No bells or whistles here. The Classic Butt Plug Royal from Doc Johnson is precisely that, a classic, stretching and filling butts from time immemorial. This particular size, the 'royal', is a demanding workout to insert, and considering its budget price it's a versatile plug with many uses. Advanced anal aficionados can use it to warm up and limber up for other toys, or simply insert it and leave it in for long term wear. For some it can be an end in itself; the slowly-intensifying stretch leading up to insertion is fantastic, and once in, you're stuffed. This plug can also serve as very useful training tool for bigger toys, and works well as a stepping stone to the 2"+ diameter world of anal play.

This plug should not be your first anal toy. Its ample diameter restricts its use to those with considerable experience with anal play. It can provoke a variety of sensations, from a silky-smooth, barely-noticeable, first penetration, to a challenging stretch as it widens, and then a final peak before its rectangular base nestles between the cheeks, leaving the slim but noticeable 7/8"-diameter neck holding you open. This toy can be used for thrusting to great effect, though it's already quite large so be careful before going to town. Its diameter is broad enough to cause a nice gape if that's something you're looking for.

Don't believe that anyone who goes through your travel luggage is going to mistake this for anything other than what it is; it has the classic conical butt plug shape which betrays its identity immediately.

The plug is made from Doc Johnson's Sil-a-Gel PVC with a rubber core. What this means is that the exterior of the toy is comprised of PVC with added Sil-a-Gel - an antibacterial compound - and it feels quite soft and super-smooth. The interior is made out of rubber, though in the construction of the plug there is a small circular hole in the base, about the size of a quarter, where you can see the rubber peeking through. The result is a flexible toy that definitely has some bend to it, and also has some give when squeezed. The PVC exterior is completely smooth, with no adornment or ridges, and is compatible with any type of lube - water-based, oil, and silicone, leaving a slick surface.

There are some serious downsides to the materials and manufacturing of this toy. The first problem is the exterior PVC material; it's simply a less-than-ideal material to wrap a butt plug in. It's completely porous, so you are strongly discouraged from sharing this toy, but if you do then you should cover it with a condom without fail. I bought the beige version of the plug, and the porousness of the material became visible within a short space of time. That is to say, the beige color *stains*, which is gross. Whether it is a deal-breaker for you depends on your sensitivity to these things; I was able to get over it after a grimace of disgust. The porousness of the PVC is just the start to its problems, however; my particular plug has three or four holes the size of a pinprick in the exterior. It didn't prevent me from going to town on it, but such 'defects' are totally unhygienic and are indications of both manufacturing and quality-control issues.

The final problem I've encountered with the construction of this plug pertains to the two part PVC-exterior/rubber-interior combination. After some months of use it feels as though the rubber core has separated from the PVC shell in certain places. Frankly this is just another indication of shoddy manufacturing, though it doesn't really impact my use of the plug at all. What does change the experience slightly, however, is the fact that the plug has developed some depressions and lumps over time; the conical part is no longer a perfect cone, and instead one side is thicker than the other, almost as if the rubber filling has shifted around. The lesson with the construction of this plug is that you get what you pay for, and you're definitely not paying for a solid silicone plug.

The last thing I'll say about the material is that after months of use it still has a distinct rubbery odor that would probably qualify as being 'strong'. I am not at all bothered by rubber odors, but I know some people are, and they should stay away from this one, since the smell does not seem to be going anywhere.

The design of this plug may be a classic teardrop-shape, but this plug's execution of that classic butt plug silhouette is a mixed bag.

First, the good. The conical design is indeed a shape that anyone interested in anal play should have in the toy drawer. The great thing about a cone is that you can start cold and ease your way to 2"+ diameter using one toy. As a training tool this is a must-have design. The very narrow, pointy tip makes it even easier to jump on this plug with only minimal warm up. Online diameter measurements range from 2" to 2.5". A rough ballpark measurement with a piece of string yielded a diameter of 2.3" on my plug. Conservatively you therefore have yourself a cone with a 2 1/4" diameter at max. For those who are new to anal play this will be impossible to take on the first, second, or third try. It takes some serious working up to, as reaching the 'pop' shouldn't be at the expense of one's physical well being. For this reason this plug isn't suitable for people exploring anal play for the first time. For those intermediate players comfortable with things in the 1.75—2" range this will still take some work, but after a few sessions with the plug it's perfectly doable. Even if you can't take the whole thing then this is still a great training plug for bigger and better things because of its essential shape.

Another design perk is that the taper to the neck (down from the widest part of the plug) is gentle compared to some other plugs. With something this size you don't want a completely sudden drop in width to the neck, since trying to travel in the opposite direction during removal can be a painful process. If there's one design feature I appreciate most with this basic plug, it is this comfortable taper. It's partly because of this taper that the plug is good for thrusting.

The one aspect of the design of this plug that I do not enjoy is its length. Because of how pointed the tip is, and how slowly the plug reaches its maximum diameter, I have found that it really fills me lengthwise. The width is fine, but the length can stimulate the top of the rectum and induce a bowel movement, or lead to general messiness. For this reason, sitting while wearing the plug is comfortable from the point of view of the base in between the cheeks (since the soft rounded rectangular shape hasn't caused me any trouble), but I have experienced minor discomfort from the tip of the plug when fully inserted and pressed in. For this reason I would have prefered if Doc Johnson had shaved half an inch off the length of the insertable portion of this plug.

