Review: Doxy X Lovehoney Die Cast 3R

Over the years my favourite sex toys have changed considerably. After all, as my opportunities to test luxury products have increased and countless new innovations have gone to market, it should be without saying that my go-to options have also evolved, and it only takes a quick look at the difference between my 2018 Favourites post versus my 2020 version (which is already quite outdated) to see what I mean. But despite all this time, there is one product that has remained, and that is my favourite wand massager, the Magic Wand Rechargeable. In fact, not only is this toy my favourite massager, but my favourite sex toy in general, which, considering I’ve tested hundreds of adult products since I first got it in 2015, is very impressive. What’s perhaps even more impressive though is that there has only ever been one toy that has come close to knocking it off its pedestal. Yet while the Doxy Die Cast had so much going for it, its need to be constantly plugged-in during use meant it just couldn’t top the convenience of the Magic Wand Rechargeable. When I recently heard that Doxy had finally released a USB rechargeable version of their legendary massager, however…. well that’s all I needed to know.

Brand Recap

It’s been some time since I reviewed the Doxy Original alongside its second-generation Doxy Die Cast back in 2016. But while five years is a long time in this industry, I haven’t really missed that much from this luxury UK brand. Since then they’ve released their anal vibrator, The Don, alongside some gorgeous aluminium butt plugs, and in late 2017 they even announced the Doxy Die Cast 3. But while it boasted a smaller, lighter size and an unscrewable head (if you’ve ever tried to clean a wand massager, considering most aren’t waterproof, you’ll understand what a big deal this is), the fact that it was once again plug-in put me off, and I never ended up getting one. Plus, while it did receive good reviews, they seemed not enough to outshine the legacy of its predecessors, and I do feel the Die Cast 3 got mostly forgotten about over the years. Now flash-forward to last year and the launch of the Doxy Die Cast 3R. Staying true to everything people loved about the 3, the 3R had one key difference: it was finally rechargeable. Since then I’ve been understandably eager to get my hands on one, so it felt like a dream come true when Lovehoney, my favourite retailer, recently let me know they would be releasing an exclusive collab edition of the toy and that they wanted me to review it.

Product Description

The Doxy X Lovehoney Die Cast 3R is identical to the regular Doxy Die Cast 3R, with the exception of its beautiful purple handle that has been designed to match Lovehoney’s branding. Outside of this, the only two colours it comes in is Matte Black and a sparkly Blue Flame (although custom colours can also be ordered directly from Doxy), and between these two I do prefer the brighter purple, which has a wonderful shimmer to it. Then, as for its difference between the Doxy Die Cast 3, I believe they are the same in every way, other than the fact that the cord is no longer permanently attached, allowing you to charge it prior to use rather than needing to have it plugged-in during. Compared to my other two Doxy massagers, the most obvious change is its size, as at just 26cm / 10″ in length, opposed to the Original and Die Cast’s 34cm / 13″, it looks almost miniature. This does also allow it to be lighter, however, which was a major issue with the Die Cast due to its metal casing, taking it from 700g / 1.5lb down to just 360g / 0.8lb. All of this has been done with the intention to make it much more travel-friendly, which it absolutely is, but I also think it just makes it downright more user-friendly too. As for the less obvious difference between the 3 / 3R and past Doxy models, we have the removable silicone head. Designed primarily to allow for easier cleaning since this toy still isn’t waterproof, it has also given Doxy the opportunity to release a range of attachments that it can be replaced with, for play that is presumably much more effective than the simple silicone cover-style attachments you can get for other massagers. Overall though, while these differences are present, the Doxy X Lovehoney Die Cast 3R is still very much a Doxy massager in appearance, with its iconic three buttons, curved body, and imprinted logo all accounted for.

