Roy G. Biv

The Rainbow Nubby Wand is a straight, heavily textured glass dildo best used vaginally for slow, shallow thrusting. It can also be spun slowly while inserted for an intense sensation, or used externally. It lacks any kind of a g-spot curve at all, so its greatest talents involve stimulating the sensitive few inches at the entrance of the vagina.

It's not the best choice anally as it lacks a flared base, and could result in an embarrassing ER trip by getting lost in the rectum. There is a version available more suited to backdoor use, with a heart shaped handle for safety.

This toy also works well for shoulder and back massages, as the texture feels quite nice against sort muscles.

The Rainbow Nubby G is made of borosilicate glass, which is one of the safest sex toy materials. It's tasteless, odorless, free of dangerous chemicals like Phthalates and allergens such as latex, and it's non-porous, so it can be sterilized.

Glass holds temperature well, so it can be either chilled or warmed up prior to use. Simply place the toy in a glass of water at the desired temperature for a few minutes before playtime. Never microwave a glass toy, as that carries a risk of burning your skin, nor should you play with a glass toy straight out of the freezer. Extreme temperatures won't hurt the glass, but your skin is more delicate.

Many people who have never used glass toys worry about them breaking while in use -- that simply does not happen. The human body is not capable of the force necessary to break heavy borosilicate glass, and it requires a drop onto a hard surface, usually at an angle, to break one of these toys. Even when they do break, they don't shatter. With care, a glass toy will last a lifetime.

Remember that glass is a firm material, so care should be used when thrusting. Hard, fast thrusting could bruise the cervix, or, with heavily textured toys, just make your body very sore the next day.

As for texture, the Rainbow Nubby G is not for the faint of heart. The texture is extreme. For some, textured toys only feel good when the mood is right, while others can't tolerate them at all, let alone enjoy them. If you're shopping for your first textured toy, my advice is to try swirls before nubs, and make sure to give the toy a few chances before rejecting texture entirely. What feels like torture one day might feel heavenly in a week or two.

The Rainbow Nubby Wand is straight as an arrow, with a modest diameter of just over an inch and an insertable length of about seven inches if you intend to hold the tip of the toy with your fingertips. There's plenty of toy to grip firmly while using it for shallower penetration. Only the first few inches of the vagina are likely to respond to this particular brand of stimulation, so length isn't really an issue for most users.

The lack of a g-spot curve is actually a plus, as it allows the toy to spin comfortably while inserted, maximizing the sensation of the texture.

As for discretion, naive snoops might guess the Rainbow Nubby Wand is an arts and crafts supply of some kind. It's not particularly phallic and it's not at all realistic. Folks who know glass dildos exist will guess fairly quickly, on the other hand.

Glass toys need careful packing for travel, and this one would prove functional enough as a weapon that it won't pass TSA's guidelines for carry on luggage, so it's not ideal for travel, but on the other hand it won't start vibrating in your luggage either. However it's packed, a see through layer of protection like a ziplock bag is a good idea -- that way, if TSA decides to search your luggage, they can see the item without handling it directly. Alternately, you could ship your toys to yourself at your end destination.

Inserted shallowly and spun slowly, the Rainbow Nubby Wand provides wonderful sensation, and it works well for slow thrusting as well. Like most textured glass toys, it's also fun externally. It's a great foreplay toy, or, paired with clitoral stimulation, it can be the main event.

It's length makes a good companion for the Sqweel, once you've mastered the coordination required to slowly spin the dildo while holding the Sqweel in its ideal position. Or, for a less complicated session, pair it with the clit vibe of your choice. Just be careful using a metal or firm plastic external vibe with a glass internal toy -- if they make contact, the noise will wake the dead. A zombie apocalypse will definitely ruin your orgasm.

Glass toys can be run through the dishwasher -- top rack, sans detergent; rinsed in ten percent bleach solution; wiped down with rubbing alcohol; boiled in a towel-lined pot; sprayed with toy cleaner; washed in hot, soapy water; or wiped down with a toy wipe.

Storage is simple. Glass will not react chemically with any other toy materials, although it could get chipped or broken if another heavy toy is dropped onto it, or routinely jostled against it. Padded storage bags are safest, but even the thin bag provided with the toy is enough if the storage area is stationary enough to prevent toy movement.

For those with large collections, one method is to turn a shoe tree on its side, inside of a larger storage container, and then insert glass toys standing on end, with padding in between. That makes it easier to find the desired toy in the pile, and also keeps them safe. Alternately, glass toys can lay on their sides, with layers of pretty much any soft material in between -- socks, clothing, towels, whatever you have on hand -- and they'll be just fine.

Glass is compatible with all types of lubricant -- water based, silicone, or oil based.

The SSA Glass toys come packaged in a layer of bubble wrap, inside a velvety red bag. It's a minimalist approach, and I for one appreciate the lack of waste. The bags work well for storage, or if you prefer to move the glass into something with more padding, they can hold toys of other materials. The bags don't stay closed particularly well, but a trip to a craft store will take care of the problem -- the item you want is called a cord lock.

Incidentally, this product is nearly identical to the Rainbow Mega Nubby from Don Wands, so if one's not in stock, simply buy the other one.