[review] Tantus Tsunami

Tsunami by Tantus in Purple Haze

Tsunami by Tantus (L-R: Strawberry, Purple Haze, Midnight Purple)

So, the good folk over at Tantus sent me the Tsunami to try out and report back on. I’ve been in busyland, and playtime has been limited, so it’s taken me a while to get well-acquainted enough with this toy to feel competent enough to write this review. I like to use a toy a few times, in a few different ways before I think I am qualified to have much of an opinion on it. Sometimes there is a learning curve or sometimes what seems super fantastico is actually pretty ‘meh’ after one or two rounds with it. I’m pretty pleased that the Tsunami has gone the opposite way, and has become better with each use.

How is that so? I guess I experienced a bit of a learning curve with the curves of this toy. <- WORD PLAY. Ahem. As you can see in the above picture, the Tsunami is named as such because of its big wave-like texturey curves and g-spot leanin’ ‘head’. If you use this toy shallowly, you can get into a pretty sweet rhythm bumping the head against the g-spot and the lower texturing against the clit. Provided you have a liberal amount of lubricant in the picture, this feels quite nice. The Tsunami has a removable bullet hole, so once you pop in the 3-speed Tantus Bullet (a little on the noisy side, but pleasant enough in strength) or, if you are a power-hungry but noise-conscious monster like me, your We-Vibe Tango/Salsa bullet, then hey presto! Your dildo just became a vibrator. Now repeat the poorly-described shallow head-against-g-spot and ridgey curves against clit action and you’ll probably end up in ejaculation and/or orgasm town. Lord knows I did.

Made of a shiny, medical-grade silicone, my Tantus Tsunami is in ‘purple haze’, which is the lighter purple in the middle of the image. You can also select it in a dark purple or strawberry, if that is to your liking. The toy is soft but firm, so there should be no discomfort or pain caused by the hardness of the toy. Because the bullet vibrator is removable, the toy can be washed or even sterilised, which is good for those of us who like to share toys sans-condoms!

Note: The way the bullet hole has been designed means that there is excellent grip on your bullet vibe so it won’t slip out. Further note:  This can result in a frustrating bullet removal experience. If your question is ‘Lauren, did you get seen by people in the street with your teeth gripped around your We-Vibe Tango, desperately trying to wrench it out of the dildo with your face?’ the answer is DON’T YOU JUDGE ME. Seriously though, you might want to lube up that bullet a little before inserting it, so you don’t have weird dildo face at your window, too.

The base is entirely harness compatible, and will work with most standard o-rings/harnesses. The base also makes it safe for anal play, and whilst I haven’t tested it out on any butts yet, I reckon this would also be a pleasurable p-spot (prostate) stimulator. If you have a prostate and have experienced the waves of joy the Tsunami can bring (MORE WORDPLAY. POTENTIALLY TOO SOON WORDPLAY), go ahead and tell us about that anonymously in the comments!

Getting back to vaginal use of this toy – when used a little more deeply, the waves along the shaft of the Tsunami stimulate the g-spot as well, and this is where the softness of the toy can really come into its own, especially if you have ever used a curved and textured toy that ‘hooks’ against your bones, causing discomfort or pain or loud yelping irritation. Sans-harness, you get 6.75″ of insertable length (about 17cm), but remember that you’ll lose a little length with a harness. Of course, Tantus have been clever enough to not start texturing the toy until a little further up the shaft to allow for comfortable and unobstructed harness use.

Aesthetically, the Tsunami is one of the more pleasing toys I own now. All resplendent in its shiny light purple, the faintest hint of shimmer. Look at how it shines in the morning light. Also, whilst you are there, look at how readily it collects lint and dust. Invest in a good storage bag, or store it in the simple plastic packaging the toy comes in, if that is your style. This photo was taken on my Samsung Galaxy S3, and before I had had any coffee, so apologies for the questionable quality.

Tantus Tsunami on Moleskine

Tantus Tsunami on Moleskine

At the end of the day, I reckon this is a lovely toy, and I would totally recommend it. It wasn’t mind-blowing or revolutionary, but it is beautifully designed and crafted, and Tantus are an all-round kick arse company who I like supporting. This is a body-safe toy made by people who want to ensure you experience wave after wave of pleasure.

