It’s been almost 10 years since the world was introduced to the original ‘guybrator’ at the 2013 New International Lingerie Show in Las Vegas. At the time, it was a tough sell to convince folks that a simple little device like the PULSE could take you from flaccid to orgasm with little more than vibrations.

But convince us they did, because the original PULSE was an absolute revelation. It also encouraged me to explore how other vibrating toys could be use to stimulate the sensitive frenulum in order to achieve an orgasm. And it’s been a journey, I can tell you. Over the years, there have been updated versions of the pulse. The Pulse II Duo introduced a second motor on the outside of the device; so a partner could grind against it, effectively allowing you to use it together. They even introduced a ‘Pocket’ version that changed up the game further still.

The last version we looked at was the PULSE Solo Lux; boasting the strongest motor yet, and came with a snazzy little wrist-strap remote.

If you’ve owned any of the past Pulse units, but have been unsure about upgrading; now is the time – for this is the first time I actually feel that this is a proper upgrade.

And now, 2 years later, the team are back with a further update; and that brings us to the topic of todays review; the PULSE Solo Interactive. The main difference here, is that this version has been produced in collaboration with Kiiroo to create a PULSE that will synchronise with your favourite porn videos for a slightly more immersive experience. Does it still hit all the right spots? There’s only one way to find out.

I would like to thank Hot Octopuss for sending us the PULSE Solo Interactive free of charge in exchange for an honest review. Affiliate links have been used in this post. 

First Impressions

Packaging for the PULSE Solo Interactive is exactly as I expected it to be. The general concept hasn’t changed since the inception of the original unit. Inside the box, you’ll find your toy, a magnetic USB charging cable, a storage back, an instruction manual and a code to allow you to try out Kiiroo’s ‘FeelXVideos’ for 10 days free (however at the time of writing, when I went to redeem, I actually was able to sign up for a 30 day free trial. We’ll cover this in a little more detail a bit later.

In terms of the build, the Solo Interactive, is generally pretty much the same as the Solo Lux. It features the same 4450 RPM power and magnetic charging. The only real difference is the interactive technology. The Solo Lux has a remote control, the Interactive does away with the remote and swaps it for an interactive app – that allows someone else to take control of your unit.

I was a little disappointed to learn that the Interactive doesn’t have an increase in power over the last unit; but I was curious as to how the interactive functions worked.

In Use

If you’ve used and enjoyed any previous incarnation of the PULSE before; then you will already be incredibly familiar with how it feels. The pulse plate sits nicely against the underside of the penis and massages it with oscillations. It still does a decent job of taking me from flaccid to erect; but on this time around – I was finding myself desperately pushing all of the buttons, trying to squeeze out a little more power. It was like having a really big itch on your back, and you ask someone to scratch it – and whilst the motion feels nice – they just can’t quite get the spot – no matter how much you wriggle or direct them. You come so close to satisfaction and yet your left high and dry.

I put this down to maybe having an off day and thought I’d come back to it another time. On this second attempt, we fared a little better. We did eventually get to orgasm; but I did have to include some additional stimuli because the PULSE just wasn’t getting me all the way there. Has my penis become a little more de-sensitised to vibrations? That couldn’t be the case. At least I hoped it bloody wasn’t. To test out that theory, the day after, I dug out a faithful Doxy and that managed to shake a knee-trembling orgasm out of me in a mere matter of minutes. OK, so it’s definitely a case of just not finding the oscillations strong enough any more.

I passed the mantle of testing it out over to my husband; to see if his opinion on the PULSE had changed. It had not. He still found the vibrations to be perfect for him and said it felt as good as he remembered. And this was where I had a thought; was I just bored? It’s been almost 10 years since the original and realistically speaking; not a lot has ‘really’ changed. A slight power increase? Sure. Adding a remote control? Yeah, that’s cool as well. But fundamentally it’s the same – and whilst I praised this a few years ago… I’m worried it’s starting to get a little stale.

