I was really excited to receive the Doc Johnson Gapers organic plug. I don’t personally like vibrators, but I was interested in a more “interactive” anal toy than a solid plug or dildo, and I thought this product would be great. Unfortunately my overall experience has been so-so with it.

The product consists of a hard core plug with a latex balloon around it that is inflated by pumping a plastic bulb attached to the plug. The inflation bulb has a rapid-release valve for deflating the plug quickly at any time. The color is a vibrant magenta-purple.

In reading reviews of other inflatable insertables, a common problem seems to be whether the plug is stiff enough for comfortable insertion when deflated. The organic plug was fine in that respect – the size of the core was about intermediate on a scale of beginner to expert, and firm enough that it was easy to insert with lube. Unfortunately, the exterior of the plug is made of latex, which does allow the material to stretch to inflate, but is terrible in terms of safety and ease of cleaning. I always use a condom over this toy.

I had the same defect in my item that several other people had – there was a weak section of the balloon that was thinner than the rest, so when it was inflated, the toy's shape became lopsided as the thin area bulged out more than the rest. I fixed it somewhat by inflating the balloon and then carefully stretching and kneading the material until the exterior was all equally stretched. It inflates in the correct shape now, but it was annoying to have to fix it a little.

The pumping mechanism is about as high quality as you can get. It would have been nicer for the tube to be a little longer. The worst disappointment for me with this toy was the strength of the inflation. When not inserted, the toy inflates along both the shaft and the tip. However, I found that when inserted, the pressure of my sphincter muscles kept the shaft from inflating, and only the tip inflated. Inflating the toy did result in a full feeling in the rectum, but did not actually stretch my sphincter at all. Since I purchased the toy because of an interest in experimenting with a feeling of stretch in that area, this toy was a disappointment for me, and now I realize I need a solid toy to explore those sensations.

I also tried it vaginally, and had a similar experience - there was a sense of fullness inside, but not so much stretch at the point of insertion.