Lily - clitoral stimulator by LELO - review by thehistorian

The Lily is the perfect toy for a beginner, and it's even better for someone looking for a lagniappe - a little something extra. Lily is clearly, given its little curve, intended as a clit/labia/vulva vibe. But don't stop there! With multiple intensities and the easily-targeted vibrations, this is one toy you'll want to move around. The Lily's soft texture provides perfect stimulation for sensitive nipples, erections, or any other easily-accessible area. While the material is easy to clean, Lily isn't a truly insertable toy, possibly her only limitation. Lily would be an ideal addition to partner play; her size and shape makes her unobtrusive and easily wielded in semi-public or power/surprise situations as well.

The Lily is made of phthlate-free ABS, with a satiny matte finish. At first, I thought the material might be uncomfortable without lube, but I was happily proven wrong. The finish glides nicely along skin and doesn't "grab" at hair - even longer hair - making it ideal for full-body sensation play. Even after over a year's worth of frequent uses, with careful cleaning the Lily retains no scent or residue from lube or cleanser.

Lily's design is, in a minimum of descriptors, both comforting and inspirational, making it ideal for beginners. Although every body is shaped differently, the Lily should be fairly easy to use for anyone - regardless of build. The gentle curve lends itself to propping on the mons or cupping under the testicles and is easily held in place in partner or barely insert-able toy play. The vibe is very easy to hide; its simple black satin bag package is almost too easy to tuck away, as I've misplaced mine once. I have flown with the Lily in both a carry-on and my checked baggage without incident, and it along with its charger take up far less room than many cell phones and chargers.

The Lily is very easy to operate. With two buttons - an up and a down - and very quick response time, even a wrong "tap" is easily corrected. The buttons light up when the toy is being charged and when the button is depressed, ideal for making sure you're hitting the correct one. The Lily's vibrations are most intense in the pointed "tip" end, although they're felt to a somewhat lesser degree throughout the toy. I particularly like two features on the Lily - depressing the "down" button turns the toy from full on (speed 5) to off in a matter of seconds; and holding down both buttons on the toy while off will "lock" it, preventing the dreadful "please let that be someone's cell phone and not my toy" moment of panic.

A note on power: Lily takes about two hours to charge, and will blink both buttons at you whilst doing so. When you've a full charge, the buttons stay lit as long as it's on the charger. Once removed, the specs say you have about 90 days of standby charge, and though I've never pushed the outer limit of this time frame, I was able to get close to an hour's use out of the toy after almost a month past a full charge. The standby and rechargeable features are lovely - no more dead batteries!

The single caveat I would offer on operation is that the buttons are quite small - about the size and shape of the edge of a small SD card - and while they're covered in the same satiny material as the rest of the vibe, they're harder/slicker. If used by someone with limited manual dexterity, the Lily may prove frustrating; the "slicker" buttons may also be difficult to depress by someone with long or artificial nails.

The Lily comes with her own black satin pouch, ideal for discreet transportation and for hiding in plain sight while charging. Lily is lube compatible, although the satiny finish may allow you to go au naturale. Lily shouldn't be boiled, thrown in the dishwasher or submerged, and in fact, I use a spray cleaner and a soft, lint-free cloth to clean up. Lily's plug end is open, so I'm very cautious about both cleaning and lube at the non-business end.

Lily comes in a lovely package. A sturdy, sleek cardboard sleeve protects the interior box, which in my case was purple and black. The packaging is suitable both for gift giving and storage.

The Lily was my first "grownup" vibrator, a gift to myself for one of those landmark birthdays. It lends itself to initial experimentation quite nicely, but is also well made enough to stay quite some time with someone who's new to toys. Even if its intensity eventually wanes in comparison to other, more high-powered toys, the Lily is confident enough in her strengths to work well in tandem with others - both toys and partners.

The Lily is discreet and powerful - both in enough measure to be my usual travel companion. She may be a bit weak for users accustomed to jackhammer stimulation, but for partnered fun, I can't think of anyone I'd rather have along. Lily is small enough to accommodate multi-partner and multi-toy play. On the low setting, partners enjoy the Lily on labia or scrotum. A notch or two higher, and it's positively delicious on nipples and along erections during dual masturbation. I can think of only one warning - in addition to the "small buttons" one, and that is of its power outlet at the base. Please ensure you're careful with lube/oil/wax/water near that opening.