One of the things I love more than anything is reviewing products which are completely new and unique, something which becomes increasingly rare when you own as many toys as I do now, and that's why I'm pretty excited to be taking a look at the Fun Factory B-Balls today. This is actually a product that I've been trying to get hold of for a little while, ever since I first came across it a few months ago, and it's really not like me to actually seek out a specific toy, but I found my interest significantly piqued by it. I was very fortunate last month when Christian from Fun Factory offered to send one over to me whilst we were arranging the vibrator give-away, enabling me to share all the details about it now.
So what exactly makes the B-Balls such a special product anyway? Well you can find out after the jump.
I've always considered myself to be quite lucky as a male sex toy reviewer, because the sky really is the limit when it comes to what I can use. There are products I can insert myself into, such as Fleshjacks and the Cobra Libre, and then there are toys I can put inside me, from dildos to butt plugs, and even special vibrators. That high powered clitoral vibe people rave about? It works wonders on my frenulum. That metal G-spot tool? Great for prostate massage. I've even managed to re-purpose a bright pink rabbit as an anal vibrator and perineum massager. Every now and again, however, there comes along a toy which really is only for the opposite sex, and then I sit there wistfully pondering exactly what it might feel like for them to use it. In this instance we're talking about kegel balls: those hollow spheres containing a free-moving ball bearing, which women insert in order to tone their pelvic floor muscles. Also referred to in those 50 Shades circles by the cringe-worthy moniker "jiggle balls." Up until now you'd have to be slightly foolish to try such a product as a man, because with only a rudimentary retrieval system they're the sort of small objects that can easily disappear inside a rectum, but finally Fun Factory has come up with the answer.
The B-Balls are in essence Fun Factory's "Smartballs Duo" kegel balls, but repackaged as a butt plug with a flared anal-safe base. In many ways it's almost a surprise that no one thought to do it sooner - perhaps no one thought there would be a demand - but I'm certainly happy that it now exists, and that I can try it out.
In general terms of being a butt plug the B-Balls isn't actually all that large, neatly placing it in that size range which caters to the widest number of people. In terms of length you have 4 1/2" insertable, and the circumference of the various sections is as follows: 1st bulb - 4 1/4". 2nd bulb - 4 3/4". Neck - 2 1/4". It's clearly not the most girthy plug in the world, so I'd be happy suggesting that almost anyone bar a complete novice would be fine using it, but it's also not a plug which relies entirely on size to create stimulation, so don't rule it out yet if you're someone who likes a stretch.
The B-Balls is constructed with Fun Factory's usual selection of high quality materials - namely silicone and ABS plastic - and to their high production standards as well, so you can feel reassured that you're getting a top notch piece of German engineering. The actual manner in which the design is put together is rather interesting from a technical standpoint. There are two hollow pink spheres, each containing a ball-bearing, and these in turn are held together by a silicone outer shell which is firmly bonded to them and which makes up the rest of the shape of the plug. What's unusual is that you can see sections of the pink plastic which haven't been covered by the silicone, and it's hard to know if this was decided upon purely for aesthetics, or as necessity during the moulding process. The downside to this design element is the slight groove that runs between the plastic and the silicone, creating a place for dirt to gather and making it harder to clean, which isn't ideal for a toy that's going to be used anally. It's just as well that the materials are all non-porous and can be sterilised by boiling or soaking in a 10% bleach solution.
The silicone that's been used in the manufacturing is surprisingly firm, and has little-to-no give when you squeeze it. It also accounts for only a thin layer covering the plastic spheres, so it doesn't really offer any cushioning as you might often expect. I found this especially apparent when comparing it to the new vibrators in my giveaway, as they have a slightly thicker and much softer silicone layer, giving a completely different feel. My theory is that the firmer silicone was a requirement to make it bond so securely to the plastic, as anything softer - and therefore more elastic - could have compromised this. Despite the firmness of the silicone the thin neck between the two bulbs remains nice and flexible and can easily be bent about, and the faint mould line which runs around the toy can barely be felt on the matte surface.
The base of the B-Balls plug is very similar in design to that of some of Fun Factory's other plugs, such as the Bootie and Boosty, and they happen to have my favourite shape of base in terms of comfort and discretion. The really noticeable difference with the B-Balls though is in terms of width, because the base is significantly narrower than the others at only 2". Personally I'm not so much of a fan of reducing its size in this manner, and I'll describe why a little further down.
When it comes to wearing and using the plug the B-Balls is actually a lot of fun, and it all starts with a hassle-free insertion thanks to a size and shape which it lets slip into the body with minimal effort. Once the plug's inside it settles into a comfortable position, with the joint between the two bulbs bending to correspond with the curvature of the rectum, while the sphincter comes to rest around the slender neck. The small base nestles itself away between the buttocks quite discreetly, allowing it to remain unseen beneath clothing, and its low profile allows you to happily sit on it on any surface hard or soft.
