When I saw the Hera by Xtassie, I was really excited to try it out. I have a lot of toys, but the Hera is different. It has several unique features. First and foremost, this vibrator boasts something I have never seen before: thrusting action. The literature on this indicates that it has “powerful actuators to imitate the human motion” and “focuses on G-spot as well as A-spot, so user will be easy to reach max multi orgasm.” I’m not sure what this means, but I thought this would be really cool! I was also pleased to see that the Hera is made from medical-grade silicone, which is a definite plus for me. Silicone is, in my opinion, the best material for bedroom toys. Another positive feature was the fact that the Hera is marketed as rechargeable. It also has 10 modes with varying patterns of thrusting and vibrating combinations.

The Hera arrived in a nice, sturdy rectangular box. The front of the box simply has the company logo X-tassie with the phrase “Turn your Ecstasy On!!” X-tassie is a Korean company, and this explains some of the disjointed and poorly translated marketing materials and user manual. There is a picture of the vibrator on the back of the box with a bullet point list of all the positive features of the toy as well as the phrase “For those who are looking for fulfillment & satisfaction by specialized multiple stimulation!!” The Hera is 8” long with the hand grip, but the insertable portion measures about 6 1/2”. The circumference is about 4” in the middle and flares out just a little on either end. This is just about the perfect size vibrator for me.

With all of these great selling points, I couldn’t wait to try out my new toy!

Although the user manual indicates that the Hera “can be used right away after connecting the power adapter without having to charge,” I decided it would be best to leave it charging overnight. There is no charging light to indicate when it is finished, but I figured several hours should be enough time to fully charge it. When I got home from work the next day, I was eager to begin playing with the Hera. I unplugged it from the wall, popped in a porn to help get my juices flowing, and pressed the power button to see which of the 10 pulsation modes I would like best. I was looking forward to placing it in my Liberator Bon Bon and riding my new thrust buddy all the way to Happy Town. I was quite surprised and disappointed when it didn’t come on. At first, I thought I had a completely dead vibrator on my hands that I wouldn’t be able to use. I plugged it back into the wall and pressed the power button, and true to its word, it “can be used right away after connecting the power adapter.” But wait, I thought this was a rechargeable vibrator. I plugged it in to “charge” it a couple more times in the last week and it is definitely NOT rechargeable. So either my unit has dead batteries or, again, something got lost in the translation.

Not to be deterred, I plunged ahead with the cord attached to the wall and cycled through the ten various modes. There is only one button to move through them and there is no real rhyme or reason to it. Just when I thought I found a mode I liked, it would switch in vibration speed and thrusting action. Maybe some women like that type of variety, but when I think I am on the precipice of an orgasm (especially one brought on by clitoral stimulation), change in speed or intensity will just kill it for me. Now about the thrusting action…well, I guess it depends on your definition of thrusting. The Hera does move up and down in a thrusting motion, at least until it meets resistance. When that happens, the thrusting actuators disengage, and then you just have what amounts to a fairly weak vibrator. For internal use, my vaginal muscles rendered the thrusting action useless. I did get some satisfaction from holding the vibrator out so that the head barely hammered against my clit on the outstroke. It felt really good, but it wasn’t quite enough to bring me to orgasm. And, if I pressed the head firmly against my clit for more intensity, it simply disengaged and stopped hammering.

Care and Maintenance
The Hera is electrically powered, so it cannot be boiled or washed in the dishwasher. Obviously, it is not waterproof as stated on Eden's product page. You can use any available toy cleaner or even these handy wipes they have available at Eden Fantasys now. Special care should be used on the accordion-style thrusting end of the vibrator. As with any silicone toy, water-based lubricant should be used. Be aware that this toy is a real lint magnet, and although I don’t have pets, I imagine it would attract pet hairs as well. Mine has collected a fair amount of dust since I put it away after my initial attempts to “reach max multi orgasm” as the box promised.

In the interest of fairness, I dusted off my Hera and tried it out with my husband to see if it would be more enjoyable with a partner. While the experience was no different than when I used it solo, we did have a lot of fun playing with it and laughing about it. Overall, the Hera is perfectly sized, and I really liked the concept of the thrusting action. Unfortunately, the Hera didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I so wanted to like this toy; unfortunately, this one disappointed. On the positive side, it did open my eyes to the possibilities of a thrusting vibrator. I would love to find a vibrator that delivers all that the Hera promises.