These anal beads are a wonderful beginner set. The beads look like little flower bulbs to me or chocolate mini eggs (they're the same colour too!). The silicone is silky smooth and plush; the same kind of silky silicone that I associate with good quality material. The handle is very sturdy, which for an anal toy is ideal and since these were my very first anal toy, I found it reassuring. The toy is quite flexible so you will not be able to thrust with these beads.

The first thing I do with any toy is touch it. Touch can tell you a lot about a toy. Good quality silicone feels soft and silky smooth. These beads fit the bill perfectly. I loved running the toy through my hands and over my body, it was just so smooth. I also flame tested the silicone and it passed. The colour is a baby blue that can actually look periwinkle in certain lights. There is the SLIGHTEST bit of drag to this toy, but a bit little bit. The silicone beads are firm, but they do give when you squeeze them.

I have to make note of the way the beads are connected as part of the texture because they are so close together that the feel of the toy as a whole is like a bumpy yet plush, silky rope.

The handle of the toy is body safe ABS plastic and circular in shape. It is totally rigid, making it great for removal.

There was a smell to the toy when I took it out of the plastic shell. It smells sharply like plastic, however you need to hold it close to your nose in order to smell it. I am not put off by the smell, but I noticed that when I washed the beads before use, they kind of took on the scent of the antibacterial soap I used. I am wondering if that means they will retain smells of...different natures...

There is a barely-there seam on the beads from when they were cast.

As I mentioned before, these beads remind me very much of flower bulbs that I plant in my garden every year. At first glance, the beads look like they are all one size. Upon closer inspection, I have come to the conclusion that in fact, the shapes of the beads change very subtly as your eye travels down the toy. The first is shaped almost exactly like a Cadbury Mini Egg, it is almost exactly the same size too (don't eat it, let your bum do that). As you go down the toy, the beads get a bit shorter and a bit fatter. I cannot say that I notice the slight shape difference when the toy is inserted. The egg shape of the first bead makes it very easy to insert.

The toy is 9.5 inches long including the handle. The beads' circumference max out at one inch. As far as the handle goes, it is quite small. Enough to fit one finger through to remove, but I have small hands and not even I can insert more than one finger through the loop. Those with bigger hands may find that they have issues with the handle.

The biggest con with this toy is where the handle meets the silicone beads. Although I have pulled and tugged, the connection is very secure. However, there is one hell of a seam that bacteria, fluids and lube could collect in. I think that for safety reasons this last bead, should not be inserted. It is an easy way to avoid bacteria getting in there.

Below are pictures of the beads compared to a six inch ruler and a marker as well as a close up of the seam where the handle meets the silicone.

These beads are great! They hold onto lube well, you do not need a lot of it because they are so smooth. The beads are advertised as being waterproof which of course they are, but then again, so are most anal beads. I think the best selling feature of these beads is the firmness of the silicone bulbs and the shape of the bulbs. These beads are totally unintimidating for beginners and advanced users will appreciated the firmness.

The beads do not slip out when you walk around. You can sit and lay down with them in as well and remain quite comfortable.

The flexibility of the beads means that the handle cannot be used when inserting the beads. However, insertion is easy when you place your hand three beads from the tip. The first three beads will not flex this way, after that, you can insert the rest of the beads with no issues.

You can use an antibacterial soap and hot water to clean these as well as toy cleaner. Remember that seam I told you about? I was not sure about boiling them to sterilize at first because I didn't know what the plastic would do. ABS plastic does not have a true melting point, but it can warp at temperatures of 105 degrees Celsius or 221 degrees Fahrenheit. This type of plastic is durable so I decided to try boiling the toy. I used a metal pasta basket to hold the toy while it was immersed in boiling water (a steamer basket immersed in water would work too). This makes for easy, safe removal and also keeps the toy away from the direct heat of the stove element. These beads came out fine so to that end, you could throw these in the dishwasher as well! The toy can also be cleaned with a 10% bleach solution. This toy is super easy to clean as there are no electronic parts and it is totally waterproof.

