Review: Hot Octopuss PULSE DUO

I’ve been wanting to expand into reviewing products designed for the penis, testicles, and prostate for years. But as it’s not something I can do myself, it was starting to seem like it was never gong to happen. I haven’t ever met anyone I felt I could trust to do the job professionally enough for me, and sex toys aren’t something my partner has ever shown interest in for himself. That was, however, until Hot Octopuss contacted me about reviewing for them and I showed him the PULSE range. Hot Octopuss are a brand who excel at marketing, and he was quickly drawn in by how cool and modern their website is, as well as the sleek design of their multi-award winning toy. For the first time he actually wanted to try out a toy, and this was definitely helped by the fact that the PULSE DUO can also work for couples. So, here we are, about to jump into my first ever penis masturbator review with the help of my partner!

Product Description

I’ve been interested in the Hot Octopuss PULSE DUO ever since it was released, and if it was designed with me in mind I would have tried to get my hands on it straight away. It just looks really cool, and always reminds me of some kind of sleek sci-fi piece of tech. My previous review for Hot Octopuss was on the Queen Bee, where a big compliant I had was that it didn’t look very nice, but I definitely do not have this issue with the PULSE DUO. On the topic of the Queen Bee, the PULSE DUO uses the same special technology, Hot Octopuss’s PulsePlate. This means that instead of the toy using traditional vibrations, it actually uses oscillations that are located on a raised plate featuring the company’s logo. The toy then features all the usual functions you’d expect, such as being USB rechargeable, waterproof, and made with body-safe silicone. There are three buttons on the toy which are raised for easy use, and on the toy’s base is the magnetic charging plate. A secondary Hot Octopuss logo is then also printed into the silicone on the toy’s wings, just in case you forget who makes it.

It’s already sounding great, but wait… there’s more! There isn’t just one PULSE, but two. Like I mentioned before, this toy is designed for couples. But if you don’t have a partner to use it with and would rather save some money? Hot Octopuss have got you covered with the PULSE SOLO, which is essentially just the toy I described above. But, if you do have a partner, you can pay a little bit more for the PULSE DUO, which is the version of the toy I am reviewing today. The DUO has everything the SOLO does, but includes the addition of another vibrator on the back of the toy, which can be controlled by a remote. The idea is then that the penis can be inserted into the toy whilst your partner rests their clitoris against the back of it, so that they may also be stimulated. So it’s not designed to be used during penetrative sex, like a couples vibe might be, but instead during foreplay or non-penetrative sex (which is what makes this product so amazing for those who find penetration painful or who have trouble with erections). There are then a few other slight differences between the SOLO and DUO, such as their shade of black (with the DUO having a more blue-ish tone), but nothing else important.

Packaging

My order with Hot Octopuss was sent on the 29th of March and I received it by the 4th of April, which was super fast since it was coming from the UK. As with my previous order for the Queen Bee, the box was discreet except for the product being listed as “Duo sample”, which was frustrating, but at least it is far more discreet than last time’s “Queen Bee Sample”. Previously Hot Octopuss’s cheaper style of packaging surprised me as I consider this a luxury brand, although this time I came to expect it. Similar to the Queen Bee, the PULSE DUO just comes in a basic cardboard box which has pictures of the toy and instructions on its use. Inside, the toy then rests in a simple card mold along with its instruction booklet, charging cables, remote control, and good-quality storage bag. The product also comes with a 1 year manufacturers warranty.

Charging

As the Hot Octopuss PULSE DUO is USB rechargeable, charging it is very simple. Just plug the USB end into a USB port, and then place the magnetic end onto the charging plate of the toy. The magnet for this toy is quite strong, so you shouldn’t have too many issues with it falling off. One thing I love about the charger is that it has Hot Octopuss’s logo on it, making it easy to identify which charger works with this toy if you’re like me and have many. When charging the light on the toy will display red, and this will change to green when it is fully charged. The toy should take 4 hours on its first charge, and then three hours after that, which will give you 1 hour of playtime. This is a similar ratio to the Queen Bee, which is one of the worst I’ve seen.

