The A-Chain is a great toy for beginners. This was my first (and to date, only) anal sex toy, and I can honestly say I love it. It's very easy on the eyes, and although I was intimidated by the idea of something other than my husbands penis going up there, the toy itself did not intimidate me at all like a lot of other anal toys do. I knew I could rely on it to be safe, so I was very comfortable starting out with it. I did try to use it vaginally and... Let's just say it's pretty much only good for going in the back door. I have to say it's great for couples. My husband LOVES being in control with it, and using it on me, just the idea of putting it in me gets him horny. While I haven't tested it out myself, I do know it would be great for temperature play if that's what you are into. I noticed after boiling it (to sterilize it) that it held the warmth for a good, long time. Isn't silicone great?

The toy is made of Silicone, which I LOVE. It's easy to clean, you can sterilize it, it feels absolutely wonderful, but I do hate the fact that you can't use silicone lube. Anal anything is much more enjoyable for me with silicone lube. Unfortunately, Silicone toys are only compatible with water-based lubricants. I guess it's a fair trade for the safety of the material though. The Ophoria A-Chain has no smell or taste that I noticed and is virtually seamless. The Ophoria name is raised on the last bead, which I dislike. It seems to me like it should have been placed on the handle so it wouldn't irritate people. I just shaved mine flush with a razor blade. The beads themselves are pretty firm, but the chain is very flexible, which I found to be a bit of a nuisance when inserting. I had to pretty much hold onto the third bead, insert the first two beads pretty quickly and hold it in place for a few seconds, otherwise it slipped out because of the flexibility. After the first two beads were in though, I could relax and use the toy normally.

I think it's designed with beginners in mind. I love how the beads ascend, unlike a lot of other beads I have seen where they vary or are all just the same size. This one lets you choose how big you want to go with six different beads arranged nicely from smallest to biggest. I do think the first bead is just too small and the toy would be a bit better if they had started with the second bead and had one more larger bead instead. The loop at the end is a nice touch, but I am concerned about its flexibility. It seems to me that it might be a little unsafe because it might get sucked in easier than it would if it had a harder material for the loop. I think the length is nice. It's 10 inches long, with 7 1/2" of that being insertable, but the diameter could be better. The last bead is only 1" in diameter, 3" in circumference.

I was pretty pleased with the Ophoria A-Chain's Performance. It was a great starting place for us. It's a fairly simple and easy to use toy, and I think just about anyone could figure out how to use it; no problems. It's really comfortable when inside, even during vaginal intercourse with my husband. He said he really liked the way that it felt, because it added a bit more texture and made things a little tighter, which is always a nice touch. I really love using it because it makes my orgasms much more intense.

As I mentioned earlier, this toy is 100% Silicone. You can just throw it in a pot of boiling water for 3 minutes or in your dishwasher and it is completely sterilized, so no need to worry about sharing it as long as you sterilize it. Do NOT store it where it can touch other silicone toys or use silicone lube on it, because there's a pretty good chance it will melt. I just wrap mine in a hand towel and put it in my toy drawer.

The Ophoria A-Chain came in a simple plastic case that displays the toy in front of a small informational pamphlet that comes with it. It's no good for storage, as you have to cut the case open to get the toy out. I destroyed mine trying to get to the A-Chain, and actually wound up ripping my pamphlet. The pamphlet was a nice touch, it tells you how to use the toy and care for it, and it also gives you a link to go to for bonus tips and techniques.