The sex toy market is saturated with male masturbators, and as such – this means that a lot of them offer a like-for-like experience.
I always look for anything that offers a new and interesting twist on masturbation. Don’t get me wrong, Fleshlights are great, and stroker sleeves can be quite fun – but sometimes you just want something different. That was when I was introduced to the Fun Factory Cobra Libre – this brought a whole new dimension of stimulation, as it was designed to provide direct stimulation to the frenulum – as there are hundreds of sensitive nerve points. It was a revelation. Then came the Apollo Power Stroker. This followed a similar concept to the Cobra Libra, but was designed to be more like a Fleshlight – but the idea was still the same – it provided direct stimulation to the frenulum. It is currently my husbands favourite toy.
Then the PULSE by Hot Octopuss arrived on the scene – claiming to be a revolutionary new ‘guybrator’ (a vibrator for guys, in case that wasn’t obvious). I had to laugh at first, because initially, it looks a tad silly – in fact, it looks like it’s come from a galaxy far, far away. I knew it would completely appeal to my husband as he is a total sci-fi nut. But I read several reviews in which people had raved about it’s power and function – so, naturally I felt it was time to give it a try – especially when I was taught that you should never judge a book (or a masturbator) by it’s cover. I ordered this for our anniversary and couldn’t wait to give it a try. Want to know how we got on? Well let’s get on with it, shall we?
First Impressions
Initially, I have to admit I was a little under-whelmed. A toy with a premium price should come with premium packaging (at least that’s my opinion anyway) and whilst the outside box is fairly nice and masculine – when you get inside and see the toy nestled in a deep flimsy plastic try, inside a clear plastic bag – it does lose a sense of quality. However, once you actually have the toy in your hands, those doubts disappear.
The toy is made from a mixture of silicone and plastic – the stimulating part is made from silicone, and the ‘grip’ is made from nice, shiny plastic. There are 2 ‘wings’ that envelope the penis when it’s inserted, and there are ridges in the silicone to help provide extra sensations. Prominently displayed in the centre of the toy is the PULSE plate. This is the part that provides the stimulation. Where this varies from other toys similar, is that the plate actually oscillates, rather than vibrates. I’m not going to go into too much detail about that – but from a basic point of view, it means the PULSE can deliver high-amplitude sensations – meaning it’s deeper and more intense than standard low-amplitude vibrations. If you want to know more specifically, check out the Hot Octopuss website for more details.
The toy is USB rechargeable and comes with a charging cable, which plugs into a small hole at the bottom of the toy, which is covered by a silicone plug. This means that the toy is not waterproof, but is splash/water-resistant. The toy should be charged for at least 4 hours before first use, and the charge should last for approximately 3 hours. This toy can also be used by couples (male/female). For this review, this will focus on purely the solo aspect of the toy. If you want to know more about how it can be used for couples, check out the Hot Octopuss website (link above).
In Use
According to the instruction leaflet, the PULSE can be used in two ways. Firstly, it can be used as a regular masturbator. You can grip the sides and wings and ridges provide stimulation as the pulse plate sends vibrations all through the shaft. You can of course just hold it, so the PULSE plate stimulates the frenulum, but it is possible to stroke with this toy.
Secondly, the PULSE can be used without lubricant to help ‘get things started’. The deep intensity of the PULSE plate can help stimulate an erection. Simply insert your flaccid member into the PULSE, turn on and watch it grow before your eyes. For science, we had to try both ways to see how well it worked.
It made sense to start with the ‘cold start’ – so without any additional stimuli, my husband slipped into the PULSE without any lubricant and then turned it on (you operate the toy by pressing and holding plus/minus buttons on each side). Immediately, the PULSE plate starting doing it’s thing, and within moments, he was absolutely rock hard. And this was on the lowest setting. I have to admit, I was completely impressed. So we added some lubricant and started to experiment with the different speeds. The oscillations were felt very deeply and just very minimal movement was enough to have him arching his back in pleasure.
So I took over and begin to stroke with the toy. This is where things got even more interesting. You can adjust the sensations even further, by gripping the toy and squeezing the wings together – The firmer you grip, the more intense and deeply the oscillations were felt. This does have a slight downside – if you do squeeze ‘too hard’ and put too much pressure on the plate – it will stop spinning. But you do really have to be pushing hard, and I can’t see why anyone would need to put that much pressure on – but do be careful as this could damage the toy.
For some people, this can be a bit much, and my husband noticed that after a while, whilst it felt amazing, he did start to lose his erection – so we switched it up – going from the toy to manual stimulation and then back to the toy. Eventually, as he was getting close by hand, I quickly switched it back to the PULSE and BINGO – one incredibly explosive, knee-trembling orgasm.
As he caught his breath, I asked him how he felt. “I really liked that” he said, panting. I asked how it compared to his favourite toy – The Power Stroker – The consensus was the Power Stroker was still his favourite, however the PULSE provided something new and exciting – the fact you don’t need to be ‘aroused’ to fully enjoy what the PULSE has to offer is fantastic. And you get different sensations if you use the toy with or without lube – so there is plenty to explore. Asked if he would use it again, he shook his head very enthusiastically and said “Oh, bloody hell YES!”. So, I think we did OK!
Clean-up and Maintenance
As I mentioned earlier, this toy is not waterproof (The only conceivable flaw with an otherwise fantastic toy) – so this is best cleaned with a damp cloth. Once clean and dry, you can pop it back in it’s box to keep it nice and safe ready for next time. Just make sure the little plug is covering the charge point before you start cleaning as you don’t want to get any moisture inside!
Summary
I was completely blown away with how well this toy worked. It’s extremely powerful, versatile – and my only complaints really are minor cosmetic issues – I kind of wish the packaging was just a little nicer, and it would be nice if the PULSE came with a little storage bag (which most premium toys do). If the PULSE was waterproof, I could quite easily see this become one of the absolute best male pleasure toys. But as it stands now, it’s still pretty damn good and worth every penny.
Where to buy
Most sites have now discontinued this item, as the PULSE II Solo / Duo has since been released.
