Lately I’ve developed a thing for vibrators with faces. This is due to my first Sinnflut vibe, Chester Cheeky. He’s so cute and effective, I decided to try his cousin, Benjamin Bond.

Benjamin is another rechargeable vibrator from the Sinnflut line, with an adorable face and super ribbed body. He works best for vaginal stimulation, although he can be used clit-side as well. Benjamin’s a big boy – he’s 1 3/4" in diameter - so he’s better suited for those liking a bit more girth in their toys. His intense ribbing also makes him better for those who like a lot (and I mean a LOT) of texture. If you like your vibrators smooth and thin, Benjamin is not for you.

Benjamin can be used anywhere – in the shower, bathtub, or bed – as long as he’s been charged. He’s fun for solo play, as well as play with a partner.

Like all Sinnflut toys, Benjamin is made of silicone, so he has no smell or taste. He comes in two colors: blue and black. I chose the blue, which is a pretty pastel color. Unlike Chester, Benjamin goes in with his eyes wide open. He has a very cute smile, and a ghostlike nub at the top of his head.

Benjamin is very highly textured. His ridges look like loops of rope wrapped around his body and cover him from his neck down to his base. These are not mild ridges – they can be felt from the minute he’s inserted. The ridges add a lot of stimulation, and can be too intense at the start, even with a liberal application of lubricant.

Benjamin’s design is great. He’s not a g-spot vibe, but he’s incredibly filling to make up for that. He’s 8 1/4" long, from the tip of his head to the bottom of his base, with just over 6” insertable. He is 1 3/4" thick, and highly textured.

This is not an “easy to hide” vibrator. He peeks over the top of his charging station when set in its base, and he looks like something to play with. Benjamin has joined Chester and the other rechargeables I have in a storage cabinet so he’s not out on display.

Benjamin is fine to travel with, but take the charging base along if you plan to use him longer than 2 hours. He’s best packed in checked luggage.

Benjamin is a rechargeable vibrator (with a nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery), and he comes with a charging station that plugs into the wall. Benjamin nestles right into the base for charging. The packaging says he comes charged, but my Benjamin was not, so I charged him for the recommended 10 hours before his first use. That was a long wait!

It’s recommended to completely charge and discharge Benjamin 5 times so the battery will be at its maximum efficiency. This charging cycle should be done every thee months to benefit from the maximum battery capacity, and ensure Benjamin continues to please for a long time.

Benjamin, like his cousin Chester, can’t be overcharged, so he can be left in the charging base until ready for use.

Benjamin has an on/off button and a joystick for control. Once he’s turned on, the joystick can be pressed down towards his base to increase the vibration intensity or change the pattern, or pressed up to revert to the steady vibration and lessen the intensity. This is not like a video game joystick, but it does offer an unusual and effective way to change Benjamin's settings.

Benjamin’s vibrations are the strongest in his head, right above the internal bullet. They can be felt well up and down his body, and are quite strong on the highest setting.

The vibrations go from a low vibration to a high vibration with eight different intensities in all, a medium rev from low to high, a faster rev from low to high, and a fast pulsation.

For the power he has, Benjamin isn’t too loud – just a bit louder than a vibrating cell phone. He’ll run for about 2 hours on medium intensity, and about 1 1/2 hours on high.

Benjamin is waterproof, so you can have fun with him in the bath, although due to his size I found him awkward to use in the shower.

Benjamin is 100% medical-grade silicone. He should be cleaned with warm water and a mild soap, and dried completely before being replaced on the charging station. Only water-based lubricants should be used. He doesn’t come with a storage bag, but he can be stored right on the charging base.

The base is plastic, and can be carefully wiped with a wet cloth if necessary. It should not be exposed to high humidity or wetness, and should not be placed near water. Make sure the base is dry before seating Benjamin for charging.

The instruction booklet contains some other safety precautions for Benjamin. He shouldn’t come in contact with hot surfaces, nor be used if damaged. He also shouldn’t be stored anywhere there’s a high risk of explosion. Personally, I wouldn’t store anything in an area like that.

If you have a pacemaker, you should with a doctor before using Benjamin, and he should never be used within 3 feet of medical instruments or equipment, so don’t take him to the hospital.

Benjamin comes in a red and gray box, displayed inside in plastic. The back panel has information in four different languages, and the back flap opens to reveal information on the material.

In addition to Benjamin and his base, the box contains a small flier about other Fun Factory products as well as a sample of ToyFluid and a fold out informational pamphlet.

Benjamin is very thick and textured. While his girth didn’t bother me, the texturing took some getting used to, even with lots of lubricant. Once I got used to him, however, he was a delight.

I was not a fan of toys with faces until I got Benjamin’s cousin Chester. My experiences with him made me eager to get my hands on Benjamin as well. Although he’s a traditional vibrator and not a g-spot one, Benjamin's girth and texture more than satisfy.

Benjamin is a bit easier to hold on to and manipulate than Chester is since he’s about 1 ¼” longer, although I would prefer a wider base.

The first time I tried out Benjamin was alone, and it took a lot of lubrication. He is probably the most ridge-stimulating toy I have tried, and it took some adjustment and time to be able to use him comfortably.

When I tried this with my husband, I stressed going slow at first and lots of lubricant. Apparently he wasn’t paying attention to the slow part, because he started out fast and furious, and this was a bit much with the texture for me. After warming up, however, Benjamin performed wonderfully, and no longer hurt. He is easier to position and keep in place than Chester is, and my husband also found him easier to hold on to.