Packaging

My order for the Doxy X Lovehoney Die Cast 3R was placed with Lovehoney on the 7th of September and I received it on the 20th. Like usual the box was fully discreet, with no mention of what was inside or the sender. As for the packaging of the toy itself, this was quite simple, with an outer sleeve displaying the massager and a small amount of information regarding the Doxy X Lovehoney collaboration. Once this was removed however, the branding becomes solely Doxy’s, with a simple black box featuring nothing but their logo (which is just the letter D, but it uses the empty space to smartly create the appearance of a massager head), keeping it fully discreet. After opening this up I then found something I was certainly not expecting, which was essentially just a giant metal tube. Apparently one of the Die Cast 3R’s selling points over the Die Cast 3, this unexpected and sturdy 33cm / 13″ metal case is designed for easy travel storage (yes, that is the same length as the past Doxy models, and yes, I do see the irony in that it completely negates the point of the 3R’s smaller body), and features two removable ends, with one giving you access to the Doxy X Lovehoney Die Cast 3R (which is perfectly cushioned inside) and another acting as a container for the charging cable within. Stickers then give directions on the tube, but these can easily be removed so that nothing remains besides the logo at the top. I must say I very much like this, as it is unlike anything I’ve ever received with a toy before and offers some fantastic storage options. However, the downside is that it does feel a bit unfinished, as the charging cord area in particular is filled with a white dust-like substance that didn’t give me the best first impression upon opening it. Plus, once when screwing one of the ends on I had a sharp piece of metal flick up and almost cut me, which is not something I would expect from a luxury product of its price (or any product, really). In addition, the Doxy X Lovehoney Die Cast 3R also comes with an instruction manual, which is found in the same box as the metal case.

Charging

Absolutely the thing I was most excited for with the Doxy X Lovehoney Die Cast 3R was the fact that it is rechargeable. While the cords on my previous Doxy models were super long, I just always found having to repeatedly plug them in (or having to leave them there constantly), far less convenient than grabbing my always ready-to-go Magic Wand Rechargeable. Plus, being designed for a wall socket meant that you might need an adapter, which was the case for my Doxy Original. With the Die Cast 3R however, you can simply plug one end of its cord straight into its bottom and the other end into any USB port, with a red light where the power button is indicating charging. The downside, though, is that you can expect a wait time of approximately four hours if you’re starting from no charge, which will then give you only one hour of use at the highest speed. Now, I don’t have a list of charging times across all the toys I’ve tested somewhere, but I’d be willing to bet that’s the worst ratio I’ve ever seen. For comparison, the Magic Wand Rechargeable takes three hours and gives you three hours, and my second favourite wand massager, the We-Vibe Wand, only takes 90 minutes for two hours in return. What’s somehow even worse is then the fact that the Die Cast 3R cannot be used whilst charging. Now, this is the norm for most vibrators, but it is a feature I love with the Magic Wand Rechargeable as it means I never have to worry about not being able to use it, and considering this is the 3R’s biggest competition I was hoping they’d do something similar, especially since it would help negate the long charging times. Finally, you’ll need to make sure to take the toy out of its initial travel lock when you first get it, as it won’t charge whilst this is activated (which is not the norm, in fact, placing toys on charge usually turns the travel lock off automatically).

Controls

Controlling the toy is very straightforward and exactly the same as on my Doxy Die Cast. Three large and satisfying-to-press silicone buttons feature power, plus and minus symbols respectively, and these function exactly as you’d imagine, allowing you to turn on the massager and then increase or decrease the vibrations accordingly. The 3R initially starts on its lowest level, and there are then five speeds to choose from, which is a little less than the Die Cast’s seven. A memory function also means that if you turn the 3R off mid-session, it will place the toy back on the speed you turned it off during, which is a feature I have never been keen on with toys as it makes edging difficult. To turn on the toy’s one pattern mode (which is more like the levels rapidly increasing repeatedly), you can then hold down the power button for three seconds whilst the toy is off. Finally, you will need to deactivate the toy’s travel lock before charging or using it (which would probably be worrying if it wasn’t for the fact that it’s written clearly on the plastic it’s wrapped in when you first get it), and you can toggle this off and on by holding the power and minus buttons down for four seconds.

First Impressions

Being a Doxy, I had high expectations for the vibrations in the Die Cast 3R, even with the smaller body. Plus, I had also heard it is quieter than its predecessors, which was certainly an exciting notion. What I found when I first turned it on, however, was quite surprising. Firstly, it is definitely powerful, so don’t worry about that. In fact, I’d even go so far as to say it’s as powerful as the Doxy Die Cast, or at least it’s so strong that I cannot tell a discernible difference. But as I mentioned before, the 3R only has five speeds as opposed to the Die Cast’s seven, meaning it has less of chance to gradually build up to its intense final mode. This results in an initial speed that is super strong already, and while this may sound good on paper, it’s something I particularly dislike in toys as it means my body can become quickly overwhelmed and numbed out. As for the noise level, while it is still somewhat loud, I do agree that it is quieter than the Doxy Original and Die Cast, as well as the Magic Wand Rechargeable. However, whilst these three toys have more of a low rumbly hum, the 3R is high-pitched and buzzy-sounding (despite also being fairly rumbly), which does allow it to stand out a bit more when compared to the only slightly louder Magic Wand Rechargeable and Doxy Die Cast. Plus, if the head on the Die Cast 3R is only slightly out of place, and this can occur over the course of a session, it will instantly become much louder, to the point where it’s not just the loudest sex toy I’ve ever heard, but the loudest anything.