Controls

Controlling the toy is fairly simple and easy. There are three buttons on the toy itself, two on one side that features plus and minus symbols, and one by itself on the other side which doesn’t have a symbol, but is called the function button in the instructions. These are all raised, so it makes finding them extremely easy if you can’t see them. To turn the toy on and off, press and hold the function button (I think a power button symbol would have been beneficial here) for two seconds. You can then press the plus button to increase the oscillation strengths, for which there are nine levels, and the minus button to decrease them again. You can then press the function button again to cycle through the 6 pattern modes, and these also respond to the different oscillation strengths. Finally, you can hold the plus button down for three seconds, which will put the toy into “turbo” mode, which is just a short-cut to the strongest oscillation strength. This is all very similar to the way the Queen Bee worked, and I really love it, especially the ability to alter the strength of the pattern modes.

The Remote

When using the PULSE DUO together with a partner, you need to activate the vibrations on the back of the toy so that they may enjoy it as well. This can only be done through use of the remote, so don’t lose it! The remote is a small single-button device that is run by batteries that are included. It automatically connects to the toy, and when the toy is on you can just click the button to cycle through the three vibration strengths. This definitely isn’t as interesting as the functions on the toy itself, but still acceptable.

First Impressions

When I turn on the Hot Octopuss PULSE DUO’s oscillations they really pack a punch. Similar to the Queen Bee, they are super deep and rumbly, which quickly lets you understand the difference between oscillations and typical vibrations. One big issue I had with the Queen Bee was that it was way too loud, and I’m glad to report that the PULSE’s oscillations are not as bad as its sister toy. But it is still pretty loud, and with a higher pitch than the Queen Bee too. Then, once the remote-controlled vibrations are turned on as well… the toy actually does match the Queen Bee in being one of the loudest vibrators I own (quite impressive for its small size!). In regards to the vibrations, I actually find them super buzzy and really hard to actually feel. I know they are there, because I can hear them, but I think they are drowned out by the rumbliness of the oscillations, which their buzziness is no match for.

Our Experience

As this is my partner’s first masturbator, it took him a little while to get use to it. But he really enjoying trying it out, and found it very pleasurable. He noted the sensations as being very unique compared to manual masturbation, and while it wasn’t a life-changing difference to what he is use to, he is definitely eager to keep using the toy once testing is over. The PULSE is great because it can be used in a variety of different ways, most notably with and without lubricant, and as both a stroker and static. My partner’s favourite combination of these methods was as a stroker without lubricant, although he did find that the static method worked well too (which surprised him!). While he thoroughly enjoyed using the toy, one main issue he found throughout all of his testing was that the PULSE is quite heavy and bulky, and that something lighter and thinner would have been far preferred.

Watching my partner have so much fun trying out the Hot Octopuss PULSE DUO (as we wanted him to get use to it first) made me super eager to try it out as a couple. I wasn’t sure what to expect, although after our last couples toy disaster I think my standards were pretty low, but I can tell you now that this completely exceeded all expectations. Using it with me on top is by far our favourite method, as it means his penis can rest inside the toy’s wings, while I can grind against the back of it. Even though the vibrations aren’t the best, the rumbliness of the oscillations really comes through, and I find it hugely pleasurable. Using it with him on top is alright, but I find it much harder to get into a good position, and he finds it pulls a little too uncomfortably on his foreskin. My only negative to this experience, is that while I love having the remote to control my vibrations, to adjust his oscillations we still need to stop what we’re doing and start trying to use the buttons on the toy (which are often lubed up and slippery). So I think it would work a lot better for couples use if the remote could control both aspects of the toy. But other than this I have nothing but praise for the DUO aspect of the PULSE.

Cleaning & Care

Cleaning the Hot Octopuss PULSE DUO is very easy since it is waterproof, and also because it is an external toy so it won’t get too messy. After use just give it a wipe down with some soap or soak it in some soapy water, and then rinse with clean water. You can then either let it air dry or dry it yourself, and then return it to its storage bag.

Final Thoughts

Overall both my partner and I really enjoyed trying out the Hot Octopuss PULSE DUO. It had a few issues, most notably the noise level and battery life, but nothing major. Then, not only did it work fantastically for its main purpose as a masturbator, but using it as a couples toy also totally rocked. This is definitely our new favourite foreplay toy, and for times where penetrative sex is less ideal (for instance when I have my period), this makes for a great alternative. Plus, while we thoroughly enjoyed it, I can’t even begin to imagine what a difference this would make to couples who have issues with erections and / or penetration. My partner would definitely recommend this product to anyone looking for a high-quality masturbator, and we’d both recommend it to any couples looking to spice things up, particularly in regards to foreplay.

You can get the PULSE DUO directly from Hot Octopuss for just $189.95 AUD / $149.95 USD!

Last updated: 9/4/24

Price at the time of writing: $189 AUD / $149 USD

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