When it comes to weight, California Exotic’s Aluminum Mini occupies a nice middle ground between the noticeable heft of [|stainless steel toys] and the “is it in yet?” of plastic toys. It’s not heavy enough to have a real sense of presence after it’s been inserted, but it does have enough weight to apply pressure to all the right spots.

Insertion is very smooth and easy. Because it’s made from aluminum, the Aluminum Mini is compatible with all lubricants. My lubricant of choice happens to be a water-based gel lubricant and it clung to the plug like glue. If you look closely, you’ll see very, very small ridges along the side of the Aluminum Mini. You can’t feel them, but these ridges seem to be more effective at holding lubricant than most other non-porous toys.

Once inside, the Aluminum Plug felt very comfortable. I couldn’t identify any specific pressure points – it would be impossible for me to say “Oh! It’s hitting this spot!” – but it did make everything else I was doing just that much better. I used it in tandem with a glass dildo and my Hitachi Magic Wand. The combination produced a pretty awesome orgasm within a matter of minutes.

Because the Aluminum Butt Plug has a pronounced point at its tip, I found penetration with a dildo occasionally awkward while the butt plug was inserted. I would feel comfortable having this inserted with a male partner only if that partner wasn’t very well endowed. The pointed edge definitely comes through and that might be satisfying for him, but not as pleasant for me. For butt plugs that are better for couples, I’d recommend Njoy’s steel butt plugs or the California Exotic’s silicone love pacifiers.

There shouldn’t be any problem for men to have this inserted while having sex although the absence of a curve might mean that the prostate stimulation isn’t there to the degree that some would prefer.

The gem base sits up right against your anus. Visually, I found this surprisingly attractive. The down side of such a close seal, however, is that it takes some finagling to actually remove the Aluminum Mini. It’s a tight fit and might take a few tries to grab onto it firmly enough to remove it.

The base’s size is small enough for me to not recommend the Aluminum butt plug for long-term wear. It’s not the best choice to wear while doing the dishes or exercising (or whatever else you can think of). There’s enough potential to have it slip inside so be cautious. By all means, try it if you’d like. If you do, though, think about tying a piece of twine or something similar to the end as an extra safety precaution until you figure out how your body responds.

The Aluminum Mini is non-porous and hypoallergenic. It can be boiled, bleached, thrown in the dishwasher, or cleaned with that old standby – soap and warm water.