When the PicoBong line of products debuted, there were several comments on the Koa with people asking how the heck it was supposed to work. The vibrator part wasn't hard to identify, but it was classified as a penis ring despite there being a complete and utter lack of an actual ring. I, however, never shy away from a challenge. I just knew there had to be some creative use to get this nifty looking toy working the way it ought to!

Unfortunately, the Koa is about as awkward to use as it first appeared. While the silicone bullet is essentially silent and has notable power, the 'ring' detracts from the sensation in a big way.

The difficulty of positioning the Koa comfortably (for both parties) makes it hard to endorse as a go-to toy for couples' pleasure.

On the bright side, the Koa is waterproof, virtually silent, and rather discreet looking, making it easy to care for and hide. I'd probably recommend this more as a travel-friendly bullet for romantic vacations than as a vibrating cock ring.

The Koa is composed of a silicone bullet and a plastic 'ring' cap. The silicone is silky smooth, the kind of texture I personally prefer in my toys and the plastic is high grade, providing some flexibility without any noticeable wear and tear. The toy has no scent to it, and while the brand logo is imprinted along the body of the bullet, it feels virtually texture-less.

The toy, when properly assembled, is at least waterproof, so cleaning it is as simple as running the Koa under warm water and gently scrubbing with antibacterial soap. It dries easily and is actually not prone to collecting lint or fuzzies because the silicone is not porous at all on this toy. Be sure not to boil or otherwise expose to intense hear, however, as the plastic cap would not survive.

Because the bullet is silicone, a water-based lubricant would be safest (and for the love of all that is holy, do use lube when putting this toy on a person or even on a dildo).

The Koa consists of a 2-2.5" silicone bullet with a high grade, flexible plastic tail cap that screws on and locks to be waterproof. The bullet itself is nicely sized and I would have loved to have seen it put to a more effective use on a cockring because I really do like it. The sad truth, however, is that the Koa is full of design flaws.

As a couples' toy designed to bring clitoral stimulation to a woman during intercourse and additional sensation to a man (or otherwise owned penis) the Koa unfortunately falls short of its goal. The design is novel and I was intrigued to see how an innovative take on the cockring would translate to usage, but this seems to be a case of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it.'

As a blood flow constricting device, the Koa does not come up to par. It can be wedged on firmly enough to prevent being dislodged, but the larger the phallus the more tenuous its hold becomes. The lack of a complete ring means that unless the penis this is being used on is inordinately thin, there is always going to be some area that is left exposed. I tested it out on my Adam's Pleasureskin Cock to gauge how it would fair with a slightly larger diameter of shaft and while I could manage to clip it onto the phallus I had no confidence it would stay there for use.

Furthermore, finding a usable angle for this device proved virtually impossible. The first thing I tried was clipping it on so that the bullet laid horizontally over his shaft, but the length of the bullet had it jabbing into my thigh instead of pleasantly humming at my pubis. Next attempt, I tried to angle it so that the bullet pointed upwards, perpendicular to his shaft. This worked a little better, but I could barely feel any vibrations, if any at all.

About the best uses we could find for it involved using it as a straight clit vibe for foreplay, and also if I generously sacrificed my own part in this exchange and we clipped it onto the shaft upside down so that it buzzed along the underside of his shaft and tickled at the scrotum. I am told that it was weird, but not unpleasant.

The Koa runs on a single AAA battery that is inserted by unscrewing the plastic cap. The on and off buttons are a + and - that are hidden along the printed "PicoBong" logo on the bullet's body. I do have some concerns about the plastic cap that I wanted to address, however.

Along the length of the artfully curved tail that makes the 'ring' there is an obvious lip/seam in the plastic. It's not pronounced enough to be uncomfortable while being worn, but it is noticeable just the same. Additionally, the edge where the cap connects to the bullet leaves a sharp gap where skin can catch and pinch painfully.

To turn the bullet on, press and hold the + button and it will start on the lowest setting. If you continue to hold, however, it will rev up the levels of vibration successively until it reaches the strongest vibration before heading into the patterns. This is both helpful and really not at all. The reason I think it is helpful is because the buttons require so much pressure to be responsive that it is more efficient to only have to press and hold the once to increase the sensation. The reason I'd call this incredibly unhelpful is if you do zip it up to the top speed of vibration (there are 5 levels of vibration, I believe) it can take several more clicks of the + button before you can get the patterns to start.

The patterns themselves actually had an impressive variety. Ranging between simple pulsation that varied in intensity to full-on rollercoaster mode when it zips up from weakest to strongest and back down again. The pattern selection lives up to the boasts of the Koa's product page, even if everything else is falling short.

To turn the Koa off when it is on simple vibration, you can press and hold the - and it will scale back down the vibration intensity until it turns off. To turn it off while in a pattern or if you just want it off immediately, press and hold both + and - at the same time.

Something that the Koa was not lying about was being waterproof. I had my doubts when I saw the gap between the plastic cap and the bullet, but after submerging it in a cup of water while on I can comfortably confirm this fact.

As such, he Koa is incredibly easy to clean. Slip off of the shaft and just clean with warm water and antibacterial soap. Antibacterial toy cleaner could also be used simply enough, but I always think its best to be as careful as possible.

Because of the gap between silicone and plastic, I would also unscrew the cap on occasion and very carefully clean the lip around the battery compartment. This, of course, defeats the purpose of being waterproof, but there was a bit of moisture that managed to get just under the lip of the plastic when I submerged it so it is good to be careful.

This toy does not attract lint and can easily be stored in a drawer, box or suitcase without worry.

The Koa came in a simple black box with a copy of the warranty and a brief explanation of product use, cleaning and storage (I would like to note that nowhere are instructions on how the Koa is possibly to be used as a cockring, implying that the manufacturers wrongly assumed that its use would be intuitive). There is nothing special about the packaging that came with this product, although I am sure several of you are wondering about the 6-sided die that is advertised with the PicoBong line of toys.

It is a simple black die that has a silhouette of each of the PicoBong toys on the sides. The website, back of the box, and any and all provided literature provide no explanatn for this gimmick, simply a "Why don't you tell us what it's for?" My guess would be that it could be used during a sexy night if you had each PicoBong product to decide which toy to use first, second, third, etc. but if you're not investing in all of them, the die is a simple novelty that you won't be harmed by losing or throwing away.

While I like the overall look and feel of the Koa as a toy, it fails to perform its indicated purpose. Personally, I think it was great that someone took a shot at being creative, but the manufacturers need to take their ideas back to the drawing board and remember where, exactly, the clitoris is in relation to the male pubis during penetration.