It's toys like this that make me realize what all the fun loop-de-loops and crazy glow in the dark colors and animal shapes just can't compensate for when it comes to sex toys. The Tantus Ace Small is the kind of plug that puts all others, in spite of all their frills, to shame because they can't do the basic stuff plugs are supposed to. Such as, you know, stay in?

The Ace is a great plug that I would recommend for beginners looking to step their game up to intermediate, or for those already at an intermediate level. It measures in at three insertable inches total, and a bit over an inch in diameter across the widest point of its spade-shaped head. Granted it tapers to this point of width somewhat, but if you don't have any previous experience with anal play I would not recommend this for you. However, if you're comfortable enough with the initial 1.25" pop of Ace's bulging bulb, you'll find this little guy tapers back down quite a bit. It slides gracefully down into a two inch long neck that is a touch wider than a half inch. This is quite a comfortable diameter for the anal opening to handle, although if you like being stretched you won't find that sensation here.

With a long and comparatively thin neck, the Ace makes long term wear very comfortable, although it may leave some feeling less full than they'd like. These dimensions also make the neck very, very good at staying put and highly unlikely to pop out during orgasm unless you have a very relaxed butt that's used to much larger objects. Having experienced so many plugs that just did NOT stay put I've almost forgotten that the name PLUG itself is supposed to guarantee being PLUGGED! So when a little guy like the Ace or the Njoy Pure Plug hangs in there with the tenacity of a kitty gripping a branch on a motivational poster? I'm almost surprised, unfortunately.

As you can see in the video above, Tantus' anal plugs have definitely gone through some evolutionary changes in terms of their bases. Most of Tantus' anal toys these days have chunky, rectangular bases, with the exception of a few such as the B-bomb and others. There have been many complaints in the past of these bases being uncomfortably thick or broad, as well as having unpleasantly sharp edges. In fact, my Tantus Infinity Royal was definitely on the pointy and uncomfortable side: so much so that it required modifying. But this recent Ace Small is awesome. Such an improvement, seriously.

It seems to me that Tantus has been listening carefully to our woes and has adjusted the density of the silicone and the shape of the base to to accommodate us. The Ace's base is MUCH much squishier than my Infinity, and actually, the whole plug is quite squishy. This makes extended wear a lot easier on the butt cheeks, as does the rounding out of the rectangular edges a bit. There are very few plugs that I can leave in while I'm not being stimulated/engaging in other sexy activities, but this is one I can pop in and go about my business with. My partner also vouches that it's quite good for behinds with a little more padding!

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Which brings me to another thing I love about the Ace: how well it works to stimulate the spots of all bodies through the anal wall. My guy enjoyed some light stimulation of his prostate with this in, and combined with a blowjob he was pretty much in over-stimulation heaven. I really like slowly working this plug in and rubbing my clit to an awesome combination G-spot/clitoral orgasm. It's not the most intense pressure at first, but as I start to get closer to climax and my muscles start clenching around the plug I get more and more stimulation. Yeah. It's quite good.

The way that the base its snugly between the butt cheeks keeps the head of the plug up in your behind where it's supposed to be, although the more you move around the more likely it is to slip down. It won't like fall out, or it hasn't for me anyway, but it has slid down to where the bulb is right behind my anus, pushing against it like it wants to come out. For this reason I prefer to be relatively stationary because the long, thin neck can cause trouble. Some plugs like Jollies' Luna are curved or bent to prevent this problem, but since Ace's neck is straight as a pin you have to work with it and not against it. Still, unlike other toys it is not going to slip out very easily.

Tantus' Ace Small is made from 100% shiny, glossy silicone. It is completely non-porous and easy to clean, which is handy because glossy silicone is especially prone to picking up hair, lint and dust. Non-porous materials cannot absorb bacteria due to their lack of 'pores,' but they can collect microbes on the surface. Therefore, always take care to wash your toys thoroughly when sharing or if you go from anal to vaginal use for any reason. In these instances, use a 10% bleach solution or boil in hot water for 3-4 minutes for a thorough cleaning. For day to day cleaning when you're using your Ace solo and strictly for anal, a good 60 second lathering with anti-bacterial soap and warm water will clean your plug sufficiently. Silicone toys should always be stored away from non-silicone soft toys such as TPR, TPE, jelly, rubber and others. Silicone can compromise these materials by warping their shape or even melting them! Please stick to water or oil based lubes as well, because silicone based lubes can bond to your toy, creating a gummy and nearly impossible to remove mess.

I keep my Ace in a plastic Ziploc bag to prevent it from collecting dust, but if you prefer a fancier look then you can use a lint free storage pouch like this one as well. Silicone is an incredibly durable material and so long as your treat your Ace nicely it can last you years and years.

My partner is generally the one that uses most of our anal toys, but the Ace small has become one of the few plugs that I hoard all to myself. Besides my Njoy small this is easily my favorite and while I'm usually very generous, I feel strangely possessive of this one!

I think what I love about this toy is just how squishy it is. Silicone is awesomely hygienic so when it comes to soft materials it's the only one I'll use for anal. Unfortunately a lot of silicone is very stiff, and my low-range intermediate butt sometimes hates this. The Ace small is so soft that it allows me to push the upper limits of what my butt can handle, but comfortably. It works with me a little and I really love it for that. My only regret is that mine isn't that awesome Barbie pink.