Hearts of love diamond harness - harness and dildo set discontinued by Cal Exotics - review by Dawn (Lilac Distraction)

The Hearts of Love Diamond Harness is a wonderful place for beginners to start when it comes to strap-on play. The kit has everything you need and still lets you seem sexy and feminine, even with a faux penis extending from your pelvic area. It may not be the best quality harness or dildo on the market, but it's a nice starting place for anyone curious about girl-on-girl sex or pegging. If you decide you're really into strap-on sex, you can upgrade to a better harness and dildo. If it's not your thing, you can always toss it without feeling like you've wasted a whole bunch of money.

It comes with the fully adjustable double-strap harness that can fit a wide range of hip sizes and a flexible, moderately sized TPR dildo. The harness has a silicone O-ring so you can use any other toy you have that has a flat base. If you're not into the heart on the front of the harness, it's totally removable so you can have a bare-bones type harness with just the straps and O-rings. If you need an O-ring that's smaller or larger than the one provided, you can always replace it with another silicone, rubber, or metal ring.

The dildo itself is curved upward and can be used for G-spot or P-spot stimulation. The average size makes it great for vaginal play without it being too large or too small. For anal, it's very close to the size of an actual penis, so it's best for those who are already experienced in this area. The TPE material is nice and flexible, and is fairly lightweight. Of course the dildo can be used outside of the harness. The flat base of it also acts as a suction cup even though it's not advertised as having one.

According to the box, the set is made of:

Harness: 85% PVC, 10% Polyester, 5% cotton
Diamonds: Crystal Glass and Polyethylene
Rivets: Steel
Straps: Polypropylene
Padding: Polyester
Hooks: ABS Plastic
O-ring: Silicone
Dildo: TPR

The straps of the harness are made of a soft polypropylene. Even though this is a type of plastic, it's very soft and has a cotton-like feel to it. It's woven very tightly and the ends are sealed to keep them from fraying. The straps seem incredibly durable and sturdy. You should have no problem with these if they get wet. They may not be the most comfortable or plushy straps out there, but they certainly do their job. If you're going to play for a long period of time or plan to get a little rough, it's a good idea to wear a pair of boyshorts or panties on them to prevent any chafing from them. The straps should be fine for shorter sessions, however. The hooks are made of plastic and incredibly strong and thick. They seem like they will last for quite a while and don't show any likelihood of breaking with normal use.

The front of the harness is made of a shiny black PVC material. It's a little flimsy, but it's not an issue when in use. The back of it features a slightly fuzzy, very thin polyester padding that feels a lot like felt. The great thing about this part of the harness is that it's totally vegan. The O-ring is made of silicone, so it can be sterilized and treated as other silicone would be. Because of this, it should be highly durable.

The dildo is made of a smooth, flexible TPR material. TPR is rated a 7 out of 10 on the material safety scale. It's slightly porous and it can't be sterilized, so it's suggested to use a condom with it when sharing, or when using anally. The flexibility of the TPR is pretty much perfect. It's rigid enough for easy insertion, but flexible enough to conform to different angles. It may be a little soft for the curve to provide intense G-spot stimulation, but it can still be felt. The TPR of this particular dildo is slightly grabby, so lube is a good idea. Silicone and water-based lubes will work. It also likes to pick up lots of lint and fuzz, so keep that in mind during storage. It also did not have any real smell to it.

This harness is a classic double-strap style, meaning that there is a waist strap, and there are two straps that go around the thighs. This, in my opinion, is the most secure and comfortable style of harness. It also allows the wearer to be penetrated without having to take the harness off (which makes for some nice threesomes!). All of the straps are 1" wide for a nice level of support. They're not bulky and they're not so small that they'll cut into you. The waist strap has a single buckle on the top that the strap sides through. Each thigh strap also features the same style of buckle. These buckles are the simple adjuster buckles that you can cinch tighter, as the strap is just looped over the inside of it. The straps are perfectly adjustable and are easy to adjust in the middle of play without having to stop in the middle of things.

The three straps are attached to an O-ring. Each side of the waist strap is connected to the ring, as well as the two waist straps, so that you have four straps holding down your O-ring. The O-ring is a a lot more flexible than your standard rubber O-rings, so it may not support the weight of heavier dildos, but it can always be switched out to a sturdier ring. The ring is between 1 3/4" to 2" depending on how tight your straps are and how much it is stretched, so it's a good idea to use dildos with a base of 3" or larger (like the one included).

The front of the harness is a little flimsy. It's not open, so double-ended dildos won't work with it, and there's no internal dildo holder for the driver. The crystals do poke out a little bit, but they're not an issue unless you're doing some serious grinding or pounding. Even though the rest of the harness seems pretty well-made and sturdy (and a lot like Aslan's Pleasure Principle Deluxe), this part seemed a little cheap and looked out of place on a nicely made harness. The diamonds are sewn onto a continuous piece of material that is attached to the front, but they were a little loose and didn't seem like they'd stay on for long because the piece they were attached to didn't seem to be stitched on too well. If you want, you can take the front part off. If you do this, make sure you're using a toy with a fairly padded base or you might end up with a bruised pelvic bone.

