Technology is a marvelous thing and a set of engineers somewhere deserve a round of applause for the Gina Orgasm Deluxe. The marketing professionals who came up with the name, on the other hand...

The overall shape takes its cues from an hourglass - a large, bulbous head tapering to a long, thin middle and then expanding out again to a wider base. The shape of the head is particularly unique. Rather than being egg-shaped, it’s more like one egg resting on top of another. It didn’t occur to me how that might be an advantage until I actually put the vibrator to use, but more of that later.

The battery case is sadistic. There’s no other way to describe it. Gina takes three AAA batteries, but it was a long, hard road to figure out how to insert them. The trick is to look very carefully at the translucent frame for the batteries. There at the top, you’ll see little and - signs that indicate the direction to insert the batteries in.

Just in case you’re not feeling retarded enough after figuring out the battery arrangement, the control cap at the base adds a frustrating little cherry on top of the futility sundae. The design is similar to the child-proof caps one finds on prescription medication - line up the tabs, push and twist. It’s very easy once you know what you’re doing. While you’re dealing with the learning curve, however, it’s not nearly as straightforward.

Inserting the batteries was enough of an ordeal to completely turn me off to the toy, but I persevered and I’m glad did. The Gina Orgasm Deluxe|Gina orgasm deluxe has quite a few features to recommend it as a versatile, fun toy.

The flexibility of the shaft is this vibrator's defining characteristic and it’s a very well thought-out component. The bend reaches about a 90-degree angle. That, in and of itself, is great. What’s even more impressive is that it maintains that angle while in use.

When using the Gina for penetration, I found that it maintained the angle I originally placed it at at long as I didn’t press it too firmly. That makes sense. I couldn’t get too rough when it came to isolating penetration around the entrance to my vagina simply because of the angles involved. Where I could (and did) go nuts was with using the vibrator to massage my g-spot. The vibrator maintained the angle I bent it to before using it and provided some incredibly effective, pleasurable stimulation.

There are ten vibration settings that you can rotate through by pressing a button on the base. They range from a steady vibration to pulsations that vary in strength. The vibrations are strong and reliable (and loud!), but not as powerful as one would find with other vibrators. That made it less than ideal for clitoral stimulation, but really excellent for massaging my g-spot.

The Gina Orgasm Deluxe is made of thermoplastic rubber and is compatible with both silicone and water-based lubricants. Clean-up is easy with warm water and soap or toy cleaner (the Gina is also waterproof!). As is always the case with porous materials, it is recommended that you use a condom when sharing.