In Greek mythology, Hera is the queen of the gods, so this is a very appropriate name for this gorgeous and blissful dildo. This is currently my most favorite toy. Granted, new items vie for that top spot every month or so, but this beautiful dildo richly deserves the place of honor in my nightstand for an extended run. Or at least until Eden sends me something even more amazing. Variety is the spice of pleasure.

Hera arrived in an opalescent white and pink box tied with a ribbon and lined in cushioned satin, so the presentation couldn’t be nicer. The quality of the box and the thoughtfulness of the accompanying felt cloth for polishing made me think that it’s a great value for under $100. I will definitely keep the pretty box for storage. Hera’s weight seemed divine in my hand, and I loved that Hera was slightly heavy but not so heavy as to be unwieldy or tiring. I admired Hera’s aesthetics, wondering how the incrementally widened shaft would feel as it was being inserted and withdrawn. I imagined it would magnify the sensation of penetration (and I was right).

She looks black in regular light, but cobalt blue if you gold her up to a strong light. I would definitely display this dildo in my coffee table or dungeon but probably in her gorgeous box—the completely smooth surface of Hera and her lack of any protrusions means she will easily roll on a flat surface.

This toy would work well for both newbies and experienced players. Its 6 inches of insertable length are just right for me and my lover. If you have a large hand and use the handle, you’ll only get about 5 inches of insertable length, however -- which is perfect for most people. When choosing a glass dildo, I would err on the side of length because the pleasure of using glass is often enhanced by having enough length that you can watch its glossy hardness slide in and out of her beautiful pink pussy very slowly with your hand around its base. The firmness of the glass makes it feel different, more powerful than other dildos made of soft VixSkin or even hard silicone. The play of temperatures is also enticing: it’s bitingly cold initially and nicely toasty after you use it for a vigorous fucking.

Using this dildo to fuck my lover reminded me that I love having a handle on my dildo. It gives my hand a comfortable, easy-to-maintain position for long bouts of vigorous thrusting. Flared bases are just not as comfortable and effective as an ergonomic handle that fits your hand properly. My lover cooed in delight as I rammed her hard because it was as fast as she liked it and because its hardness produced the strong pounding sensations she loves. She usually likes dicks with a more bulbous head and narrower body, but the narrow-then-thick shaft on Hera pleased her mightily. She had a strong orgasm rather quickly.

My clever lover also suggested that it could technically be used handle first, even if this would leave you without a proper handle. You could probably use it handle-first as a sort of plug too because of the thinness of the neck, but inserting the shaft in an ass is probably not a good thing since it lacks a truly flared base. And definitely not if everything is as slippery with lube as it should be for butt sex.

Of course, because it’s glass, it’s completely body-safe and sterilizeable. A 10% bleach solution will disinfect it, but be sure to rinse it with water afterward and let it dry completely before using it again. Be aware: because it’s so smooth, it will get very slippery in lubed hands. It’s very solid, but you probably don’t want to drop it on a hard floor dozens of times. Also, putting it in your mouth it not a great idea, as it can hurt your teeth, even chip them if something knocks against the handle. It would be an especially bad idea to insert it in your mouth if you have any piercings in the vicinity.

I loved using it on my lover, and I loved having her use it on me. She felt exactly the same way. I think everybody should have a glass dildo, and this is a relatively affordable way get fucked by an art object.