Vixen Creations has always come through for me with some of the most excellent - if not the very best - silicone toys on the market. I have made quite a few purchases from them and have never been disappointed with the design or quality of a Vixen product. Still, there are a few toys in their catalog that I always shy away from, and maybe for a silly reason. It's just that some of them look so, well, simple. The Smooth Operator has stagnated in the "too simple" category for a little over two years now; I've peaked at pictures of it over and over, but never ended up buying because it looked just a little plain. A little boring. Like a toy that might be great for a newcomer that was looking to ease into penetration, but not like something that would blow the mind of a veteran of intense penetrative play. Mediocre, I guess you might say.

After scrutinizing this toy with a great deal of doubt for so long, I finally had the opportunity to review it and decided to take a chance on it. Frankly, I didn't expect much. Perhaps it was for this reason that the spectacular performance of this dildo was all the more impressive. My very first use had me on the phone with my boyfriend singing its praises - it was actually that great. The Smooth Operator has quickly fallen into regular rotation in my rather large collection of toys, which is no small feat considering all the knock-out toys it's up against. The very things that make this toy look dull are actually what sets it apart for me: its moderate size, simple curves and lack of contour and detail.

At seven inches in length, with six of those being insertable, the Smooth Operator is a substantially long dildo capable of reaching all the right spots with its gently curved shaft. At only an inch in diameter, however, it's smaller than many may like. If you know that you need more girth to fill you up and get you going then this may not be the toy for you. But those that can appreciate more modest size will find that the density and firmness of this cock, combined with its shape, get the job done marvelously. This is also a great dildo for those that are new to penetrative play, particularly anal play. First attempts at anal penetration can be a little uncomfortable because it's unfamiliar, and during these initial attempts less texture is often a more comfortable way to go. The round and gently tapered head of this dildo also make it a smooth, gradual insertion that is more manageable for beginners. My partner and I also like to use this to warm him up before moving on to larger and more challenging anal toys; the firmness means it does not slip away from us when there's a lot of lube involved, and length and girth is just enough to tease and ramp him up for more.

I also loved the way this functioned in a harness. The base looked as if it could prove a little tricky for strapping in, but its chunky, rectangular design is actually a strength in most cases. Conventional wisdom dictates that in a harness you'll "lose" about an inch of your dildo's length to the O-ring, meaning you're left with less shaft than you may have bargained for. However, the Smooth Operator's base props it high up and flush against the O-ring, minimizing the amount of shaft that gets swallowed by your harness! Being pressed firmly against the ring also means that even in larger rings, this relatively thin dildo will not wiggle around or shift too much during thrusting. My only concern with this toy is that in harness without rings (rather with a cut-out hole for the dildo to be pushed through from the back) this base may protrude uncomfortably.

And of course, this dildo performs just as wonderfully when used vaginally as it does anally. As a gusher with some very particular preferences for G-spot stimulation, I sometimes run into troubles finding a dildo that is big enough to firmly stimulate my spot but is small enough to allow me to expel fluid during thrusting. If a dildo is too big, the vaginal canal is blocked and I can't squirt. If it's too small, I'm not stimulated enough. This dildo was absolutely PERFECT because it had a fantastic little curve, was dense enough to hit my G-spot firmly, and was thin enough that I was able to squirt while thrusting. This has become one of my favorites for squirting for this reason. If you like continued thrusting through your squirting orgasms, the Smooth Operator may be just right for you.

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Vixen Creations Smooth Operator Kit includes a small single speed bullet, similar to those included by companies such as Tantus or Happy Valley. It takes three watch batteries which should be removed between uses so that they do not lose charge in storage. This bullet features a push button that switches the motor on and off with a single click, and produces a fairly strong but very surface, buzzy vibration when in use. It is very quiet when turned on, and nearly inaudible through a thick blanket when it is inside of the dildo (which absorbs the vibration.) Unfortunately, because of the shallow nature of this vibrations, they do not transmit very well through the dense silicone body of this toy. It can be used this way, however, for very light vibration. A small retrieval cord is tied to the base to make removal from the tight cavity in the dildo easier. You should also coat your bullet in a thin layer of water based lubricant before inserting it into the toy to reduce friction and ensure a painless removal.

As with most Vixen toys, the Smooth Operator comes in a durable, clear plastic capsule with a removable lid on the top. These plastic tubes are excellent for storage and will also keep your silicone toys from coming into contact with soft toy materials like jelly, TPE, TPR and rubber. Silicone can warp or melt these materials if it comes into direct contact with them, so be sure to keep them safely separated! The tube is also a great way to keep lint and dust off of your toys, as soft materials can often be a magnet for these little particles. Silicone lubricants should not be used with this or any other silicone toy as it will bond to your toy creating a gummy mess that is difficult or even impossible to remove.

Silicone is non-porous, meaning there are no pores in the toy for microbes to be absorbed into. Because bacteria can only accumulate on the surface of the toy, cleaning and sharing very painless and easy. For basic day-to-day cleaning you can lather your dildo with antibacterial soap and rinse with hot water. For more thorough cleanings - such as when you go from anal play to vaginal, or when you share with non-fluid bonded partners - you can boil the Smooth Operator in hot water for 3-4 minutes or wipe down with a 10% bleach solution. These methods of cleaning will remove most bacteria from the surface and sanitize quite thoroughly. To make clean-up easier you can also use condoms safely with your toy!

I can't really explain what it is about this dildo...or why even though it looks like dozens of others out there it's just...not. It's better. Maybe it's the density of the silicone, the clunky but easy to grip base, maybe its that assertive curve...I'm not entirely sure. I've reviewed over 100 products, about a quarter of them being dildos, and I can't quite put my finger on it with this toy. All I know? It's perfect for me when it comes to G-spot stimulation and squirting because it fills me enough while providing enough room for me to ejaculate with this inside of me. Amazing.

This is one of the toys I reach for when I'm lazy and just want something that I know will do the trick. It's not everyone's dream toy, but it's tremendously well made and just so happens to vibe excellently with my body.