The neck of the plug isn't too long, but is sufficiently long enough that I do not experience discomfort from the plug pressing on my sphincter from inside once inserted. It is less than 1" in diameter and hence is fairly comfortable.

This plug performs well as a training plug. Because of its friendly and gradual taper it's my tool of choice when I want to open up for a bigger toy or work up to a bigger size. There is not much drama or variety with this plug, so you can expect a smooth ride the whole way, with sensation coming mainly from the steadily-increasing stretch before a satisfying 'pop'. Despite the simplicity I find the plug intense due to its demanding diameter. The base is naturally sticky, which is a nice detail when you're putting pressure on it.

If you're interested in having some more fun with this plug, I've found a couple of activities that are quite stimulating. It can be intense to simply make small, controlled movements up, over, and back down the widest part of the plug, not letting the plug nestle all the way in. This slow, focused, in-and-out movement is great for stretching until the widest part easily glides in and out. Once you've got that down, grabbing the base and working the plug in and out takes it to the next level, and once this gets easy, you can up the pace and thrust the plug for some rougher fun. You will gape!

Because of the PVC outer layer this plug is compatible with water-, oil-, and silicone-based lubes. It is not possible, however, to sterilize the plug because of how porous the material is. I haven't tried, but I would not boil this thing. As it's all one piece, and doesn't have any nooks or crannies, some hot water and antibacterial soap can do the job fine - just don't expect to get rid of that smell. It's quite durable and so you can just throw it in a drawer or a bag; it's not necessary to wrap it in anything or whatever. Because the PVC material is smooth it doesn't really attract dust or lint, however I have found that over a few months of use the material appears to be degrading slightly. Though it doesn't really have any visual issues besides the discoloration and holes mentioned above, while running my fingers over the surface I notice that it no longer feels entirely uniform; there are some bumps. The rubber apparently isn't as durable over the long term as silicone. As mentioned above, don't share this plug without a condom.

Packaging for this plug was in the usual Doc Johnson clear clamshell. The clamshell gives away the contours of its contents, so I immediately disposed of it. There's no reason to keep the packaging; the plug itself needs no packaging for storage.

This is a regular standby for me; I use it to open myself up at the beginning of playtime, or just as an end in itself if I want to stay limber. It demands some time to accommodate, and so I won't ever be able to just stick it up there without some effort, but as I have gotten more comfortable with its girth, I have been able to enjoy playing with its taper more. At this point, dildos and items with constant girth are less interesting for me than thrusting with this plug. Because of its shoddy construction I would like to replace this with the slightly larger, all-silicone Super Big End, but I'm glad I got this to start with; even though it's a bit smaller than the Super Big End, it was certainly big enough at first. I'd suggest going with this cheap plug if you are looking to size up and get your stretch on, and are looking for a good training plug to do so.

I picked up this plug in order to make 2"-diameter toys easier to take, and judged on that point, it succeeded handsomely. Getting up to this diameter wasn't easy though; previously the biggest item I'd inserted was the njoy pure plug 2.0, which isn't actually exactly 2" in diameter in all directions. Needless to say, the additional quarter of an inch on this plug did not come easily. My first try was pretty demoralizing, partly because I hadn't yet found the ideal position for me to take this plug. Usually I find I'm more relaxed on my back, but with a plug like this, I've found it is far more convenient to stand it up on a surface one or two feet off the ground and sit on it while holding myself up with my arms. Gravity provides constant downwards force, and I can maintain a comfortable but substantial amount of pressure. After applying lube and lining it up with my body, the entrance and first inch or two of this plug goes in silky-smooth and easily, thanks to the gradual taper and pointy tip. For the first few sessions, that's about where I stopped, since once you're in the 2" range, every additional tenth of an inch can be a challenge, and I was far from being able to take this plug at the start.

After a few sessions with the classic, amounting to a couple hours in total with this thing implanted to some degree inside me, I reached the widest part of the plug. This is an exciting moment because you can reach down and feel how much you have left, and with some imagination I could feel the widest ridge of the plug pass through my outer sphincter and sit there as I prepared for the last push. The first time I settled down on this one it was a very distressing sensation. Because I could just barely take it, and the last 'pop' was intense, I was already nervous with having something so big inside of me. Add in the fact that the first few times you have something so filling inside of you, it's generally uncomfortable, and I wanted it out of me immediately. As my experience with this plug has built up, so too has my comfort with it, and so I can keep it in for medium-term wear of a half-hour or so. I don't find wearing it longer to hold much appeal for me, since the size usually starts making itself felt after a bit, and because of its length and pointy tip, I do register some mild discomfort with the plug all the way in, almost as if it's poking my insides.

As discussed above, one of the most intense uses I have found for this toy is to work out 'near the edge' by slowly pushing the plug over the lip (the widest point), obtaining the maximum stretch, and then pushing and pulling it out before repeating, this time a little faster. This acclimates your anus to the widest part of the toy, and provides a wonderful alternation of widening and contracting. As one gets more comfortable with the diameter, this little game turns into a kind of thrusting that is very pleasant. Once I'm completely warmed up, I can remove this plug entirely and stuff it back in all the way and pull it out again, leaving my hole gaping. If it's your cup of tea, no toy makes me gape more than this one, probably since I don't have anything bigger at the moment.