When you’re in the middle of a sexy scene the last thing you want to do is fumble for the lights in order to find your favorite vibe, cockring or condom.  Tunti Enterprises has the solution:  a toy box which lights up when the lid is lifted, allowing the user a clear view of its contents.

This is an awesome idea.

The Toybox ships with a pink plastic cover which keeps items in the mesh pocket separate from those in the lower case.  A tiny box discreetly covered with purple lining hides the battery compartment — can you see it in the picture?  Beneath the thin blue vibrator?  A ribbon allows the cover to be lifted when it’s time to change the batteries.  A pair of tiny keys for the case’s locks are also included.

Two rabbit-type vibes and a couple dildos can fit in the lower portion of the case, which is divided into three main sections.  An adjustable divider lets you reapportion space in one of the sections, which is nice if you have smaller toys that shouldn’t touch each other — perhaps a pair of jelly cockrings or some potentially noisy metal toys.

The lid of the case will hold three or four smaller bottles of lube or massage lotion and condoms; also tuck in your favorite piece of erotic underthings.  Here’s where the pink plastic cover is really useful.  With the cover in place, your toys will be protected from minor lube spills.

In the image above four blue dots are visible along the case’s upper edge.  These are the lights which give useful illumination at the most necessary moments.  You’ll never have to fumble in the dark for a condom again.

I love the Tunti case best for times when I travel with my toys.  I appreciate not having to worry about the case opening unexpectedly; I also like how nondescript it looks.  Anyone seeing the Tunti would imagine that it contains important documents or possibly the tools of espionage instead of sex toys.  Not that there’s anything wrong with toting around one’s sex toys.  In fact I’d feel equally mysterious transporting dildos or spy gear.

If you have a large collection of toys the Tunti Toybox won’t hold all of them.  It will, however, give secure and convenient access to your most valued treasures.

I suffer from the phenomena known as “fat fingers,” so I worried that The Tickler, made by RubyGlass21.com and available at UnderBedToys, would not fit over my chunky digits. I’m happy to say that the concern was for naught; my pretty blue-nubbed Tickler slid quite readily over the second knuckle of my middle finger.

The Tickler is very pretty. At only 3″ long it’s compact and discreet, looking more like a fancy test tube than a sex toy. Leave it out and your friends might mistake it for an ultra-protective thimble, or a wee cloche.

Nine colorful dots line one side of the Tickler. Get these in pink, gold-fumed, red or blue. Since all RubyGlass21.com’s pieces are hand-made, each will be slightly different. However, expect larger dots toward the base and smaller near the tip.

I tried my Tickler one night while perched on the couch watching porn. It felt excellent after I drizzled a little silicone lube on myself. I tried to keep the lube away from the toy’s base so that it wouldn’t slide off my finger too much. At this task I was only moderately successful, but I found that it didn’t much matter. The Tickler was useful whether it was fully on my finger or only on the tip. In fact I really enjoyed the extra reach it gave me with only the first knuckle of my finger inserted.

The piece is intended for external use only. In fact it comes with a warning note curled inside which explicitly warns against internal use, then goes on to say that if you really cannot bear to keep it out of your favorite orifice, only insert it 2″. I find this a bit befuddling, frankly. Don’t put it in, but if you do put it in don’t put it very far in? Sketchy.

Bravely I tempted fate by using the Tickler vaginally. I reasoned that even if it did slip from my finger, I could push it out like a glassy lost condom. There was no need to fear; the Tickler stayed put. However, it felt much better sliding over my clit than it did for thrusting. I’d avoid backdoor games with the Tickler. Rub it gently around the anus, but I’d be very hesitant to try this toy inside.

The Tickler would be great for someone who needs a small, discreet glass toy mostly for use on the clit. This is where the Tickler does its best work.

Jimmyjane’s gorgeous Little Chroma is a classic slimline vibe.  In fact it’s such a classic that we’re giving it a second look after two and a half years, and in that time some things have certainly changed.

First (and possible most importantly) the price has significantly dropped.  It used to sell for a steep $165, but now some colors can be had for less than a single benjamin.  Nifty.  If an unadorned solid color isn’t fancy enough for your favorite vagina, check out some of the artist-designed special edition versions now available at Jimmyjane.com.

One of the coolest things about Little Chroma is that if you wear out the vibrating motor, $35 will buy you a new one directly from Jimmyjane.  I’m terribly hard on my vibes (perhaps because I use them for an hour at a stretch, ahem), so I love this option.  The motor looks exactly like an AA battery, but don’t worry about tossing it out by mistake.  It’s clearly labeled in big, friendly letters.

