When a toy comes with a name like "Goliath" it's really not something to be taken lightly, because this toy is big, and in more ways than just the 7 1/2" of length.

The head of the dildo is thick, round, bulbous, and blunt, with a 6" circumference / 2" diameter. At the front of the dildo the head has a lovely pronounced coronal ridge, making it quite distinct from the shaft. On the reverse, however, the transition between the head and the shaft is completely smooth, with no detail of a frenulum or otherwise.

Below the head the shaft narrows to an average circumference of only 5 1/2" down the length. While the surface of the head is completely smooth, with a nice glossy finish, the surface of the shaft is very richly textured. Alongside a small number of thick, rounded veins running parallel to the shaft, the dildo has a lot of small thin veins snaking their way all over the surface. These smaller veins are very narrow and pronounced, and feel quite firm to the touch, as well as travelling in every conceivable direction. The combination creates a very detailed texture, with scarcely an area where something isn't happening.

If you're planning to use the Goliath anally then be warned that it's not something for a beginner. The tip of the dildo has no taper to it, being completely rounded like a hemisphere. Even the more experienced among us may prefer to first use a conically-shaped toy to warm up, but if you have a little patience and are up for the challenge, then it can be quite satisfying to put the Goliath in without anything prior. The head of the Goliath has to be my favourite aspect of the whole design; the smooth surface helps it to slide into the body with complete comfort, and once you're over the coronal ridge you experience a satisfying "pop." Even though the difference in thickness of the shaft and the head isn't that great, it's enough to be noticeable when it's inside you. One of the most satisfying parts of using it can be just feeling the large presence of the head inside you, and then repeatedly popping it in and out. When you insert the dildo deeper the qualities of the head translate into making it great for prostate stimulation, as you can really feel it nudging up against it with each thrust. As a dildo for thrusting I fear the texture of the shaft has the potential to make it quite divisive. If you're able to completely relax your sphincter during thrusting then you can minimise the impact of the texture, to the point that it's barely noticeable, and this is the way I enjoy it most. If on the other hand you clamp down tightly on the dildo with your muscles, then the texture feels incredibly intense and you get a lot of drag. Every wiry little vein stands out, and their pronounced firmness actually felt quite uncomfortable to me, to the point that if I continued it for too long I believe it would have made me sore. Some people of course may love this intense feeling, so it really is a matter of preference. It's down to what you like, but also how well you've been able to train your response to having things inserted anally.

The base of the dildo isn't that wide at only 2 1/2", so it doesn't offer a lot of stability when standing the dildo upright. This is especially noticeable with mine which has a pronounced lean to one side, which when combined with the high centre of gravity means it can easily be knocked off balance. Consequently if you wish to squat over the dildo, then you will need to hold it in position. The base also isn't very thick, the material is quite thin in this area and very bendy. While the dildo is technically harness compatible with a 2" O-ring, due to the rather floppy nature of the base I don't imagine it would perform that well in this regard. There's a likelihood of it drooping, and potential for it to even slip out of the harness.

The Goliath comes packaged with a vibrating bullet which can be inserted into a specially made bullet hole in the base. The bullet hole has some internal ribbing so as to aid with removal, and this seems to work quite well in preventing the formation of a vacuum. The bullet itself has about the same intensity as the RO-80mm from Rocks Off. The problem with toys with bullet holes is that the hole is in the base, and you want the vibrations down at the tip, but they simply don't travel that well through inches of thick silicone. The inclusion of the bullet is nice, but it's mostly gimmicky as it doesn't add much to the experience of using the toy. Personally I prefer to use the dildo without the bullet, and in this circumstance the bullet hole can be used as a finger hole, to better manipulate the dildo with when thrusting. There's always the option of using the bullet separately, so it's like getting two toys in one.

The dildo is of course made from Tantus's own 100% platinum silicone, one of the highest quality materials on the market, and is completely free from mould lines. The dildo has a nice amount of flex to it, even with the thickness of the dildo, so it can still comfortably bend around inside the body. When you squeeze it, it has enough give in the surface so as to cushion the insertion and avoid any discomfort, but it's firm enough that even the smallest vein remains pronounced and can be felt during use. One of the things I love about silicone is that it heats up during use, giving a much more natural feel to the experience. The other thing I love about silicone is how easy it is to clean it. Silicone can be washed the usual way with antibacterial soap and hot water, but it can also be completely sterilised by wiping it down with a 10% bleach solution, popping it in a pan of boiling water for a couple of minutes, or even tossing it into the dishwasher - but remember to remover the bullet first! So far the Goliath hasn't been prone to attract dust, which is a pleasant surprise as often silicone does. The only downside to silicone toys is that you only want to use water-based lubes with them, as silicone lubes could potentially degrade the material.

The dildo comes in a lovely cotton-candy-pink colour which has a pearlescent shimmer to it that really catches the light. The sugary-sweet appearance provides an interesting contrast, almost masking what a monster the dildo truly is.

The Goliath has actually become one of my favourite larger dildos. I don't use the included bullet at all, but the dildo itself is great. I'm still not crazy about the hard veins, but when I'm relaxed enough I can ignore them and have an enjoyable experience with the toy.