The dildo was pretty interesting. It has a very slight realistic look with a basic head at the end. One thing I did notice, though, was that the head actually seemed to be upside-down on it. The shaft curves upward, but when you have the head right side up, the dildo is pointing downward. I'm not sure why it's like this, but it's pretty interesting to look at. The bottom actually acts as a fairly strong suction cup, which I thought was a little added bonus. It sticks to anything that is flat and smooth.

The product page and box claim that this harness will fit up to 52", but I think that's misinformation. The waist strap is 46" long in total, so I think it should have been 42". Each thigh strap is 27" long. The adjustments are smooth, as there are no adjustment holes like harnesses with metal buckles. Because you can go from really, really tiny, to large sizes this harness should fit the vast majority of bodies out there.

For me, personally, I have a hard time with anything staying up on me because my hips are pretty slender, and I'm not graced with a voluptuous backside. This harness fit me and stayed up nicely during play, so it should fit no matter what your body shape is, as well.

The dildo is 7 1/2" long, and 1 1/2" in diameter at the base of the shaft. (Once again, my measurements disagree with the product page. It tapers slightly from larger at the base to smaller at the tip ranging from 1"-1 1/2" in diameter through the whole thing. The base is pretty large at 3" and is really sturdy because of this. The dildo's size is pretty average and shouldn't be much of a problem for anyone who can handle a normal penis. Size queens might be left hanging by this one, though.

To put the harness on, loosen the waist and thigh straps, step into it, pull it up, and then pull the ends of the straps so that they become tight. The thigh straps are attached to the waist strap, so they can't be adjusted so that they're closer to the front or back of the harness. I found that the buckles held the straps very securely, but that they were easy to loosen if needed, and there was no slipping during play. It's pretty comfortable to wear because of the wide straps and the material that is slightly softer than normal straps on harnesses. You can adjust this harness to sit higher or lower on your pubic area, as well.

To insert a toy, you can pull the O-ring up without undoing the snaps when the harness isn't on you. Slide the toy underneath the straps and up through the O-ring, and you're all set. If you want to change toys mid-session, you can undo a couple of the snaps and free the toy from there. The snaps are very study and don't come undone during use. You can also switch out your O-ring while still wearing the harness, so you're really not limited at all with this one. The dildo that comes with the set stays put pretty well and doesn't wiggle around a whole lot. As stated earlier, if you plan on using a toy with a base smaller than 3", or something that has some weight to it, it might be wise to get a sturdier or smaller O-ring.

When worn, the harness is very lightweight and not bulky at all. It's pretty basic, so it doesn't have a lot of extra weight which would make it slip around. I really liked the way it hugged my butt and hips. One downside is that the material of the front is fuzzy and soft on the inside, so it doesn't provide too much extra stimulation for the wearer. It's easy to move around and switch positions with it on, and performs well in each different position. (Although the diamonds on the front make being on the bottom of girl-on-top a little less comfortable for the rider.)

The dildo has a very classic feel to it. It's slightly curved, so it does provide a little extra G-spot stimulation, but it's nothing too intense because of the flexibility of the TPR. It is still very stimulating and is like the real thing, but it's a little better suited to a woman's internal anatomy.

It's not a good idea to get this harness too wet because the steel of the snaps can rust. If you need to wash it, do so carefully and make sure the snaps are dry before storage. The straps themselves dry very quickly. The front part of the harness can be wiped down with a damp cloth and a little soapy water. The entire thing should be hand-washed and left to air dry in a warm place.

The dildo can be washed in warm water with antibacterial soap. It can't be sterilized, so make sure you put a condom over it before use if you're planning on sharing it with non-fluid bonded partners, or for anal use if you plan on using it vaginally. (A major plus of this method is that it's really easy to clean afterwards) Store it in a climate-controlled area free of lint and dust.

The Bound By Diamonds line by Cal Exotic is presented as a classy, glamorous fashion. It's not exactly the most discreet packaging, but it is pretty. The packaging does actually provide some detailed information about the materials, which I'm glad to see. On the other hand, it doesn't contain any information about how to store or care for the harness.

Personally, I was impressed by the quality of this harness. It's not what I expected from Cal Exotic in a set like this. Aside from the flimsy front piece, it's well made and works very well. The TPR material is a much better choice for a dildo than jelly. I've seen a lot of their sets contain jelly dildos, and this made me cringe. I personally won't use anything resembling jelly, but I feel comfortable with TPR material, as it seems to be one step down the safety ladder from silicone, and that's only because it's slightly porous.