Little Chroma is one of the quietest vibes I’ve ever experienced.  The only time it’s not nearly silent is when you first turn it on, and then only because the cap won’t be screwed down firmly enough to prevent the battery from rattling a bit.  Once you get past this point, however, the vibe cannot be heard at arm’s length.  This is an excellent quality in any vibe you’re planning on using in a shared space.

There’s a tiny hole in Little Chroma’s end through which one could thread a cord for retrieval during anal usage.  Honestly though, I wouldn’t.  Use it on the anus but not for insertion.  Your fancy vibe will lose its cachet once the emergency room doctors have removed it from your colon.

I’ve enjoyed tucking this tiny vibe into my pillow for quick wank sessions before bed.  It’s so tiny that it’s easily hidden away, but don’t let the size fool you.  Little Chroma is nicely powerful, even though there’s just one speed.  I enjoyed it the most when used in conjunction with my partner’s penetration.  The small size make it easy to position between bodies during intercourse or in conjunction with dildo play.

The only thing I didn’t like about Little Chroma is the fact that you must loosen the battery compartment cover in order to turn off the vibe.  This, to me, is a huge pain in the butt, because when I’m done with a vibe I can barely summon the wherewithal to click a single button.  Negotiating a tiny cap that threatens to fall off and set loose battery and motor to skitter across my bed (and no doubt lodge in the small of my back just when I want to get cuddly) is not very convenient.

Going too far makes the cap fall off, while not going far enough leaves the vibe buzzing so gently that you won’t even know it unless you put it down on a hard surface, in which case Little Chroma will merrily dance away and concurrently run down your batteries.  I wish the vibe had a discrete “off” position marked by a little click.  Is that too much to ask for from a high-end vibe?

Even with a sketchy off switch, I’m absolutely certain that I’ll use Little Chroma again and again.  I’ll be interested in seeing how long the motor lasts with the kind of use I can dish out.

I wish I had a penis.  I wish I had a penis for vast multitudes of reasons, but for the moment we’ll focus on just one.  I wish I had a penis so that I could personally try out one of Tenga’s fab male masturbators available from GoodVibes.com.

Right now they carry the Lip Service and the Squeeze Play sleeves.  Both are made from recycled plastic and look at first glance like high-end shower products.  Leave either without any shame at all in the bathroom closet because they will blend right in with the shower gels, shampoos and hair care products.

Crack the label then open the lid on either of these products and you’ll find it oozing a clear, thick goo.  Don’t panic.  This is just lube, pre-soaked into a spongy styrofoam-like ring at the toy’s entrance.  This is good for the sake of convenience, especially if you’re traveling with the toy.  One less tiny bottle to pack and cary?  Awesome.  It’s not so great if you are particular about lube. I didn’t hate the feel of this lube on my guy’s penis (neither did he) but I also didn’t love it.  We’d have much preferred to add our own lube, thank you very much.

While Lip Service is a hint wider than Squeeze Play, they’re both available in two lengths, 6″ and 8″.  We requested the longer versions, and found them more than sufficient to handle the penis in question.  Both have a silvery sticker on the far end of the toy which can be opened slightly or removed altogether to vary the intensity of suction.  The Squeeze Play is also flexible enough to respond to a tightened or loosened grip. Both are lined with a variety of nubs, channels and ticklers which give constant stimulation to the penis.

My pal and I excitedly ripped into Lip Service one night.  As soon as his member grew rock-like in my hand, I knelt between his outstretched legs and applied the device to the appropriate body part.  I was surprised and delighted to feel it puff out a warm whiff of air directly into my face as his cock slid home.  This it did repeatedly as I tried not to giggle — and mostly failed.

Honestly I could have been guffawing, as my partner was so enamored of the Lip Service’s sensations that he wasn’t paying any attention to me.  “Does it feel good?” I eventually asked, and all he could manage was a vague moan.  Suffice it to say that it didn’t take long before he filled up the Tenga and collapsed back on the bed.

Hot.

Tenga designed both these items to be used once then discarded.  I’m not crazy about this idea.  To my mind, $16 or $18 should buy you more than one ride on the pony, if you know what I mean.  I couldn’t bear to throw away the Lip Service after only a single use, so I attempted to disassemble it for cleaning.  I failed miserably.  However, my pal tried the same thing after using the Squeeze Play on his own and had no problem cleaning it to his satisfaction.  He said that running warm water through the toy left it perfectly clean for the next usage.  Is this a difference in toy design or cleaning standards?  We’ll never know.

