Deux - discreet massager discontinued by Zini - review by Kayla

With little surprise to most people who have read my reviews, I'm really in love with Zini toys. I think they show an amazing amount of quality and thought, and their designs really "push the limit" as what has been possible in the past with sex toys. While not always perfect, I think Zini toys generally show an amount of innovation that really impressed me.

The Zini Deux is no different. The Deux (which is French for "both") is actually two seperate vibrators in one. These vibrators each have their own control pads and charging ports, and each vibrator is ergonomically designed for "his" and "her" pleasure. The two vibrators, when not in use, do fit together to make an oval-like ball, and they fit together by use of relatively strong magnets that holds the two vibrators together. You may not choose to store them this way because the Zini Deux will roll around (when bumped) while in this oval-like state.

The packaging for the Zini Deux befits a king - as usual. The box itself is sturdy, and the box "slides" open to reveal the charging cord, instruction books, and storage bags in a bottom storage compartment under the box itself. The Zini Deux sits in a tray on the upper-shelf of the box, and while this box is very classy and can be used for storage, it also is much larger than the toy, so I choose to keep my Zini Deux in the storage bag that it comes with. The storage bag is large enough for the Deux toy itself, but it will not fit the instruction books and charger too which was a downside for me as that's how I like to store my vibes.

Charging the Zini Deux is extremely easy. It has a charging port at the base of the vibrator that can be opened to insert the charging cord. However, there is only one charging cord while both Zini Deux vibrators must be charged seperately. If you own another Zini product, their charging cords are interchangeable, so you can use a different charging cord. The toys come charged (and locked!), but for the most part, it takes about 2 hours of a charge to get a 2-3 hour use of the vibrator. They can't be charged for more than 24 hours or it could harm the toy. The charging ports can be a bit difficult to open, but they do come open and close.

The vibrations of the Zini Deux is where this toy will not be a favorite of mine. As the Zini Seed has received accolades of being "very powerful", I was expecting the same type of power from the Zini Deux. However, I purchased my Zini Seed at the same time as the Deux, and I'm sad to say that both the Zini Seed and Deux share the exact same power level - which is the lower end of moderate. The vibrations are very surface-y, and neither the boyfriend or I could get anywhere near orgasm with either of the vibrational strengths. Each half of the vibrator has identical vibrations as well. The Zini Deux is extremely hard to hear, and with music/television on, it can't be heard in the same room.

The vibration controls, like all Zini toys, really impresses me. The Zini Deux goes an extra step. For those who have issues seeing or those who like to play in the dark, the Zini Deux's controls have a concave and a convex system. The + button is raised up some while the - button is a little "hole", so even in the dark, you can tell which one of the buttons you want to press. The buttons themselves also have the same colored LED background controls that other Zini toys have. To control the vibrations, you press the + and - buttons, and to switch from regular, steady vibrations to the patterns, you press the center "O" button.

Unlike the Hua, Seed, Zook, and Ran, this vibrator only has four different backlight colors - it has white for the steady vibration patterns, an orange flash for when you change from steady vibrations to mode vibrations, a green flash when you move "up" in the mode vibrations, and a red flash when you move "down" in the mode vibrations. The toy is extremely easy to control like this, and I love a lot of the patterns. My favorite is the "random" which lets the vibrator do whatever it feels like; it's pretty unpredictable. The Zini Deux does have a lock feature for travel mode.

The design is the one place where it could be hit or miss for you. The female-designed side is specially designed with a tip to slip between the labia for pleasure. I actually found this design worked well, and I had no issues with it. However, the male designed one seems like it was designed mostly just to fit around the female-designed one. I'm not really sure what the intended purpose of the design was, but it basically is just a concave shape. For use, we found that it does well with laying up against the shaft of the penis. The penis like "slips" into the shape really nicely. I've heard people talk about testicle vibrations with this, but unless you have a partner to help, that may not be the most comfortable position. This vibrator also "cups" the breast (a bit awkwardly, but it does), if you like nipple stimulation.

A lot of people have expressed concern over the price of the Zini Deux. While I will admit that I too suffered from "sticker shock", when you think about it, it makes perfect sense. After all, most luxury vibrators at are least $80 (with most Lelos being much, much higher). While the Zini "seems" higher than that, you have to remember that you are getting two different luxury vibrators (which more features than most!) for that price. Even their Zini Seed is priced higher than the individual price of each one of the Zini Deux vibrators. So while it might seem expensive, just think about the fact that you're receiving two luxury vibrators, and it makes a lot more sense.

The Zini Deux is easy to clean. It can be cleaned with warm water and antibacterial soap, but beware the charging port at the base as this is only splashproof. It's compatible with all types of lubricant, and for storage, I keep mine in the storage bag. As the vibrator doesn't pick up lint or require any special cleaning, it can really be kept anywhere. However, do keep in mind that there are magnets in this vibrator, so I'd avoid placing it near electronics or credit cards- just to be safe.

I absolutely love all of the features on the Zini Deux. In fact, if ths had stronger vibrations, this would easily be one of our all-time favorite toys because of the easy storage and the his/her ends (having "his/her" sides is surprisingly sexy and fun as long as you can talk your partner into using a vibrator). The features are really perfect, and while the design requires a bit of creative thinking, the toy itself is really well-made, and I love the innovation behind it. I just wish it had stronger vibrations. However, if you understand that the Zini Deux is meant to be more of a foreplay vibrator than a climax toy, you can have a lot of fun with it.