Ina - g-spot and clitoral vibrator by LELO - review by lexical

The Ina by Lelo is a beautiful rabbit-style vibrator that is intended to provide stimulation both internally and externally. The larger arm is to be inserted, while the shorter arm is to apply pressure and vibrations to the clitoris. If there is another way to use this toy, I haven't discovered it. It really, truly shines as a dual stimulator, especially when you simply rock your hips into the toy, keeping it fairly still. It is not well suited to thrusting, but the deep and delicious vibrations will blow your mind...If you can get it positioned right!

This toy will most likely work best for most experience users who have the patience to learn the ins and outs of it and learn to love it, despite its shortcomings. It will also work best for a woman whose clitoris is less than two inches from her vaginal opening. Measure it if you have to! I know it sounds odd, but if your anatomy isn't right for this toy, it is highly unlikely to work for you. I wish I had known to check my body measurements before I purchased this item. However, surprisingly, it has worked incredibly well for me, despite not quite reaching where I had hoped it would reach...More on that in the Design section.

Ina is made of wonderfully smooth, velvety, high-quality silicone. Silicone is hypoallergenic, as well as latex- and phthalates-free, which makes it ideal for sensitive-skinned or health-conscious users. The silicone has a light, pleasant odor, which I associate with well-made toys. It is definitely not overbearing and can only be detected if you place the Ina right up to your nose. The toy does not retain any odors, being of non-porous, body-friendly silicone. Silicone retains temperature well and, since this toy is not waterproof, you could try carefully dipping it in warm or cool water to add a new sensation to your play. It does not have a discernible taste, though I find myself wanting to put my lips and tongue all over it. It's so warm and inviting.

My Ina is orange, but the toy also comes in a royal purple and a soft spring green. All available colors have a white plastic handle which houses the controls. The plastic is hard and glossy. The silicone components, which come into contact with your body, are very firm and solid. They do not give when you squeeze them. Though the clitoral arm does have some flexibility to it, the larger insertable does not have any give and is not at all bendable.

The smooth, matte texture of this toy exudes luxury. It is entirely seamless, which eases cleaning and makes insertion a breeze. Beginners and advanced users alike will benefit from the lack of texture, which enables more intense focus on the incredible vibrations.

I'd like to begin this section with a little lesson on female anatomy. It may seem obvious, but each woman is different. Some women may be tight or loose, deep or shallow. Even the tilt or angle of the vaginal canal varies from woman to woman. Similarly, the distance between the clitoris and the vaginal canal is different on each woman's body. Research has shown that women whose clits are near to their vaginal opening are more likely to be able to experience orgasm from penetrative sex. (You can learn more about this by plugging "C-V ratio", "Kim Wallen", and/or "rule of thumb" into your favorite search engine.)

Since each woman's anatomy is different, it follows that this toy will not work for everyone.

I have never had a rabbit vibrator that worked right for me. I had high hopes that this toy's fairly short internal arm would enable its external arm to reach my clitoris. I have a fairly shallow vaginal canal and my clitoris is not exactly right beside my entrance! The insertable arm fits me perfectly. It feels delicious and is wonderfully curved and bulged to apply pressure to the g-spot. Unfortunately, the external arm does not quiiite reach for me. I swear, if it was just a centimeter or two longer, it would perfectly cover my clit. As it is, I have to struggle to position the toy in juuust the right way so that it barely touches my most sensitive spot, externally. I highly recommend that you measure yourself and then compare that with the length of the toy's clitoral stimulator! Stay tuned, though! Even though it didn't quite fit me right, it still performs very well...with a little work. Check out the Performance section for more.

The toy has a full length of 7 3/4" and an insertable length of only 3 1/2". At the base, its narrowest point, it is only 3/4" in diameter, widening to a bulbous 1 3/8" at its thickest point before rounding off in a gently tapered end. I measured the clitoral arm from its tip to the inner curve where it meets the main body of the toy. This will give you some idea of how far it will reach when it is fully inserted inside of you. The arm measures just under two inches. For me, that just is not quite long enough to work easily, but it is possible with some maneuvering.

