As I opened up the Anal Pleasure Beads, I noticed the difference between these beads and most other ones I've seen – these are tightly strung with no space in between them. This interested me – most anal beads have a half-inch or more between each bead so you notice each bump. I was very interested to see what BMS was up to here, but first I stopped to look at the package. I was glad that I did, as it said that these beads should not be used with silicone lubes. As oil lubes are a no-no for TPR material as well, that leaves water-based lubes as the only option. Looking more at the construction it appears that these beads are put together and then dipped in the velvety TPR material to give them a smooth, uniform jacket that's easier to clean (but since it's porous you'll still want to keep these to yourself, I couldn't find a condom long enough). The beads themselves have a little give to them as well, a plus for comfort. The dipped coat means that you should probably treat these beads with a bit of care so it doesn't get torn. After a couple uses mine seem to be holding up OK, but I do notice a bit of a bubble forming at one of the bead junctions. There's a bit of a smell from the phthalates-free material, but it's not strong.

After lubing up with the water-based slick stuff, I found out why the beads were so tightly strung. Beads can be difficult to insert, requiring you to grab each bead individually and prod it along its way, but the tightly strung beads of this toy allow you to put them in 3 or 4 at a time – much easier. However, this toy isn't stiff enough to be very effective at thrusting, so if that's what you want you should look at a dildo or butt plug and keep the beads for their intended use.

The mantric beads themselves are a compromise size (7/8”), but the alternating shapes vary the stimulation. I was worried that they'd slide out unexpectedly, but that wasn't a problem. I didn't notice much stimulation while the beads were just sitting inside, but that allowed me to concentrate on other activities. The 1 ¾” diameter ball that functions as a stop/handle was reasonably comfortable during use. While I was unlikely to forget it was there, I could sit and lie down on my back without discomfort, and I never had the feeling that the beads were in danger of sliding all the way inside. It is possible to fully insert, though – I was able to insert the beads “upside down” with the large ball first. While I wound up playing with them that way for a while, I'm not sure I would recommend it – it would be very easy for the beads to be completely inserted, which would not be good.

Pulling out the beads during the throes of orgasm felt quite good, but one thing to keep in mind is cleanliness. It's a good idea to make sure you go to the bathroom before using, and having a paper towel handy at pull-out time is a good idea. The mess isn't bad, but I did notice it a bit more than I do with plugs or dildos.

In general I'm pretty impressed with these beads. While TPR is definitely not silicone, it's nice to have the covered beads at a more accessible price. The easy insertion is another plus for this design.

I'm putting that I still like the Mantric Pleasure Beads, but I've made some mistakes with them that have gotten in the way of my use. The first and biggest one was with storage. The multipart beads-with-a-coating construction of the Pleasure Beads demands a bit of care in storage. I tended to store them coiled up, and after a couple of months the beads started to develop small "bubbles" at the joints where the coating started to pull away from the beads. The coating was still intact, but the bubbles made it much more flexible and difficult to insert. I would think that the bubble problem would wind up eventually, but storing it coiled certainly sped up the process. I'm more careful with them now, but I do expect the coating to tear eventually.

The other thing I noticed is that the large ball handle is not as convenient as a loop handle, as it's a bit harder to grip.