Overall I love these Tenga masturbators.  They provided discreet packaging, ease of use and enormous pleasure.  Plan on using them once or else hoping for the best when it’s time to clean up.

Bloomy is an adorable little buttplug created by Fun Factory.  It’s made from the company’s high-quality soft silicone, which can be boiled to sterilize between partners, orifices or sessions.

And this is a very good thing, because Bloomy is excessively versatile.  Use it in a girl’s vagina or anyone’s ass.  Use it to practice Kegels, thrust (lightly; more on this later), hold a vibe in place, or provide mild to intense anal stimulation.

Let’s go in reverse order, shall we?  See how Bloomy’s head has two levels?  Beginners will enjoy using just the tip, while more experienced sorts will want the whole thing.  There’s no worry about the toy slipping all the way inisde; the large, comforting handle allows both ease of manipulation and security.

Next, look to Bloomy’s prettily curved handle.  Slip a small bullet vibe into this opening and you’ve got yourself a fine way of transmitting a wonderfully buzzy sensation to the perineum or clit.  It’s really nice to have one toy take care of two areas, especially if you’re enjoying a solo wank.

In the vagina or possibly even in the ass, Bloomy can be used for thrusting.  However, there are much better toys out there for this purpose.  I love how soft the silicone used by Fun Factory is, but it’s honestly not the best thing for hard play.  Keep it in the vagina and use lots of lube and who knows?  Maybe it will work out fine for you.

One of my favorite uses for Bloomy was as a pre-sex Kegelicizer.  I slid it into place with a tiny bit of lube before my partner was set to arrive, then passed the time by gently squeezing the pertinent muscles.  Each squeeze pulled Bloomy in, bringing the handle into closer contact with my body and rubbing the toy’s head against my g-spot.  By the time my partner arrived I was ready for action.  Any toy like this can give some gentle resistance for Kegels but it’s awesome that Bloomy can do so much more.

Any owner of this cute little Fun Factory toy should enjoy the many possibilities for erotic fun that Bloomy can provide.

Big Teaze Toys, creators of the ever-so-fabulous Onye and Tuyo, recently released a new line of sleek stainless steel toys.  Take your pick from a couple bulbous varieties, a pair of ripply ones and the thermometer-shaped Dai-Do, which at this moment rests heavily next to my laptop.

I was given the larger variety, Dai-Do #1, which is available in shiny red or glossy black.  Dai-Do #2 bears the same shape but is significantly smaller.  Bah, I say to significantly smaller.  Bring on the sex toys bigger and heavier and better.  Bring ‘em on.

My partner and I placed the Dai-Do on the nightstand one chilly spring night.  “We’re going to have to warm this up before you even think about putting it in me,” I warned.  He jokingly threatened to use it on me unwarmed.  I jokingly threatened to put it in his bottom, large end first.  Suddenly he agreed with me that warming it up prior to use would be a wonderful idea.

And then we got down to work.  At some point he began going down on me, and I decided the time was right to begin warming up the Dai-Do.  Hot as it was in our bed, the toy was freezing.  In a somewhat altered state of conscious I fumbled with the heavy toy, nearly dropping it on my pal’s head in the process.  But eventually I managed to nestle it next to my warm thigh, where it remained for the next few minutes until he gently prised it from my grip and slid it into me.

Despite my efforts to warm up the Dai-Do it stayed ridiculously cold.  I’m not complaining, really.  The sensation was shocking but passed quickly.  And then the real brilliance of the toy became apparent.  That bulbous knob on the Dai-Do’s end?  It’s fabulous.

It might be hard to tell from the picture above, but the toy’s logo sits atop a rubbery sleeve which serves as a pretty good hand-grip on an otherwise super-slippery toy.  I liked this aspect of the grip, but it did limit the usability of the straight end of the toy.  No way was I going to put that part of it into me.

To my mind the label also limits the toy to vagina-only usage.  I’m sure some brave soul would have no problem using it bulbous-end first in the ass, but I’d worry that an enthusiastic thrust coupled with a passionate counter-thrust would result in a lost toy.  Which doesn’t sound terribly romantic.  At least not to me.

Limit your explorations with Dai-Do to the pussy and make sure that bad boy is the right temperature.  If you follow these simple guidelines you’ll have a blast with it.

