The SinFive Ilo is a plush, flexible, antimicrobial silicone vibe with delicious ridging detail that will confound your vagina in the most amazing way. Use it for your clit or just thrusting and twisting. Either way, you'll come in no time. The head is soft and pliant yet firm enough to be oh-so-stimulating. The ridges on the Ilo are soft but definitely THERE. It's ideal for those who want texture but are put off by nubblies, pokies, and random spikes. Ilo feels gooood. Sehr gut.

This is my second silicone vibe and I am in love with the matte texture. Dragging a finger down the length of the shaft of Ilo is just fun. It's just so damn soft and smooth, but the very slight drag will make you want to lube up. The tip where the ridges are located is squishy. Reminds me of the consistency of molding clay in a way. Ilo is flexible and easily maneuverable to hit all the right spots. She's a bendy one, ladies!

The silicone Ilo is made of is antimicrobial, phthalates-free, latex-free, hypoallergenic, body safe and will even do the dishes for you. In the instructional booklet accompanying Ilo, SinFive explains the antimicrobial properties of the silicone and how awesome it is. Basically a germ-resistant additive is added to the process of producing the silicone. This additive halts the growth of microorganisms on your toy. This doesn't mean you never have to wash it. You can't just be lazy with hygiene with this toy just because it's antimicrobial.

Ilo is a big honkin' vibe, ya'll. A total of 8" in length and 1 1/2" diameter make her kind of the giant of my sex toy collection. 6 1/2" are Ilo are insertable but the most fun part is the first 3". The tip of Ilo looks like a flower when you look down at the tip. A velvety, squishy flower with 4 petals. These four "petals" taper down and become soft ridges that eventually blend into the rest of the shaft. When inserted and gently twisted, the ridges on the vibe add amazingly awesome stimulation. It's hard to explain how it feels while it's twirling around in the vagina, but "super fucking awesome" covers it pretty well.

It seems daunting in size but it really isn't so I would recommend it for beginners, especially those wanting to explore vibes with texture and ridge detail. Advanced users will also easily be pleased by the girth and length of this German workhorse of a vibrator.

I wouldn't take Ilo on a trip because she's so big and obvious. Discreet, she is not.

To get Ilo started simply unscrew the bottom plastic part (which sometimes makes a nails-on-a-chalkboard squeal) and insert the included 2 AA batteries. Screw the cap back on tightly and you're ready to rock.

The controls for the vibe are located at the bottom part of the silicone shaft, right near the white plastic SinFive logo band. The controls are simple at first, with a + sign and a - sign. Push the + for about one second to turn on the vibrator and press the - sign to turn it off. Keep pressing the + sign to get higher levels of vibrations and the - to lessen them. When you reach the highest vibration level (after pressing the + button 6 times), holding the + again will send the vibe into the pulsing/random-assed pattern mode. The first pattern is simple enough with alternating high and low vibrations. The next pattern is just a quicker version of the first, and the third is just...well, it's fun. It's completely randomized and almost like a Lady Gaga song. Random beatbox vibrations. It's fun.

Ilo is somewhat quiet, but not silent by any means. The buzzing is high-pitched and almost whiny and can make your hand numb. After using Ilo a few times, the noise level doesn't seem to be as annoying as I initially thought. When I first took Ilo out of her box, I immediately coursed through to the highest setting and was surprised by how loud it was. Maybe I've just gotten used to it or it wasn't very loud to begin with. I only use Ilo on the first setting for insertion and for clit stimulation sometimes I go up to level three. The other levels are too strong for me so far. If you love lots of variety and powerful buzzing vibrations, the Ilo would be perfect for you.

Do not use silicone-based lube with Ilo; stick to water-based to ensure your vibe lasts a long time. To clean Ilo just use lukewarm water and a mild soap or toy cleaner. Do not boil the toy or place it in the dishwasher (or washing machine, as SinFive implies people are inclined to do with vibrators). Dry with a lint-free cloth and store in a safe place away from your stinky jelly toys. The box the vibe comes housed in is quite large but makes a decent storing place if you have no other options.

The Ilo arrives in a white box with a back cardboard sleeve with an actual-sized image of the toy emblazoned on the front. The dramaticness of the front of the package makes the Ilo kind of loom at you in the shadows. I was very intimidated by this toy at first and I admit, it stayed in its box for a good few days.

To get to the toy slide off the black sleeve and open the white box like you would open a book. Then surprise! Thar she blows. Take the toy out then nose through the box to find more surprises. Open the box the traditional way, remove the white plastic tray and you'll find the 2 AA batteries required to feed Ilo. You also get a thick instructional book with directions in like 693 languages. Also included is a warranty card and an explanation of the antimicrobial magic of SinFive's silicone.

Ilo is a plush and well-made silicone vibe that I reserve for sessions when I'm intensely horny and want powerful vibrations. I guess Ilo is my special occasion vibe, the fancy one I use after a glass of wine or 3. She's just too powerful and buzzy for me to use on a regular basis. That being said, I do love the sleek design and the ridges drive me insane. Yum!