After my previous Vac-U-Lock crotchless harness by Doc Johnson failed to live up to my expectations, I came across Janine's Ultra Harness and felt that I had hit the jackpot. Nothing is more durable than a good leather harness, and the price of this one is very reasonable considering the level of comfort it offers the wearer.

Obviously, this particular model is meant to be worn by a female user, since it has the open crotch for pussy play without having to remove the entire unit (a very practical feature indeed), but with such ample sizing it can fit ANYONE who doesn't mind sporting pink! In my case, my receiver is always a male and I love feeling his tongue flicking between my snatch and my "cock".

MATERIAL

My first Vac-U-Lock harness set from Doc Johnson is also made of leather, but Janine's is so much softer in comparison! I'm not quite sure what type of leather it is and I don't think I'd want to know either, but the "donor" can rest assured that it's being put to good use! Obviously, this harness isn't something a vegan or animal advocate is going to want to purchase, in which case I would recommend a model by SportsSheets. If, however, you don't mind leather, then this will be a durable choice. It's really up to the user whether or not the patented Vac-U-Lock system is appealing, because you are limited in purchasing attachments solely from Doc Johnson, and to my knowledge, none are silicone as of this review (hoping for it in the future though). There is only the choice between jelly, Sil-a-gel, rubber, and UR3.

The included dong is made of "Crystal Jellie", which I initially assumed was just jelly (safety rating of 2); however the box actually states that it's a Sil-A-Gel formula, which has a safety rating of 5 and is anti-bacterial, non-toxic, latex and cadmium free. That's much better than a 2, but it's still semi-porous and is best used with a condom if you want it to last and stay clean/free of debris, because it is quite sticky/gummy feeling and collects lint quite easily. It's soft and fairly flexible so it isn't too rigid for thrusting. On the downside, it does have an odor, but there's no taste.

HARNESS DETAILS AND SIZING

The harness is said to fit up to 44" hips if you include the extra leather extension strap that comes with the set. I'm a curvy 5'7", 155 pound gal with 40" hips and I have the straps buckled about half-way, so the sizing is about right. And over time and extended usage, the leather will stretch too. This particular harness fastens a bit higher around my waist, rather than a low hip feel. There's also buckle strap located on the rear side that sits like a g-string and is also adjustable to compensate for rounder booties and a snugger fit. The crotch opening is approximately 5-1/2" long and 2" wide. I almost forgot to mention the elastic holster that slides on the straps. This could be to hold the powder lubricant, because it's too small for a dildo.

DILDO SIZE AND DESIGN

The clear pink dildo is designed to look like a real cock, complete with head and veins, so there is some texture to it. The head is big and bulbous, so if you plan on sticking this in anyone's rear, make sure they can take it! For vaginal play though, the size is perfect: 8" long, 4-1/2" circumference, and 1-3/8" in diameter. Keep in mind that this has no flared base, so it can only be used with a Vac-U-Lock harness or independently. About 1/3 of the shaft is hollow to allow for the plug to slide in. Don't fret, the plug is designed with graduated ridges and won't allow for spontaneous toy loss.

CARE AND MAINTENANCE

The harness can be wiped with a damp cloth and the dildo can be cleaned with warm water and antibacterial soap or a toy cleaner. Sil-A-Gel is compatible with both water and silicone based lubricants. Because the dildo is so sticky, it's best stored in a plastic Ziploc with some cornstarch sprinkled over it. The kit includes a powder lubricant to ease placing the dildo on the holding pin/plug, which will also prevent the latter from tearing the inside opening of the toy.

TO STRAP OR NOT TO STRAP?

By all means, yes! This is one of the better harness kits available from Doc Johnson's Vac-U-Lock line. I wouldn't even consider the less expensive models with the cloth fast straps, unless you don't plan on using it more than a couple of times ; those slip too much! Leather will last a lifetime if cared for properly.

Most harnesses "just" fit me, but since this accommodates a wider range of sizes, I find that I have to wear it snug to keep the harness in place. Doing so prevented the harness from slipping around during play. The waist straps do dig in a little, but didn't hurt because the leather is so soft and supple. I still think my Joque harness is the most comfortable, but I still like Vac-U-Lock because it's very fast to switch out toys and they look the most realistic out of any I've used before.

The dildo does point southward but maneuverability and entry were both easy. As I stated before, it's more the size of the toy that was a problem for my partner's ass. I swapped it with a thinner Vac-U-Lock cock I own and it slipped right in. It did take a few tries at adjusting the buckles to get the right fit and once I did, both harness and toy stayed put.

As far as the little elastic holster goes, other than the powder lubricant, I can only fit a butt plug in it. The box never mentioned what it was for and it is optional. I guess the wearer could slide a small bottle of liquid lube in it.

UPDATE: This might be pigskin. I'm not 100% positive, but I read another review on a different product (a flogger) that was very soft and pink too. That kind of makes sense actually. My other leather harness is very stiff.

I trashed the jelly dong that came with it, but the harness itself is holding up well. With repeated use, the soft leather has stretched even more, so I find that my adjustment settings have changed a little. The crotchless hole is the main reason I picked this one up, and I'm glad that Doc Johnson is finally selling 100% silicone Vac-U-Lock dongs!