One of the first things that might strike you about the Billy is how small it actually is, much more so than the product photos lead you to believe. With 4” of insertable length and a 3 1/4” circumference (1 1/8” diameter), It’s probably the smallest toy in my collection. The modest size makes in particularly easy to insert, and it’s not going to intimidate any apprehensive guys who may be new to the idea of anal play. For the more experienced guys, who typically enjoy larger toys, there’s a good chance that this product won’t leave you feeling as full as you would ordinarily desire. Just for this reason I’d recommend not playing with anything larger right before you use the Billy, so as to avoid the direct contrast.

The product is built very solidly and feels like a well-crafted piece. The handle portion is moulded in two separate parts from a hard white plastic, and the buttons are located centrally on one side. The insertable section is gently curved in an upward fashion, and is coated in a layer of soft silicone, but is completely inflexible at its core. In spite of this rigidity it actually feels very comfortable when it’s inside the body. The silicone portion is available in a choice of two colours, a royal blue, or a burgundy, which like its name is reminiscent of red wine. Situated between the handle and the insertable portion is a circular piece moulded from the silicone, similar to a crossguard on a sword, which prevents the Billy from being accidentally inserted too far.

During use the functions of the Billy are operated by the buttons on the handle, and these can be a little fiddly. The shortness of the handle and its position relative to the body makes it a struggle to actually see any of the buttons when you’re trying to press them. Their close proximity to each other, and their similar shape, also makes it difficult to ascertain which one you’re pushing just by touch alone. The buttons are arranged in a cross shape, with up and down changing the vibration pattern, and left and right controlling the strength/intensity. It’s unlikely that you’ll accidentally alter your chosen setting as it takes more than a brief touch of the button to change anything. It’s necessary to keep the button depressed for a fraction of a second, then release it, before it will take effect. The controls can be locked by holding down two of the buttons simultaneously for a couple of seconds. This is especially useful for when travelling, and having the toy accidentally turning on in your luggage would be undesirable.

The massager has a broad selection of vibration strengths, depending on your preference, but I only ever found myself wanting to use the highest one. The maximum setting delivers truly strong rumbly vibrations, but there were still occasions when I found myself craving even more than was available. There are also a number of different patterns to choose from. The first one is a constant vibration, which I find a little boring in prostate massagers. The others deliver different sequences of pulsations, varying the length of each pulse, and the pause in between as well. This is where the Lelo Billy really shines and produces some incredible sensations. There are four to choose from in total, two slower and two faster. The slowest sequence vibrates in a way which manages to mimic the sensation of a long deep thrusting motion, which is easily one of my favourites. The fastest setting is one that I’m not so keen on as it seems to sacrifice some of its power in an attempt to meet the required speed. The other two are very enjoyable in their own right, and it can be fun to jump between all of them just for a little variety. One of the small downsides is that you can’t cycle through the different settings; they’re arranged in a linear fashion, so once you reach the final one you have to go back down through all the others in order to return to the first. At the highest level the vibrations aren’t the quietest that I’ve ever experienced, but they’re still at a volume where it’s very unlikely that anyone could hear them from an adjacent room.

The Billy is fully rechargeable and doesn’t require batteries. A single charge will take 4 hours, and lasts for 2 hours of use. Unfortunately the charger it comes with is of a basic design, unlike something like an electric toothbrush, and therefore the toy is not waterproof and requires caution when washing it. During charging a white light around the buttons flashes as an indicator, and it goes out when the process is complete.

You’re somewhat limited in the number of positions in which you can use the Billy; the protrusion of the handle makes sitting on it impossible, so you’re essentially restricted to lying either on your back or side. Theoretically it could be used during intercourse, but the size and shape of it leave it somewhat prone to slipping out if the soothing vibrations give you the urge to relax the muscles, so you would need to actively be clenching the entire time in order to hold it firmly in place.

The Billy performs especially well in conjunction with regular masturbation, and can help to produce more intense and powerful orgasms than those you might experience without it. When used solely to stimulate the prostate, and without any external input, it can be a bit of a mixed bag. It’s definitely very pleasurable, more so than any other prostate massager I’ve tried, but I’ve yet to achieve the elusive anally-induced orgasm. On a couple of occasions I have felt as though I was close, but then there just didn’t seem to be quite enough power to push me all the way over the edge. I’m certain that with perseverance it could be achieved though. In this circumstance positive results seem to increase if you’re already aroused by some form of visual stimulus, rather than attempting to start from a completely unaroused state.