There’s no denying it: app-controlled toys are one of the hottest things in the adult industry right now, which probably explains the timing for British sex toy brand Lovehoney’s two new app-controlled toys, added to its high-end Desire line.
The app-controlled Desire Prostate Vibe and Knicker Vibrator follow in the wake of wildly popular rival products from the likes of We-Vibe and Lovense. It comes in at the mid-range of the pricing scale for app-controlled toys, at $139/£119.
But what price can you put on anal fun? Well, that’s what we’re here to find out.
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Before You Start…
It’s essential to use lubricant for anal play. Without it, not only are you likely to experience pain and discomfort, but you can even injure yourself by tearing sensitive tissue. Use a high-quality water-based lube, and ideally one formulated specifically for anal play such as Sliquid Sassy.
You should always clean your toys thoroughly, and this is especially true for anal toys. Use a body-safe sterile wipe (I buy these in bulk from medical suppliers) and then wash it thoroughly with warm water and gentle soap. This will kill most bacteria, though the toy will not be considered completely sterile. To sterilize it, put it in a 10% bleach solution for 5 – 10 minutes and then rinse and dry it thoroughly.
If you’re sharing your toy, you should use a condom over it.
Lovehoney Desire App-Controlled Prostate Vibe: Design & Hardware
The Desire App Controlled Prostate Massager comes in Lovehoney’s signature Desire purple and black packaging. Inside there’s the toy, a charger, the instruction manual, and a black faux-leather storage pouch.
The toys in this range are all either black or purple, and the color generally depends on whether the toy is primarily for folks with vulvas or penises. It’s gendered color-coding of toys, and I don’t love it for that reason, but I do like the black and purple aesthetic. It’s sleek, smart, and sophisticated.
The Desire App-Controlled Prostate Massager is a U-shaped toy, with one end to insert anally and the other end to sit outside the body, functioning as a handle. This shape makes the toy body-safe for anal use. A toy without either a flared base or long, curved handle should never be used anally, as it can get stuck inside the body – requiring an embarrassing trip to the emergency room and possibly causing serious and long-term damage.
The insertable arm has a bulbous end, housing the motor, with a pronounced bump that sits against the prostate. This arm is also very flexible, meaning that the toy will be friendly to a wider range of bodies.
The Desire App-Controlled Prostate Massager has a total insertable length of 4.5 inches, which is more than long enough to hit the prostate on most bodies. It is 1.5 inches in diameter at the widest point. I wouldn’t recommend this as a first anal toy – try a plug or very slimline dildo first. However, it’s a fine choice for people who know they enjoy anal play and are looking for a first prostate toy.
Everything in the Desire Range is made of body-safe silicone and ABS plastic. Silicone is an ideal material for sex toys, as it’s silky-smooth and luxurious to the touch, and it is also non-porous, free of any toxic chemicals such as phthalates, and completely body-safe.
It’s completely waterproof, rechargeable via an included standard USB cable. It also features a handy travel lock, meaning you don’t have to risk it accidentally switching on in your bag in transit.
Features, Power, and Patterns
The Desire App-Controlled Prostate Massager actually has two motors: one for the prostate and one for the perineum (the sensitive spot between the testicles and anus.)
I found this toy distinctly mediocre as far as power levels go. Vibration strength is a major factor for me in whether I like a toy or not, and generally the stronger and rumblier the better.
The Desire range of toys, except for the large wands, tend to err towards the buzzy side when you put them on the higher settings. Of course, not everyone wants their vibrations to be extremely intense, and this is especially true for folks with prostates who can find that overly intense stimulation is more painful than pleasurable. Incidentally, this is also true for G-spots – they’re incredibly sensitive parts of the body, and sometimes anything but the gentlest stimulation can be overwhelming. However, this toy can’t be recommended if you enjoy stronger vibrations.
There are seven different pulsing patterns and one constant vibration mode. Each of these can be used at different levels of any one of 12 different levels of intensity when combined with the app.
Usefully, it’s also reasonably quiet – perhaps the up-side to the less powerful motors than some alternatives. To give you an idea of volume, it wasn’t audible from the next room, with the door closed. So you shouldn’t worry too much if you have roommates or family at home and need to be discreet.
How to use the Desire App
This toy and its counterpart, the Desire App Controlled Knicker Vibe, rely very heavily on the counterpart Android and iOS apps and lose a lot of functionality without it. .
It’s free to download and setting up an account takes about two minutes. Once you’re set-up, you can find and add your partner as long as they have an account (you can add more than one person, which is useful for the polyamorous-inclined) You can only search for other people by username, not by email address, which is a nice privacy feature.
Once you’re logged in, you have two options for your toy: “Use Solo” or “Use with a Partner.” Choose one, and then pair the app to your toy via Bluetooth. This typically takes just a few seconds as long as you have a strong connection.
The controls in both modes are essentially the same: a split-screen, one half for each motor, with simple arrow buttons to navigate between the different pulse patterns and a swipe mechanism to increase or decrease the intensity. This allows you to run a completely different pattern and level of intensity on the prostate motor and the perineum motor. It’s a great and handy feature, but I wish it were possible to switch one of the motors off entirely.
The only difference between Solo and Partner mode is whether you or your partner is operating the controls. The app settings are easy and intuitive to use, and I find them much easier to use than pressing lots of buttons on the toy to change the setting. You can also save your favorite settings in the “Favorites” tab for quick access next time.
When I first started using the Desire app, I found it a struggle to get my partner’s phone to pair with my toy. All in, we tried for over 30 minutes before the two would sync up the first time we used it. This is hardly conducive to fun sexy time, and might cause many people to give up. We persevered largely for the review, however.
Subsequent attempts to sync the two have worked much more smoothly and quickly, so it may have been an initial teething issue rather than an ongoing problem.
Once you’ve added your partner as a friend, they request remote access to your toy using the “Control Partner” button. This means that you have to give someone permission each time they want to play, so there is no chance of them randomly turning your toy on at an inconvenient time (you can also remove someone from having access permission at any time, if you want to end a session or if you split up with someone.)
Once remote control is enabled, the controlling partner gets the control screen, allowing them to change the toy’s setting and speed at a distance. Theoretically, as long as you both have an internet connection and Bluetooth, this should work from anywhere in the world.
Can you Lovehoney Desire Prostate Vibrator without the app?
Technically yes, but the functionality is severely impaired. The Lovehoney Desire App-Controlled Prostate Vibe is a toy that needs the app to get the most out of it. You can switch through the eight different modes using the single push-button on the toy, but you cannot control the two motors separately or alter the level of intensity.
If you don’t want to use an app, I cannot recommend this product. It’s simply too limited in its potential uses without the added functionality of the app.
Lovehoney Desire App-Controlled Prostate Vibrator: Overall
The primary function of toys like this are for remote use with a partner, else why not spend less money and get a non-app version? It’s a toy best-suited to people comfortable with anal play, but that don’t require all that much power from the vibrations.
Though I was impressed with the app (after those teething problems), I was left underwhelmed by the toy’s relatively low levels of power, especially when you consider the price.