I know Hot Octopuss are capable of creating some fun products. The JETT was a very different experience; but it took the concept of vibration and applied it a little differently – but the result was exciting… interesting! I want more innovations like that! But at this point, I’m not sure what you could do differently with the PULSE. Could be something as simple as changing the colour, adding a different texture to the inside and ramp up the power… I don’t know. Maybe the interactivity would be it’s saving grace?

FeelXVideos & Connectivity

Setting up your PULSE Solo Interactive in order to pair it with content is a fairly easy process. You will need to download an app to your phone called ‘FeelConnect’ (which is available on both iOS and Google phones). Once downloaded and you’ve opened the app, you will need to create a free account in order to use it, but it takes a few seconds. It will walk you through the connection process through on-screen prompts. Once connected, you can then operate the toy using Touch Control from the app (so whilst this doesn’t have a remote control like the Lux unit does; it still can be used that way).

If you are looking to get connected to content, then you will need access to a laptop or a tablet as you are unable to do it just through your phone. But once you get to the FeelXVideos website and sign in, you can select from Straight or Gay content. Props to FeelX for having a decent library of gay content but there is definitely some room for expansion. Browse the categories and find the video you want to watch. You will then need to connect to the network and it will do this via a QR code. Scan it with your phone and then it will connect you and should start vibrating along with the video.

In terms of interactivity; the pulse will vibrate in time with the ‘strokes’ or ‘thrusts’ that are happening on the screen. We’re not operating an OnlyFans yet, so I’ve tried to show you what I mean in this short little video (the clip should be ‘SFW’ – there’s nothing explicit shown, I was careful to hide it!).

Credit where credit is due, I was generally quite impressed with how well the videos action was translated into vibrations on the PULSE unit. It was certainly a slightly more interesting experience and it was somewhat enjoyable. But the visual stimulation obviously plays a significant part in this. It’s just a bit of a faff really. And personally, I’m just not sure it’s a feature that I would make a lot of use of. But as a feature, it does work, and it seems to work quite well. It’s just a little annoying that so much more additional equipment is required in order to get it to work. If there was an ability to have all of the interactivity handled by my phone somehow, then I may think differently.

Clean-up and Maintenance

The PULSE Solo Interactive is fully waterproof, so clean-up is a doddle. The unit can be stored safely along side it’s charging cable in the included storage bag. In terms of its technical stats; it’s recommended to charge the PULSE Solo Interactive for 4 hours before its first use. After that, subsequent charges will be around 1.5 hours and this will give you 40 minutes of run-time. The PULSE Solo also features 8 levels of power, 6 built-in vibration modes and a turbo button to take you to the top speed.

Summary

I always feel dreadful when I have to publish a review that’s not GLOWING but I’ve always stated that I will always give my honest opinion; and it’s not always going to be good. Let me clarify that the PULSE Solo Interactive is still a decent, well made toy – and if you are someone who is coming to discover the joys of the PulsePlate for the first time, then this isn’t a bad way to start. It’s the one with the most power (compared to previous units), features good connectivity for interactive content and can be used remotely – that’s a lot of good features for a unit like this. At the time of publication, I hadn’t been able to test the PULSE out with another device that was able to connect to it. If this is something we are able to do in the future, then I will be back to update you in due course.

For those of us, however, who have been on the PULSE journey for a long time, may find that the added interactivity isn’t necessarily enough to convince you to upgrade from a previous version. If you don’t care about syncing up with your porn, then I would stick with the cheaper Solo Lux version.

Where to Buy

You can pick up the PULSE Solo Interactive (or any of the other currently available models of the PULSE) directly from Hot Octopuss. At the time of publishing, you can use code SAVE15 to save 15% off the purchase price.

I would like to thank Hot Octopuss for sending us the PULSE Solo Interactive free of charge in exchange for an honest review. Affiliate links have been used in this post. If you wish to support the work that we do, please consider making your purchases through these links – it helps keep the blog running (and helps me pay the bills!). Thank you! x

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