Not all butt plugs are created equal. I’ve been spoiled by plugs like Njoy Pfun and LELO Bob whose bases are made to nestle perfectly between butt cheeks, making wearing the plugs pleasurable and not making the skin of my ass right around my asshole sore. While the Sidekick 1 is a nice size and shape the round base just makes it awkward for any type of wear.

I should note, however, this is a personal preference and, I think, highly dependent on the size of one’s derrière. Since I’m a large person all around and have quite a large ass I think this makes it even more uncomfortable than if my butt was smaller. Oblong bases are far more comfortable in general for any sort of long-term wear, but your level of discomfort with a round base may be far different than mine.

Luckily, you don’t have to use this plug just for wearing. Since it is fairly small, an excellent starter-plug either generally for beginners or while working up to a larger plug or other anal toy. I have fairly large hands and it’s not much longer than my middle finger and about the width of two fingers.

The first little bloop of the toy has a curve to it which is quite aesthetically pleasing, but I could not really notice it while it was inside me, it felt like any other straight plug, but that’s not a bad thing. The second teardrop-shaped section of the plug is the largest section, and quite enjoyable while inserting or thrusting. I found the neck is a little short for wear as well, but we’ve already established this plug isn’t for wear. Because the base is thick and fairly big for a small toy it is easy to hold on to which makes thrusting with this little plug fairly enjoyable as well.

The Sidekick is made out of 100% medical-grade silicone so it is non-porous, phthalate-free, and can be sterilized (see care instructions below). Silicone is one of the most body-safe materials for toys to be made out of, but it does attract lint and stray hair like nobody’s business so it’s always advisable to store in a bag or other safe place, and wash both before and after use. Silicone also retains temperature so you can run it under cool or warm water to attain the effect you desire.

Despite my annoyance with the base I actually really like this plug. While the Pfun Plug is by far my favorite plug ever, this plug is half the price and is quite enjoyable for what it is.

The Sidekick 1 is so numbered because there is also a Sidekick 2 which is longer and slightly thicker, so if you are attracted to this plug but think it is a little small for your anal experience level I would suggest taking a gander at that.

A big thank you to Good Vibrations for providing me with the Sidekick Silicone Anal Plug!

Name: Sidekick 1.

Manufacturer: Made exclusively for Good Vibrations.

Material: 100% medical-grade silicone.

Type: Anal Toy/Butt Plug.

Length: 3 3/4 inches.
Width: 1 1/4 inches (largest).

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

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

Kegel Exercisers are wonderful things, they basically help you exercise the muscles of the pelvic floor without a lot of conscious effort on your part, you just need to remember to wear them.

Kegel exercises can be done in numerous ways with various different implements, not just balls, but the best well-known vaginal balls are Ben Wa Balls, basically a ball with another ball-shaped weight inside of it that wiggle around during wear and stimulate your pelvic floor muscles. They are best to be done every day for fastest results, just like any other kind of exercises.

The awesome thing about balls like these is that you don’t really have to do anything in order to be exercising your pelvic floor muscles except move. They are a wonderful way to spruce up even the most boring menial tasks! The weight in the center vibrates slightly as you move around giving you immediate stimulation and arousal while working your kegels.

In the short-term it will increase your arousal level and can be especially wonderful to use in a D/s setting. In the long-term the benefits of strengthening your pelvic floor are both practical as well as sexual. It improves urinary and bowel control and can also increase control over ejaculation for both males and females. Specifically for females they increase tightness of the vagina, can improve vaginal control, and can increase sexual arousal/desire. For males they can diminish premature ejaculation, encourage multiple orgasms (especially multiples without ejaculation), and result in a stronger erection.

Smartballs are not made for males, however, as they should never ever be used anally. For anal kegel exercisors check out the Aneros Peridise.

Original Smartballs vs. Smartballs Teneo Uno and Duo

Fun Factory took the basic design of Ben Wa Balls and came up with their Original Smartballs (image), two slightly oblong balls attached together with an easy removal cord which could be worn all day if you so choose.

The Smartballs Teneo line is basically Smartballs 2.0. Unlike the Original Fun Factory Smartballs the Teneo line of Smartballs are made of silicone, not Fun Factory‘s own creation of Elastomed. Also, instead of an oval-y shaped ball with indented slits around the sides in a different color like the original Smartballs the Teneo Uno and Duo have a bit more texture to their design, as you can see. They still have the inlayed slits, but have a ribbon of silicone moving around them for even more feeling when they’re up inside you.

