This is an anal toy likely best enjoyed by people who have had at least a little experience with penetration (as in a finger or two, or small toys.) It's not super-thick, but the taper isn't very long. Someone who's very, very new to anal might find insertion of this toy difficult. (It's also a longer toy, and in my experience toys of this length tend to spook anal virgins.) It's a good toy for working on depth issues since it's slender but long. I've also used it as a warm-up toy for slightly larger plugs. You can use it on your own or with a partner.

It's more of a probe than a plug, though it does have somewhat of a flare near the bottom, so it will stay in if you leave it. I haven't found this toy to be very good as a plug. The widest part is up top, so it's not providing any pressure against the sphincter. The bottom flare has a slightly squared edge, so it wasn't very comfortable either. The good news is the base is sturdy and much, much wider than the widest part of the toy. You'd have to work very hard to get that base inside you. It's a little big for long-term wear, but it makes a good handle. I've got average-sized hands, I guess, and it fits perfectly in my palm. In the name of science, I used the toy vaginally once. It really doesn't do much. It has no curve, and it's thin for a vaginal toy. I suppose if you're a teeny-tiny woman, the top bulb might feel nice, but I'm not one of those ladies. (If you are going to use it vaginally and anally, make sure you sterilize it!)

The Dipper is made of Platinum silicone, which means it's the good stuff. It's tasteless and odorless, so if you want to put it in your mouth, it's safe. It's also not going to leave any lingering scent on your skin like some materials can. This also means it's not leeching any chemicals that could irritate you or eventually cause more serious medical problems after long-term use. It's also non-porous, so it doesn't trap bacteria. Since you can sterilize the material, partners can share the same toy after sterilizing it, of course.

The toy is slender and very smooth. I prefer a slightly matte texture to my toys, because lube just slips off of smooth toys. It does bend, but it's not very plush at all. It has a narrow tip and a taper, though, so the firmness shouldn't be too much of a problem. The base is sturdy but a good size for easy-gripping, even for people with small hands. And the silicone is shimmery, for both the blue and the charcoal colors. I'm so shallow...I like the shimmery silicone Doc uses. It's purty.

The curves on the Dipper are very smooth. Due to the way it's molded, the only seam is around the bottom edge of the base meaning no rough bits to scrape delicate tissues. The bottom flare is slightly rounded, but I found it put uncomfortable pressure on the inside of the sphincter sometimes This could be due to the length, as well, but I think another part of the issue is the fact that after that last flare, the toy starts to taper back out again, so my body naturally tries to push it out. Either way, I find it's best used as a probe or for short periods as a plug.

I did try this toy vaginally at first, just to see. It's not very thick at all, but the bulb did seem to rub my G-spot a little. The point did jab into my cervix, due to the length of the toy, so if you're especially sensitive, watch your depth or don't use it vaginally. I prefer thicker toys, so other than that little G-spot stimulation, the Dipper didn't do much of anything for me vaginally. I was curious to see if I could feel the little ridge pop past my PC muscles, but it's either too long for the ridge to get past the muscle, or it's just so thin that there was no popping involved. I'm not sure I'd recommend it for vaginal use, but if you're a little on the small side it might feel more exciting.

The flared base is pretty sturdy, and while I don't have a harness to test it out in, it should be harness-compatible, whether the receiver is taking the toy vaginally or anally. The toy does flex a fair bit at the neck, so be ready to steady it with your hand, especially for anal penetration.

The curves on the toy feel really nice when you're thrusting with the toy, no matter what speed is comfortable for you. Aside from the issues with the bottom flare mentioned above, I like the shape.

Platinum silicone is quite easy to care for. It's a non-porous toy, so it's easy enough to keep clean. By design, the toy doesn't have any tiny ridges or crevices that are tricky to clean out. I use toy cleaner and warm water for regular cleaning between uses, and every few weeks I boil all my toys to make sure they're nice and clean. You can also wipe them down with a 10% bleach solution and rinse with water, or I've heard baby bottle sterilizing solution will work, too, if you have it kicking around. Or you can put the Dipper in the top rack of the dishwasher (with no soap) for a nice, hot cycle.

Storage is easy enough. It's slender enough to fit into most medium- to large-sized toy boxes (though since the base is so much wider than the toy, check the sizing for smaller, single-toy boxes. Make sure it's not stored under anything heavy that could bend the toy, or anything with sharp edges that could cut into the toy. Keep it away from other toy materials, because while silicone is inert, other materials might not be, and those materials might melt onto your silicone toy. You can keep it in your sock drawer, but it will pick up dust and lint, so some kind of storage bag or box would be handy.

Keep silicone toys far away from silicone lubes. If they ever come in contact, the lube will leave little blisters on the toy. And from what I hear, inserting a silicone toy with silicone lube causes a rather nasty burning reaction. So don't do it, 'kay?

I happen to like the packaging for Doc Johnson's Platinum Silicone line. It looks good on the store shelf. No naked people, some swirls of bright color, and blocks of to-the-point text. It's not subtle, but since the packaging shows the toy, well, you can't really be subtle. My Dipper came in a clear plastic clam shell with a paper backing. But for some items, Doc Johnson packages them in these nice-looking, but pain-in-the-ass boxes with an open section to view the toy. I'm not sure if the Dipper is available in this package, but if it is, don't bother keeping it for storage. It's difficult to open, way too easy to tear, and the molded plastic inserts that cradle the toy don't snap together. The clam shell will work as storage, though it will take up almost twice the space as just the toy. Either way, the back of the package has some good, basic information about silicone that is handy for the new user.