The Tantus Beginner Cock ring is a great choice of a high quality product for both the beginner and experienced cock ring users alike. The ring is relatively inexpensive and is designed to last a long time. It can be used either solo while masturbating or with a partner (or partners if you're lucky) during sex. Cock rings are generally worn to improve erections and prolong orgasm by restricting blood flow from the penis and preventing the testicles from retracting during ejaculation.

This ring is made of 100% medical grade silicone, which is a material I am quickly growing to appreciate and love. The silicone is strong and dense, yet surprisingly light weight. While I would not describe the ring as being stretchy, it has enough flexibility to make putting the ring on a fairly simple task. The ring has a matte finish and collects dust and hair pretty easily. This is easily remedied by rinsing the ring off just prior to using it.

Tantus makes this particular cock ring in both black and red, although EF currently only caries the black version. I did not buy my ring at EF, but I still chose black because I've heard that black is a slimming color. After all, a guy doesn't want to worry about his figure when all he's wearing is a cock ring ("Honey, does this cock ring make me look fat?"). Other color choices (purple, metallic, marbled) would be nice but is not necessary.

The Tantus website states that Eros Original Bodyglide (a silicone based lube) is safe to use with all of their silicone toys. I choose to be cautious and only use water based lubes with all of my silicone toys, even Tantus products. However, if you are so inclined, I would suggest spot testing the lube to confirm there is no reaction before using.

I should start by stating that the measurements on the EF product page are inaccurate. The ring has an interior diameter of 2 inches and an over all diameter of 2-3/4 inches. This means that the ring itself has a thickness of 3/8 of an inch. The width of the ring is 3/4 of an inch. The ring itself has a slightly rounded edge which helps distribute pressure evenly over the width of the ring rather than potentially creating an uncomfortable pressure point.

Putting on the ring was a fairly simple matter, although it may take a little practice for anyone that has not worn one before. Simply apply a small amount of lube to the inner surface of the ring, ease one testicle through at a time, and then finally your penis. My initial mistake was using a little too much lube the first time making everything slippery. For most people, it is easier to put the ring on before an erection. I was able to put it on while I was stimulated, but had not attained a full hard erection. The ring is very comfortable to wear because it is light weight and does not pinch due to the curved edges. Because of the matte finish, I would think that the ring could potentially snag pubic hairs as it's being put on. I did not experience an issue with this since I keep my hair trimmed short. However, the lube applied to the inside should probably minimize this issue.

There is a visible seam on one edge of the ring. This is presumably a result of the manufacturing process. Given the flexible property of the silicone, I was not able to feel this seam while wearing the ring.

Since the ring is made of high-grade silicone, clean up is as simple as washing with an antibacterial soap and water and allowing to air dry. If desired, the ring can be sterilized by boiling for 3 minutes or washing in the top rack of a dishwasher without detergent. I prefer to store my ring in a Ziploc bag to prevent dust from collecting on it and to prevent contact with other toys since silicone has the potential to react with the materials of other toys.

The cock ring came in a typical clear clam shell type package that opened easily. No jaws of life needed for this one (unlike most of my children's toys, ironically). The back of the package has basic instructions on how to put the cock ring on, which is helpful for the uninitiated like myself. I suppose the packaging could be used to store the ring, but I found it a little large and bulky relative to the size of the ring itself and recycled it.

As I've gotten older I've noticed that my erections are not as hard as they used to be. Although disappointing, this was not completely unexpected. To help with this issue, I decided to try a cock ring since they are designed to help increase hardness. After much research, I decided on the Tantus Beginner Cock ring because it was made of silicone, was reasonably priced, and was raved about in every previous review. However, ultimately the ring did not work for me for a few reasons:

1. The fit was wrong. Despite measuring myself multiple times to be sure I was correct, the ring was not tight enough for me. Now granted, I consider myself below average not only in overall body size, but also in cock length and girth (for reference, my erect cock is 5.5 inches long and has a girth of 4.5 inches). Quite honestly, I chose the beginner size as opposed to the intermediate or advanced because this was my first cock ring and I was afraid to purchase one too tight (images of explaining my purple cock and balls at an emergency room flashed through my mind).

2. The ring itself is light weight and hardly noticeable to the wearer, but while in the missionary position I was able to feel it press into my pubic bone. It wasn't uncomfortable, but was certainly noticeable and occasionally a distraction. My wife was not able to feel the ring at all. I think ideally a cock ring would have a width of 1/2 inch at most for guys below average in size. I'm not sure a narrower width would be possible for a silicone cock ring since it may compromise the durability of the product when stretched.

3. The width of the ring makes it appear bulky when I wear it. Let's just say that the silicone to cock ratio is not ideal for someone of my size. The last thing I want is something right next to my cock that makes me look smaller than I am. Again, a cock ring of 1/2 inch or less would resolve this issue.

4. Since the ring didn't fit me well, the next consideration for its continued use was how did it look on me. Did it make me look sexy? Not really. While the black is simple and understated, it lacks the bling factor of metallic cock rings (cock bling, who knew?).

I tried the ring a few times both with my wife and while masturbating and I can't say I noticed any difference in the hardness of my erection. However, I think this is more a function of the ring not being the correct size for me. I would caution potential buyers of this product, and any cock ring for that matter, to be sure of sizing. While the silicone nature of this ring allows for slight stretching, accurate sizing is critical. If the ring is too small, it becomes difficult to put on and uncomfortable to wear. If the ring is too large, it fails to improve your erection and defeats the purpose of wearing one in the first place.

It is generally not recommended to wear a cock ring for more than 20 minutes at a time since there is the potential risk of nerve damage with prolonged use. Fortunately, I did not have to worry about this.

I currently don't use this cock ring anymore since it doesn't help me with my erections. However, it works well when I feel like a game of cock ring toss with my dildos.