Probably my favorite difference between Smartballs 1.0 and Teneo is the finger groove on the bottom of each ball which makes insertion much easier. Teneo was also improved by giving the wearer a choice between one ball or two, making it easier for beginners or those of us with shorter vaginal canals to work on our muscles using a more comfortable singular ball.

Finally, the retrieval cord on the Teneo line is also made of silicone and is the same color as the rest of the ball, unlike on the Smartballs 1.0 which was of an unknown material (not silicone), slightly tacky, and white regardless of the ball colors.

Smartballs vs. Other Vaginal Balls

Other than Fun Factory’s versions I have also tried the LELO Luna Beads and Ophoria K-Balls (review coming soon), both of which have balls which are closer to perfectly round than the ones found on any of the versions of Smartballs, but neither have a completely silicone cord or the extremely handy finger groove.

While the LELO Luna Beads do have the option between using one ball or two and also varying ball weights the balls are made of ABS plastic rather than silicone and the retrieval cord is made of a fiber which can get stiff after encountering fluid, which is highly annoying.

The Ophoria K-balls are made of silicone, but are much more similar to the Smartballs 1.0 than the Teneo line.

There are many other types of vaginal balls and other kegel exercisers out there as well, but these are the only ones I have experienced personally.

So… Are they worth it?

I think the Teneo Uno specifically is my favorite of all the vaginal balls I have encountered. The Duo is wonderful as well, but I haven’t made up my mind between it and the K-balls. Maybe by the time I review the K-balls I’ll have a better idea. They are definitely close to the top if not the very top, so I definitely recommend them.

A big thank you to Good Vibrations for providing me with Smartballs Teneo Kegel Sex Toy!

Name: Smartballs Teneo Uno or Duo

Type: Vaginal Balls/Kegel Exercisers

Material: Silicone

Length: 5″ (Uno) 7 1/4″ (Duo)
Insertable: 1 3/4″ (Uno) 3 1/4″ (Duo)
Width: 1 1/2″
Girth: 4 3/4″

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

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of Fun Factory toys, I have quite a lot of them and they’re all made with high standards of quality and care as well as body safe materials, all factors of a quality company. Not only is this a Fun Factory toy, but the G-Twist was made specifically by Fun Factory for Good Vibrations, an amazing sex-positive feminist and all-around-awesome sex toy shop, designed by the GV staff to be the ultimate insertable g-spot vibrator.

I’m personally not much of a fan of internal vibrations, I prefer my insertables to not vibrate and strong vibrations on my clit, so I was a little unsure of how well the G-Twist would work for me. The benefit, though, of having a vibrator that is made for g-spot and internal stimulation is that you can just use it without the vibe essentially as a dildo. My girlfriend Marla, however, thought it was wonderful in both vibrating and non-vibrating modes.

The G-Twist is a gorgeous specimen of g-spot toy and vibrator, long and relatively thick with wonderful ridges all over it. The ridges add to the girth of it a bit, making it suitable even for a size queen such as myself, and the curve of it finds the g-spot easily and presses in just the right places. The vibrations are fairly strong, although nowhere near hitachi strong but few things are, and can be felt easily from base to tip. I couldn’t get off clitorally using this toy alone, but used internally paired with a strong clitoral vibrator it was heavenly.

The majority of the toy is extremely bendable, the last four or five inches or so, which is surprising for a toy with such vibrations. At the base where the silicone meets the handle, battery case, and dial-controls there is a ridge of silicone which can actually be bent up during use to hit the clit. I did this for Marla while we were trying the G-Twist out, and she said it was extremely pleasant.

The G-Twist also comes in six different colors (above), all of which are beautiful.

I’ve heard other reviewers have had issues with the battery case, but I didn’t find it to be true. It was a little tricky, as you have to push in either side of the bottom at just the right spot to get the batter compartment to pop out, but once I did it the first time it was easy to do so from then on.

The dial control was interesting to use, as it can be turned either clockwise or counter-clockwise and continuously in 360+ degrees, although only a 180 degree amount of it will turn the toy on. The vibrations vary from barely there to nice and strong depending on where the dial is turned to. I haven’t had any issues with accidentally turning the dial while using it, which is a big plus in my book.

A big huge thank you to Good Vibrations for providing me with the Fun Factory G-Twist!

Name: G-Twist

Manufacturer: Fun Factory (made specifically for Good Vibes)

Type: G-spot vibrator

Batteries: Two AA’s (included!)

Material: 100% Medical-grade silicone

Length: 6″ (insertable)
Width: 1 1/2″

Lube: Any (silicone-, water-, or oil-based)! Even though most silicone toys should never be used with silicone lubes this toy is specially formulated to be used with any type of lube, silicone included.

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

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