The first thing I noticed when I took the Silicone Softees Waves of Euphoria (hereafter SSWE) out of the packaging was the smell. It's a pretty strong smell, and not the almost-pleasant rubber smell, either. It's hard to describe: it's just very chemically and off-putting. It freaked me out a little.

The second thing I noticed is how squishy the outside of the vibe is. Based on the description, I expected it to have a little bit of give, but it's squishier than skin-like material. Does anyone else remember Nickelodeon Gak? Both the texture and the smell reminded me of that, which, needless to say, isn't the best association for a sex toy. This freaked me out a little more and made me a little uncomfortable for sanitary reasons. But the description on Eden says that the SSWE is made of TPR Silicone and is phthalates-free, so I threw my misplaced caution to the wind and got down to business. (I've put a video up on my blog demonstrating the SSWE's squishiness and volume link.)

The SSWE consists of a traditional vibrator covered by a very squishy sleeve. This sleeve has half-inch diameter studs all over it. It's loud, but in all fairness, this is noted by the description. The SSWE gets louder if it's pressed up against something, say, a cunt, or it's got something wrapped around it, say, a hand. I've taken to storing it in the plastic packaging it came in, since it's a little sticky and picks up absolutely everything: hair, lint, dust, dirt, you name it. I can't even set it down on my bed without it picking up a million tiny pieces of fuzz. The photos on Eden accurately portray the color of the SSWE: it's weakish lavender. It's kind of big, which didn't turn out to be a problem since the sleeve is so very squashable.

So: I turned this squishy lavender monstrosity on to its lowest setting and took it for a spin. Vibration levels are controlled by a dial on the base of the vibrator, and I didn't have any trouble accidentally changing the setting or turning it off or anything like that. Two things I immediately noticed: first, although the SSWE isn't entirely soft since it's got the hard plastic vibrator core, the soft sleeve feels pretty nice. Second: I couldn't feel the studs at all, probably because of the oft-aforementioned squishiness. They undoubtedly would have been more noticeable if the material had been firmer. Oh well. The vibrations on the highest setting were actually too strong for me; by the time I'd cycled up that far I could only handle it for a few seconds before I had to turn it back down to a mid-range level. The SSWE made me come quickly; I liked it for insertion since there was a lot of give, and while not so good for pinpoint clit stimulation, it felt nice when I rubbed it along the entire length of my vulva.

Cleaning was pretty easy: I've used toy wipes and spray-on toy cleaner. I've also taken the entire sleeve off the vibrator and scrubbed it thoroughly with soap and water. The entire thing is waterproof, so it can be used in the shower or totally submerged, but make sure the seal is tamped down tight enough first.

It has to be said that the SSWE is not safe for anal use, as there is no base. The material seems, from the texture alone, to be pretty porous, so use a condom if sharing. Since it's not pure silicone, the sleeve can't be completely sterilized. All in all, the SSWE is losing a star for volume and a two stars for the smell. It should be noted that I'm insanely sensitive to smells, so it's possible the smell won't bother other people. Like I said, those two detracting factors are a shame because the SSWE actually feels pretty good. And, even if you hate the sleeve, you can always get rid of it and just use the traditional vibe core.

I've washed the sleeve a few times and aired the entire vibe out (in separate pieces, even) but I can't get rid of the smell. I can't smell it when in use, but the chemical smell from the sleeve sticks to the vibrator itself and to hands. It's kind of a turn off, which is sad since I enjoyed the actual use of the SSWE. I'm going to keep washing it incessantly to see if I can wash the smell out.