The Leopard Duotone Balls from Cal Exotics were not what I expected. I bought them primarily for PC muscle strengthening, but was not apposed to finding some pleasure along the way.

Having used ben wa balls in the past, I was first surprised by their size and weight, having expected the balls to be smaller. They are connected by a small, brown cord, that is easily flexible. This cord also will remain outside the vagina, assisting you in removing the balls. You simply hook your finger through the loop at the end of the cord and slowly pull; the balls will pop out one at a time. I found it easier to remove them from a squating position than from a standing, as while standing, they tended to pull against the front of my vaginal wall.

The outer ball is two pieces of plastic, joined together to form a ball, and they are leoprard print. When you hold them in your hand, you can feel the inner balls, which are made of metal, moving around. You can also hear these balls when you move them in your hand, and at first they seemed rather loud. Loud enough that I wouldn't recommend inserting them in a public bathroom or where you would have to be descreet.

The duotone balls are rather easy to insert, and require only a bit of lube if needed. If you've never used any type of balls before, you may find it rather awkward the first few times, but once you get the hang of it, it's as simple as putting in a tampon. And although they are loud in your hand, you can't really hear them once they are in place. I had my husband put his ear to my belly and jumped up and down. If the room was dead silent, he could hear a small rattle, but nothing he would have heard had we been sitting at the table together.

You can feel the weight of the balls moving in you, and it's a rather unique experience. It's not an overwhelming sensation, but it's there. And you might forget about it if you're sitting down for awhile, but as soon as you stand up or start moving, believe me, you'll remember they're there! The balls are large enough that you don't have to flex to keep them in the vagina, as you would ben wa balls. But the fact that they're there will keep you aware of your kegels, and I tend to do them much more if I'm wearing the balls. And when you do flex your PC muscles, you get a thrilling sensation as you push the balls around inside you.

I've never used vaginal balls before, and these seemed to work fine for me, so I assume they would work for any beginner. I can't speak for an experienced user, but will say that these are basic in design and as long as you aren't looking for something that you have to work to keep in, these will work for anyone.

There balls are smooth in texture and made of firm plastic, which EF classifies as food-grade material, hypo-allergenic, latex and phthalates free. It rates an 8 on the Material Safety scale and is non-porous. The outer balls consist of two half plastic balls which creates a seam across the middle of each ball. Keep this in mind when cleaning the balls, as this will be an area where germs and bacteria can foster.

The cord between the balls is made of nylon and very flexible. When the balls are in place, the cord isn't noticable between your lips. One downfall, though, is that the length is rather long, with a good 3 to 4 inches hanging externally. If you leave the balls in when you go the bathroom, make sure to move it out of the way for hygenic purposes.

The feel of the balls is rather cheap, but they are less than $10, and they are well worth the price.

A traditional example of vaginal balls, the duotone balls are on a cord 8 inches in length, with 4" that is inserted with the balls. The balls are an 1 1/4 inches in diameter, and 4 1/4 in circumference. They weigh about 4 ounces together. They were bigger than I expected, but an average size for vaginal balls.

The balls themselves are made up of two half circles of plastic, and covered in a thin plastic coating, which is what the leopard print is on. Mine had a few "snags" around the seam, but were easily scrapped off before use. The design, including the coating and the seam, cheapen the look and make cleaning harder.

The balls create a different type of sensation when inserted in the vagina. When you move around, you can feel the inner balls rolling inside the outer balls, and it creates a feeling that is hard to explain. Add to that sensation the weight of the balls, which you can feel pushing down against your perineum, and they do increase your awareness of your erogenous zones.

And although these balls were by no means were able to bring me to orgasm on their own, they did keep me excited and wet.

These balls do require cleaning, and I use a basic toy cleaner and a damp cloth. Spray and wipe the toys down, paying special attention to the seam on each ball, as this can become a breeding ground for bacteria. Also take care to throughly clean the string, which can often be forgotten about, as there are grooves on it that can hold germs as well.

Being made of plastic, these balls are compatible with all lubes.

The balls are small and I keep them in a plastic ziploc bag with a few other plastic toys.

So far, after a few wears, I like these balls, even though they aren't at all what I expected. But overall, I am please with the purchase.

I am planning on wearing them to work soon, so hopefully I'll have more to share!