At first it feels just like wearing any other plug for the most part. There's this awareness of something being inside you, and it delivers that familiar pleasant sensation, but without feeling overly filling or stretching. The exciting things start to happen when you move though, and the ball bearings inside begin to roll around in response. It's one of those experiences that's almost fitting to be described as unique, but the closest thing I could compare it to is a feeling of a vibration. Every slightest movement of the balls is instantly brought to your attention as they skip along the inner surface of the spheres, jump from side to side, and swing through a series of loops. You have this constant sense of the weight shifting about inside you as they move, and because there are two balls moving in different ways at the same time the weight doesn't shift in balance, with forces throwing around in different directions simultaneously like a mini earthquake within your nether regions. This is what generates that feeling of vibration, and in fact if you examine how any vibrator works they all involve a motor spinning an unbalanced weight around - exactly the same principle. The other good part of it is that it's a deep sort of vibration you feel when it occurs, like an intermittent rumble.
What makes the sensation of the B-Balls so novel is the responsiveness of it; it reacts entirely to you and your movements. It's very different to a vibrating plug that just purrs away constantly allowing you to become accustomed to it. The sensation can take you by surprise, delivering a little jolt when you weren't expecting it, and it also acts as a constant reminder that you do in fact have a plug inserted, which mentally can be quite fun if you decide to go out and about with this little secret, and find yourself constantly teased by these sensations while no one else is any the wiser. The other thing that's tempting to do with it is to experiment with seeing how much feeling you can get out of it, and how varied it can feel, all depending on your activities. Go jogging, do jumping jacks, any sort of exercise, try dancing, try twerking, it can all be quite amusing to go through and it feels good at the same time, and definitely different.
One thing I did find was that depending on how vigorous your movement is, you can actually hear a bit of a rattle coming from the plug. I did go to the effort of recording it on my phone if anyone's interested. I wouldn't worry about this though, as for anyone else to hear it then you'd need to be in a silent room with them standing quite close, while you made jerking movements with your hips, and I can't imagine a lot of scenarios like that, but it may take you by surprise at first if you weren't expecting it.
Considering the plug in terms of more long-term wear, this is when I start to find some issues with the design, and unfortunately they all centre around the base. The first point would have to be about the neck of the plug, because it's ever so slightly too short. When I clench my sphincter around the plug a part of it is sitting on the underside of the second bulb, rather than being entirely on the neck, and this action pulls the plug deeper into my body, forcing the base of the plug tightly up against my perineum. The second point is that base isn't quite wide enough for optimal comfort. At the point where the perineum meets up with the anus there's a slight soft spot just outside the ring of muscle that forms the external sphincter, and the point of the base happens to sit right over it. With time, and especially after sitting on the plug, the base can really start to dig in here and begin to feel uncomfortable, sometimes so much as getting caught in the skin and requiring immediate adjustment to relieve the discomfort. The third and final point would be in relation to the firmness of the silicone, because this really does exacerbate the other issues with the base. If it was softer and had more flexibility to it, then it really would feel more comfortable for long-term wear. As it stands I find myself having to limit myself to a couple of hours of plug use, with the occasional adjustment, rather than being able to leave it in for a whole day, simply because I find a slight soreness building.
When it comes to matters of sex and masturbation I'd be inclined to rule this plug out for those purposes. There are some plugs which you wear simply for the enjoyment of feeling a plug inside you, and for me the B-Balls falls very firmly into that category. I don't really see the ability of the plug to enhance an orgasm in the same way as one which presses against the prostate. The B-Balls works best as a sort of foreplay plug, teasing you and keeping you alert as you move around throughout the day, but once you're lying down on your back, moving little more of your body than your right arm, then you're not going to get the benefit of plug's sensations, so I don't think it's a fit for that situation.
So I think it's about time for a verdict here. I have to say, flaws and all, I actually rather like this product on the whole, and I can see myself using it quite a lot. For me the unique aspect is a big selling point, because it really is something different, and you really must experience it first hand. Clearly the plug isn't perfect though; I want a longer neck, I want a wider base, and I want a softer more flexible silicone like I'm used to in other Fun Factory products. Make these improvements and I would recommend it unreservedly, but realistically with such a new product this is a design that's going to be sticking around for a while, so I can only offer a recommendation with caveats. Do I think you should buy one? Absolutely, but just be aware of the few niggles that might dampen your experience at the time.
Thanks for Fun Factory for sending me this plug. You can buy it straight from them, or you can get it from the lovely people at Lovehoney and Nice 'n' Naughty.
