Smartball uno - vaginal balls discontinued by Fun Factory - review by Felicicat

The Smartball Uno is a kegel exerciser for the pelvic muscles which is most suitable for women who have given birth, for those with a tilted uterus, and for most beginners. I say most beginners because if you are young and/or already have toned pelvic muscles, this ball won't be of much use to you. According to its manual, it weighs 37g, which is not at all that much. Imagine you start practicing a new sport - at first you go with cheaper, easier to use equipment until you get better and upgrade. It's the same with the Smartball - if you feel you are above a certain level, better go for the toys recommended for advanced users.

The ball is perfectly simple to use - it gets inserted in a way similar to a tampon. It stays inside just the same - despite its size, you won't really feel it inside you if you're not moving. The recommended time of wear is anywhere between 15 minutes and 3 hours, but I personally can't be bothered even if I keep it inside the entire day. When you're done exercising, the ball is easily removed by pulling on the silicone string.

The Smarball Uno is made entirely of medical grade silicone, which feels smooth and doesn't drag much on the skin. It's a big plus that the string attached to it is also silicone, which means the toy is completely safe, no need to worry about bacteria. There is a very slight, pleasant odor to it. The ball feels really hard and firm, but the same does not apply to the string. Even though it may seem otherwise on pictures, it's really flexible and stretchy, so it doesn't cause any discomfort during wear.

Fun Factory's Smartballs are on the larger end when it comes to size, especially compared to other kegel balls present on the market. Even though they may seem intimidating at first, I find the ball really easy to insert, and the shape probably helps. The ball in not perfectly spherical and is instead slightly oval, with the insertable end being a little pointy. Besides, the ball has a nice little dent right under the retrieval band for your finger to fit in during insertion.

The Smartball Uno is supposedly usable by all women. I find that easy to believe. Despite the larger size of the ball, it's really easy to fit and keep in the vagina. The retrieval band is solid and makes it easy for the toy to be removed. With the help of a little lube, no woman should have any trouble with this kegel ball whatsoever.

I was also very pleased to discover that, despite the noticeable movement of the inner ball, it's perfectly quiet while worn. Not a sound can be heard while the inner ball jiggles and rattles inside.

Since the Smartball is pure silicone, you only need two things to clean it - water and soap.

The usual warnings apply - toy cleaners are okay. Anything silicone, be it lube or other toys, are not okay.

You don't even need to be careful not to drop it. There's nothing inside of it that can break. It's the lowest maintenance toy I've owned.

You do, however, need to wash it all the time. The silicone collects dust and lint like a magnet and it shows even more on the black silicone. I wash it every time immediately before use and don't even dry it with a towel (yeah, it's that bad), just put some lube and slip it in as fast as I can.

I actually got the Smartball Uno as a part of a Fun Factory toy bundle. If I had the option to choose which kegel balls to buy, this probably wouldn't have been my first choice. In fact, I was not really aiming for kegel exercisers in the first place because I'm very confident about my pelvic muscles' strength. But, since I got it either way and figured, okay, it's recommended for beginners and I haven't had any kegel balls so far, thus I am considered a beginner, let's give it a try and see what it does.

I was honestly a bit disappointed, but it wasn't the toy's fault. Turns out, I really do have excellent pelvic muscle strength and the single 37g Smartball feels too easy to handle. I am still decided on persisting with its use over the next month, just out of curiosity, and even if it doesn't have any significant effect, I'm still sure I'll be grateful for having it after I give birth to my first child.

A recommendation from Fun Factory suggested that the silicone band can transfer vibrations through the toy and thus create some pleasurable experiences. I tried it and, as hard as it was to believe, it really did work as described. The end of the retrieval band remains outside of the vagina - just a small part of it, to make it easier to find and pull, and if you do press a vibrator to that part, the ball will, indeed, start to noticeably vibrate as well.