Bendybeads - anal beads by Fun Factory - review by lilly555

You know a toy is manufactured by Fun Factory when it has that certain panache of whimsical meets sexual delight. The Bendy Beads are no exception to this rule. Designed as an anal toy, which Eden has listed as an Anal Probe, this is great for male or female pleasure. More so these beads can be used with a partner or solo. Though in my opinion, while they are delightful either way, they’re extra stimulating with a partner. Now while the bulbs on this toy do gradually get larger, I would not recommend this to a beginner. Chances are you will only be able to make it up the first few bulbs and not be able to enjoy the entirety of this magnificent toy when crossing the orgasmic finish line. There will be more on that later.

The Bendy Beads are made of 100% silicone which rates a 10 in Eden’s material safety. This means Fun Factory has provided a toy that is non-porous, phthalates free, and all around body safe. I should warn you though that unlike many other silicone toys I’ve encountered, this does seem to retain a scent that took more time than necessary to get rid of. When using the Bendy Beads, I used a toy cover which I wrapped even around the handle to make sure it didn’t go into my anal cavity. Then I washed the toy using antibacterial soap and hot water...twice. The scent still remained until I boiled the Beads. I can only wonder if it would have been more difficult if I didn’t use covers. If you have a problem with this or do not want to consistently boil your toys, this might not be the item for you.
Now the feel and texture of silicone toys tends to vary by brand and by the toy you are purchasing. In the case of the Bendy Beads, this material is velvety soft with a slight drag and little to no give in the bulbs. This does not mean the toy is rigid. It definitely has its floppiness down. You can bend this toy so that the smallest bulb touches the handle if you wanted to. Also, if you hold the Bendy Beads horizontally with your fingers in the provided handle, the beads will flop down at the end close to two inches from where they would sit if rigid. Speaking of holding the toy from the handle, I should let you know that there is a seam that runs from the handle all the way around the edges of the Bendy Beads and back. Personally I did not notice this seam when the Beads were inserted. However, I did use a toy cover, and it could have made a difference.
As I’ve stated before, this is not a beginner's toy. Not just because the bulbs get larger and might not be accommodating to those new to anal toys, but because this does not provide any sort of squishiness where the bulbs lay. There is some rest for those using the Bendy Beads with the space provided in between each bulb giving the user some opportunity to rest before moving on. Personally this is not my first anal toy, but I did feel slightly uncomfortable leaving the beads to rest inside of me for more than 5 minutes. I can’t help but think this is best for intermediate to advanced users for these reasons.

Eden categorizes the design/texture of this toy as ‘Swirled’. I suppose this would have something to do with the detail that helps make this toy as artistic as others in the Fun Factory line. Starting at the handle, there is an S shaped loop that sticks out slightly in decoration. From there, the S circles in leaving a closed off space that has room to fit 1-2 fingers depending on the size. This extends out into the area where the bulbs lay in a decorative piece that looks as if the S goes up and down the various bulbs. This leads to raised ends that are smoothed out but do provide some texture. You will notice this texture, and for me it wasn’t too drastic but pleasurable enough to enjoy.
There are five bulbs ranging in different size that gradually get larger. As you can see from the picture below, I have provided some measurements for these bulbs. The smallest is no bigger than my thumb. As I stated earlier, there are dips in between each bulb to give the wearer a rest before going on to the next step. The dips themselves increase in size as the bulbs get bigger but are never larger than the first bulb.
Overall, this toy is definitely beautiful and could probably be mistaken as a work of art. Even so, I would not risk leaving this out or sending it in your luggage for the TSA to find. While it may differ from other probes and for that matter other anal beads, the Bendy Beads would be an obvious sex toy to anyone familiar with this type of product.

Okay, so my favorite thing about this toy has got to be the texture. Not just the bulbs but the groves that weave through the Bendy Beads like multiplying S’s. When you pull these out, they feel amazing! Now I recommend pulling these out gently when removing since your anal cavity does lead to other areas of your insides that you do not want to scrape or yank at. However, removing these slowly and gently only adds to prolonging the pleasure provided by doing so.
If I had to complain about anything in regards to the performance of the Bendy Beads, it has to be the fact that it’s floppy. The floppiness makes this toy difficult to insert, and it is likely you will need to use both hands to do so by placing every bulb in one at a time. This can be tedious especially when inserting the first bulb. Also, chances are that if you are touching areas such as the vagina after inserting the beads, you will want to disinfect your hands so that bacteria doesn’t transfer. That may or may not kill the mood.

The thing I love about silicone is how easy it is to care for. You can boil it, place it in the dishwasher, use a 10% bleach solution, or use my usual method of cleaning which is to clean it with hot water and antibacterial soap. Now this is usually a good way to clean my toys, and usually I don’t have any problems with silicone. However, I had never had an artistic piece with texture such as the Bendy Beads before. Due to the lovely grooves in the design pattern, there are crevices between the bulbs and the raised/lowered design weaved into the product. It’s not as bad as it could be. These crevices are relatively large and not too much work to clean. Even so, you might want to boil or throw this in the dishwasher after washing it with the soap and water. This is because my experience found that the Bendy Beads retained a scent even after I washed it twice with my usual method. Boiling did the trick though.
For those of you who may not know too much about silicone, I will warn you that it is best to NOT use silicone lubricant with this toy. Silicone on silicone does not end well. The two are not compatible, so for the sake of not ruining an exquisite toy, do not risk using a lube it is not compatible with. Instead, I recommend using a water based lube. This will make you and your Bendy Beads very happy.

Fun Factory packages the Bendy Beads in its usual cardboard box with a plastic shell layout as they do many of their products. The box has an opening in the front that showcases the product as well as an opening in the back which is held closed by two cardboard folds that are magnetically clamped shut. To release your Bendy Beads, simply slide open the box at the top of the package and slide the plastic shell out. Inside, the toy is encased in a mold that fits to accommodate its shape and keep it from jiggling about. You can also find inside of the box a catalog of other Fun Factory products. Since I bought this toy six months ago, I cannot remember if it comes with instructions.
I do remember that there were two items that came in the packaging besides the toy but cannot be sure if the second was instructions or Toy Fluid which is Fun Factory’s lube. The only reason I contemplate that it could have been lube is because from previous experience with this brand I received lubricant while the instructions were featured on the outer box of the product. That could be the case here, but I’m not 100% sure.
This is not going to be great storage for the long haul. My box eventually gave way after being used too many times to pull the Bendy Beads in and out of. The plastic shell, however, is still going strong several months later, so this might come in handy depending on how you store your toys. Neither form of packaging is going to be very discreet if you don’t want anyone to know that you're housing sex toys. The box does have an opening to view the product, and the shell is a clear plastic which means this is easy viewable if left out. It is artistic enough that someone might think this was just some kooky art, but you would still be taking a chance.