Another extremely important aspect to address is the pressure applied by the clitoral arm. It flexes enough to get it out of the way in order to insert the larger arm, but then it clamps right back down. I mean it. It clamps. Pretty hard. It feels...freakin' weird. It's shocking at first and a very, very strange sensation, which borders on painful at times. I have tried stretching and bending and working the silicone to see if I can break it in slightly, but I fear that I may ruin the wiring if I continue to do so and it doesn't seem to have made any difference! The clitoral arm always wants to return directly back to its original position. If you prefer firm pressure on your clit, rather than light teasing, this toy will rock your world right off the bat. I tend to prefer a lighter, more tickly (yet powerful) touch. Oddly enough, once I learned to work with this toy, the firm, insistent pressure became a source of serious enjoyment. In an effort to divert some of the pressure away from my clit, I discovered the incredible pleasure of angling the handle downward, thus pushing the internal portion up against my g-spot. It lightened the clamping on my clitoris and sent a thrill through my g-spot. Do it. You won't regret it.

Overall, the design of the Ina is beautiful. It has sensual, ergonomic curves, fits comfortably in your hand and in your body. It is modern and classy, without the tacky, animal-shaped appearance of most rabbit vibrators. It is not very discreet, but due to its fairly small size in comparison to many dual stimulators and its handy locking mechanism, I see no reason why this toy shouldn't come along with you on any trips you take!

Although this toy does not quite fit my anatomy, it still works absolute wonders. It is a surprisingly powerful toy, especially compared to most others produced by Lelo. In spite of its strength, it is wonderfully quiet. It can barely be heard from beneath the covers, even on its highest setting. It is completely without the awful grinding noise that so often accompanies vibrators with a roller coaster type function.

The Ina's strong, surprisingly deep vibrations are controlled via four circular, concave buttons on the handle. Each has a raised symbol on it. The buttons are a + (which increases the speed/strength of the vibrations), a - (which decreases them), and two up/down arrows (which cycle through the eight different functions). With the toy inserted and the clitoral arm pointing towards your belly button, the buttons will be face up, where you can easily press them with your thumb whilst holding the handle. With each click, they light up white.

To lock the toy, you have to hold all the buttons down at once, which can be tricky. It's actually two-hand job because there's no way to fully cover all the buttons with just one finger or thumb. I cover two buttons with each thumb. Hold down for two seconds. The lights will illuminate and then turn off once the toy is locked. To unlock it, you just repeat the process and the lights will come back on when it is unlocked.

To turn the toy on, you just press the + button, which will begin each time on the first function, on the lowest setting. Pressing the + button again will increase the speed incrementally, while the - will take you back a step. Similarly, the up and down buttons cycle through the settings. Note that you cannot go in reverse from the first setting. By that, I mean...you cannot start at 1 and click the down button to reach 10. You must go up first and then you can come back down.

Aside from having eight different patterns, the Ina also has TEN different speeds. Let me put into perspective what exactly this means. This means that for each of the eight vibration patterns...you can also determine exactly how powerful they will be! It's amazingly customizable and wonderfully easy to use. With such a wide variety of available sensations, the Ina has something for every mood and every style of masturbation. Every speed/function combo feels different and unique.

The speeds increase logically from low and gentle to high and powerful. The functions are as follows:

1 - Steady, thrummy vibration in both
2 - Steady vibration in clitoral arm, but NOT insertable arm
3 - Steady vibration in insertable arm, but NOT clitoral arm
4 - Short bursts alternating between the arms
5 - Arms pulsing rapidly in unison
6 - ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE roller coaster setting
7 - Cicada setting
8 - Random setting

More on the amazing roller coaster setting (which is obviously my favorite): The best way I can describe it is that the internal arm rolls in waves from low to high. At the crest (high point) of each wave, a short, strong pulse bursts through the clitoral arm and "flicks" at your clit. It. is. divine.

