I have always exercised my Kegel muscles the old fashioned way. Just clench, hold, and release. Then repeat. After having my second child, I started researching in the hope of a faster recovery. The Venus Balls caught my attention, just for the fact that they were connected and had the "tail" to easily insert and remove. I found it easy and convenient to use in the shower. I just washed them off with soap and water, relaxed my muscles and inserted. It was a little difficult to insert at first because of the size. They were too big to "slip" out. So I didn't have to contract to hold them in, I just worked my muscles to move them up and down. I don't recommend using them anally. To be quite honest, I never imagined you could use any of the kegel exercisers anally, but I've read where people have. The reason I don't recommend anal use is because there is nothing to stop these from getting lost. Although my favorite time to use the Venus Balls is in the shower, I also enjoy to use them when I have time to relax, like laying on the couch watching T.V. or while doing laundry.

The Venus Balls are made of Elastomer, rating a 7 on EF's safety scale. Elastomer is more porous than silicone, so it's recommended to use condoms if sharing. They have a slight ribbed texture to them. I wouldn't say it adds or takes away from the stimulation. They are soft to the touch but firm, if that makes any sense. The firmness makes it a little bit easier to insert. I would say they would work for beginners, more so than experienced users.

When I first opened the box, I didn't noticed a smell. As for taste, I never put them in my mouth. I didn't see a reason to taste them considering I found no reason they would ever need to be in my mouth.

The design of the Venus Balls is what attracted me to purchase these. I liked the fact you wouldn't have to "dig" them out. The shape made it easier to insert and remove. The tail is a little noticeable when wearing, but still comfortable, and made it a lot easier to remove. The size, on the other hand, was not what I was expecting. I should've really paid more attention to the size. By the pictures on website they didn't seem that big. They are 4 1/2" in circumference. When I first opened the package, I was shocked by the size of these things. They are pretty discreet and would be easy to travel with.

The size is the only problem I had with these. It took a few tries to finally get them in place. With them being so big, I never had the feeling of them falling out. I almost gave up on them, but I kept at it until I could feel my muscles moving them. I thought that the weighted balls inside of them would make a difference in the feeling while inside, but I couldn't really feel them move around while inserted.

Another plus to the Venus Balls is that maintenance is so easy. Just soap and water or toy cleaner and you're ready to go. You never have to worry about "your stuff" getting into the strings or anything like that. However, you can't boil these. The material is compatible with water and silicone based lubes.

The Venus Balls were packaged in a windowed box and a plastic shell to hold them in place. The box is great to keep for storage, if you have the room, as it's kind of bulky.