I wanted to like the Vida Urja. I really really did. I love the idea of remote controlled toys, they can be so naughty and sexy in the right hands. I love going out with something tucked against my clit or inside of me with the remote in Onyx’s pocket. Unfortunately, though Urja is gorgeous it just did not live up to my hopes for it.

Urja (ûrj’əh) is packaged beautifully, it really is a luxury toy in every sense of the word. In addition to the vibrator and controller, both of which I’ll talk about later, Urja also comes with a power adapter (yes, the vibrator half of Urja is rechargeable!), a faux leather carrying case, a storage bag that closes with a ribbon, a user manual, and a standard one-year product warranty. The presentation is gorgeous and luxurious and if this review were based on presentation alone this toy would easily have been a five.

Both the vibrator and controller are hourglass shaped and pretty sexy looking. I’m not big on pink but I love the black with pink accents and think it looks excellent. They are just plain beautifully designed and well-made. The shiny middle parts of both of them are aluminum (qualifying them for Heavy Metal Week) and they have matte silicone on each end. The pink is, I believe, ABS plastic, though I haven’t found documentation to back me up on that. The removal string on the vibrator is made of silicone and is slightly stretchy but difficult to break.

The vibrator half of Urja is the one that is plugged in, it has a silicone cover for it’s power port therefore making it watertight since it is designed to be inserted. The controller is powered by a weird little 23A battery which is very nicely included with purchase so you don’t have to go around searching for it. The controller of the only other remote-controlled vibrator I’ve owned was powered with the same battery and I’ve actually seen some sex toy shops carrying it specifically because, I assume, it’s pretty common for sex toy remotes.

Urja claims to charge in two hours for a resulting two hours of play time which seems, frankly, like a bad charging-to-play-time-ratio. Perhaps I’m spoiled, but it seems most rechargeable toy batteries get far better ratios than that. Also, when plugged in there is no light or indicator that it is charging at all and no indicator when it is done, so you just have to plug it in and assume it’s working as it’s supposed to. I do not like this. At all.

The controller has a single button that is not always easy to press. Luckily the controller does have a strip right around the button that does light up pink when you press it correctly. You have to press the button down rather firmly and for a few seconds before the vibrator will turn on. I assume this is so that it is not just going to randomly turn the vibrator on if the controller is jostling around in your pocket, so I can forgive this even though it is a little annoying.

Urja is supposed to have a range of about 20 feet between the controller and the vibrator that it will work within. While I was able to turn it on from across the room it wasn’t exactly easy and seems to work far better the closer the controller is to the vibrator. It also works best with a direct line between the controller and vibrator. It was not so easy if I was to either side of the person, perhaps there was too much flesh in the way or something.

The vibrations themselves are not too exciting. There are five speeds, from “is that on?” to “that’s nice, but not that powerful.” Every speed is a constant vibration, there are no fancy pulsing vibration patterns, though they aren’t necessarily needed. In order to turn Urja off, however, you must cycle through all five speeds, which is quite annoying. It would be better if there was an on/off button and two up/down buttons or at very least separate on/off and speed buttons. Oh well.

Since Urja is made for insertion the vibrations are also dampened a little bit when worn. It can be used against the clit but there isn’t a great way to hold it in place. The vibrations themselves aren’t too loud when inserted, though if you’re in a very quiet restaurant it would be possible to hear the vibrations, but in the age of vibrating cell phones it might not be too terribly noticeable. In a loud restaurant, bar, or club, however, no problem.

Where Urja really shines is for light teasing of a partner in an otherwise noisy situation. Unless you do not need much vibration strength to get off I would say Urja is not ideal for that, but, like every sex toy, it will work better for some than others. Though, for the most part, if you are using it internally that alone will probably not get you off, so the vibration strength might not be a deal breaker for you. It is adorable, well-made, and if a few things changed about it I think it could be just about perfect. Alas.

Much thanks to Adult Sensations sex toys for sending me Vida Urja to review!

Name: Urja

Manufacturer: Vida.

Type: Remote Controlled Vibrator.

Power: Rechargeable vibrator. Controller takes one 23A battery (included).

Material: Silicone and aluminum.

Vibrator: 3 inches long x 1 1/2 inches wide x 3/4 inch thick.
Controller: 2 3/4 inches long x 2 inches wide x 3/4 inch thick.

Lube: Water- or oil-based only! Silicone lube should not be used with silicone toys unless it is specially formulated to do so.

Care: Toy cleaner, anti-bacterial soap & water. Be careful of the charging port on the vibrator.

Rating: 2 Lotuses (out of 5) – Okay & Indifferent

Dai-Do #6 (from now on known as Six) is the same length as it’s fellow product Dai-Do #5 only with one bulb instead of three graduated ones. It’s also made out of aluminum with a silicone band (the black part) made for gripping and in functionality is extremely similar to Five. Like all metal toys Six is excellent for temperature play (pop in the fridge or run under warm water).

