Smartballs review, part II

This is Part II of my review of The Uno Smartballs Teneo Kegel Sex Toys from Fun Factory that Good Vibrations sent me.Read Part I here first.

I tried the Uno Smartball again last Thursday, making sure I was plenty relaxed and aroused before trying to insert it. It still hurt a lot, but I concentrated on relaxing instead of forcing, and it was easier than the first time.

Once in, the Smartball was comfortable, so I decided to take it for an outing. I drove into town and wore it through my Pilates class. I didn't even notice it, except when I intentionally added Kegels to my abdominal work, then it became something to grab onto, so to speak, while Kegeling.

Next I was meeting a guy pal for a walk and a restaurant dinner, so I wore it through the evening. I kept thinking I was supposed to feel the marble moving around inside the ball, or at least the ball moving in me, but I guess the Smartball fit so snugly that it didn't wobble and I didn't feel any motion. The only sensation I felt was irritation from the loop (sort of like a tampon string, but plastic/rubbery). The most entertaining part, actually, was trying to decide whether to reveal my secret to my walking and dining companion. (I didn't, and I assume he'll be surprised when he reads it here.)

Extracting the Smartball at the end of the evening was again uncomfortable to the point of pain, capping my decision that the experiment was over.

So what was the point? Did it remind me to do my Kegels? I guess so, but it wasn't pleasant enough to use again, and I certainly have no desire to try the Duo and submit myself to double the entry discomfort. I think these balls would be more effective if they were smaller and/or tapered -- a narrower nub facilitating entry --instead of abruptly round.

There are other Kegel exercisers, and I'll report on some of them later on. The Smartballs don't get my vote, sorry.

For a totally different take on these balls, read this amusing, barely English review here. Here's an excerpt:

He is deal for women with a reduction in the matrix or a matrix doubled backwards that wants, to make vibrate the musculatura of pelvis...Smartballs trains the vaginal musculatura and of pelvis and tries more pleasure in sex. Advised by matrons!

Uh, yeah....

12/15 update: For contrast, please read Essin' Em's very positive review . One of the many values of these Internet sex toy reviews from real users willing to be candid is that readers can compare reviews. Older readers may identify with me; younger "Kegel athletes" will identify with Essin' Em. Many thanks to Good Vibrations for welcoming responses from a variety of reviewers.

Smartballs review, part I

 The Uno (one ball) and Duo (two connected balls) Smartballs Teneo Kegel Sex Toys from Fun Factory that Good Vibrations sent intrigued me. The letter I got with the Smartballs said,

Both models are designed to be inserted vaginally. Inside the larger ball is a smaller marble that rolls around as the hips move, creating hands-free G-spot sensations. You can wear them during masturbation, oral sex, or anal sex to add some fun. Or try them while wearing a strap-on harness, when you go out dancing, or (as one customer reported) while mopping the floor. However you use them, get creative and see what you can come up with. They're coated in silicone for easy cleaning, too.

Doesn't that sound like fun! They're Kegel exercisers for strengthening the pelvic floor -- something we need, especially as older women -- that also provide vaginal stimulation whether we're indulging in erotic play or just going about our daily lives.

In my role as Good Vibrations Brand Ambassador, it's my responsibility to review products honestly, candidly, and with a senior/elder perspective. Usually that's easy -- I try the product, enjoy the product, and review it according to what I think would be valuable to helpp you decide whether this product would be right for you.

I had a problem, though, with the Smartballs Teneo Kegel Sex Toys: I couldn't get the darn things in!

I've never been a "size queen." I'm petite, to begin with, and have never had children. As a young woman, I had no trouble accommodating a penis of any size when I was aroused enough. At 66 now and widowed -- that has a lot to do with it -- it's logical I'm tighter than I used to be. (A whole chapter in my new book, Naked at Our Age, addresses how to prevent and/or fix this problem -- more about that soon.)

The Smartballs measure 1-1/2 inches in diameter. That might not seem like such a big stretch (pun intended), but the spherical shape adds to the problem. If they were tapered, I wouldn't have a problem. It's just that initial entry that encounters resistance.

Maybe the problem was that I tried to insert the Smartball when I wasn't aroused, I figured. So I teamed it with my Hitachi Magic Wand -- always a delightful experience -- and in fact was able to relax enough to insert the single ball (Uno), although still not without difficulty and discomfort.

Once inserted, the ball was fun. A lot of fun. Inserting a finger into the looped string part and using a bouncing yo-yo motion, I could make the ball wriggle and give me very pleasurable sensations. I liked it a lot.

I considered leaving the Smartball in while I went to teach my line dance class that evening, but I was fearful of how difficult it would be to remove. I decided I'd better get it out while I was relaxed from my pleasure experience. Even so, it was difficult and uncomfortable to remove, to the point of minor pain.

I don't dare try the Duo yet. I'll be working on some exercises I got from a fabulous expert -- I'll introduce her in a different post. Using my current experience as a benchmark, I'll see how my ability to accommodate size changes. I'll also let you know what it's like to dance wearing Smartballs!

If you have no trouble inserting the 1-1/2" balls, you'll enjoy them, and you'll have plenty of incentive to practice your Kegel exercises with something pleasureable to play with internally. I'd love to hear your experience with them.

This was a difficult review for me to write, pushing my own boundaries of disclosure. But I know that my experience is mirrored by many women, and I'd rather be candid with you and help you deal with these challenges than protect some notion of privacy. Do let me know if this valuable to you, please.

see 12/5/09 update here.

12/15: For contrast, please read Essin' Em's very positive review . One of the many values of these Internet sex toy reviews from real users willing to be candid is that readers can compare reviews. Older readers may identify with me; younger "Kegel athletes" will identify with Essin' Em. Many thanks to Good Vibrations for welcoming responses from a variety of reviewers.