As advertised, Bendybeads by Fun Factory are meant for anal stimulation. Although I'm sure it could be used vaginally as well, I don't imagine it's very well suited for anything other than going in your butt. The question of when in a play session to use this toy is something I've asked myself, as I haven't come up with a way to get a lot of pleasure from this toy without using other toys either before or afterwards. I'll get back to this point later on in the review.

The only safety concern that could possibly present itself is the handle at the base could possibly get eaten by your ass, though this has never been even a vague concern in any of my uses. While I imagine it is possible, I can't realistically see it happening unless a lot of force was applied to get it to go in. Bendybeads is made of very high-quality (and dense!) silicone, and is entirely body-safe. To its credit, the material is just about the perfect match for the toy itself. I'll detail this in the next section.

Despite Bendybeads not exactly being the first thing that comes to mind when I'm thinking of having some sexy fun, I must say it is a very well-made toy. The dense silicone is perfect for the "pods", as they are not easily squeezed and can thus be felt easily as they're inserted. The material has a smooth, slightly matte feel to it. When dry, there is some drag to the material, but water-based lube makes sure it has a good amount of slide. At least for me, the whimsical texture can't be felt too easily when actually inserted. While it is nice to look at, it just feels like elliptical smooth pods. This is definitely the most firm and dense silicone toy I own, but it's still forgiving enough to not be uncomfortable in any way.

In the name of science, I did give this toy a good lick before using it, and it predictably tastes like silicone, which is to say, not like much at all. Another great thing, especially for clean-freaks like myself, is that this toy is a champion at keeping annoying, unwanted smells away. I've used this toy at least a dozen times and after a good wash it smells good as new, even when held right under the nose.

The design of this toy is very unique and whimsical, and was part of the reason I picked it out. The shape of having graduated "pods" is definitely a good idea, but the eventual size may be a little too advanced for those looking for lighter play. With the largest bead measuring in at 4.25" in circumference, this toy is best suited for those accustomed to anal stimulation. While the insertable length is a considerable 7.5", it is actually quite manageable due to the toy's flexibility and the fact that the smaller beads will be the ones probing the deepest. As far as size goes, I think this toy was a good match for me. While I would not call this toy discreet, it certainly is less obvious than others I've seen. I imagine traveling with this toy is doable, but you'll need to set some room aside for this long fella.

My main issue was that it ended up being a "Put it in, pull it out, clean it, put it away" toy for me. Thrusting of course is impossible, and unlike another reviewer who stated you can hold the handle and push it all the way in, I found that if I'm starting with this toy I'll have to hold it by the bead after the one I'm wanting to get in. This makes insertion tedious at times and certainly takes away from some of the fun. This excess of flexibility also makes it less enticing to use over and over in one session, and I almost always find myself moving onto something that can pleasure me more consistently after this toy.

Now maybe it's just that I don't like anal beads in general, but Bendybeads was a bit of a miss for me. The facts were that (at least for my body) insertion was generally a hassle and the "payoff" of pulling them out of my ass left something to be desired. I've tried pulling the beads out slowly and not-so-slowly when working my front and even when reaching orgasm, but I've never found a sweet spot that has brought me a memorable feeling of pleasure.

Lately these days I've been using this toy for its graduated design to warm myself up for bigger, badder toys that I can do some thrusting with. In short, Bendybeads doesn't do much for me on its own. There's always a more preferred toy that "steals its thunder" during a play session.

Like with any 100% silicone sex toy, cleaning and care for this one is a cinch. It can be fully sterilised by using a 10% bleach solution, giving it a wash in the top rack of the dishwasher, or by simply boiling it for at least 3 minutes. It is always an option to thoroughly clean the toy with anti-bacterial soap and very warm water as well. The clam-shell plastic casing is suitable for storing the toy, and otherwise a separate place free of any lint or dust is great.

As with any silicone product, the safest and best lubricants to use will be water-based. Silicone lubes can cause unwanted damage to your toy, and water-based lubricants have a good track record for being a reliable lube for anal play. Like any anal toy, lube is a must. I've found that applying lube to just my entrance and the first couple of pods is sufficient and works well.

The toy comes in a clam-shell package inside of a small box with a throwaway slip of thick paper with some sales talk on the product and the company. The plastic packaging itself I've kept to use as storage, since it's re-closeable and easy-open. The packaging as a whole does not take up much space, and I've definitely seen worse as far as wasteful packaging goes. A cool thing Fun Factory did add outside of a booklet with some of their other products is a small packet of lube. I have not yet tried this lubricant, but I thought it was a cool little bonus to go with your purchase. As with most sex toys, the packaging itself is not discreet and any literate person will be able to discover that you've purchased a sex toy for your butt. The good news is that the packaging is fully recycle-able if you do feel so inclined.