SmartBalls Teneo Duo from Babeland are the newest incarnation of classic SmartBalls, arguably the most beloved vaginal balls ever.  From everything I’ve heard these are even better, if that’s possible.

Why are they so great?  Let’s talk about cheap vaginal balls for a moment.  You can get them at any sex store for less than ten bucks, but they’re definitely not worth your time.  They’re not joined together, so it’s more difficult to remove them when the fun’s over.  Also, they’re often painted in fake gold paint, which peels off.  Ew.  No one wants fake gold paint peeling off in the coochie.  At least I don’t.

In contrast, the Teneo balls are made of silicone and elastomer, which means they’re soft, smooth and easy to clean.  Firmly attached to each other and to a removal cord, you won’t have any trouble getting them out when you’re ready to move on to other pleasurers.  And they’re made by FunFactory, one of the most respected and innovative sex toy makers in the world.

Some try vaginal balls to improve muscle tone, and that’s certainly an excellent use for them.  Insert one or both, then practice gentle squeezes with all your pelvic might.  Regular practice is said to help with bladder control; it’s all really cool to clench on a penis during penetration.  My partner says it’s super swell.  They’re also nice to leave in place while receiving oral sex.  Just don’t put them in the ass.  There are much better products for this purpose.

I like to use SmartBalls before sex as a warm up.  I especially like to put them in a couple of hours before sex as I’m running around, readying the bedroom, showering and et cetera.  All that movement makes the heavy balls inside the soft silicone cover bounce around wonderfully.  Move just the right way and they’ll gently tap the g-spot.  If you’ve got to drive to the store for a last-minute bottle of wine, even better.  Cornering while wearing SmartBalls is awesome.

I’ve driven around the block a few extra times just for the fun of cornering while wearing them.  Let’s keep that just between us, shall we?

SmartBalls Teneo Duo will set you back a bit more than the cheap “gold” ben wa balls, but they are definitely worth it.  Unless of course you want to gild your vagina.

The artisans at SteelVineyards create remarkable products from stainless steel, leather, acrylic and natural semi-precious gemstones.  From cockrings to CBT devices to restraints to some of the most interesting insertables on the market, you must check out SteelVineyards’ amazing selection of unique toys.

My fancy was instantly captivated by the company’s G-Pops.  I’d never seen anything like them before.  When mine arrived at its new home I was even more amazed.  A long steel handle lightly cushioned on one end leads to the star of the show:  A heavy stone ball on the other end in your choice of highly-polished natural gemstones such as quartz, tiger’s eye and onyx.  Mine is shiny green jade and very pretty.

It’s pretty but quite seriously heavy.  As my partner balanced the G-Pop in his hand, he worried about hurting me with it.  “Are you sure about this, baby?” he asked.  Absolutely I told him, and with only a little lube and some preliminary oral, we made ready to insert it vaginally.

I was pretty blissed out, but not so much that I was unaware of a sharp crack as my partner brought the toy toward my body.  “Are you ok?” I asked, worried that he’d chipped a tooth and would soon be going to the dentist instead of making me come.  He assured me that all was well; he’d carelessly caught his chin in the hurry to get the toy inside of me.  Let this serve as a warning.  Use care with the G-Pop around chins.  Also, toes.

2 3/8″ inches in diameter may not seem like a very large toy, but trust me when I say that it is.  Two-plus  inches would be large in a soft silicone dildo.  Two-plus inches in something made of an absolutely unyielding material?  It’s HUGE.  But my partner used extreme care, and once the G-Pop wiggled past my pubic bone it felt amazing.  There was an extreme sensation of fullness which never turned into discomfort.  The nice thing was that it didn’t interfere with oral in any way.  I loved the contrast between his gentle lips and the hard pressure of the G-Pop.

Removal needs to be done very slowly; do not yank this toy out if you value the continued integrity of your pubic bone.  But once out, the G-Pop requires little in the way of care beyond a quick soap and water bath, then storage somewhere that won’t allow it to roll away.  We’re protecting our toes, remember?  I’m assuming none of us wears steel-toed boots while gettin’ busy, although if that’s your thing, rock on dude.

The fine folks who create the SteelVineyards designs tell me that they wanted to create a toy with a handle long enough that folks could use it during solo play if desired.  This they certainly achieved; the extended handle allows one to reach the vagina or ass with no excessive gymnastics.  Furthermore, they encourage couples to experiment with penetation along with the toy.  They say the G-Pop’s thin handle allows the penis plenty of room to coexist peacefully during sex, and that the ball guides it almost magically toward the g-spot.  I was a bit nervous about trying out this aspect of the toy.  A single very large stony-hard object in my vagina at a time was quite enough, thank you very much.  I didn’t need another.

