Solar bullet - sex toy by Cal Exotics - review by Safo Garcia

This solar bullet contains an energy pack with a solar cell that charges from direct sunlight or any other light source (like a light bulb). It does not come with extensive instructions, but the package said that it needs 8 hours to get a full charge, which will give you 60 minutes of play.

The vibes are too concentrated in a small area to get me off clitorally, but I'm excited to try it on my partner, who tends to prefer such things. I really like that I can take this camping or to a foreign country and know that it will work! I won't be able to test it on my partner until she gets back from a trip, but I really hope it works for her because this is so convenient for travel.

Plus, the LED light on the bullet will be awesome if used inside of a dark tent!

The bullet itself is a typical small silver bullet. The package says it's ABS with silver plating, and it has the same smooth texture of a regular silver bullet. You can use any type of lube with this material, but you probably won't need to if you use it for clitoral stimulation, which is really what it's best for.

The LED light is on the tip of the bullet and protrudes like a little bump, but is smooth.

The small silver bullet is 2.25 inches long and .6 inches thick, and the cord that attaches it to the energy pack is a good three feet. The energy pack with the solar cell is about the size of a mini ipod, and is a bit smaller than how it appeared to me in the photo. It's 2 inches by 3 1/2 inches and less than half an inch thick. The energy pack is surprisingly light, much lighter than a pack filled with batteries would be.

I personally prefer the larger bullet size, but this smaller size is good for concentrated vibrations.

The energy pack in and of itself is pretty discrete; without the bullet you'd never guess its intended use.

The bullet connects to the energy pack via a small-size jack, so you should be able to replace it. I only have bullets with larger jacks, so I wasn't able to test this.

The bullet has a small LED light at its tip, which would make it especially helpful when you're camping and it's dark. The light cannot be turned off, however; it's on whenever the bullet is vibrating. Another LED light on the energy pack lights up when it's charging, so you can position it correctly near the light source.

I tried it on the window sill, and it lit up no problem. I also laid it down near a lamp, and that worked too. Charging it is easy; I only wish there were an indicator showing power level.

I left it running for about 15 minutes, and there was no change in intensity level. It also does run while it's charging, but I don't know if this is advisable, and there were no instructions addressing this.

A slider turns the vibration on and up. There is an increase in intensity from on to max, but it comes on near its max speed to begin with. It feels like it really has two speeds: high and max.

The vibrations are really concentrated in the relatively small tip; trying to lay it lengthwise did not work for me. Also, they're not the type of vibrations that I prefer. They're more sharp than throbby. I personally could not get off from placing the tip against my clit because the mechanics of it felt awkward to me and the vibrations were almost too intense for such a small area. This is really personal, and I think that if you like very concentrated vibrations, this could be a great toy for you.

This is not a sterilizeable toy, so it can't be shared unless you put a condom over it. In fact, a good tip for anyone wanting to insert it into the vagina is to put a condom over it and over the section of wire that connects to it so it can be retrieved without pulling on the wire. One of the most common reasons for bullets breaking is tugging on that wire.

If you use only on yourself and/or with a fluid bonded partner, it's still important to keep it clean so bacteria stays at bay. It can't be immersed in water, so use a moistened cloth to wipe it down after every use.

The package is simple and 100% paper, no plastic. It's made from recycled materials, and is not glossy, so you might be able to put it in with the paper recycling.

I wish that there were more detailed instructions included, as I would like to know if charging it for more than 8 hours can damage it, if it extends its life to discharge it fully before using it, if the bullet should be unplugged during charging, etc. As it is, there were only a few instructions printed on the outside of the package itself and they only said: 8 hours for full charge, 60 minutes of play, and the LED lights up when it's charging.

The package contains a link to a website where you can register the toy. Cal Exotics offers a 30day warranty with replacements in case of a mechanical failure.

UPDATE: My partner was very excited to try this toy, especially because it has so many travel options. She was able to orgasm with it but complained that it did take some time and she felt almost as if the vibes were concentrated in the tiny LED light that pops out at the end. She says she'd give it three stars, and more if we are able to connect another bullet to it without the LED light. Our spare bullet doesn't have the right-sized connector, so I might research that before our next trip.

I'm sad she's not into the LED light, because I was really excited about it when I remembered how our flashlight went out during our last camping trip, leaving us utterly in the dark.