly flattened ball of vinyl (?) covered padding, connected by a short neck to a gigantic white plastic handle, with an electrical cord hanging off the other end. It seems built sturdily enough that you could bludgeon someone with it in the afternoon, and still use it to "massage" yourself to sleep later that night.

FEATURES: A two speed on-off switch. The speeds are marked as "low" and "high", but I think that's code for "almost unbearably strong" and "for use on major muscle groups only". No fancy bells and whistles here; Hitachi designed this beast to do one thing, and one thing only: relax sore muscles. The fact that it's also the most notoriously reliable orgasm generator known to womankind is a bonus feature.

TECHNIQUE: Yes, the vibrations are as intense as everyone says, and that is one of the complaints many people have about the Magic Wand: The vibrations are actually too much to bear for some. In fact, I find it works better through a blanket, or a pair of jeans, or some other protective barrier, because while the vibrating head is cushioned, it's not quite cushioned enough for direct-skin contact for me. And I'd advise you to take a rest between orgasms, because otherwise (even with extra padding), the relentless vibration WILL make your clit go numb … VERY quickly.

CONCLUSION: I need to get the Gee Whiz attachment for my Magic Wand. I have a feeling the Hitachi will put to rest forever my complaint that vibes designed for penetration are never quite strong enough to do the job. But even without fancy attachments, you'd better believe this baby is staying permanently plugged in next to my bed. I think my Pocket Rocket is going to get really jealous.

If you're looking for efficiency in an orgasm, you can't go wrong with this toy! Oh, and it's not bad for sore shoulders either… ;-)

The Sister becomes a Hitachi convert:

Ah that infamous personal massager, it's name being synonymous with vibrations more intense than most toys, I'd been curious. I got the Hitachi Magic Wand and was not let down in the least! Just looking at it reminds you that it's not really intended for masturbation purposes, with a sphereish padded vinyl head (just over 2" tall and a circumference just under 8") and a flexible neck attaching it to a hard plastic handle that's just over 9" long, it looks so innocent… And with a power cord rather than batteries, this has quickly become my favorite toy!

This sucker has two setting, both capable of giving you quick and intense orgasms. The low setting seems to have more of a bass like vibrations while the high setting seems more treble like. If the vibrations prove to much for you, it still works wonders through fabric of your choosing (pants, towel, etc). I love that the head seems to be able to just nestle itself into your nether regions and engulf it in intense vibrations. So if you're looking for intense penetrating vibrations (but don't mind going without penetration), I highly recommend it!

Overall, I give it an 8. It'd probably get a 10 if I had the Gee Whiz attachment, though ;)

The Blonde gives another thumbs up:

Yeah! The Hitachi Magic Wand! For all those out there who have the "Fuck Foreplay" mentality, this is the toy for you. Cum hard, cum now, cum often.

The wand itself is rather large (about a foot long), corded, slightly unwieldly (the boyfriend joked it was a two-hander), and loud. But the simple joy of climaxing again and again with little or no time or effort makes it well worth it.

A note about usage: It was designed to work out muscles, and is a little aggressive for those with sensitive clitoral areas (and who doesn't have a sensitive clitoris?). I found using the wand over a couple layers of cloth works quite well (panties & pajama pants, for example). I've only ever used the Wand on the LOW setting. Low is a suitably aggressive vibration, High terrifies me.

The Magic Wand is a fabulous, fucking beautiful addition to any toy chest.

The Sister's thoughts on the Rabbit Habit:

Well, the Eco Kit's on back order, so in the mean time, we've received the Elastomer Rabbit Habit!

I was instantly interested simply because it's that one vibrator mentioned on Sex and the City. That and I go nowhere without (and usually only) clitoral stimulation, so it looked like one I could enjoy! I certainly did, though I enjoyed it a lot more while only using the rabbit and leaving the shaft and pearls turned off (the rabbit also vibrates more intensely when used on its own).

The shape and size of the pink sparkly penis is perfect, for me at least. When using all features though, I did notice how hard to was to actually feel the twirling action of the shaft. And the pearls, while enjoyed, need a motor with more oomph, as they stall at a mere kegel squeeze or moving/thrusting the Habit at any angle other than parallel with yourself. (And I think they might benefit being made of a hard rubber vs. plastic.)

But using it as I did (with only the rabbit going), it was great! It made vaginal stimulation (thrusting my way to a sore wrist, that is), a key part of orgasm, a wonderful change of pace for me! So if you have issues orgasming via vaginal stimulation, I highly recommend this toy for you!

The Blonde puts in her two cents' worth:

The Elastomer Rabbit Habit: Great in theory, so-so in practice. The elastomer material was fantastic … latex & pthalate free, it maintained delightful feel & playability without toxic plastic smell, or that tell-tale vaginal dryness that comes with some plastics.

The Rabbit comes with two motor control switches: One for the bullet-vibe rabbit, and one for the shaft/pearl contraption. The shaft rotates at a 15º angle, while the beads rotate around on tracks to stimulate the vaginal opening. Sounds fabulous, doesn't it?

Unfortunately, the motor in the shaft was so weak that it wouldn't maintain rotation while inserted unless it was turned all the way up. Even then, if you're the kind of girl who enjoys their stimulation at any sort of an angle, any significant added pressure also stops the motor. So, one is left holding the vibrator still, and allowing it to do "its thing."

Sadly for this girl, "its thing" wasn't nearly as exciting as I had hoped. The Rabbit vibrating bit is pretty fantastic … well, it would have been, IF it had been placed to actually have any decent contact with my clit. Happily, I found the lovely bendy elastomer could be manipulated in such a way that I could pry the rabbit & its ears up, and position them where I needed them to be. Once positioned, HURRAH!! Orgasm can be reached!

Overall, yes, the Rabbit Habit would be a satisfying toy for those with passive tastes. For those of us with more aggressive needs I suppose it gets "the job" done, just not with the "O" factor so widely touted.