Kira UR3 soft sleeve and vibrator - traditional vibrator by Doc Johnson - review by Darling Dove

First, I'd like to say that by far, this was the worst experience with UR3 I have had- The Doc Johnson exclusive material is usually extremely high quality, debatable by some, but I've always loved it because it wasn't sticky, or gummy like other realistic materials and it was easy to clean, never before have I had to apply cornstarch or talc to keep that effect.

I was unpleasantly surprised this time to find it was not the case with this toy. The packaging was a bit unremarkable- It did contain some safety info, and was careful to note that you shouldn't use it in the shower or bath, that it was sold as a novelty only, and that it wasn't intended to diagnose or treat any sort of health issues. How a vibrator could diagnose you to begin with is anyone's guess, so after a bit of a giggle at the legal silliness, I opened the package.

I was greeted by an oddly sweet smell, some sort of fruit, though it'd be hard to place which- Though it reminded me of a fruity bubblegum scent. Upon closer smell inspection, the chemical scent was still there, and strong- but only if you get close enough to kiss it. This was new, and odd to me, but before I'd sometimes had issues with the smell of UR3 making me feel ill so I suppose it was a welcome change.

However, when I looked over it, I noticed odd bits of lint and black specks, not only stuck to the sleeve but also on the vibrator itself. It actually seemed as though the vibrator was coated in dust. I assume it wasn't the case, and I do very much hope that I'm right, but even after a full cleaning the vibrator and sleeve still remained with this odd... greasy feeling.

I tried to push my initial impressions aside- After all, the saving grace of any realistic material is how it feels, and, in all my sexcapades I'd never come across one better feeling than UR3.

Upon inserting batteries, I noted the battery housing had a plastic sleeve inside of it to prevent the batteries from rattling. This is an improvement on the old Doc Johnson vibes by far, since the (much) older models just rattled away and sounded jackhammer-esque. This vibe took two AA batteries, standard vibe fare, and actually is quite powerful for it. Unfortunately, with that power comes a LOT of noise, it is much too loud for me, at least, to use on a regular basis, and I don't doubt it can be heard through doors.

Personally, I chose not to use condoms for this product, because the realistic texture and give would be greatly hindered by the use of a condom, however since UR3 is a porous material, you should always use a condom, or at least wash it very, very well with antibacterial cleaner. Oh, and please, don't share it unless you are using condoms every time.

After dripping some Sliquid Organics Natural lube onto it, I proceeded to test how it actually felt- For how big it looks and feels outside of me, I thought it was rather unimpressive in that I didn't feel 'full' at all. The material, however, felt exactly like the velvety smooth skin of a real man's member, though, once it was lubed up and inside. The ridges, clearly visible, aren't able to be felt much if at all due to the softness and give of the UR3, but it was still a satisfying session- if only because of the sleeve's feel.

Afterward, I found it much harder to clean. It may have been due to the warmth, but despite using a water based lube the sleeve had taken on a greasy feel, one that I couldn't get rid of no matter how hard I tried. I ended up rolling the sleeve off of the vibe and cleaning the vibe underneath as well, only to find that the 'greasy' feeling had seeped through. Perhaps they have changed the UR3 formula somewhat, or perhaps it is merely a lower grade due to the price, but only certain, very diluted silicone formulas (UR3 is a silicone mixed with other polymers) tend to 'sweat' a greasy film like that. As far as I know it isn't harmful, but it is rather gross. It also appeared to pick up metallic flakes from the pearly vibrator underneath, which was unsettling- I certainly don't want sparkles down -there-, especially if I don't know what they're made of.

It may be alright for a beginner, new to toys, since it's very friendly in appearance and even smell, but I'm just not sure there are many redeeming points other than the feel, and the strength of the vibrator.

Using this toy is pretty straightforward, it's a thrusting toy and didn't do much for me clitorally, since it's too thick to masquerade as a lover's tongue, though the material would lend itself to that quite well.

One thing I didn't have enough space to put in the review was that it constantly kept changing speeds or going off. The cap is very easily turned and if you aren't careful you can loosen the whole cap itself, making it so you have to take it out and re-screw the cap on. This can be really difficult if you have lube on your hands or on the toy since the ridges are too smooth in texture to give you a good grip.

Anyone who's used sex toys knows how bad it is when one randomly turns on and off, so I feel it's definitely important to note that.

As well, every time I pushed the toy in with any force, it would make an odd sound like a spring being flicked. I suppose this must be the spring used in the battery housing, though I can't for the life of me understand why it happens.

I have to say that I was really disappointed about the quality of this toy. I've never had this problem with UR3 before, but this toy simply did not last at all. Within two uses it was degrading visibly, and I decided I did not want something shedding material inside of me. I had to throw the sleeve out.

I guess at this point I would say it's no longer good for beginners or anyone, for that matter - The toy simply didn't hold up. Were it higher quality, it could have been an outstanding toy. I did, however, save the vibrator from it as there was nothing wrong with the vibe underneath.