Fun Factory are always trying to push the envelope with innovations. Many toys have tried (and failed) to emulate the thrusting sensation felt during sex… Have they finally achieved it?
A little while ago, UK site ‘Vibrator Kingdom’ hosted a closing down sale, where all their stock was on offer with a massive 40% discount. Spotting an opportunity to pick up some bargains, I shoved a few things in my basket. They were the BS is Nice Alex dildo, the We-Vibe Touch and the Stronic Drei. Last year, I splurged on my first major luxury purchase with the Stronic Zwei Prostate Massager.
At the time, I thought the Zwei was a fairly incredible piece of equipment. But part of me had often wondered whether the Drei would have been a better choice. So when I was able to pick one up for almost half price, I dug my debit card out, and ponied up the cash, excited that I would finally be able to satisfy my curiosity.
First Impressions
As with all Fun Factory products, the packaging is pretty straight forward. An outer cardboard sleeve features tasteful shots of the toy, and the inner box is gold with red lining – this houses the Stronic Drei and the magnetic charging cable. And that’s pretty much it!
The Stronic Drei is made with a silicone coating over the shaft, with a sturdy ABS plastic handle. The silicone has a softness to it, but it also has a severe amount of drag – it doesn’t feel overly smooth. The tip has a slight curve which is flexible, whilst the rest of the shaft is rigid.
The Drei has an insertable length of 5 inches and a circumference of 4.25 inches at it’s thinnest point and 5.5 inches at it’s widest point. It’s semi-realistic in appearence, with a small, tapered glans. The entire top of the shaft has a series of ridges to provide external stimulation.
The toy requires a full charge before use. Simply attach the ‘Click ‘N’ Charge’ magnetic cable to the Drei, plug it into a spare USB port on your computer (or if you have a wall charger) and then wait 16 hours. On a full charge, the Drei should last for 4 hours – so plenty of time for a really long drawn out session, or a few shorter ones, before it needs recharging.
In Use
Let me just come out and say it, right at the beginning – I enjoyed this so much more than the Zwei, however, like the Zwei – it still suffers from a few short comings. I’ll get on to why in just a moment. First things first – Lubricant. You are going to need lots of it. I don’t own many Fun Factory silicone toys – but the consensus is, that their silicone is probably some of the most ‘draggiest’ silicone out there. In fact, one of my fellow bloggers worded it much better than I could have:
Tiger G5 is delightfully floppy and powerful even if Fun Factory’s silicone is still like acrylic paint and very, very fine sand
— apricot (@apricotcreams) June 5, 2015
Of course, they are referring to a brand new Fun Factory toy, but the sentiment remains. With that said, once you have a good coating of lube all over it, the Drei becomes much more slick and slippery. Based on the size of the shaft, those who are still fairly new to anal play might wish to warm up a little first. I, however was (with a lot of patience) able to get going fairly quickly. For the best experience, I inserted with the curved tip pointing out towards my belly button, aiming for maximum prostate pleasure.
The Drei has several different ‘functions’. Pressing the red ‘Fun’ button, launches the Drei into what they call the ‘perfect setting’. This is a medium, consistent thrusting. Pressing the ‘-‘ (minus) button, cycles down to the 2 ‘lower’ settings. The first being a more ‘jagged’ thrust, and the last being a slower, intermittent thrust.
Pressing the ‘+’ (plus) button takes you back up through some of the more ‘intense’ patterns. The 4th pattern is a faster, consistent thrust which increases to it’s fastest speed over pattern 5 & 6. The 7th pattern is a rolling wave thrust, pattern 8 is more like a ‘galloping’ thrust and starts out gentle and increases in intensity. The last pattern is almost like a ‘Tango’ rhythm. Holding the ‘Fun’ button down again turns it off. It also features a travel lock – Pressing and holding the Plus and Fun button down locks it, and then pressing and holding the Minus and fun button unlocks it – so if you are travelling with your sex toys, you have the added peace of mind that it’s not going to be set off whilst on the move.
So after familiarising myself with all the patterns and speeds, I got myself comfortable and with a good dose of lubricant, I slowly slipped the Drei inside. To make it easy to insert, I lay on my side, with my knees up towards my chest. The ridges on the outside gently caressed my sphincter and after getting about half way, I decided to start the thrusting. As the Drei shuddered into motion, I took a deep breath and close my eyes. The problem with thrusting toys is that if you hold them too tightly, you lose the thrusting motion, but if you hold it too loose, then it’s easy for the toy to slip out.
By just very carefully resting my hand against the base of the handle, I was able to have the Drei do it’s thing. As I relaxed, I was able to take more of the shaft in, until the whole thing was inside and the tip was gently thrusting against my prostate. At this point, the thrusts were starting to feel a little too weak, so I had to up the power.
At this point, I really wanted to experience all the Drei had to offer, yet I was finding it a little awkward holding it, so I switched up to laying on my front. As I lay there, with my face in my pillow, my mind started to fill up with memories of the session I had with my Mr. over the weekend. On the faster speed, the thrusts were a little larger, and the length and curve of the shaft meant it was pounding my prostate and making me sweat all over. It soon had my skin tingling.
As it worked me over, and I got more and more aroused, I realised I couldn’t stay here, so I needed to change position again. This is where I noticed things were going to be awkward. Laying on my back meant that the Drei was now prone to slipping out, unless I held it in place with a very careful (and gentle) touch. However, in this position, the pressure on my prostate was now less intense. Yet the overall sensation was still pleasant.
So what’s wrong with it? Well first of all, the thrusting is actually still a little hit and miss, and is really dependent on how you prefer to hold and use your toys. Holding it too tightly just dampens the thrusting, but using it ‘hands free’ is more likely to cause it to slip out. Laying on my stomach allowed me to fully enjoy the thrusting hands free.
The silicone is also a slight issue – I did have to re-lube a few times, and because of the slightly ‘draggy’ nature of the silicone, it becomes uncomfortable.
Clean-up and Maintenance
The Stronic Drei is completely waterproof, so cleaning is incredibly quick and simple. A good rinse under the tap with some warm water and plenty of toy cleaner should be sufficient. You will want to ensure you give it a through clean – those ridges can harbour lube and other bodily fluids easily. As for storage, the Drei attracts dust like a magnet, so if you can keep it in a lint-free bag, then do it. Otherwise you will need to rinse the next time you want to use it.
Summary
People who enjoy strong texture, mildly realistic toys and lots of patience will get a lot out of the Stronic Drei. However, the Drei does have a hefty price tag, and based on how awkward it can be to use, i’m not sure I would say it’s actually worth the full price. If you find it in a sale, and it’s less than £70 – then I would probably suggest snapping it up. It’s worth a try, but it’s not something I would be using regularly.
Where to Buy
NOTE: This product has been discontinued.
The Lowdown | Fun Factory Pulsator Stronic Drei
Pros: Rechargeable, Waterproof, Textured Shaft
Cons: Pulsations can get lost in certain positions, 16 hour pre-charge time, silicone quite draggy
Bottom Line: Can be fiddly and awkward to get into the best position for sensation, but it offers something that most ‘vibrators’ can’t provide.
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