This was one of my first experiments with anal play, and beads can be a great way to start. It starts small for easy insertion, and moves up to a nice-sized width of about an inch. The last two beads are the same size, so users concerned about beads disappearing up inside can leave one the outside for some peace of mind. While moving the beads in and out of your ass provides a very pleasurable experience as the beads pop in and out of your ass, you can leave the beads inside of you for a very full experience.

If you are looking for a set of beads to fill a void in your toy box, look no further. Beads with solid connectors are always superior to those strung together, and silicone is as premium and safe as they get. At this price, X-10 silicone beads simply can't be beat.

If you are concerned about material, these beads are by far the best quality for the price. While this set of beads is described as silicone, it is not pure silicone. It is constructed of TPR silicone, a silicone-based compound, rated a 6 out of 10 on the material scale. It is phthalates-free and hypo-allergenic. It is certainly a significant improvement over the original jelly X-10 beads. Wash this toy using toy cleaner before and after each use, and you will be fine.

The material has an almost matte finish, and in extraordinarily smooth and slippery, especially once lube is applied. While you certainly will want lube, a little bit of lube will go a long way on this toy. The material is very flexible, which is a must when considering it has an insertable length of over 10 inches. This flexibility can make insertion a bit interesting to figure out the first time, it's better to grab the second or third bead for the initial insertion, and continuing to move up as you work the beads into your ass.

The beads vary in size from about the size of the tip of your pinky to start, slowly increasing to two beads about an inch wide at the top of its insertable length of 10.25 inches.

While some users have expressed concerns about the ring used for extraction, my own concerns quickly faded after it's first use. The ring will stretch, but it would take an inordinate amount of pulling to break it, far more than you would ever need to extract the beads. If you are concerned about the beads disappearing inside of you, leave the last bead out of your ass. As the last two beads are the same size, inserting the last bead does not add too much to the experience, besides the satisfaction of taking it all into your ass. I would have preferred for the spacing between the last two beads to be a little bigger, allowing the sphincter to fully relax around the neck if you do leave one bead out.

Speaking of length, I would have preferred for the total length of the beads to be a bit shorter. With an insertable length of 10.25 inches (!), this toy will venture into parts of your ass no toy has been before. While this is an exciting and unique sensation, the first few initial beads did nothing for me, and at times the first beads were so small they felt almost uncomfortable. Some users have advocated cutting off the first few beads to get right to the larger beads, and cut down on the overall length.

The experience of anal beads is amazing, both during the initial insertion, as well as slowly pulling them out. The experience of feeling each bead 'pop' in and out of your ass is a wonderful switch from smooth plugs or probes. Pulling them out while orgasming leads to an explosive experience. While this can be a very pleasurable experience when you're pulling gently, beware pulling them out too fast.

As listed above, this is a silicone based-compound, requiring a bit more care than pure silicone. Wash before and after each use with a good toy cleaner and you won't have any problems.

As always, with any silicone toy, using silicone lube is a major no-no. Water based lube is best, I prefer System Jo, but other options are out there.