These anal beads are very cheap, and that is what originally drew my partner and I to them a few years ago when we were first getting into anal play. We each bought a set at a local toy shop, took them home, and immediately hopped into the shower and began to play.

I went first and was very excited to be using my first string of anal beads. However, as the first bead in the string pressed against my anus as my partner began to insert it, I felt something like sandpaper scratching down there. I told him to stop and he asked why. I explained that there was something sharp on the bead itself that was scratching my anus. We looked and saw that the bottom bead in the string had a giant hard knot of cord directly underneath it, and that was what was scratching me! Each plastic bead has two knots above and below it to keep it in place, and they are very uncomfortable and scratchy, although they are nowhere near as bad as the end knot.

We decided to cover the knot in water-based lube, but it didn't help much. Although we got the bead in me, the scratchy end knot could be still felt inside my body, totally ruining my pleasure. My partner thought maybe my experience was due to my tiny size, and being much bigger than me decided to give it a go. Unfortunately, he had the same experience with the knot I did and couldn't get any enjoyment out of the toy due to the scratching. For a few days after using the beads, my anus was sore as if the beads had actually cut me.

Even if that knot wasn't there, I couldn't recommend these beads to anyone, as they are plastic balls strung on nylon cord. They cannot be sterilized so should not be shared. They might be alright for one-time use, but due to the fact that the knot can scratch and potentially tear skin and the lack of sterilization, to use them more than once could invite infection. They do have a large plastic ring to aid in removal with the string of beads tied to it, although due to how cheap the materials are I would not trust the nylon string to not snap or fray.

If I had known more about toy materials and safety at the time I bought these, I never would have considered buying them as there is way too many things potentially dangerous or unsafe about them. The nylon is very absorbent and the toy has many crannies and knots, and so it is nearly impossible to get decently clean, never mind sterilized. Another point is that the nylon cord is white. So even after one use, it develops an unappealing color that cannot be removed.