Cobra Libre II - vibrating masturbator discontinued by Fun Factory - review by Kindred

The basic design of masturbators for men has not changed much since they were first invented. Whether they are made of silicone, jelly, or a simulated skinlike material, whether they look like a mouth, ass, or alien pussy, the formula has remained the same: create a tubular device for your cock to thrust in. Well, Fun Factory has introduced the Cobra Libre to blow away all of your preconceived notions about masturbators. Rather than rely on thrusting or stroking motions, this toy instead is designed to provide intense and stimulating vibrations directly to the head of your penis. Because of this difference in mechanism, the Cobra Libre is not intended to be a "three pumps and you're done" toy. It really requires some time and patience to fully enjoy, but you can pretty much enjoy it in any position you like whether it be sitting, lying down, or even standing. It's a great toy option for anyone looking for a totally different masturbation experience and can be used either solo or as a warm up for couples.

The Cobra Libre is made of plastic and silicone. The majority of the shell that houses the motor is composed of plastic with a matte finish. The plastic is smooth, but the matte finish provides a slight amount of texture for easier gripping. The top of the toy consists of highly reflective plastic with a glossy finish to allow for the touch sensitive control buttons. The penis sleeve portion of the toy is composed of a soft and flexible silicone. There is no odor associated with either material and both appear to be high quality.

Fun Factory designed the Cobra Libre to invoke childhood memories of toy race cars and they have succeeded admirably. There is no doubt that this toy resembles a futuristic racing car with its bold color choices and aerodynamic lines. Heck, I've been known to go "Vroom" as I drive my new favorite toy onto my erect cock (was that tmi?). I've always dreamed of getting a convertible roadster sports car for my mid-life crisis, and now I don't have to. Talk about going for a joy ride!

The sleeve portion of the Cobra Libre is made of soft and flexible medical grade silicone. Although the silicone stretches, the degree with which it can expand is limited by the fact that it is molded onto the plastic shell housing the toys engine. The opening of the sleeve is approximately 2" in diameter and narrows to about a 1" diameter inside with a 3" depth. This should be sufficient to accommodate most men since it is not designed to engulf the entire length of the penis but only the head portion. Inside the sleeve, there is a slight dimpled depression designed for you to rest the head of your cock for positioning of the toy. The overall size of the toy is relatively small and can fit in the palm of your hand, so it would travel well despite weighing in at 2 lbs.

The control pad is touch sensitive and consists of three buttons: (A) On/Off, (B) Reduce Vibrating Speed, (C) Increase Vibrating Speed. Turning the toy on or off requires depressing the button for 2-3 seconds to activate. This is a nice feature as it prevents accidentally turning the toy on or off when not intending to. Additionally, there is a light that flashes each time one of the control buttons is properly depressed. The light also flashes in patterns when the pre-set vibration patterns are used.

The shape of the toy is ergonomic and designed to be cradled in the palm of your hand. Based on the position of the control buttons, I would say it is easier to use this toy in one's right hand as this allows the speed increase button to be readily accessed. I did find it a little cumbersome to hold properly positioned on my cock while changing the vibrations. It was slightly awkward to have it rest in a comfortable position and still be able to reach the control buttons. This may be due to the size of my hands, although I think it would take an extremely large hand to be able to reach across the top to reach the decrease speed button. Occasionally I found it easier to hold the Cobra Libre in both hands to be able to adjust the speed up and down as needed.

The Cobra Libre starts off in 20 increasing speed increments before entering pre-programmed vibration patterns. Since there are so many, I will only describe when I detect a change in the type of vibration produced. Each subsequent level increases that same type of vibration until I note another change in the vibration quality:

1. Idle. This is the speed the toy starts out in and very much resembles a car in idle.
5. The toy starts to rumble like a well-tuned hot rod.
8. Vibration starts to display a pulsing pattern.
13. Fast deep vibration with a throbbing component.
17. Much higher pitched high speed vibration.
20. The final speed reminded me of a plane shortly after take-off.

Admittedly, it was difficult to count each vibration level accurately as the number of levels seems to change each time I count them. My guess is this discrepancy may be due to the responsiveness of the control pad. There may be times when I depress the button and the light flashes, but the speed level does not actually change. The pre-set vibration patterns incorporate each of the components of the various speeds including pulsing, throbbing, and escalating speeds between patterns. There are so many it's impossible to categorize every one. You really need to experience them and see exactly which ones you prefer. You would think that having so many speeds and vibration patters would be a huge asset to the Cobra Libre. However, I found it somewhat of a detriment in that it was nearly impossible to alternate between two different patterns easily. Scrolling through patterns trying to find a previous one was occasionally a distraction to the task at hand. On the positive side, you are sure to find at least one pattern that stimulates you.

