Lube and Toy Cleaner Review: Getting Slippery with Frolic & Swiss Navy!

Thanks to Stockroom, I had the pleasure of testing both Swiss Navy’s All Natural Water Based Lube, and Frolic’s Sex Toy Lubricant for Women (added bonus: Swiss Navy’s Toy and Body Cleaner).  Do you know how hard it can be to conduct a lube test?  While, of course, using it during sex is ideal (two birds, one stone, etc.), the heat of the moment can get in the way of a evaluating a lube properly.  How can you concentrate on the details when the, uh, test run is going distractingly well?  It is too easy to fall into the what thing feels  good where instead of focusing on consistency and texture!

Swiss Navy’s biggest selling point for this lubricant is that it is all natural, as well as glycerin, paraben, and sugar free.  Swiss Navy has smart packaging that I absolutely loved; the lube has a locking pump that dispenses the lube quickly, easily, and tidily.  All you need is one available hand to get what you need!

Unfortunately, none of those positive qualities could compensate the texture of the lube itself, which was thin and extremely runny.  When using it with the iRide, it dissolved far too quickly, leaving me without the extra lubrication I wanted (especially when I was struggling to get comfortable with a complicated toy).  The swift absorption didn’t affect much when I was using it with a partner, fortunately, but the mess it made was huge!  The Swiss Navy lube is a big sloppy mess that doesn’t have any stick at all.

Although I do have sensitive skin, I haven’t had any problems with most of the lubes I’ve tried in the past.  As long as they don’t have a disastrous “massage heat” element to them, the soft parts of me are just fine.  That said, perhaps the Swiss Navy lube would be better suited to someone who has a history of sensitivity toward other types of water based lube; I could see what I perceive as major downsides being less important for someone who has fewer lubricant options overall.

For as disappointed as I was with Swiss Navy’s All Natural Water-Based Lube, their toy and body cleaner is divine. It’s anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral.  Like the lube, it comes in a delightfully simple, attractive package that makes the product easy to use.  Perhaps this is TMI (is there such a thing in a sex toy review?), but I used it to clean a toy of mine after being on my period, and it worked quickly to leave my toy clean, fresh, and new.

I also had the opportunity to try out Frolic’s Specialty Toy Lubricant for Women.  Although this lube is guilty of a somewhat infuriating marketing tactic (Whenever I encounter a product that is “specifically for women,” I find it immediately suspicious, especially in cases where it seems genital specific…I mean, hello, not all women have vaginas and not all vagina owners are women), I found it to be far more to my liking.

Frolic not only has the same easy pump as Swiss Navy, but has a nifty little cap that fits over the spout, and is also a water based, glycerin free lubricant.  The texture is wonderfully silky, and it held up well when using it both on the iRide and with a partner.  There was no issue at all in terms of lasting power, unlike the Swiss Navy lube.  Naturally, it was absorbed with use, but since it didn’t start off quite so thin, it wasn’t devastatingly noticeable. Frolic also has mastered that wonderful balance between thick and slick; the lube is not runny, but just sticky enough to stay where I needed it to be.

While the Swiss Navy lube is being relegated to the runner up position, Frolic has become a new favorite, and now lives beside my bed.  If you are looking for a silky water based lube, Frolic is worth a shot.  If there are those of you out there who have tried the Swiss Navy lube and felt differently about it, I’d love to hear from you in the comments!  Whenever I am dissatisfied with a product, especially for reasons that seem fussy, I am always interested in hearing about others’ experiences.

Even though National Masturbation Month is over, there is still plenty of time to get wet and frolic freely, so buy one of these babies and get on it! [And don’t forget to pick up Swiss Navy’s Toy and Body Cleaner for quick and easy clean up!]

iRide Vibrator Review: Get In The Saddle

The iRide Vibrator from Doc Johnson is the new toy in town, and is appropriately named: it is a bubble-gum pink, saddle-shaped vibrator made to be literally ridden.

The toy has two separate vibrating components, each of which have their own independent on/off button, and buzz to varying speeds and intensities. One of the vibrators is a 4-inch phallus shaped insertable and the other is a rounded bump intended for clitorial stimulation. The toy’s body is curved so that the rider can hop on and rock their hips with greater ease… it’s like a rocking chair for your genitals!

