Luna beads noir - vaginal balls discontinued by LELO - review by Kat Shanahan

The Luna Beads Noir is a toy used to perform effective Kegel exercises, tightening and strengthening the pelvic floor muscles. These muscles are essential in preventing such conditions as urinary incontinence, and can also provide non-medical benefits--namely, stronger orgasms (at least in some women).

There are many types of vaginal exercisers on the market, but vaginal balls are probably the most discreet and easiest to use, since they can be inserted and worn for an extended period of time. This means that women using them can practice their Kegels anytime, anywhere, without anyone being the wiser. Obviously, this is what the Luna Beads are meant to be used for.

The Luna Beads are composed of two small, weighted balls inside an optional harness. The "beads" are made of plastic (which in most cases shouldn't cause any irritation or other issues in terms of vaginal use) and the harness is made of silicone (which, obviously, is one of the safest materials available, since it can be sterilized). One of the beads also has a thin "retrieval" string in case you choose to use only one bead. The string doesn't seem particularly strong, which made me a bit leery at first, but if you don't yank on it like a maniac, you should be fine.

The beads are smooth with no texture at all, as is the harness. When you roll the beads around in your hand, you can feel the weighted balls inside the plastic. The vibrations aren't wickedly strong, but you can definitely feel them.

One thing I noticed right off the bat about the Luna beads--as opposed to the other vaginal balls I own--is that they are smaller than the others I've used. I've never had a pair of v-balls that I could say were really "uncomfortable", but the difference in size with these beads really did make a difference. I've always wanted a set of smaller beads, and these definitely fit the bill.

The harness is a little difficult to figure out, if you want to remove one bead to use on its own. I guess "difficult" isn't the word, really, but it does take a little bit of maneuvering to get the beads situated properly in the harness. You need to make sure that the slight "seam" in the beads line up with the harness, or the beads might come loose--and even if they don't come loose, if they're not seated properly in the harness, they just don't sit right. You can tell by looking, though, if the beads are seated properly. It only takes a minute or so to make sure everything is lined up right.

The toy itself comes in a fabulous-looking Lelo box that you could certainly use for storage, although I personally choose to store them in the pretty little silken storage pouch included in the box. (It's a lot easier to find room in my toy drawer for a little pouch than a box--even a small box!) Travelling with these balls wouldn't be an issue; all you'd have to do is pop them into your suitcase in their pouch and no one would be the wiser!

One of the first things I noticed about this toy is that it is amazingly easy to insert. As I said, I've used several different types of vaginal balls, and this is the first set I've had where I didn't have to use lube and twist myself up like a contortionist to get them in. (OK, maybe not like a contortionist, but I've always had to lay on my back and raise my pelvis and all that jazz so that I could get them into position.) With these, all I had to do was raise one leg (by putting my foot on my bed) and that was that. It was the easiest thing in the world to get them safely positioned where they need to be, with the string hanging out for easy retrieval.

To be honest, I wondered whether the harness would make a difference in the ease of insertion, or if the harness would make them uncomfortable to wear. But the harness doesn't seem to make one bit of difference--I still can't tell I'm wearing them, which is a big plus for me.

The only exception to that rule, of course, is when I actually do my Kegels. Although I can't feel the Luna Beads inside me, when I squeeze my PC muscles, I can tell that the beads are making a difference. And because the balls are smaller than the others I've used, I feel as though I'm getting more of a "workout". (That could just be my mind, but I swear it's true.)

I thought that because of the smaller size of the Luna Beads, I would be unable to feel the sensation of the weighted balls when I move, but that is definitely not the case. I can feel the vibrations when I move--they're not earth-shaking by any means, but they're undoubtedly there, and the fact that they're subtle makes them even more enjoyable in my opinion.

One of the best things about these balls is that they are so easy to take care of. They can be washed with mild soap and water (although obviously you should take care to rinse the soap away completely!) Because the beads themselves are plastic, they cannot be boiled, but in my opinion soap and water would do the best in terms of cleaning them.

A free sample of Lelo lube was included with this toy, and though I have not used it, I'm confident that it will be compatible with the toy (obviously, since the lube comes from the company itself). Because the beads themselves are made of plastic, if you choose to use one bead on its own, you can use any type of lube. If you choose to use the silicone harness, though, you should skip the silicone-based lube (as, paradoxically, silicone lubes can actually degrade silicone toys). Over time, silicone-based lubes can cause silicone toys to have a permanently sticky feel, and can even render them unusable. So beware!

The beads were very well-packaged, in a box that could even be termed pretty. Honestly, if the description of the toy weren't on the box, you could leave it out in plain sight.

Included with the toy is a nice little satin-like storage pouch with a drawstring, that is perfect for discreet storage wherever you want.

There is an in-depth instruction manual included with the toy, in several different languages. You certainly can't accuse Lelo of being shoddy with instructions! Although I have used several different types of vaginal balls, I appreciated the instruction manual because it aided in the proper positioning of the beads within the harness.