These are a decent anal bead beginner product. The beads are made of smooth, latex free, food grade, hypo-allergenic plastic. They can be used with any type of lube but we always chose water-based as it works with all of our toys. There is no smell and they do not pick up any smell after use either. The beads are completely silent so it can be used in almost any situation and probably even under your clothing in public for a reasonable amount of time. They do have an 8 rating as far as safety goes but the beads are connected with a string. My biggest problem with this toy is the string, I find it unsanitary as far as cleaning goes because the string seems to be porous, it's like it is a woven type material which may harbor particles. For something you are inserting anally, having fecal matter left over isn't so great. The insertable length is 8.5 inches, however since it does use string and the beads are put in one at a time, the length isn't the same as a toy that is made out of a harder material. The beads are fairly small, only a half inch in diameter, so for a first time user this is a good sized product. They are quite light so there is very little if any weight sensation. The end of the toy is a red plastic circle. Each bead is knotted on both sides to insure that they will not come loose in either direction and come off inside of you. This is a very important safety feature for this type of toy and the string style.

This toy should only be used by one person and only in one cavity for it's lifespan. Never place it anally and then vaginally or orally. As mentioned, the string does not seem to be the cleanest option and it's quite possible, even with proper cleaning techniques, that fecal matter could stay around on the string and cause a lot of health issues if the single cavity use guidelines are not followed. I use a high quality toy cleaner with these and even when I clean them right after use and they appear clean upon removal, the string discolors. In terms of aesthetics only, this is not particularly encouraging.

We do enjoy these, I am probably a beginner/intermediate in anal play and they are my favorite style anal toy. With a good amount of lube (and this is very important) they are easy to insert and remove. I experience no discomfort at all and during use, they are noticeable but not at all painful. Of course, everyone is different and your own personal experience with anal play will certainly dictate your personal comfort or discomfort.

We often use this during regular penis in vagina sex, usually in doggy style position but it is certainly not a toy that is limited to that, it's just our personal preference. We also enjoy it during moderate bondage play as a teaser toy or mild "punishment" method. I can also use them in solo play to add another aspect of stimulation.

I am adding in this recent experience because it has greatly shifted my opinion on the product. We used these beads late last night. I cleaned them this morning and was pretty shocked at what I found. Obviously, with any anal toy, you run the risk of having to clean some fecal matter off of it no matter how clean you were going in to sex. But when I went to clean this toy, the fecal matter was inside the beads, it was in between the knots of the rope. This is unacceptable. There is no way I can feel like I cleaned this toy and rid it of all of the waste. There was not, at first glance, any indication of mess on the toy but once I started moving the beads back and forth and inspecting the string, I noticed the issue. I really would not suggest anyone purchase this toy for anything other one-time use. The risk of contamination is too high. I am absolutely going to look now for some beads that do not use material that can trap fecal matter or hide it in holes.