In theory, Shay's Ribbed Lover would make a pretty great beginner's vibe, especially for those interested in experimenting with some texture. And if you use a condom with it, it still can be. The vibrations are pretty decent without being overwhelming, and the size is a good one for most users.

Shay's Ribbed Lover is made of what seems like a traditional plastic slimline covered in TPR, meaning it's generally safe from icky stuff you wouldn't want in your vagina. However it does appear to have a nasty habit of transferring color to anything it touches, so you'll want to make sure to use a condom with this toy at all times.

The coating of TPR is thick enough that you've got a little bit of give to it, but you can definitely tell there's something underneath it if you squeeze hard enough with your fingers. There's a little bit of a smell, nothing horrible, and the transferring of color led me to decide against seeing if it had a taste. There is a very slight drag to the material, just enough that it does act as a bit of a lint magnet, so plan storage accordingly.

Coming in at just under 7" long, with about 5 1/2" of that being insertable, this ribbed lover is a good size for most users. The slightly tapered head is about 5 1/2" around and 2" long, with the first three ribs under that measuring about 4 1/4" around and the bottom four being about 4 3/4" around. Because of the soft outer material, anybody who enjoys texture will probably also enjoy this as well. It's not a bad choice for the first foray into the world of texture, but some users will find the texture to be a bit extreme.

Shay's Ribbed Lover features a twist dial base that activates a graduated series of vibrations. Even on its highest, it's certainly not a powerhouse, but most users will find it adequate at the very least. The vibrations are medium pitched, and way more buzzy than rumbly. On the very lowest setting, you won't be able to hear it if it's inside of you, but for external use, keep it under a blanket and shut the door. The highest setting feels a bit itchy on the fingers, and relatively strong elsewhere. They will make a clit go numb eventually, and if you're using it externally on the highest setting, make sure to turn on a TV or a radio if you're worried about being heard. Internally, it's still surprisingly quiet.

It also claims to be waterproof, and it did survive a very thorough cleaning in the sink.

Always use a condom with this one. Simply because of the color transfer. Otherwise, you can clean it the same way you clean most things however, in the sink with soap and warm water, or use a toy spray. You can store it anywhere you don't mind getting pink, and since the package will already be a little pink, you can definitely store it in there, or even a toy pouch. And go ahead and use any silicone or water based lube you want.

The packaging wasn't anything too exciting, toy inside a clamshell, visible from the front. The back has another picture of the toy and the claims of multi-speed vibrations, waterproof, and soft pliable TPR material. It's certainly not discreet by any means, but it's not the tackiest thing out there. It did come with a little pamphlet that seemed like a generic instruction pamphlet, not really having any product specific pieces.

If I've failed to emphasize this enough already, always use a condom if you're going to use this toy. While the material on its own is generally safe, the dye can't really be spoken for, and it's probably not something you want your body absorbing.

Things that made me really nervous about trying this toy out:

1 - The product page says that they have decided not to carry the item do to negative feedback.
2 - When I opened the box, it had dyed some of the plastic pink.
3 - My hands turned pink just trying to get some batteries into it.

But for the sake of the review, I pressed on, employing a condom to aid me in my research. Said condom started out yellow and finished orange. I was not amused. But while using it (with a condom), I didn't hate it. I actually kinda liked it. The vibrations weren't as strong as I would have liked, but when I was really turned on, the ribs felt amazing. After a few orgasms they started to get a little more painful, and the rest of that session involved just leaving this inside of me while I used another toy on my clit.

Because of the fact that no matter how I try to go about putting a condom this toy, and when I do, the condom has a tendency to hang down and make adjusting the vibrations a huge pain in the butt, my hands turn pink, makes me nervous about continuing to use this toy. They were clean before I sat down to write the review, and by the time I was done, they were both pink.

Quite honestly, this has the potential to be a really great product. But in my mind, color transfer that doesn't go away with a washing or two (I scrubbed this thing down 6 or 7 times), is just inexcusable.