The Ryder is intended for use as a butt plug, and is designed to comfortably stay in the anus for an extended period of time to use on its own or warm up to a larger toy. This plug could also be used for thrusting or vaginally, provided it is properly sterilized in between switching of orifices.

This toy is made of 100% silicone, an ideal material for an anal toy as it is non-porous and can easily be sterilized. As is generally the case with silicone toys, the Ryder has no discernible taste or scent. If you own other Tantus toys, this particular formulation is their typical glossy silicone, with some give, but not too much. It is slightly tacky, but not in an unpleasant way. As is generally the case with toys made of silicone, this particular one is a lint magnet.

The shape of this plug reminds me of a fat top hat or cowboy with a very narrow brim. While it is not intimidating and the transition from the widest part of the toy to the stem is gentle, I’d classify this as a good intermediate toy based on the blunt tip. It’d make a great second plug, but if the top of the plug were a bit narrower, I’d call it a great first one. The base is narrow and flexible while still wide enough to keep it from getting lost during use. However, it is narrow enough that larger hands might have issues holding on to it, especially when said hands are covered with lube.

I personally did not have any trouble holding onto this toy with lube-covered fingers, but I have small hands and someone with larger ones might have a different experience. I also haven’t tried using this toy in a harness – the base isn’t the wide, rounded one that you’d see on a harness-compatible toy, but with some creativity, you could probably put it into one and use it effectively.

The Ryder measures about 4.5” from tip to base, with about 4” of insertable length. At its widest, it measures 1.5” in diameter and the circumference is about 4.75”. While the aforementioned blunt tip means that it might be more difficult for a beginner to insert, the shape of this toy makes it ideal for warming up to something larger, such as preparing for anal sex.

In my experience, this is a solid plug that serves its purpose well and feels fantastic in use. It usually requires me to warm up a bit beforehand with either fingers or a narrower toy, but it’s not difficult at all to insert and offers a feeling of fullness that feels really nice. The comparatively gentle slope from the widest part of the toy to the neck made me wonder (at least the first time) if it’d slip out during extended wear, but I was able to walk around with it, sit at my computer desk, etc. without any worries.

This toy is also great for stretching out your muscles in preparation for anal sex, and I’ve used it for this purpose. It’s one of the better plugs that I have for doing this, although I enjoy the Severin as well. If you own that toy already, this definitely offers a very difference experience in terms of sensation – this one won’t be as intense by a long shot, but it has its own merits and I’d definitely recommend owning both of them for some variety.

Since the Ryder is made of 100% silicone, it is non-porous and can be safely boiled for three minutes, sterilized with a 10% bleach solution, or run through the dishwasher to disinfect it. I usually wash mine with simple soap and water or toy cleaner, but have also put it in a pot on the stove and boiled it as well. As is the case with silicone toys, avoid using silicone lube with the Ryder to avoid damaging the surface of the toy. Any water-based lube gets along well with this material.

The Ryder came in a clear plastic box, typical of what Tantus generally uses for its toys. While it is tasteful and does not feature any models or the like, it’s not discreet at all since the toy is clearly visible through the packaging. The box features various selling points of the material (100% platinum silicone, non-toxic, phthalate-free, etc.), and would be fine for storing the toy as long as you don’t mind the fact that it’s kind of bulky and hard to put into a smaller toy case.