PicoBong Tano - butt plug by PicoBong - review by Silverdrop

This toy is designed for anal use, but could also be used externally for teasing sensitive areas or vaginally. Of course, observe safety practices and do not go from anal to anywhere else without a very thorough cleaning, or using a condom over the toy that can be removed when locations are changed. Depending on how well it fits you, you may be able to wear it out and about with no one the wiser. The motor is ridiculously quiet, but the base may not fit comfortably enough for this to work. It claims to be a prostate massager, but the shape doesn't appear right for this. I do not have the requisite anatomy to check this claim myself.

The Tano is waterproof which is really important for an anal toy. This makes it usable in the tub and easy to clean up.

I have never felt a silicone texture that turned me on as much as this. It has none of the sticky friction that most silicone does, but instead is a silky texture that is sometimes seen in coated plastic toys and often referred to as 'velvety'. I absolutely loved it.

Sadly, contrasted to this is a hard, shiny plastic lower part that actually still has rough seams. The contrast in quality is very jarring, and it's hard to believe it came from the same manufacturer. I intend to take a file to the lower part, as my first use of this toy scratched me. It was just barely enough to draw blood, so I didn't notice it until afterwards, but still. Not nice.

I absolutely loved the shape of this toy, as the stem of the plug was narrow enough to hold it in place easily in my rather ample derrière. The size is small enough for anal beginners, but definitely noticeable, especially if vaginal penetration with a toy or a penis is added. I don't believe it is shaped correctly to stimulate the prostate, but I don't have the correct anatomy to judge.

Unfortunately, the shape of the toy is badly balanced against the poor design of the controls, which are on the insertable part of the toy. For an anal plug, this is ridiculous. No one wants to pull out a plug to change the settings. Firstly, it's a major interruption in the action. Secondly, there's going to be an ick factor for most people in handling a toy covered with lubricant and anal secretions. And finally there's also the necessity of carefully washing your hands afterwards in order to avoid transferring bacteria to the urethra, particularly important for people who are easily prone to urinary tract infections. The only way I am able to use this is in 'set it and forget it' mode. There may be ten settings, but it's pointless if you can't easily flip between them. A wired remote control or a simple set of buttons on the base would improve this toy greatly.

The shape is not discreet. It pretty much looks exactly what it is, which is a butt plug. I like the black colour, but of the Pico Bong line I would have preferred the turquoise blue, even though it isn't discreet at all. Sadly, Tano wasn't available in that colour.

The Pico Bong line is an entry level line of toys made by luxury toy maker Lelo. It shows in the quality of the motor. It runs on a single AA battery, and is smooth and quiet while still being powerful. This motor and the amazing texture is why I am still using this toy despite its significant drawbacks.

For the purposes of completeness, I feel I must mention that it does have ten settings, but when you can't change them in use it may as well be a single setting toy. For me, I set it on the highest continuous buzz before insertion. The other nine settings are useless to me.

As an anal toy, this needs particular care to avoid transferring germs. This is especially a problem with the controls situated as they are. I would recommend keeping hand sanitizing wipes nearby during play time, so if you remove it and need to turn it off, or do change settings during play, you can quickly get your hands clean again. Using a biostatic lubricant which prevents germ transference, will also help, though some people are sensitive to these. As with most toys, use water based lubricants only.

Clean up is easy since the toy is waterproof. There is a place where the two halves of the toys meet that can require a little extra care, but a small brush such as a nail brush, dedicated for this purpose, makes this job easy. I use soap and water, then spritz with a toy sanitizer. However, if you want to make cleanup really easy, go with a condom or even a finger cot from the first aid section of your pharmacy.

Unlike most silicone toys, this does not collect dust. I don't know what magic they did to make this work, but the lint magnet problem has always been my main complaint about silicone toys. This means that the toy isn't going to get all icky just sitting in the drawer. Just make sure it isn't touching other silicone toys. The Tano did not come with a toy pouch of its own, but if you can find a spare somewhere, it's always nice to keep your toys wrapped up. I find that drawstring pouches sold for storing sunglasses work well for most small to medium sex toys.

The Pico Bong Tano felt like it was made by a committee, with half devoted to quality and the other half to cutting corners. The lower half of the toy feels so cheap compared to the upper half, and no one should have to file off sharp edges to avoid cutting themselves. The control problem is just ludicrous. I actually spent 5 or 10 minutes hunting for the controls before realizing they were built into the logo on the silicone. It wasn't until I went to their website and saw a larger than life close-up of the product that I noticed the +/- keys worked into the design of the logo.

With any lesser toy, those flaws would be enough to ruin the toy for me, but the shape is so perfect, the motor so well made, and the texture of the silicone so erotic, that I'm still using it. I give it three stars and hope very much that Pico Bong will make an improved version of the Tano. If they do, I'll buy it right away.