When it comes to wearing and using the plug the B-Balls is actually a lot of fun, and it all starts with a hassle-free insertion thanks to a size and shape which it lets slip into the body with minimal effort. Once the plug's inside it settles into a comfortable position, with the joint between the two bulbs bending to correspond with the curvature of the rectum, while the sphincter comes to rest around the slender neck. The small base nestles itself away between the buttocks quite discreetly, allowing it to remain unseen beneath clothing, and its low profile allows you to happily sit on it on any surface hard or soft.
At first it feels just like wearing any other plug for the most part. There's this awareness of something being inside you, and it delivers that familiar pleasant sensation, but without feeling overly filling or stretching. The exciting things start to happen when you move though, and the ball bearings inside begin to roll around in response. It's one of those experiences that's almost fitting to be described as unique, but the closest thing I could compare it to is a feeling of a vibration. Every slightest movement of the balls is instantly brought to your attention as they skip along the inner surface of the spheres, jump from side to side, and swing through a series of loops. You have this constant sense of the weight shifting about inside you as they move, and because there are two balls moving in different ways at the same time the weight doesn't shift in balance, with forces throwing around in different directions simultaneously like a mini earthquake within your nether regions. This is what generates that feeling of vibration, and in fact if you examine how any vibrator works they all involve a motor spinning an unbalanced weight around - exactly the same principle. The other good part of it is that it's a deep sort of vibration you feel when it occurs, like an intermittent rumble.
What makes the sensation of the B-Balls so novel is the responsiveness of it; it reacts entirely to you and your movements. It's very different to a vibrating plug that just purrs away constantly allowing you to become accustomed to it. The sensation can take you by surprise, delivering a little jolt when you weren't expecting it, and it also acts as a constant reminder that you do in fact have a plug inserted, which mentally can be quite fun if you decide to go out and about with this little secret, and find yourself constantly teased by these sensations while no one else is any the wiser. The other thing that's tempting to do with it is to experiment with seeing how much feeling you can get out of it, and how varied it can feel, all depending on your activities. Go jogging, do jumping jacks, any sort of exercise, try dancing, try twerking, it can all be quite amusing to go through and it feels good at the same time, and definitely different.
One thing I did find was that depending on how vigorous your movement is, you can actually hear a bit of a rattle coming from the plug. I did go to the effort of recording it on my phone if anyone's interested. I wouldn't worry about this though, as for anyone else to hear it then you'd need to be in a silent room with them standing quite close, while you made jerking movements with your hips, and I can't imagine a lot of scenarios like that, but it may take you by surprise at first if you weren't expecting it.
Considering the plug in terms of more long-term wear, this is when I start to find some issues with the design, and unfortunately they all centre around the base. The first point would have to be about the neck of the plug, because it's ever so slightly too short. When I clench my sphincter around the plug a part of it is sitting on the underside of the second bulb, rather than being entirely on the neck, and this action pulls the plug deeper into my body, forcing the base of the plug tightly up against my perineum. The second point is that base isn't quite wide enough for optimal comfort. At the point where the perineum meets up with the anus there's a slight soft spot just outside the ring of muscle that forms the external sphincter, and the point of the base happens to sit right over it. With time, and especially after sitting on the plug, the base can really start to dig in here and begin to feel uncomfortable, sometimes so much as getting caught in the skin and requiring immediate adjustment to relieve the discomfort. The third and final point would be in relation to the firmness of the silicone, because this really does exacerbate the other issues with the base. If it was softer and had more flexibility to it, then it really would feel more comfortable for long-term wear. As it stands I find myself having to limit myself to a couple of hours of plug use, with the occasional adjustment, rather than being able to leave it in for a whole day, simply because I find a slight soreness building.
When it comes to matters of sex and masturbation I'd be inclined to rule this plug out for those purposes. There are some plugs which you wear simply for the enjoyment of feeling a plug inside you, and for me the B-Balls falls very firmly into that category. I don't really see the ability of the plug to enhance an orgasm in the same way as one which presses against the prostate. The B-Balls works best as a sort of foreplay plug, teasing you and keeping you alert as you move around throughout the day, but once you're lying down on your back, moving little more of your body than your right arm, then you're not going to get the benefit of plug's sensations, so I don't think it's a fit for that situation.
So I think it's about time for a verdict here. I have to say, flaws and all, I actually rather like this product on the whole, and I can see myself using it quite a lot. For me the unique aspect is a big selling point, because it really is something different, and you really must experience it first hand. Clearly the plug isn't perfect though; I want a longer neck, I want a wider base, and I want a softer more flexible silicone like I'm used to in other Fun Factory products. Make these improvements and I would recommend it unreservedly, but realistically with such a new product this is a design that's going to be sticking around for a while, so I can only offer a recommendation with caveats. Do I think you should buy one? Absolutely, but just be aware of the few niggles that might dampen your experience at the time.
Thanks for Fun Factory for sending me this plug. You can buy it straight from them, or you can get it from the lovely people at Lovehoney and Nice 'n' Naughty.