Smartballs are another of those Fun Factory toys I just keep getting more of - which is ridiculous, because they don't work well for me. At the moment, I have lovely pistachio and raspberry ones and tamer, more subtley colored honeydew and grey ones. I'll be honest. I got the green and pink to match my Laya Spot, even though I didn't need more of these.

As I said, they just don't really work well for me. Others, however, swear by and love them. It's really a matter of how deep your vaginal canal is when relaxed and not aroused.

Smartballs are meant to be worn to both stimulate and exercise the kegel muscles. They consist of two roundish balls, connected in the middle by a thin, bendable joint, with another set of balls inside that rock and move around as you move around. The motion of the inner balls causes the pc muscles to contract and release unconsciously, without you having to think about doing your exercises. This is why they work best if inserted when you tend to be active - cleaning, working out, shopping, whatever. So long as you're moving, they're moving, causing your body to work with them, your muscles to get a work out.

If you're not active while wearing them, they don't do much good unless you intentionally contract and squeeze your pc muscles around them. Even this way, however, they're a bonus over doing kegels without something to squeeze around, as you can really pinpoint the muscles and they serve as a reminder to actually do the exercises.

Smartballs are made from body friendly elastomed,a non porous, phthalate, latex free material that is hypo allergenic. You can use any sort of lube with them but I recommend as little as possible as, too lubed up, they tend to slip out more easily.

My problem with Smartballs is their size. They measure 1 3/8 inches in diameter, which is totally do-able for just about anyone. However, they also measure 4 1/2 inches in length, which is deeper than many vaginal canals before arousal. They also have an elastomer covered retrieval string that - while it does the job well, can feel a bit irritating rubbing against the labia. For me, Smartballs are simply a little bit too long. The area where the string connects is a small, tapered bump on the end of the balls and this part always sits right at the entrance of my vagina, rubbing and, in general, feeling exceptionally uncomfortable. I like the way they work, I like the way the inner balls feel moving around inside the outer ones. I just can't ever feel comfortable with them inserted. I've never felt like they were going to slide out, they just don't... sit right.

How they'll work for you depends entirely upon your own anatomy. If you find longer toys easy to manage, even before you're fully aroused, these will likely work just fine. If not, I suggest a smaller version, like the Teneo Uno or SinFive Emigi.

Clean these up with soap and water or, if you want, you can bleach or boil them. I've done both and never had an issue.

Packaging is standard Fun Factory cardboard, shades of red, cream and grey. The Smartballs come with a neat Fun Factory pamphlet with instructions in multiple languages as well as a product flyer. They also include a sample of their lubricant - sometimes Toyfluid, sometimes Bodyfluid.

I really go thru phases with my smartballs.

Some days/months I like them a lot. Some days/months I hate them.

They're so cute, so colorful, so durable and dependable and yet, at times, they are just too long for me.

At other times they seem to be just fine.

It's weird. I guess hormonal changes must effect the length of my vaginal canal.

This month, I love these. Next month, I may be cursing them again for being too long.