Just like with Five Six has a good amount of weight to it. It’s not unpleasant or unwieldy, but it is heavily seated in the handle since the rest of Six is pretty insubstantial comparatively. This means in use the handle does pull quite a bit on the rest of Six, so if you’re planning on inserting and walking around with this in that would at very least give you a great Kegel workout.

The best use of Six is as an anal toy, and since there is a bigger disparity between the end of the insertable length of Six and the handle I think it’s also safer than Five to use anally. As I mentioned already, the weighted handle will try to pull the toy out of you when in use also, which could be helpful in the case of worrying about Six getting sucked up into your butt. Personally I love the feeling of weight in a plug, and mostly I’ve used Six as an anal plug (insert and let rest) rather than an anal dildo (insert, remove, repeat), so I have really enjoyed Six and flexing my anal area Kegels using it it.

I have used Six vaginally and while it suitably stimulated me it didn’t have any sort of wow factor. It was slightly difficult to angle the right way to hit the g-spot solo, but moderately easy with a partner. This seems to be the case with most non-curved toys, though, so that was not a huge detractor in my mind. It’s simply an okay vaginal dildo, but an excellent anal one.

If you’re looking for a great metal anal dildo that isn’t too huge (would be excellent for beginners) I definitely recommend Six. If you choose to purchase this or anything else from Kama Sutra Closet be sure to use the code Wanton15 when you check out to get 15% off your purchase. Much thanks to Kama Sutra Closet for sending me the Dai-Do #6 to review!

Name: Dai-Do #6

Manufacturer: Big Teaze Toys.

Material: Aluminum (body) & silicone (band).

Type: Dildo.

Length: 5 1/2 inches (total), 3 3/4 inches (insertable).
Width: 1 1/4 inches (diameter).

Lube: Any on the aluminum part but I would be careful about the silicone band around the handle since silicone lube on silicone toys can do damage.

Care: General cleaning: toy cleaner, anti-bacterial soap. Sterilization: wipe down with 10% bleach solution, run through the dishwasher on the top rack with no soap, or submerge in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Rating: 3 Lotuses (out of 5) – Good & Recommended

I’ve been drawn to the Dai-Do line from Big Teaze Toys since they came out but didn’t get my hands on one until now. The Dai-Do #5 (now on known as “Five”) has never been my first choice of the Dai-Do line and when I received it I wasn’t quite sure how I would like it. I tend to like curved items better for penetration in general because of their g-spot stimulation abilities, but I am a fan of bulbs and texture.

What first struck me that I wasn’t expecting was the weight of Five. I have one other aluminum dildo and it is exceptionally light. Five feels like there is a weight inside of it, but not in an unpleasing way. In fact, it is quite pleasantly balanced.

Like all metal toys Five is excellent for sensation play, it can be popped into the fridge for a bit to chill it down and you can either use it like an ice cube on any part of the body or internally to give a bit of a shock. You can also run it under warm water for the opposite affect.

The silicone band around the bulb handle is slightly matte so it is easy to hold on to, though less easy when lube is added to the mix. I also really like the size and shape of the handle, it’s big enough to be easy to grip without being too big or uncomfortable. Unfortunately it doesn’t really have a flare of any sort so it makes me worried about using it anally, which is really the place I think it is best suited for. More on that later.

Vaginally Five is, well, just okay. I do like the weight of it but I find that when using it solo I have a difficult time hitting my g-spot with it. Maybe because of the graduated balls, maybe because I’ve become lazy after using so many curved toys, I don’t know, but it just doesn’t quite do it. I like the sensation of the hard metal and the way it continually gets larger, but it just isn’t that exceptional. That’s not to say it’s not a fine dildo, as it does it’s job, just not above and beyond.

Anally, however, Five is excellent. I absolutely adore graduated bulbs in my ass, I think they feel wonderful, and add to that the feeling of cool aluminum and this toy is an absolute winner. As I mentioned before, however, the lack of a flared base to keep Five from being sucked up into your butt is worrisome. Granted, that bulb handle is quite large and I don’t think I could get it in my ass without lots of work, and I do think that the weight in the handle would help it not get lost up there, but the threat is there because of the round handle, if it was flatter where the handle meets the bottom bulb I would be less worried. When using it anally I try to keep the handle and the bottom of the third bulb mostly out of my butt. Just in case.

Overall I think Five is excellently made and a gorgeous toy, even if it’s not exactly perfect. If you choose to purchase this or anything else from Kama Sutra Closet be sure to use the code Wanton15 when you check out to get 15% off your purchase. Much thanks to Kama Sutra Closet for sending me the Dai-Do #5 to review!

Name: Dai-Do #5

Manufacturer: Big Teaze Toys.

Material: Aluminum (body) & silicone (band).

Type: Dildo.

Length: 5 1/2 inches (total). 3 1/2 inches (insertable).
Width: 1 inch (smallest bulb), 1 1/2 inches (largest bulb).

Lube: Any on the aluminum part but I would be careful about the silicone band around the handle since silicone lube on silicone toys can do damage.

Care: General cleaning: toy cleaner, anti-bacterial soap. Sterilization: wipe down with 10% bleach solution, run through the dishwasher on the top rack with no soap, or submerge in boiling water for 10 minutes.