Because the toy is silicone, only water based lube is recommended. I suggest something nice and thick like Maximus or Sliquid.

The toy does not collect a lot of lint. Since I did not keep the packaging, I bought a simple silk pouch to store the toy in. Remember to keep it away from other toy materials, especially silicone.

There is a picture on the front of a naked man and woman about to play with the beads in the shower. Aside from the fact that you can also see the entire toy within the packaging, the Sportsheets 'Sex in the Shower' logo is right there on the front. On the back is a larger picture of the naked couple along with the product info and all of the appropriate disclaimers. There are no instructions with the toy, I guess it is pretty self explanatory.

The packaging is not good for storage as is does not stay closed very well. I keep my beads in their own silky pouch I bought separately.

Well the packaging at first kinda made me roll my eyes. I do not care for indiscreet packaging. The woman looks like she is a bit uncomfortable, I think she is supposed to be looking suggestive, but it really did not come off like that to me.

I am very happy that this toy is not pink or purple. Not that there is anything wrong with either of those colours, but I enjoy the change. Others may prefer to have a colour option. I am even more happy to use these beads because I know for sure now that they can be sterilized. I do wish the packaging could have included instructions on how to properly clean and use the toy. I know it is quite self explanatory, but for a beginner like me, it would have been a plus.

There is not a long connection between the bulbs and although I have found that I quickly got used to this, I think I may have preferred the connection to be a little bit longer. If this were the case, then I may have been able to feel the bulbs in a more pronounced way when inserting and removing. You can feel the bulbs for sure, I just think a longer connection may have made this feeling have a bit more 'oomph'. Also, the short connection means that you actually get a feeling that the bulb hanging out of you needs to either be pushed in more or pulled out a bit. This is actually not the case, it is simply the connection between the tip of one bulb and the base of another are so close together your body actually gets confused a little bit. The toy is actually also a tiny bit stretchy which means that when you take the beads out, there's a little resistance and they 'pop' quite pleasantly. Just be careful to go slow because this can kind of have an elastic band effect (which actually feels good after you get used to it!).

The feeling of inserting the beads can be slow due to the flexibility of this toy, but I feel this adds to the anticipation and excitement of having the beads inside you. They can be used with other toys as well for dual stimulation. I used an insertable bullet in my vagina to add vibrations which I could feel through the beads as well. I also used a clitoral vibe. Removal of the beads is the most pleasurable part; try this just moments before orgasm for best sensations!

When used in water, I find the sensation of the beads as they slip out somewhat dulled, but still pleasurable. The feeling of water travelling down you body makes up for it. I know that my man will love to play with these together, especially in the shower, but they really are just as effective as a solo toy. A great way to get in touch with how your body reacts to anal play.

Live in a dorm or some other not-so-private living situation? Maybe you have to sneak your toys into the bathroom like I do? Well you can use all of the typical ways: hide the toy in a towel, carry it in the carrier you use to transport all your shampoos and lotions etc. OR, you could get creative and wrap the toy around your wrist and slip the first bead through the handle and voila, a bracelet! No one will know during that quick walk to the bathroom that you have a sex toy wrapped around your wrist. Obviously hilarious and strange, I figured this out while fiddling with the beads and thought"...Maybe?" Tried it out by walking past my landlords on my way to the bathroom and even stopped to talk to them a little, they didn't figure it out and I giggled a little to myself. Just thought I'd share! And if you want to be boring, you can slip it into those over sized pockets that are on most bathrobes. I have always wondered why bathrobes had pockets; now I know. Clearly, they are for smuggling sex toys to various locations in your house! Who knew?

I liked these beads as my first toy. I have nothing to compare them to in terms of other toys. I think the shape of the beads makes this toy pleasurable, but not overwhelming for the first time user. They do not need a heck of a lot of lube and are easy to manipulate and handle.

Below is a picture of the bracelet idea!