Silicone X-10 beads - beads discontinued by Cal Exotics - review by Jul!a

These fun and squishy beads can be used by anybody from beginner to advanced. Their smaller size and unintimidating stature make them a great start for a beginner, and a great choice for a more advanced user who knows they like smaller sizes.

These beads are made of TPR silicone, so they're hypoallergenic, and phthalates and latex free. They are very smooth to the touch, but the material does have quite a bit of drag to it, making lube a definite must. The bigger you go on the chain, the less squishy the beads get, in that you can't compress the largest one fully. However even that one has a good amount of give to it. The whole length of the beads is pretty stretchy, and had a slight scent right out of the package, but nothing overwhelming. If you're using a scented cleaner, they'll pick up the scent of that I've noticed. However if they do happen to retain that lovely eau de butt scent, you can leave them out to air out after a thorough cleaning, and this should help.

They're also quite the lint magnet, so keep this in mind when storing.

These beads are 13" long, including the little handle. Out of 10 total, the first 2 beads are less than an inch around, and make insertion very easy for the total beginner. As you get more experienced you can trim off the smallest beads and then file down any pointy parts. The beads gradually increase in size and with the largest having a circumference of just over 3", don't get too big for most users. The string stays the same size between the beads the whole way down, and there's enough room between beads to make a great stopping point anywhere on the line.

The only real flaw I can find is that the handle seems flimsy. I've tugged and pulled and tried to break it, but haven't managed to yet. However when using, I stop with the last bead is still outside my body so that should the looped handle ever decide to break, I can still remove the rest of my beads.

If you keep them in a plastic baggy or toy pouch, they'll travel very easily, however it's not too hard to tell what they are, so go with something opaque if people might be sneaking peeks.

These worked wonderfully. It was easy to insert every bead I wanted to, none of them felt uncomfortable, and I'm a total novice to anal play. They stay in comfortably for as long as you want to wear them, although I don't recommend sitting on them since the last bead could enter and I just didn't personally feel comfortable with that. However, use your best judgment.

If you have a problem seeing any kind of bodily fluids, you might want to skip these. When I had gone to remove them, if I did it any kind of quickly I would get some 'colored' lube coming out as well. (thank goodness for my throe). I wasn't too bothered since I figured it's part of the game, but if this might bother you, keep it in mind.

They're very easy to use on your own, or also while having sex for either a male or a female.

Care and maintenance is fairly easy for these. You should wash them before every use since they do have a tendency to pick up lint and other fuzzies just by being out and about. Use a water based lube since a silicone based could damage the toy. And for cleaning, you can use a spray toy cleaner, or wash with warm water and antibacterial soap. I personally don't recommend using just a spray cleaner, it's very easy to wash the whole strand with soap and water and will get it much cleaner than just a spray.

Right now I'm storing mine in the package it came in, but you could also keep them in a toy pouch of just about any size, or a plastic baggy.

There's nothing discreet about the packaging, so keep it hidden or toss it if that's an issue. You can use it to store the beads in, since they do go back in very easily. There's really nothing in the way of instructions anywhere, but it does advertise on both the front and the back and it's made of hygienically superior TPR.

Since these can't be sanitized, they shouldn't be shared. However the cost is low enough that you can buy one for everybody!

This was my first set of beads, and I have to say, I'm really happy with them. They spent a long time sitting in my drawer because the first time I tried to use them, I had a hard time getting things in and situated, but I was trying in the shower. Needless to say I was a little turned off to them, but feeling adventurous one afternoon, I decided to give them another shot and put a bit more effort into really trying them out, and success! I was thoroughly impressed with the fact that I didn't feel physically uncomfortable in the least bit. The only discomfort I had at all was when a bead would pop in faster than expected and my fingernails stabbed into the area around my anus.

I definitely recommend these to anybody who's looking to try out anal beads, or just looking to add a safe set to their collection.