The Emerald Explorer is designed to be an anal probe, with graduated bloops of glass and a tapered ring on the end that keeps it nicely anal safe. It's also quite nice as a vaginal toy, however, so long as you don't want a lot of deep penetration. One benefit of the shorter length is that there is little risk of bumping the cervix if you get vigorous in your thrusting, always a worry with unyielding toys like glass. The length also works well when used as an anal probe - not so long as to feel uncomfortable, but longer than most plugs so you can get some nice thrusting going.

Male bodied or female bodied, this gorgeous glass toy is versatile and lovely in use, especially for those who like a texture that is quite noticeable but not in the least extreme or rough.

The Emerald Explorer is made of Pyrex glass - which is less likely to shatter than standard glass and very good at retaining temperatures. It's completely firm, with no give, as you would expect from glass. The entire shaft is textured with graduated bloops that are exceptionally smooth.

Normally I would not recommend glass to total toy novices but this one is very moderately sized and should work well for anyone.

Because glass is such a great temperature conductor, you can easily warm this up or cool it down by using the temperature of water of your choice. Cool glass feels absolutely incredible on these hot summer days and it warms nicely to your body temperature during use. Warm glass is less of a shock upon penetration and, if you get it warmer than body temperature, it can be fun to feel it cooling down.

Glass is exceptionally slick to the touch and in use and has no smell or taste what-so-ever. It also doesn't hold on to smells, being non porous, so you can use this anally, as intended, without worrying about it picking up the dreaded eau de ass.

The glass is also a beautiful - beautiful! - emerald green, as the name suggests. It's clear with no real flaws - a bit of uneven appearance at the tapered tip and a few small divots in the handle, but nothing that detracts from its looks or can be felt in use. Certainly nothing that compromises the durability of the glass.

As mentioned, the Emerald Explorer is a textured glass toy. The entire shaft is bulged, blooped, like little smooshed balls stacked on top of each other. The tip is lightly tapered, making it easy to insert, especially anally.

The entire probe is 6.5 inches in length, with an insertable length of 4.5 inches. The maximum diameter at the largest bloop (closest to the handle) is 1.25 inches. I didn't measure, but comparing to other toys, I would guess the first bloop, the tip, is around 1 inch in diameter. The bulges really do increase in size quite subtle-y so, while they can definitely be felt, the texture is not obtrusive or at all rough. It's quite pleasant, actually, with a sort of speed bump feel to it.

The handle is round and plenty big enough to insert a few fingers into for controlled thrusting. This is NOT a plug, however, and I would not suggest sitting on the handle. It's quite large. Definitely tapered enough to prevent "ass eating the toy" syndrome but uncomfortable to walk around with it sticking out or to sit down on.

This probe worked really well in all it's possible uses. I don't normally enjoy texture in an anal toy but this one is really quite subtle and felt amazingly good. It's great for teasing a partner, inserting it slowly, bloop by bloop. It's great for thrusting. It leaves plenty of room for vaginal penetration at the same time.

It's also quite nice used vaginally. The bulges feel good, even thought they are on the slim side, and the shortish length means no cervix bruising. I can hit my g-spot with a straight toy, so this was okay for that, though not super. Mostly, it's just a nice sensation to thrust with it, enjoying the texture, especially at the entrance of the vagina and along the labia.

It even feels really good cooled down and dragged across the vulva, clit, and labia, to tease and soothe overheated skin.

The handle does its job well and prevents it from sliding too far into the ass while making thrusting and controlling the probe very easy.

Glass is non porous so you can clean it with simple soap and water and it won't hold on to bacteria. Be careful, though, as it gets slippery!

If you're going to be sharing or going from anus to vagina, you may want to sanitize it. You can do that by boiling for a few minutes, then carefully removing from the water with tongs or by using a mild bleach solution soak.

Any lube that is safe for your body is fine for use with this lube. I wouldn't recommend Parkay, but silicone based, water based and even natural oil based lubes are fine, if they work for your body.

The Emerald Explorer comes with a gorgeous draw cord bag that cinches completely closed and is lightly padded. I would suggest storing it in that bag.