Since the Cobra Libre is made of plastic and silicone, cleaning is very simple. The chamber is only 3" deep and so access to the inside for cleaning purposes is easy. I would suggest using warm water and an anti-bacterial soap to clean both the inside and outside of the toy. The Cobra Libre is waterproof for cleaning purposes but submerging the toy in water is not recommended. Afterward, simply allow it to air dry and store either in the original clam-shell packaging or your method of choice. I would recommend separating it from other toy materials to prevent possible reactions with the silicone portion. And since the sleeve is made of silicone, it is generally recommended that you only use water based lubricants.

The Cobra Libre has a rechargeable battery that utilizes the Fun Factory Click 'N' Charge magnetic plug. It is recommended that the toy be fully charged before its first use and each time before storing. Charging should only take a few hours. Once fully charged, the Cobra Libre should function at the maximum setting for about an hour. The charger attaches magnetically to the Fun Factory logo at the rear of the toy and plugs into the wall to charge. Since the connection is magnetic, I did find that I occasionally had to play with the position to ensure that the connection was correctly charging. The charger has the unfortunate design flaw when used on the Cobra Libre in that when properly attached, the cord extends downward and has a tendency to bump into the table surface the toy is resting on. This can have the unfortunate effect of displacing the charger from its proper position. I avoid this issue by propping up the rear of the toy. There's nothing worse than wanting to use a toy only to find it never charged properly.

The Cobra Libre comes in a cardboard box with two sides cut out so that you can see the toy suspended inside its plastic clam-shell packaging. The box is tasteful enough to be used as a gift box and does not scream sex toy in any way. In fact, Fun Factory designed it to look like a toy car and they succeeded. However, closer inspection of the box will reveal phrases such as "vibrating stimulator for men" and "love yourself!" which betray the true contents.

The box contains a fold out instruction booklet printed in multiple languages. The instructions contain directions on how to charge the toy, functions and use of the toy, and typical precaution/warning statements such as "Never use charger in the bathroom or bathtub!" The package also contains two samples of Fun Factory's own water-based lubricant, Toyfluid, which the instructions recommend using. However, your favorite water-based lubricant will work equally well.

The range of vibration intensity generated by the Cobra Libre varies from barely a buzz at idle level to blow you through the wall at maximum. Add to this power fluctuating patterns that incorporate pulsing and throbbing, and you have one uniquely amazing toy. It's an interesting toy because it is so powerful and stimulating, and yet it does not bring you to climax immediately. In fact, I found it can take awhile to actually climax using this toy alone. The stimulation level is intense and I would compare it to that point of enjoyment slightly before you actually climax. It feels great and you want more, but you just keep cruising along which may be frustrating for some. That's why you really have to give this toy some time. It's like a long tease session with someone playing with just the tip of your cock. It feels great, but you just want more. Ive found that solo sessions typically take 30 minutes or so, but can be quicker with other stimulation.

Because the Cobra Libre relies on powerful vibrations, I have found that varying the intensity provides more stimulation. Much like a powerful vibrator for women can lead to numbness, maintaining the toy at the same speed and intensity level can lead to a loss of sensation. Once I find a pattern that feels good, I keep it there until I get really stimulated and start to want more and then I change up the vibration pattern to stimulate myself in a different way. It takes patience to slowly build up the intensity level to the point of climax. One thing I did notice with prolonged sessions is that my hand did start to feel some numbness from holding the toy at a high vibration level. It's somewhat like when using a lawnmower and your fingertips get tingly.

While reviewing the Cobra Libre, I wound up reviewing a vibrating prostate massager at the same time and decided to try the two toys together. The combination of using two vibrating toys simultaneously is absolutely amazing. While using one of the lower speeds on the Cobra Libre I matched the vibration frequency on the prostate massager and got the two toys to synchronize. Feeling the vibrations start from the head of your cock and go down the shaft, and then continue into your ass all the way to your prostate is something you're just going to have to experience yourself. At that low intensity level it was not enough to make me orgasm, but it was enough to take my breath away with pleasure. The one drawback is that once I started to rev up the Cobra Libre it quickly over powered the prostate massager to the point that I could no longer sense the vibrations internally. Now if someone can create a P-spot attachment for the Hitachi magic wand and combine it with the Cobra Libre you'll never get the smile off my face again.

Despite the few negatives I've described in my review, I wholeheartedly give the Cobra Libre 5 stars. It is an amazing and unique toy that every man's penis should experience.