My Experience

Trying this toy for the first time, I was definitely concerned about the intensity of its first speed, and it seems I was right to be. Immensely strong, the vibrations here are what I’d expect the final level of most toys to feel like, and while this is great eventually, it makes the first few minutes of use difficult and frustrating. Essentially forcing my clitoris to go from 0 to 100 right from the get-go, I find it almost painful to apply directly, and so instead I have to lightly place it against myself in short bursts until I slowly warm up to it. Another way around this would be to use an alternative toy with gentler speeds first, such as level one of the Magic Wand Rechargeable, but I do feel like this defeats the purpose, especially for a toy as expensive as this. Once I am use to it though, my experience with the Doxy X Lovehoney Die Cast 3R is a very much a positive one. I find the vibrations extremely satisfying, and enjoy using all five levels of it, with the buttons making it extremely easy to control. Compared to the Die Cast and my other massagers though, the biggest difference is not only the size of the head, but how firm it is. With absolutely no give (which makes sense considering it’s just a thin piece of silicone with metal behind it), this has to be the firmest massager head I have ever experienced, and a big contrast from the Magic Wand Rechargeable and its predecessor’s relatively squishy heads. What this results in is stimulation that reminds me more of a clitoral vibrator, rather than a wand massager, as it means that the 3R isn’t able to fully envelope my clitoris to allow for its vibrations to travel deeper into my body like usual, instead feeling quite surface level. This isn’t to say the 3R is bad, however, rather I have some amazingly powerful orgasms with it, but it is just different to what I am accustomed to from this type of toy. Finally, while I didn’t find the metal handle made much of an impact during use, it certainly made itself known on cold days, in which I found it quite difficult to hold.

Cleaning & Care

While Lovehoney’s website states the Doxy X Lovehoney Die Cast 3R is splash-proof, the instructions, which I have more faith in, say it is not waterproof in any way. Thankfully this isn’t a problem though due to the removable head, which you can simply unscrew when it’s in need of a proper clean with soap and water. Personally I use massagers over my underwear most of the time and even when I do use them without a barrier they tend not to get too messy, and so I do feel like this ability is wasted on me slightly, but I do see the potential of it. As for unscrewing the head, this is super easy although can take a little while, and you do need to be careful not to touch the inside of it too much as it is full of a grease-style lubricant, presumably so it spins smoothly. If the body of the massager then gets messy, you can just wipe this down with a damp cloth. After this you can return it to storage, such as its metal tube. Also make sure to not use silicone-based lubricant with this product, as it may react badly to the silicone it is made of, but if you do then first perform a spot test.

Final Thoughts

Wand massagers are widely-known to be some of the most expensive sex toys on the market, with Doxy’s prices regularly leading the way. The Doxy X Lovehoney Die Cast 3R is no exception, and with a price tag of $300 AUD, not only is it the brand’s most expensive model yet, but almost twice the price of my beloved Magic Wand Rechargeable. So to say I had high expectations for a sex toy that is about half the cost of my monthly rent is an understatement. But while I was overjoyed to finally be able to combine the powerful vibrations Doxy is known for in a massager that doesn’t have a 3 meter cord sticking out of it, the fact that it only offers one hour of battery life after four hours of charge is simply not acceptable in 2021. Among my hundreds of products I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ratio quite as bad at this, so I definitely didn’t expect it from a toy that is now one of the most expensive things I own. Of course, there was then the fact that the lack of vibration levels don’t allow for an adequate starting speed, not to mention how the overly firm head barely feels like a massager at all. Overall, while I do prefer the Doxy Die Cast in use, the convenience of the 3R’s rechargeability is still enough to make it my favourite of the bunch, and it did give me some great orgasms in the end. But with just a $25 price difference between them, which one you should choose really depends on your feelings regarding plug-in cords. So whilst the Magic Wand Rechargeable obviously remains my top choice in terms of pleasure and price, Doxy is definitely still worth considering if you are looking to spend a bit extra on something more luxurious.

You can get the Doxy X Lovehoney Die Cast 3R for just $299.95 AUD at Lovehoney Australia or $199.99 USD at Lovehoney US, plus use my code HONEYX10 to get 10% OFF your total order!

I received this product in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Affiliate links have been used in this post.