After experimenting with the G-Pop several times, I’m really pleased with the sensations it offers.  Try it out if you’re fond of hard materials and intense stimulations.  Just be careful that it doesn’t break any bones.

My friends from OMGgel.com sent me a cute little card with tiny tubes of OMG! Gel attached.  Hm, I thought.  These miniature tubes are hardly enough lube to get me started.  But I placed them gamely on my nightstand and dove into bed with my pal.

OMG! Gel promises to increase blood flow to a woman’s private bits, which should give a saucy tingle and a faster orgasm.  Is a faster orgasm a thing ardently to be desired?  Not for me, because I’m on a bit of a hair-trigger anyhow.  Someone who feels like her orgasms arrive very slowly might of course feel differently.

The gel contains ingredients which are non-hormonal, hypoallergenic and water based.  The gel is safe to use with condoms.  All ingredients are clearly listed on the website and on the product’s packaging.  Methol is responsible for OMG!’s tingle, which will feel either cooling or warming on the naughty bits, depending on how you interpret the sensation.

After playing for a while and then waking from a luxurious nap-break, I ripped open one little tube and squeezed it over my partner’s fingers.  He proceeded to rub it gently onto me.  The combination of slippery rubbing and tingling was lovely.  It took a few moments, but eventually a sensation of warmth radiated out from my clit.  It felt  pleasant but intense; if we’d had any hot dogs handy I’m pretty sure we could have roasted them over my labia.

But that’s certainly not a complaint.  While I’m unconvinced that it made me come any faster or harder (either would be difficult), OMG! Gel focused my attention on the task at hand wonderfully.

Within just a few moments after stopping, the warmth dissipated with no residue or stickiness left behind.  My partner couldn’t feel a thing by the time he entered my vagina again later.  This is a really nice attribute of the gel.  I’m always happy when things I put on my who-ha don’t need to be scrubbed off before play resumes.

I am concerned about the product’s price, which seems excessive considering the very small quantity of gel in each tube.  Other similar tingly lubes sell for about the same price and contain far more product; I’ve certainly not tried every one of them, but the ones I’ve tried have given similar results to OMG! Gel.

OMG! Gel is a fun treat for the adventuresome couple and it might add some intensity for those who want it.

Wicked Tickles, a UK-based retailer of sexy supplies, gifted me with a sweet little package of goodies.  I was tickled.  Wicked tickled, even.

I might have been slightly more tickled if they’d sent me a Swarovski crystal merkin and nipple pasties set, because can you just imagine how fabulous that would have been?  I would have worn my merkin and pasties everywhere!  To the grocery store!  To the PTA meeting!  On a date!  For every sex party I’d ever attend, to the point that I’d be known as That Crazy Merkin and Pasties Girl.  Alas, they did not give me this set, so I am saved from that fate.

Instead I received three beautifully gift-wrapped items way quicker than I thought possible considering that they shipped internationally.  They were nestled in a pretty box in black tissue paper, perfect for handing off to a sexy friend.

I pulled forth from the tissue paper a saucy pair of Glamorpuss Panties in pink.  Very cute, but they were not my size.  They made a nice door-prize for a very thin girl at a sex party.  She was thrilled.

Next I discovered a very large rubbery butt-plug.  I took it from its packaging and was immediately knocked back by the odor.  Wickled Tickles says the plug is made from “silicone rubber,” but I don’t know.  It looked, felt and smelled exactly like cheap jelly.  There was no way I was putting a toy that large and that stinky in my bottom.  I put it aside, unused.

Finally I found that Wicked Tickles had sent a massager in the shape of a cute orange octopus.  I loaded Igor up with batteries and pushed the perky green button on his head.  He roared into life and provided a quite nice little buzz on my naughty bits.  Later that night gave my pal a nice little rubdown with Igor and some massage oil.  Fun times were had by all.

Wicked Tickles stocks some really gorgeous products, not the least of which is the aforementioned merkin and pasty set.  I wish they had seen fit to inquire as to which of their many fabulous wares would best suit my body and temperament.  While the items they sent were nice enough, I could not use two-thirds of them to their full extent and therefore cannot adequately comment on their usefulness, durability or pleasure-giving properties.