California Exotic's Heart Shape Wand arrives in a basic plastic blister pack with a cute back splash decorated in pink hearts and gray swirls. The back of the package includes a list of the toy's features--"sturdy, seamless, graduated, unscented, pliable"--and a brief paragraph about cleaning and care; no other instructions are included.

The toy itself is roughly 6-7" from tip to handle and is made out of light pink, translucent TPE. I disagree with the "unscented" and "seamless" descriptions, because the toy smells a bit like nail polish, and there is a faintly visible seam running along the handle of the toy. It's not raised at all, however, and it does not cause any irritation. The material is definitely "sturdy" but "pliable": I was able to bend it in a half circle if I applied a lot of pressure, but the toy didn't tear or rip when I did, and it remained stiff during penetration. TPE is not completely sterilizable, so a condom is recommended if you plan to share this toy or use it for anal AND vaginal play. TPE can be used with water or silicone-based lubricants, although the package specifically recommends using water-based lubricant.

The selling points of this probe are its 7 graduated "bulbs," the smallest being roughly the size of a dime and the largest about as wide as a silver dollar, and the heart-shaped handle that allows you or your partner to pull the toy in and out of your anus or vagina with ease. A word of caution, however: the handle isn't a whole lot wider than the largest bulb, so it could possibly slip in to your anus if it were well-lubed. Hence, I don't recommend using this toy as an anal plug or keeping it in for prolonged periods of time without someone holding the handle.

The bulbs of the toy are only slightly separated, giving the toy a "rippled" texture that I personally found very stimulating. The fact that the bulbs don't have a huge valley between them makes it very easy to work the probe in to your anus while slowly allowing your body to accommodate the larger bulbs. This toy also makes a nice vaginal dildo, and the bulbs stimulate the walls of my vagina wonderfully! I don't have a male partner right now, but the toy is firm and sturdy enough that it doesn't bend or "give" too much during penetration, leading me to believe that it could provide firm prostate stimulation.

The toy is short enough that gripping the handle doesn't throw your wrist or arm out of whack, giving you or your partner the opportunity to swirl or thrust the toy with ease. The heart shape of the handle is a bit of an issue, however, because the "v" of the heart can make it difficult to pull your finger in and out of the handle; my finger got stuck a couple of times, and I have small hands. Hence, users with larger fingers may have difficulty gripping the handle.

Overall, California Exotic's Heart Shape Wand is a well-made and reliable anal probe. Thanks to the size of its larger bulbs, I would recommend this toy to moderately experienced users who can get the best of the thicker end of the toy, anal beginners who are ready to try something "a bit bigger," or ladies who would like a firm but pliable dildo with a handle.

Honestly, I had my reservations about this toy when I first saw it. I'm immediately suspicious of anything that isn't 100% sterilizable, but is made to go in my butt. Pushing those reservations aside, I pulled a condom over the toy and lubed it up, and I was surprised by how much I liked it.

I'm not an anal pro, so I was only able to insert the toy up to the next-to-last bulb. Still, I enjoyed the way it felt when I swirled and thrust the toy. The beads aren't separated enough to create the "popping" sound that many anal bead-lovers find stimulating; at least, the toy didn't "pop" when I was using it, although I use a TON of lube during anal play, so it may just be a lack of friction.

Later on, I tried this toy vaginally, and I liked the firmness of the toy and, again, the freedom of movement the handle provided. I was a little annoyed with the actual shape of the handle, however, since I couldn't pull my finger out super-quickly and had to tug it a second time once or twice.

The Heart Shape Wand won't replace any of my favorite dildos, but I still enjoyed it, and it's one of the better anal toys I've tried. I'd definitely buy a slightly smaller version if they made one!