I bought the cone years ago, when it was just coming on to the market. At the time, the hype about it was the inspiration behind the purchase. It seemed so novel, so clever, so cute. The marketing campaign was adorable: colorful gifs of shadowy profiles of men and women in varying positions, squatting over the cone, grinding up against it on the wall, on their hands and knees, all set to the cheerful sound of Euro techno pop music. I mean, it's like a really short traffic cone.... that gets you off.

And boy does it. With a whole slew of programs- not just levels of intensity, mind you, but full programs, there's something for everybody. Once you install the three D batteries (yes, it's that serious), you're ready to go. I learned long ago not to leave batteries in vibrators because it drains them quickly so they don't last as long. If you want to be able to remove and re-insert batteries into the Cone, you'll want to refrain from replacing the back cover on the bottom of it. It's somewhat arduous to remove, taking long enough to kill the mood if you decide to grab this toy when you're already in the middle of a make-out session.

Once the batteries are in, you're good to go. There are two buttons: one to press to cycle through the programs- and there are 16 of them, with generally increasing intensity- and one to go straight to "orgasm mode." This mode is the highest intensity, with a steady ad quick on-off incessant vibration and is a great option when you've been riding a plateau for awhile and are ready to go all the way.

The programs vary from roller-coaster-like escalations to different levels of the steady-state solid vibe. My favorite is, I believe, the 3rd level of steady-state vibration: I find functions that increase and decrease to be frustrating. I know other people love that though, and they'll find plenty of pleasing options with the Cone as well.

Feeling the Cone itself is an experience. It looks rough, because it is reminiscent of a traffic cone, but it's a soft, relatively pliable phthalates-free silicone. The first time I used it, the point seemed a little daunting and felt a little pokier than I wanted, but I quickly learned that my preferred angle was pressing up against the side of the Cone rather than right on top of it. For some desiring a little penetration, it's available, although there are limitations to how deep you can go.

Clean-up is easy, and storage is too because the box in which the Cone is packaged is perfect. It's not the cheapest option for vibrators and some of what you're paying for is the hype, but if you enjoy the novelty of cute design and want a reliable vibrator that can be used hands-free, you're doing yourself a real favor by buying this.

While the hype has died for me significantly, as I don't really recall why I thought this thing was the end-all,be-all of strong vibes, now that i've experienced Hitachis and Wahls and the like. But my partner randomly suggested I bring it out again and it was still a good time. There really is something to be said for backing up to it for clitoral vibration while in doggy style. It seems to encourage a positioning that works out well for all involved parties.