The No.14 is well-suited (and I think intended) for anal use. It has a large ring for a base and you would have to try hard to push it in past the base; as such it's safe for anal play. I think it could also be useful vaginally, especially as a g-spotter with it's nice curve and large head, though I haven't tried this with the No.14. The size and taper of the head is also nice because it's not too big or too steep, respectively, to preclude using with a stroking motion. Some plugs are too large to push in or pull out again repeatedly, but the No.14 doesn't experience this limitation. The popping sound when you pull it out is fun, and it's hard not to want to do it over and over.

As glass, the No.14 is well-suited for heating or cooling prior to play. I describe my findings with this in the experiences section.

A final mention for use should include the extreme transparency of the smooth glass of the No.14. With a properly positioned mirror, a solo user can have a nice look inside through the glass as it's inserted. This would be even easier on a partner. Not everyone is into this, but it's certainly nice to own a toy that offers such an option.

The Icicles No.14 is made of smooth Pyrex glass. It has no seams and the transitions between the head, shaft, and base are all perfectly even and invisible. The glass is also free of any bubbles and is highly-transparent. Being glass, the No.14 is very hard and does not give; keep this in mind if you're more of a beginner with anal play, you will feel every 1/16" in diameter. However, the hardness is great because it allows you to place pressure in exactly the direction and with the force you desire. This can be highly advantageous in an anal toy, and makes up for the larger size you would need to get the same effect with softer materials such as silicone.

This is one well-designed plug! The tip starts off small and evenly tapers nearly up to its maximum diameter; for the last little bit, though, the taper is more gradual and the gentle curve prolongs that apex moment right before the plug is drawn in. The size is medium, at about 1 5/8" diameter. It's large enough to be pleasing to insert, and large enough to stay in place once inserted, and also small enough that it can be a first toy of the night (small enough that warm-up isn't needed).

The No.14 is semi-discreet. It doesn't look like a penis, it doesn't have any bulging veins or ridges. However, it would likely arouse questions if someone didn't already recognize what it is. It's not quite discreet enough to just be looked over as decor. However, if you'd like to keep it out, the No.14 is the perfect size to keep in a fabric sunglasses pouch and would not stand out in such a cloak. As it has no moving parts or batteries, I think this toy would travel well, as long as you are careful to wrap it safely to prevent injury in your luggage.

This toy excels with its combination of smooth glass material, gentle curve, and comfort of use. All of this makes for a plug that is comfortable to wear around the house and that is extremely effective in applying prostate pressure when you desire. Simply squeezing your anal muscles with the No.14 in place pushes its head up and forward, right against the prostate. I found that this action is most effective when it's used standing up doing something. The base of the toys rests very comfortably between the butt cheeks, as long as you don't try to sit down. Sitting performance could have been improved if the base were more of an oval than a perfect circle; but I'm not sure this is really important, most of the fun is in moving around with the plug in.

As pyrex glass, the No.14 is very easy to take care of. Since it is completely non-porous and smooth, there are no hiding places for dirt and the like. A simple scrub with antibacterial soap and hot water is effective. More thorough disinfection can be performed by boiling in water, running in the dishwasher, or dipping in a sterilizing solution (1:10) of bleach and hot water.

As glass, any lube you'd like is compatible. However, you have to remember that if you plan on playing with other toys after the No.14, you should respect their requirements too. Since I usually also play with silicone toys after this toy, silicone lube is off the list of possibilities, even though the No.14 itself is fine with it. I've used only water-based lube with the No.14 and can confidently state that it stays very slick.

I really like the packaging for Icicles. The toy comes in a small box (about the size a medium perfume bottle would come in) made of cardboard with nice detailing. The printing on the box is gloss and matte, with the image of the toy slightly enlarged on four sides of the box. The image of the No.14 is printed in gloss, and is slick like the toy, compared to the matte finish of the background. I would call this packaging semi-discreet, as it does prominently show the toy, and the words "hand blown glass massager". However, there are no pictures of anything other than the toy on the box (no nude models, etc.) or any mention of sexual terminology. A really nice touch I noticed was that the box has a flap on the front that is held in place by a magnet. Once pulled open you see a clear plastic window which displays the toy in its foam cutout. For this price, the packaging is downright luxurious.

Unfortunately, the No.14 doesn't store well in it's luxury enclosure/display box. When you try to push the foam insert back into the box, it snags on the edge of the plastic viewing window and takes a bit of effort to get in to go back in. I would expect that with such use, the box would quickly fall apart.

The box provides a bit of description, mostly limited to cleanup and suggestions for temperature play. The description is non-explicit.

All said, I think that the packaging of the Icicles No.14 would make for a beautiful gift.

So with this being my first official assignment, I made an extra effort to be thorough with my testing. I tried various angles of insertion, comfort of longer-term use, and even the temperature play recommended by the manufacturer. Here are my findings:

Insertion Orientation: I prefer this plug with the curve towards my front side. That is, when inserted, the head of the No.14 and its base are pointing toward my front. This orientation seems to give me more pressure on my prostate and the base feels a bit more comfortable. Additionally, when I'm inserting while on my back, it's easier to hold the toy in this manner. Of course, you can also insert with the tip and base facing back; it certainly isn't unpleasant, just not quite as nice. You could insert the toy sideways so that the base is parallel to your shoulders; I found that the only thing enjoyable about this is squeezing your butt cheeks to make the base swivel into place. Fun, but not so great as the first orientation.

Temperature Play: on the back of the packaging, the manufacturer recommends running "the wand under warm water or place in the microwave to heat things up. Chill it under cold water or put in the freezer for a cool sensation." I tried with just the water (freezer sounded a bit too cold, and microwave sounded like it would be easy to get too hot on accident). I found that warming the toy in a sink of hot water for a few minutes was very enjoyable. This was the first time I tried warming up a toy, and the sensation of warmth was quite soothing and lasted for about five minutes. Running the No.14 instead under the cold water was interesting due to the anticipation of inserting a cold object (like slowly getting in a cold alpine lake), but it wasn't necessarily as pleasant as heating it up. I think the cold play would be more fun if you were inserting the toy into a partner, where you could tease them with the cool glass (and the resulting sudden gasp).

Comfort: this is not a great toys for sitting down on. The ring of the base is somewhat large and will press against the surface on which you're sitting. So there is some discomfort, especially on harder chairs (mine are wood). That said, however, the No.14 is amazing when used standing up. The narrow ring-style base makes it very comfortable between your butt cheeks, even when you are standing with both legs together. I found that squeezing my anal muscles was delightful, and the curve of the toy applied nice pressure to my prostate when I did this. I think this toy is well suited for house activities where there a lot of standing around and you are able to focus on controlling your anal muscles and the sensations you get in response. I really liked it while cooking and organizing. Notice, it's not the plug you want for moving around a lot; for that I like a larger plug where its sheer bulk makes every movement a pleasure.