Lukewarm love for this little probe.

While the L’amour Probe Intermediate seems well constructed and its outer core is made of 100% silicone, design flaws in the base detracted from my experience. The base is small and awkward to hang onto, especially when it’s covered in lube, and may be too narrow for some to safely use it. I enjoyed using this plug, but if you are in the market for a good intermediate toy, there are undoubtedly better ones out there.
Published:
Pros
100% silicone exterior, unintimidating size, narrow tip, attractive color and design.
Cons
Base is too small and narrow, may not be safe for anal play, suction cup an odd choice.
Rating by reviewer:
3
extremely useful review

Use

The L’Amour Probe is intended for anal use and long-term wear, and probably would be suitable for P-spot stimulation as well. It could also be used for vaginal penetration as well since the curved tip lends itself to G-spot play, provided that you properly sterilize it between switching orifices. This toy is designed with a flared base to keep it from getting lost inside of you, but I would exercise caution since it is not particularly wide or sturdy and may not hold up to especially vigorous play.
  • Who / How / What
    [ ? ]
    Who might this product be best for? How is it best used? What are the best circumstances or situations for using this product?
    • Couples
    • Everyone
    • Solo
  • Where
    [ ? ]
    Where / what types of places can this product be used?
    • Anywhere
    • Campus/roommate living
    • Tub/shower/pool
  • Features
    [ ? ]
    What kind of features does this product offer?
    • Travel friendly
  • Body / part areas
    [ ? ]
    What areas on the body can this product be used / what areas does it stimulate best?
    • Anal
    • G-spot
    • P-spot

Material / Texture

Contrary to how this product is listed on Eden, this plug is NOT made of 100% silicone all the way through. According to the small print on the back of the box, only the outer layer of this toy is silicone, while the inner core is made of TPE, a polymer blend that is more porous.

However, since the outer core is not visible or otherwise exposed, this plug nevertheless retains the qualities of silicone. Like my other silicone toys, this toy attracted a ton of lint, hair, and other goodies shortly after I took it out of the package. I also could not detect any odor or taste of this toy, much as users should expect from silicone. This particular variety is a matte silicone, similar to my Fun Factory Astrovibes Virgo and unlike the shinier formulation that Tantus uses for their toys.
    • No odor
    • Not porous at all
    • Smooth

Design / Shape / Size

The L’Amour Probe is a pleasant pale lavender color, and designed with a gentle curve and narrow tip for easy insertion. The curved shape of this toy reminds me of a gnome's or wizard’s hat, and it is a moderate size. It features a suction cup base that is an odd design choice for this type of toy. It is relatively discreet since it isn't shaped like the typical plug, and the uninitiated might take a moment to wonder what it is. However, most people with some knowledge of sex toys would figure it out fairly quickly.

I measured this plug as having about 4” of insertable length and being about 1.5” in diameter at its widest point. This is comparable to the listed specs on the box (the company gives it an extra 0.25” compared to my measurement). Based on its name, it is listed as being suitable for intermediate players; I would agree with this billing since the widest part of the toy might be too large for beginners and advanced players would probably want to opt for something larger. The narrow tip and gradually increasing size would likely make it suitable as a good second anal toy, since I don't think that one would need a ton of experience to use this.
    • Discreet look/design

Performance

As I already mentioned earlier, I don’t think that the base is especially wide or rigid enough given this toy’s intended use, since I was easily able to bend it in half with my thumb and index finger. I’m also not sure why Cal Exotics made this toy with a suction cup base, since a simple flared one would be much more suitable for long-term wear and overall functionality. I wouldn’t really picture myself walking around or sitting down for a long period of time with a suction cup sticking out of my ass.