More on the "Cicada" setting: Have you ever heard cicadas in the summer? They make that loud, buzzing "Weee-ooo, weee-ooo, weee-ooo" noise. That's exactly how this setting is. While both arms are vibrating steadily, first the insertable arm rises in intensity (Wee-) and then the clitoral arm rises in intensity (ooo!). Over and over, pulsing wonderfully. LOVE IT.

More on the Random setting: OH MY GOD. It's so good. That's all I have to say, really. It's like Ina is playing a song that only she knows the words to, vibrating in time with it, and changing up the lyrics left and right. Absolutely incredible.

Thankfully, the Ina is rechargeable! When the batteries are wearing down, the buttons will glow red instead of white. It takes only two hours to charge and holds a powerful charge for up to four hours or for 90 days of sitting unused, according to the Lelo website. A small, soft piece of silicone covers the port where you plug in the charger. Mine does not sit flat or flush with the handle, which annoys me a little bit, but...It's a small price to pay. Because the cover does not fit tightly, the toy is NOT waterproof. Please be careful.

Since the Ina is smooth and non-porous, simply wiping it down with a toy cleaner or anti-bacterial soap and warm water will help to keep it clean and in great condition. You can sterilize the Ina by dunking its silicone portions in a 10% bleach solution and then rinsing it well. You should make certain that the charging port is covered tightly before cleaning the toy, but you should also still be very careful not to submerge it. Do not boil the entire toy or put it in your dishwasher, as the high heat may damage the mechanical components. There is a slight seam where the silicone meets the plastic, but it does not seem to cause any problems with gathering fluids, nor does the small imprinted "LELO" emblem above the controls.

The Ina comes with a silky black drawstring back, with a white liner. It is long enough to comfortably store your toy,your charger, and your warranty papers. That way you won't lose them! This is how I store mine, to protect it from having a bad reaction with any of my other toys. Speaking of bad reactions, be sure to avoid using silicone lubricant with this toy, as that can damage your beautiful Ina! Stick to water-based lubricants.

The Ina, like all Lelo toys, comes in a lovely, sturdy black box, covered with a thin, glossy cardboard "sleeve" that is color coordinated to match the toy inside. I normally type up what the box says, with regard to warnings, ingredients, etc, but I received this item on trash day and I'm afraid I recycled the packaging before I thought to take notes on the box! Please visit the Lelo website to see what the box looks like, as well as plenty of additional information about the Ina and some other great images of this gorgeous toy. The great thing about Lelo packaging is that it is so snazzy, you can use it as a gift box! I have "upcycled" mine and they now serve as dividers to help me organize my sex toy drawers ;) They work very well as storage and can even fit more than one toy inside, after you've removed the plastic shell and whatnot from inside.

Also note that Lelo toys come with a great warranty. They are guaranteed for one year from the purchase date and Lelo will replace your broken item with a brand new one, completely free of charge. They also come with a ten year warranty, which promises 50% off of your next purchase of a replacement toy, within that ten year period. The full details of the warranties can be found on Lelo's website.

I have such mixed feelings on this toy that it was practically impossible to disentangle and make sense of them. I've been thinking about and using this toy for about two weeks now and I just could not make up my mind about what I wanted to say. I started this review many times, only to continually scrap it. I finally determined to make it happen today. I have tried to express my opinion of this toy as clearly as possible. I hope it worked.

The truth is...I am baffled that this toy gives me an orgasm at all, let alone the incredibly awesome ones it seems to deliver every single time. In spite of that, I still find myself wishing that the clitoral arm was a little bit longer so that it fully covered my clit and a little bit less stiff so that it didn't crunch down on my delicate parts quite so hard. However, I think that might even be part of the reason that Ina makes me come so hard. In order to relieve a bit of the pressure on my clit, I have to angle the handle of the toy down dramatically, pushing the bulbous insertable portion up firmly against my g-spot. It feels delicious. The firm pressure send the already powerful vibrations deep into my most sensitive parts.

In short...This toy may not perform exactly the way I expected, but...believe me. It performs. It really does.