I had very high hopes for Lelo’s Ella Dildo. I’d read good reviews and I love Lelo’s other products. To their credit, the Ella is a good-looking dildo, with sleek, smooth lines and Lelo’s trademark velvety smooth silicone. As an aside, the silicone is lovely but not as smooth as I would like. It takes a lot of lube to make it slide nicely, although this can be remedied by using a condom with it, which is also a good idea if you are sharing it. As it is made of silicone, the Ella should only be used with water-based lube, as silicone-based lube could degrade the material. Cleaning is also easy. The silicone is able to be washed with hot water and soap.

Unfortunately, despite its good looks, I just didn’t find it very interesting. It is nicely shaped and it thrusts well, but it did not provide me with the sense of fullness I need to orgasm or really enjoy using a toy. Admittedly, I do prefer a girthier toy, but then I have also enjoyed using the Pure wand which definitely isn’t girthy. I’m not entirely sure what it is about the Ella that is lacking, but something about the design up isn’t quite right for me. It's possible that it is a collection of smaller design flaws which add up to a sub-par experience.

One other thing to note is that thrusting with the Ella is a bit of an exercise in frustration, as it is quite short and difficult to get a good grip on. In my view, this is a bit of a design flaw in what is supposed to be a g-spotting dildo. Most people I know who enjoy g-spot stimulation need sustained thrusting against the spot for a period of time to orgasm from it, and the Ella just doesn’t allow for that for me.