The I rub my penguin was my first foray into the I rub my- line of toys, and I must say that the shape of this little guy is certainly suited to female masturbation|Informative and entertaining guide to female masturbation. His head makes a nice little handle if you want to move him around and stroke various body parts and his body fits perfectly into the hollow in the pubic bone in the vicinity of the vulva with the head extending up to the clitoris. You can also place the head inside the vagina as a variant on a vibrating dildo|Vibrating dildos, and the base flares quite nicely to extend the sensations to surrounding genitalia. I probably wouldn’t use him in anal play|Introduction to anal sex aside from stroking a little around the rectum, but it is conceivable that an experienced anal player might think differently since the flared base would come in handy. His head is simply wider than most anal toys that I have seen.

I found that it was a little difficult to find where exactly to squeeze the penguin’s belly in order to turn him on or switch speeds. From time to time I discovered that the battery compartment lid had slipped the tiniest fraction of an inch and that this shut the motor up completely. I also had a little difficulty distinguishing between the different speeds, although the highest speed was a little more powerful than the other two (and correspondingly louder – when muffled with a pillow it probably wouldn’t be heard by someone on the other side of a door, but he definitely would be if you choose to play with him in the tub, especially if you use him at the highest setting. It sounded like a blender to me when I was playing with him in the bathtub. The vibrations in the head and the base were more or less equal in power, and when in the water I had difficulty feeling them around my nipples (no such problem when he was dry) although they were definitely perceivable on the breastbone. On the vagina and the clitoris they were comfortable and soothing, and they felt best of all when the toy was inserted in my vagina, but this is not the toy for someone who wants incredibly powerful vibrations. He’s definitely of the massager variety.

I liked the fact that the penguin is shaped like a bath toy (he even floats!) and could easily be left by the tub with no one the wiser. I was however a little disappointed because I hadn’t taken the time to examine the pictures in detail and was surprised to find that the penguin didn’t come with the iceberg stand that could be suction cupped to the wall which I had seen on other websites that feature this particular toy. It would have come in handy since most of the flat surfaces on the rim of my tub are either too narrow for a toy or occupied by various toiletries. I also found that, no matter how carefully you screw him shut, a little water always gets into the battery compartment, so it’s important that you pull the batteries out after using the toy in the tub or the shower and let him dry out before storing the toy. Placing a condom around him and tying the end shut will also help with this problem, although it may not eliminate it entirely.

The I rub my penguin|I rub my penguin is a rubber toy, which means that cleaning is a little more complex than with some of my other toys. He’s not safe to boil, and it’s best to use a condom with him since he’s porous. I’d also make sure to scrub him thoroughly, taking special care with the little corners around the head and the feet, and refrain from sharing him or using him for both anal and vaginal play if you choose to forgo the condom (let me reiterate: this is not recommended.) On the plus side, since he’s rubber it’s safe to use both silicone and water based lubricants on him.

All in all, this is a nice toy that would be a wonderful starter toy for beginners and people who are nervous about having others discover their toys and/or just want a cute little moderate-strength toy.

As for my favorite way to use the penguin, that was definitely to take him into the bathtub. He wasn't great for foreplay, so I used my fingers for that play, but after getting into the mood it was wonderful to slip him in and force myself to use only my legs to hold him in while I lay back to wet my hair, sat up to shampoo, and lay back down again to rinse it out, the vibrations going all along. Once thoroughly excited, I scooted down to the end of the tub and placed my clit directly underneath the spigot, running water onto it. If you're into delayed satisfaction, I'm sure allowing it to drip one droplet at a time would be highly frustrating. I go more for the powerful stream of water, playing with the temperature so one moment it's cold water and the next it's hot, and thrusting the penguin in and out as I do so. I think that was the perfect use for the penguin and I've yet to find another toy more suited to that type of play.

Since the time of my earlier review I sought out the older version of "I Rub My Penguin", which did indeed come with a plastic iceberg base for the bathtub. I found that despite the lack of the cute little base, the newer version of the toy is a definite improvement. His vibrations are stronger and more varied. I'd definitely recommend this version over the older one.

I've also tried one of the "I Rub my Duckie" line of toys, and I find that the shape of the Penguin is a lot more suited to sexual play. I like the smooth curves and bumps that are easy to clean out. I find that the Duckies have too many crevices that are likely to accumulate muck, and too many sharp angles for my comfort. It's also hard to figure out where to grasp the ducks. I prefer something easy to clean, that won't poke me uncomfortably and is easy to grip.