For what it’s worth, the suction cup on this toy is fairly strong: I pressed it into the plastic/wood of my kitchen table, and it required a substantial amount of force to remove it. I remember mentioning the possibility of doing this with my Severin Small, since its base also stuck to this table (though not designed to do so), and I kind of laughed it off. Now I have a plug that actually IS designed for this purpose. Go figure.
    • Comfortable
    • Easy to use

Care and Maintenance

Since the outer core of the L’Amour Probe is made of 100% silicone, it can safely be treated as such. Silicone is non-porous, so it can be safely cleaned with antibacterial soap or commercial toy cleaner, or boiled for three minutes, sterilized with a 10% bleach solution, or run through the dishwasher. However, as with any other silicone toys, only water-based lubes are suitable for use with this plug, as silicone-based ones could ruin the toy’s surface and make it a gummy mess.

I would also recommend storing this toy separately, both to keep it as lint-free as possible and prevent it from possibly reacting with other toys of inferior materials (or other silicone ones) in storage.
    • Easy to clean
    • Easy to store

Packaging

The L’Amour Probe comes in a rectangular plastic box, which I would not consider to be discreet since the product is visible through the clear plastic. The word “L’Amour” is printed in a large, artistic-looking font, with the California Exotics logo in small print in the upper right-hand corner and “Premium Silicone Probe” in comparably small letters at the bottom. There are no models or other such gimmicks on the packaging. The back of the box has an illustration of the product with various selling points listed next to it, including the product’s specs and the material that it is made of (the small print mentions the TPE core).
    • Good for storage

Experience

Since I tend to be kind of paranoid about using toys vaginally after I’ve used them anally (even after I’ve disinfected them), I tried inserting this toy vaginally first. I had little trouble doing this, and initially experimented by rubbing the curved end against my G-spot, which felt good. Once I had fully inserted the toy up to the narrowed part of the base before the suction cup, I let go of it and it stayed in place pretty securely for a while before I contracted my muscles and let the toy pop out of me.

I then inserted it anally. As I suspected by looking at the shape of this toy, the small tip was easy to insert. However, once I had the plug in this far, I experienced a small setback: the small base, combined with the lube on my fingers and on the toy, caused it to slip out of my hands and fall onto the floor. I’m pretty sure that if the base were even the slightest bit wider, it would be a lot easier to hold onto and I’d feel more secure using this toy anally as well. I also have small hands, so I can only imagine how much harder it would be for someone with larger ones (especially a man) to grasp onto this tiny base and use it.

Once I had gotten past this, I enjoyed the stretching feeling that this toy gave me as I pushed it in further and felt the increase in size. After reaching the widest point, the small base nestled nicely between my cheeks and I didn’t feel like I had a suction cup sticking out of me. It was comfortable to wear and I left it in place for about two hours before I removed it; I did not have any difficulties in doing so and after the widest part of the toy was out of me, it kind of “plopped” out all at once into my hand.

Just for fun, I actually did stick this onto my table and tried to insert it from there. While it was definitely an interesting experience sitting on my table and backing myself onto a plug, it really wasn’t practical. I could not move from the spot, and I felt ridiculous sitting on my table, anchored in place by a little suction cup that shouldn’t have been necessary for this toy's design in the first place. After a couple of minutes of feebly rocking around in place and failing to see the point, I gave up and removed the plug before popping it off of its spot with my hand. Well, at least I know that the suction cup works.
Follow-up commentary
I haven't really used this plug since I reviewed it. I haven't had any mishaps with the narrow base and it IS made of silicone (which I like), but I'm just not a fan of the suction cup base and there are other silicone plugs in my toy arsenal that I prefer and use more frequently.
This product was provided free of charge to the reviewer. This review is in compliance with the FTC guidelines.

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This review was edited by
  • Annemarie Contributor: Annemarie
  • Rank:
    5.9 / 10
  • Edited reviews: 248
Comments
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  • Contributor: Airekah
    Great Review! You always write so well.
  • Contributor: IndependentlyHappy
    Thank you so much!
  • Contributor: Katelyn
    Great job with your review! It's too bad about the base of this toy because I love the silicone and look of it : ) Thank you!
  • Contributor: faust
    nice review
  • Contributor: queergaze
    Thanks for the review! I'm sorry the toy didn't work out.
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