Test out your own orgasmic limits with the iRide VibratorMasturbation doesn’t always have to be about replacing sex, but on occasion, it’s nice to have a toy that gets close to simulating actual sex acts. Those who want their self-lovin’ to resemble jumping on top of someone sexy may find this to be a perfect option for them. At a little more than a foot long and five inches wide, the iRide vibrator feels sturdy and meant for rough’n’tumble use.

Unlike typical vibrators, the iRide can be a completely hands-free experience, meaning that it has the potential to be incorporated into play with a partner too! Imagine rocking back and forth on a vibrating toy, being stimulated while finding other, more important uses for your mouth and fingers…

The box has a few cute femme-bodied silhouettes demonstrating various positions that work well with the vibrator, from placing it on a chair to spooning with it between your legs. I made sure to take a few joy rides on the buzzing rocker so I could test out how it worked in the positions recommended and on different surfaces.

FIRST TEST RUN

SURFACE: Cushy leather couch

POSITION: Sitting right on top, using the probe vaginally

SIDENOTE: Using “probe” and “vaginally” in the same phrase makes me feel like I should be discussing alien abduction instead of a sex toy!

LUBE: Frolic, a water-based toy lubricant meant for women

NOTES: This initial test run was a complete bust!

After boisterously bouncing on the couch for a minute or two, I nearly took a header off the edge! After catching myself and readjusting, I tried again, but the soft surface below the vibrator had too much give to assist in creating necessary friction.

After a second near fall, I decided to give up on this try, get a glass of wine, and jerk off with my hand instead. I mean, it’s National Masturbation Month… not getting myself off in the end would be criminal.

SUCCESSFUL? No.

SECOND TEST RUN

SURFACE: Oddly angular chaise with a firm surface, and then the floor next to it

POSITION: Sitting right on top, using the probe vaginally…again

LUBE: Swiss Navy, a water-based all natural lubricant

NOTES: Wow, this was much better!

Finding the right angle on the iRide is no easy task! It took way longer than I wanted to find that sweet spot where I was receiving juuuuuust the right amount of sensation from both the insertable and the rounded clit vibe. The process was a bit like getting to know a new lover, only without the added benefits of body warmth: Even the faintest sign of an orgasm in the distance was touch and go until I found the right angles.

That said, the firmer surface made a huge difference in using the toy. Once I hit the right groove, I could appreciate the intensity of both of the vibrators, as well as the curve of the probe. The shape of the toy, both the insertable portion and the saddle itself, make up for how short the probe itself is.

One orgasm was not enough; I had put in so much work into getting that one that it only seemed worth it to try for another, even though my clit was getting slightly sore from the unfortunately inflexible bump vibe. While they did a fantastic job creating a toy that can handle the buck of sizable hips, the clit vibe was way too inflexible, and after some time, fell too far on the side of pain rather than pleasure. The time spent figuring out the best way to work with the iRide paid off though, and it was easy to get back into the groove.

SUCCESSFUL? Yes! Multiple orgasm success!

THIRD TEST RUN

SURFACE: The bed, first alone, and then with a partner

POSITION: Spooning! And then being fucked with it.

LUBE: Frolic again. It’s a new favorite.

NOTES: As a person who needs intense contact with the vibes I use, spooning wasn’t the position for me. Using it with a partner was mostly fun, especially since we could make out while I got started on it. That hands-free thing really can be a benefit! The way the saddle is shaped pretty much blocks off all genital access to another person, though, and when my partner wanted to get involved, they grabbed the toy and used it against me, which wasn’t bad. The iRide definitely wasn’t the star of the show, though.

SUCCESSFUL? Sure. It didn’t lead to orgasm, but was a pretty decent tool as a part of foreplay.

CONCLUSION:

The iRide Vibrator is definitely in a class of its own amongst toys that can be ridden while still being easy to store and not too costly. It was easy to clean (I cannot recommend Swiss Navy’s toy cleaner enough), too.

My complaints are mostly that the clit bump is not nearly soft enough, and that…well, I’m a little lazy when it comes to jerking off! It’s a little fussy, but the iRide is made well and adds a different vibe to the masturbatory experience. While I don’t think the iRide is practical for day-to-day diddling, the toy would be fantastic for “special occasion” usage. As long as you are willing to put the work in, the iRide will make your toes curl as your hips rock.

Wanna ride? Pick up your own iRide Vibrator and save over $20, only through May 31, 2013!