The Groove is a silicone anal toy made by Doc Johnson. It's main function is to be used as an anal probe, for thrusting. Thanks to the bulged texture, you can also use it like a set of anal beads, and remove it during orgasm to intensify the sensations. The design also stay in place well, so it can also be inserted and simply left in place during other activities, like a butt plug.

There's no reasons the Groove could not be used vaginally, if you think you would enjoy the shape and texture. Used anally, the base does not block access to the vagina, so women can use the Groove for double penetration with a partner, or another toy.

Since the size varies from small to medium, this toy could be used by beginners, and would allow them to work up to larger sizes. It won't satisfy size queens, but will work well for those who like average sized toys.

The Groove is part of Doc Johnson's Platinum line, and unlike most of their anal toys, it is made from premium silicone. It earns a perfect 10 on Eden's safety scale, because it is non-porous, phthalate free, hypoallergenic, and sterilizable.

Normally, silicone does not have an odour. When I first opened my Groove, it had a slight fruity, chemical smell. It reminded me of a grape scented marker. After washing, the smell disappeared. I have read reviews about Doc Johnson toys made from less safe materials that mentioned a fruity smell, so I think the toy or packaging must have picked up the smell from other materials at the factory. Luckily, the odour did not absorb into the silicone, and was only on the surface, where it was easily removed.

The smell made me slightly suspicious, so I did a flame test to make sure that the Groove was in fact silicone. It passed. The flame didn't damage the material, and just left a light layer of soot that was easily wiped off.

The silicone has a semi-matte finish; not glossy, but not completely matte. It is smooth, but also seems to have a very slight texture to the surface. The closest thing I can think of to compare it to is frosted glass. Once it is lubed up, the surface feels completely smooth, and I think the slight texturing helps the lube cling to the toy.

The material is fairly soft and flexible, and while it isn't extremely squishy, I'd say the silicone has a bit more give than average. Since the top 3 beads are so thin, they are very flexible and can easily be bent down to reach the rest of the toy. The toy is firm enough overall to be able to hold itself up when turned sideways with only minimal drooping.

Groove is 7" total, with 6" of insertable length. It's longer than many of my anal toys, but doesn't feel uncomfortably long at all, like some toys can.

The shape is made up of a series of bulges, with thinner areas between them. The bulges gradually increase in size. The tip is 5/8" wide, which is about the size of a finger tip. The first 3 bulges feel pretty similar to me, but the bottom 2 have a much more noticeable size increase. The largest bulge is 1 5/8" in diameter, with a circumference of 4 3/4" which is a pretty average size, and should work well for most intermediate users.

I think the graduate size makes the Groove a good toy for beginners to anal; they can start out just using the first 2 or 3 bulges if they would like. Once they become accstomed to that, they can move on to the larger bulges and not have to buy multiple toys.

The neck is 1 inch wide and 3/4" long, and is narrow and long enough that my anus can close around it comfortably, and "lock" the Groove into place.

The base is 2 inches wide and 1 inch thick, which is enough to prevent the toy from accidentally slipping inside.

I found the toy easy to insert. I hold it near the top to get the first 2 or 3 beads in, then push on the base to fully insert it. Since the top bead is so small, it pops in super easily, and the gradual size increase makes it easy to work up to the largest part.

I like to use the Groove as a probe, for thrusting, at the beginning of a session, then leave it in place like a plug and add in vaginal and clitoral stimulation. The bulges feel great sliding in and out during thrusting, and provide lots of stimulation to the anus. I don't really notice the texture internally. I can't really feel the full length of the toy inside me, since the top is small and squishy. The largest part of the toy gives me a full feeling when it is left in place. It doesn't pop out during orgasm, but sometimes I like to pull it out, which seems to intensify the orgasm. I have used the Groove for double penetrations with my partner, and he enjoyed being able to feel the texture through my vaginal wall.

The base is comfortable between my cheeks during play, but is a bit on the large side, so I wouldn't recommend using it for long-term wear or walking around with the toy inserted, since it could become uncomfortable. The base fits nicely into the palm of my hand for thrusting.

Although it is not intended to be a suction cup, I discovered that the base does work that way when it accidentally got stuck to my counter. It will stick to my wall perfectly by itself, but doesn't stay in place the best, so it would be hard to use it that way. It stays very well when placed on my tub or the shower wall. Moistening the bottom with water helps it stay in place even better, and it's actually difficult for me to get it off when I want to.

I have also tried using the Groove as a vaginal toy. Since it's non-porous, you can use it in both orifices as long as you thoroughly clean it or change condoms in between. I find most textured toys painful vaginally, since they rub on my sensitive opening and irritate it. The large, gradual, bulges on the Groove didn't bother me like finer, more intense textures do. The bulges provided an interesting sensation that I hadn't felt before. I wasn't entirely sure whether I enjoyed the feeling or not. I did notice some g-spot stimulation from the bottom 2 bulges rubbing back and forth across my g-spot.

For normal cleaning, you can simply wash the Groove with soap and water, or use a toy cleaner. Other reviewers have mentioned having problems cleaning the indented Doc Johnson logo stamped onto the base, but I haven't experienced that. Lube doesn't get that far down the toy when I use it.

To sterilize the Groove, you can boil it for 3 minutes, run it through the dishwasher on the top rack with no soap, or wipe it down with a 10% bleach solution.

Silicone lube can damage silicone toys, so make sure to do a spot test on the base first to check for a rection. It is compatible with water or oil based lubes.

The Groove came in a molded plastic clamshell package, which was easy to pop open. The plastic is fairly sturdy, and it could be used to store the toy, but I got rid of it since it takes up extra space. Inside the plastic is a cardboard insert with the name of the toy, manufacturer, material, and an attractive, colourful design. There are no instructions, just a small amount of basic information. The packaging is somewhat discreet; there are no naked models, and there's no writing announcing that this is an anal toy. However, you can see the toy inside the package, and even after removing it, most people will be able to figure out what was in there.