Rating: 3 Lotuses (out of 5) – Good & Recommended

Tybo Europa doesn’t so much look like a sex toy but looks nearly identical to a mascara I used to have, same color red, same shape when the cap is on, and just about the same size. I assume this was intentional. It doesn’t look like a sex toy at all and would be easy to carry around in a bag or purse or leave out in the open without much suspicion, assuming you’re the type to wear make up.

Europa looks and feels like a luxury toy (and is priced that way too). It really is gorgeous and well made. I love the color and the design of it. Europa comes in three pieces: a triangular base, a long body with a round top, and a cylindrical cap. The body itself unscrews into three pieces, two silver and one red, and the battery sits within the red part of the toy. Each piece has a ring around where it screws in to make it watertight.

While Europa could be inserted it’s very slim which may or may not be a plus depending on how much of a size queen you are, and is definitely more suited to be a clitoral toy in general.

To turn Europa on simply press the button in the bottom of the toy. Unfortunately there is only one speed. Since it just takes one battery to power this product the vibration strength is not very high. If you need strong vibrations this toy is definitely not for you. This was definitely a disappointment, although I was able to get off with Europa but not without substantial amounts of hard work.

The one upside of Europa’s vibration strength is the material. This was my first introduction to a vibrator made out of a hard material. For those of us who love pressure using a hard material clitorally is seriously wonderful. This didn’t make up completely for the lack in vibration strength, but it definitely improved my feelings for Europa in general.

Being that Europa is made of metal it is also excellent for temperature play, stick it in the fridge or run it under warm water to play with sensations.

For the price I would have hoped for a rechargeable toy, or at least one with more than one speed. There are at least a handful of luxury toys in this price range that fit one or both of those. While Europa didn’t wow me completely it wasn’t completely horrid either and definitely turned me on to hard material vibrators.

Much thanks to My Pleasure for sending me the Tybo Europa to review!

Name: Europa

Manufacturer: Tybo

Type: Vibrator.

Power: One AA battery.

Material: Nickel-plated aluminum alloy.

Length: 4 7/8 inches long.
Width: 3/4 inches at the widest point (diameter).

Lube: Any! Water-, oil-, or silicone-based lube.

Care: Toy cleaner, anti-bacterial soap & water.

Rating: 2 Lotuses (out of 5) – Okay & Indifferent

Since I first heard of Tantus’ Alumina line I’ve been dying to try one. Unlike all other Tantus toys the Alumina line is made out of, can you guess? Aluminum, of course. My chance came in Alumina Revolve, a smooth sleek double-ended dildo.

Every product in the Alumina line is double-ended and screws together in the middle, where that little black band is in the picture above, which means that the ends of the four Alumina products can be swapped out for other pieces to make different toys. This is a very unique design, and of course means I covet all four Alumina toys.

Also unique to the Alumina line is their packaging. Other Tantus products come in very simple packaging, but the Alumina line has an elegant black box with silver writing and the shape of the toy outlined on the top in silver. Inside the toy itself is nestled in black foam and a slim instruction/care booklet. Still simple, but with a touch of class.

Similar to glass and other metal toys aluminum has no give, so a little goes a long way as far as orifices are concerned. In my experience the harder the object the fuller the feeling you get from it, and Revolve is no exception. I found each side of the Revolve to be perfect for anal and vaginal penetration respectively.

The side with three graduated bulbs is wonderful for anal penetration, feeling similar to anal beads when used. The feeling of the anus expanding and contracting is highly pleasurable, and is my favorite type of anal stimulation, so these three hard bulbs were a delight. Graduated bulbs are also excellent for anal beginners, as well, because they allow the penetratee to be worked up slowly to larger objects.

The side with one bulb is excellent for both g-spot stimulation and kegel exercise. It can easily be angled just right to hit the g-spot, and the hard material is great for a variety of sensations from soft massage to hard grinding. The single bulb is the perfect size for me to grip with my kegel muscles and clocking in at half a pound it has a fair amount of heft without being too heavy for a beginner such as myself.

Not too long ago we had a heat wave here in Seattle, and on the hottest day when it got into the triple digits I put Revolve (along with a few other glass and metal toys) in the fridge to cool it down before slipping it inside me and letting it cool me down. It retains temperature quite nicely, which is why it was ideal for this. It can also be warmed, should you come home and find it extra chilly and not be in the mood, by running it under warm water. Simple as that.

Revolve is a wonderfully versatile toy that everyone should enjoy. A big huge thanks to Tantus for sending me Alumina Revolve to review!

Name: Alumina Revolve

Manufacturer: Tantus

Material: Anodized aeronautical-grade aluminum – non-porous, phthalate free, body safe

Type: Double-ended Dildo

Length: 8 inches
Width: 1 3/8 inches (at largest)

Lube: Any! (Silicone-, water-, or oil-based)

Care: Toy cleaner, anti-bacterial soap, 10% bleach solution, top rack of the dishwasher, or boiling.

Rating: 4 Lotuses (out of 5) – Very Good & Highly Recommended