It's funny to think that after all this time spent reviewing sex toys over the past two years I've only tried out one product from the Swedish company Lelo, but then again I'm not quite the right demographic for their range of luxury vibrators. This week the lovely folks over at ThatPosition have sent me the Lelo Bob to review for them, which is a small manual prostate massager for gentlemen. I don't know about you guys but I find 'Bob' a rather amusing name for a sex toy, mostly because I'm a big fan of that early 90s David Lynch cult-classic 'Twin Peaks' - if you've never seen it then I highly recommend it and you'll understand exactly what I mean. I can already hear the eerie theme music in my mind, and Kyle MacLachlan uttering the name "Bob" in his oh-so-distinctive manner. I digress though, so let's get on with the review.
The Bob is a rather stylish little prostate massager from Lelo, and unlike its vibrating cousin the Billy it relies entirely on manual thrusting to stimulate yourself, or indeed a partner.
The design of the Bob is actually fairly small, making it perfectly suited to men who are just starting to explore anal-play and prostate stimulation, and who might not be used to inserting more than a tentative finger into the rectum. In total it's around 4 3/4" long, including the handle, and of this about 3 1/2" inches are actually insertable, which is more than enough when you consider the relatively shallow location of the prostate within the body. The widest part of the toy is no more than 1 1/8" thick (3 1/4" circumference) so there's really nothing about it which should alarm anyone, though more seasoned anal players may be tempted to greet its modest size with some scepticism, but I caution you not to write it off.
The shape of the Bob is rather like tadpole, albeit with a gently curved body; it's quite bulbous at the end with a fairly rounded tip, and then it gradually slims down to a very narrow point where it joins onto the ring-shaped handle. It's clearly a shape which has been quite well thought-out in order to maximise its performance, which is always reassuring when you think how many toys seem to have been designed by someone who appears to never have seen the human body, but Lelo is one of those companies from which you can expect quality.
Like all of Lelo's products the Bob is made from 100% body-safe food-grade platinum silicone, and it has this soft velvety feel to the seamless matte finish. Silicone is one of my favourite sex toy materials not only because of its safety level, but it's completely odorless, and indeed tasteless, so none of your senses risk being offended. Overall the Bob is made from a pretty firm silicone and is solid all the way through; there's really no give to the material, nor any flexibility, except for one area, and that would be the very thinnest point at the neck where the body meets the handle.
When you're ready to start playing with the toy you'll find that it's very easy to insert. Because of the size no sort of warm up is required, even for the tightest of unexplored sphincters, and a little relaxation, gentle pressure, and patience should have it slipping inside in no time. The matte surface of the silicone holds onto lube incredibly well, and a good slathering of the water-based variety is essential to ensure smooth entry. The Bob feels very comfortable as it goes in, and even though it is quite firm the size of it prevents this from being an issue and it won't upset your sphincter, even if you find it squeezing down hard against the toy. Once you're over the widest part of the toy the slender remainder glides into place without an issue, and the hoop-like handle acts as a safety measure to prevent it from accidentally slipping entirely inside.
The way to use the Bob is to grip the handle by slipping a finger or thumb through the hoop, and by slowly making short rhythmic thrusts back and forth. The curve of the toy directs the bulbous end up and against the prostate where it applies a gentle pressure, and the thrusting rubs it back and forth across the surface. When used in this action the Bob is much more effective than I would have imagined, and surprisingly pleasurable. You get some really nice sensations from feeling it rubbing against your prostate in this way, enough to keep you going with it for a while. My initial fear with the Bob had been down to the flexible neck, because I've used other toys with a similar feature before, and in those cases the result had always been that I was unable to direct a firm pressure onto the prostate, rendering them less satisfactory than would have been ideal. Somehow the Bob manages to avoid this problem; while it is true that you can't exert a firm pressure onto the prostate, it transpires that you don't actually need to. Somehow the shape of the Bob works perfectly well on its own, simply when making an ordinary thrusting action, so you don't need to attempt to angle the toy further into the prostate and prod away at it. My only other concern had been with the size, because I am known to enjoy big toys, and while it certainly isn't the most filling toy in the world - far from it - the enjoyment gained from thrusting more than makes up for it, making it a good toy for beginner and experienced user alike.
Because Lelo is a brand that's known for its quality the Bob comes in some rather nice packaging. You get a simple cardboard presentation box which comes inside an outer sleeve, and everything is very discreet and elegant. You'd never suspect that a sex toy was inside, rather that it might be something such as an expensive pair of cufflinks, or a small gadget. Inside the box the Bob is held in place securely by a plastic insert, and with it is included a small pamphlet as well as a black satin storage pouch, which is great for keeping the Bob inside when you pop it into a bedside drawer, so you don't have to bother with the box on every occasion.
Overall I'd be happy to recommend the Lelo Bob to anyone, and especially beginners. It's a great little toy which is well made, of a high quality, and can do a lot for its size. It's definitely a toy which can deliver pleasure where you want it, and one which is worth checking out.
The Lelo Bob is available from ThatPosition.
