One of the more challenging aspects of writing about sex toys is when a company sends you a couples toy to review and you have no boyfriend or “sexual lab partner” in sight. This is exactly what happened when Cal Exotics sent me the Embrace Lover’s Remote right before Valentine’s Day. However, I’ve learned (through trying more sex toys than most people ever get their hands on), that a lot of couples toys can also be enjoyed solo. Therefore, I have done my best to try and give you guys an idea of what it’s like to use the Embrace Lover’s Remote vibe set.
Basically, the Lover’s Remote is two vibes in one. It features an insertable bullet shaped vibrator and a smaller external vibrator that’s also a remote control. In theory, you can either “point and shoot” – using the the external vibe to control remotely the vibrations being experienced by the partner who has inserted the bullet, or you can use both at the same time by using the remote to also stimulate the clit or provide stimulation to other erogenous zones.
Both pieces of this set are made of body safe silicone with silver plated ABS plastic accents. The bullet is approximately 3.5 inches long and the remote is 3 inches long. Both offer 7 different vibration functions & intensity levels. The bullet is waterproof, whereas the remote is only “splash proof.” Both can be cleaned using soap and water or anti-bacterial toy spray (how I clean my toys.)
The Embrace Lover's Remote. Everything fits in the palm of your hand.
This toy definitely has a few good things going for it:
–It’s pretty. The Lover’s Remote is part of Cal Exotics “Embrace” line, which is a more upscale collection of toys that is reminiscent of their luxury line Jopen. The Lover’s remote is pleasing to the eye and made of ultra soft silicone.
–The remote is ergonomically shaped: I love the shape of the remote, it’s very ergonomic and fits in your palm perfectly.
–It’s USB chargeable. You don’t have to buy batteries for this one. You can charge both pieces at the same time from your lap top.
–It’s packaged nicely. The Lover’s Remote comes in an elegant black box which is perfect for re-use or storage.
Now for the “Cons” which, unfortunately there are several.
–Buzzy, dull vibrations. As I have mentioned again & again, I like my vibrations to be deep and rumbly. This toy’s vibrations are very high pitched and buzzy. I was kind of hoping that when inserted, the bullet would feel like a vibrating version of my Lelo Pleasure Beads (aka heaven.) However, when I turned on the bullet and inserted it, I couldn’t really feel anything at all. The vibrations were annoyingly buzzy and the toy didn’t hit any of my pleasure spots. To quote what I told my friend the other day, “It felt about as erotic as a quivering tampon.” (Note, the alternate title of the post is “the tale of the quivering tampon”)
The remote wasn’t quite as bad, however even when I applied it to my clit while the bullet was inside me it still took quite a while for me to come.
–An unreliable remote and controls that aren’t very intuitive. Due to my current schedule and living situation, my “alone time” to test out toys (and enjoy my favourite ones!) is often limited. I need my sex toys to be easy to use and intuitive as possible. I spent at least a good 10 minutes trying to figure out how to actually get the Lover’s Remote to turn on properly. Although it comes with an instruction manual explaining the process, it wasn’t intuitive for me. Also, when I’d aim the remote towards the stimulator (which was inside me at this point) it would only work some of the time, which was frustrating.
– Charging issues. Although it’s awesome that this toy is rechargeable (since I absolutely hate keeping batteries on hand!) when I plugged it into my MacBook, I got a message saying that the USB was drawing too much power from my computer and that I’d have to remove it pronto. Instead, I plugged it into the wall using an old iPhone charger. Needless to say, neither myself or Joe the Intern were very impressed with this scenario.
The best part of this set is by far the vibrating remote. I love how it fits into your hand and with a bit more power behind it (and some less buzzy vibrations) it would make a fun toy on it’s own. However, it’s not enough to win me over as a whole.
I really, really wanted to like this toy, but it just fell a bit flat for me. It’s a great idea that just wasn’t executed that well, which feels like a missed opportunity to me. Therefore, because the toy is priced at close to $100 I would have a hard time recommending it to you guys. Cal Exotics makes some great products, this just isn’t one of them.
If you are looking for a fun couples toy from Cal Exotics, I’d suggest the Posh Silicone Ice Massager ($22) It’s way less high-tech, a fraction of the price and lots (if not more) fun. Or, if you like the idea of two vibrators in one, I’d check out the Body & Soul Lover vibrator. Alternatively, if it’s a true remote controlled couples vibe you’re after, I’d just bite the bullet and invest in a We-Vibe 4. If any of these interest you, they’re available here:
This toy was provided for me free of charge by California Exotics in exchange for my honest assessment of the product. As per FTC guidelines, all opinions are my own because that’s how I roll.