WATER PUNS. I’m out.

xLauren

ps. Tantus kindly provided me with this toy free of charge in exchange for my honest, and as unbiased as possible review of it. The links in this post are affiliate links. This means that if you follow ’em through to the Tantus site and make a purchase, I’ll get a few bucks kicked over to me which help me maintain and grow this site. I only affiliate with companies I know and trust.

[review] LELO SmartWand (Large)

LELO Smart Wands are LELO’s answer to the long-time favourite wand vibrators. Sorry, *massagers* (wink, wink, nudge, etc). It kinda all started with the Hitachi Magic Wand, and now we have a whole lotta wand styled toys with the vibrations and pulsations and attachments and way-hey-hey!

LELO Smart Wand (in ivory)

LELO Smart Wand (in ivory)

So LELO were like, people love the Hitachi but aren’t enamoured with being tethered to the power point while they jack it, so we gotta make this cordless. But the vibrations still need to knock your socks off, because these toys are coveted by those of us who like it STRONG and able to last for AGES. They totally achieved that goal, too. Whilst perhaps not quite as strong as their AC-powered counterparts, the large Smart Wand still packs enough of a wallop to satisfy most discerning power-fiends (the Smart Wand also comes in a smaller size for those who like the idea of a portable wand or don’t need/want the great hulking large wand getting all up in their business).

It even has a clever SenseTouch sensor that knows when you are making contact with the toy and ramps up the intensity accordingly. Plus the standard array of 8-odd variations in the vibrating patterns that we’ve come to expect from quality sex toys.

Plus, aside from going gangbusters on the clit (seriously, it’s like purchasing a ticket to ride the express train to Orgasm Town), this is legitimately good as a massager for working out knots and pain in one’s body. I could hold it against my shoulders and back with ease, and it is light enough that this didn’t result in the heartbreak of Tired Hand Syndrome.

Quick and easy to charge and an included neoprene storage bag (that kinda looks like a cute sleeping bag for the toy) and total waterproofing are all icing on the cake of this stylish, Red Dot award winning toy.

At least, in theory.

LELO Smart Wand (in plum)

What even is all this colour-matched swag?

I work in the sex toy retail industry (but all views on Harlot Overdrive are my own and do not reflect that of my employers or colleagues) and became a little dismayed that there were some whispers about the toy not working so well when it was used in water, despite LELO’s guarantee that the toy is waterproof. Indeed, even when I tweeted about this they stood by that claim and didn’t offer any idea of what the discrepancy could be about.
So, being the sensible and curious pervert that I am, I ventured to the warm bath with my Smart Wand to see just how waterproof it was. I risked a very beautiful, pricey and until that point, flawless toy in the name of science. For you. You’re welcome, world.

Conclusion? I loved my Smart Wand.

Yes. Loved. Past tense. That was intentional, not just sloppy editing. My beautiful, large Smart Wand, all sleek, swank and equal parts shiny and silky silicone, had to be returned for a refund.

After about fifteen minutes the fully-charged Smart Wand stopped working. Shortly thereafter, I was standing on the cold tiles, shaking water OUT OF MY SUPPOSEDLY WATERPROOF SMART WAND. Like, there was so much water in the toy that you could shake it gently near your ear and hear it. The Smart Wand was audibly not living up to the continued claim that it was waterproof.

So, after all the dust and trauma was settled, I decided not to replace the Smart Wand with another Smart Wand. Like, this toy is beautiful, but I can buy another non-waterproof cordless, rechargeable wand vibrator for a fraction of the price and still be riding that train to Orgasm Town (and working out those knots and tension in my back). If you own the Smart Wand already, my advice is don’t take it in the bath unless it is still in warranty.

If you don’t own a Smart Wand and the waterproofing is a selling point for you, then make sure you test it out during the warranty period or be like me and get something else from LELO’s extensive range of genuinely beautiful, quality vibrators and stimulators instead.

xxLauren

Please note: this is not a sponsored review and I have not been compensated in any way to provide my honest opinion. If however you would like to send me your product in exchange for my honest review, please contact me at harlotoverdrive@gmail.com