Review: Lovehoney x Love Not War Amore

I’ve spoken here about the need for a greater emphasis on sustainability within the sex toy industry quite a few times. It’s something I’ve been passionate about for as long as I can remember (I was one of three members of the sustainability council in primary school), and as I’ve gotten older this has only increased. Plus, when you receive as many sex toys as I do, you quickly realise the sheer level of waste they create, from the oversized packaging, huge instruction manuals, unnecessary plastics, and more, and that’s before you even begin think about the toys themselves and the vast amount that must be sitting in landfill right now. Typically though when I address it here it’s because of steps a small business is taking, from the eco-conscious creation of Deeper Blue Ceramic’s gorgeous pieces, to the low-waste packaging of Geeky Sex Toy’s orders, but this year for the first time I’m starting to see bigger brands consider changing things up too. Recently at the blog we’ve seen a lot of Lora DiCarlo’s beautiful storage bags that are proudly made from 100% recycled plastic found in the ocean, and now with announcements from more major brands about their commitment to sustainability, such as Womanizer’s new PREMIUMeco, I think we’re finally on the right track. So today we’re taking a closer look at one of the products that’s got me so excited for the future of this industry and finding out if Lovehoney’s latest collaboration with sustainable brand Love Not War feels as good to use as it does to support.

The Brand

When I first heard Lovehoney had teamed up with a brand whose entire concept is based on sustainability, I could not have been more excited. While I wasn’t aware of Love Not War before, nor their parent brand AUDO (Xiamen) Technology, which seems to be a primarily Chinese brand with no other experience in this industry as far as I can tell (despite what their website says, which lists them as experts in the field), I was more than a little intrigued by their unique mission. To start with, in combination with body-safe silicone, they’ve also used recycled aluminium as a primary material for their toys, an uncommon medium that they chose due to it being one of the most widely and easily recycled materials globally, and what little plastic they do use is recycled within the factory. Their packaging is then also low-waste, keeping things simple with recycled card and sugar cane, alongside a reusable storage bag made out of bamboo. As for the products themselves, Love Not War have considered every detail, offering a modular range of toys so that you only need buy one electrical component, which can then be switched out with six interchangeable heads. Unfortunately though at the time of writing the heads are not sold separately, which kind of nullifies this extra step, but I have been reassured that this is something the two brands are hoping to follow through on soon.

Product Description

Since they are modular, the four products within the Lovehoney X Love Not War range all look quite similar (two more can also be seen on Love Not War’s website, but aren’t currently available), being sleek extensions of the aluminium end that screws onto each of them. With a circumference of just 7.6cm / 3 inches, each of the silicone heads must continue at the same size, and thus most of the items work best as clitoral vibrators rather than vaginal toys. To keep things simple with this review so I could spend more time focusing on the quality of the item itself, I opted for the simplest attachment available: the Amore. Short and stout, the Amore features the classic lipstick bullet vibrator shape that’s reminiscent of the We-Vibe Tango (a favourite of mine and another reason why I requested the Amore), although the flat end has more of an outwards curve than pictures really show. Available only in grey (a striking orange that I adore can also be seen on Love Not War’s website but isn’t available yet), the matte silicone is then firm but with a soft end so that its tip may be angled as you wish. The silicone portion is then where most of the weight of the toy lies, as at 100g this is quite heavy for a bullet, and it is here you can find the Love Not War and Lovehoney logos, as well as the control button at the very end. Unscrewing this, you can then either switch to another head if you have one, or connect the toy to its USB charger. In addition the Amore is also fully waterproof, and although its size makes it far larger than a typical bullet, allowing it to work for vaginal play, it is not anal safe.

Packaging

My order with Lovehoney for the Lovehoney x Love Not War Amore was placed around the 19th of March and I received it on the 29th. As usual the box was fully discreet, with no mention of the sender or contents, and you can view my full unboxing here. The packaging for the toy itself was then what I expected, being simple and low-waste while still remaining stylish and modern. A simple card box featuring a sticker with some information on the toy, this can then be tore open (reducing the need for plastic security seals) to reveal the toy resting securely in another piece of card. Included is the charging cord and a beautiful bamboo storage bag that features the Love Not War logo, alongside two instruction manuals, one being printed on black card and working as a quick-start guide, and the other being a more typical manual that covers everything else. In addition the Amore also comes with a 2 year limited warranty.

Charging

Since the Lovehoney x Love Not War Amore is USB rechargeable, charging it is easy. Simply plug one end into a USB port, and the other end into the hole in the aluminium portion that becomes available when the device is unscrewed. When charging the button at the end of the toy will flash, and once complete this will become solid. Charging should then take roughly two hours, and this will give you around one hour of play time.

Controls

Like most bullet vibes, the Lovehoney x Love Not War Amore only has one button, which makes controlling it easy and means you don’t really need to refer to the instructions much (other than perhaps when wondering why it won’t turn on when it first arrives, which is because the travel lock is on and unlike other toys this is not deactivated by charging). Basically, you can start the Amore by just pressing the button once, which will put you on the lowest steady speed, and then you can continue clicking it to cycle through the ten different modes, four of which are steady speeds and six of which are patterns (the marketing suggests it has seven patterns, but it is including the steady speed as one). Then to turn the toy off again you can hold down the button for three seconds. Finally, if you would like to lock the toy for travel, this can be activated and deactivated by holding the button down for six seconds, with success being indicated by it vibrating a few times.

First Impressions

I’ve tried a few modular toys so far for the blog, but as great as an idea as it is, I feel there is always a disconnect between the two elements that ultimately means the product isn’t as powerful as it would be otherwise. So it was because of this that vibration strength was definitely the biggest concern going into this review for me. Turning on the Lovehoney x Love Not War Amore for the first time however, I was quite surprised and taken aback at how genuinely powerful this little toy is. Fairly rumbly, the Amore also has a great range of speeds and a good depth to its strong vibrations, and while they get more buzzy as the speed increases, they definitely put any doubts I had previously entertained about this product at ease. What’s more, there is barely any residual vibrations on the aluminium handle, allowing you to hold it without numbing out your hand, which is a common complaint with these smaller vibes. As for the “whisper quiet” noise level, this unfortunately is something the Amore doesn’t live up to, as it is fairly loud and may be risky to use if you require privacy.

My Experience

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the Lovehoney x Love Not War Amore’s powerful vibrations, sleek design and easy controls combined to make using this vibrator a lot of fun. The rumbliness of the vibrations are just perfect on my clit, as is the range of vibration speeds, and it doesn’t take much to give me some incredibly quick and satisfying orgasms. Plus, the soft silicone makes using it alongside other toys much easier than say the hard plastic of the We-Vibe Tango, and being able to switch between broad stimulation and pin-point pleasure depending on how you hold it is a delight. Something I didn’t expect to love quite so much though was the unusually large size of it, as I not only found it easier to hold, but it also allowed for more of my vulva to be stimulated, and I have thoroughly enjoyed lying its whole length along me and closing my legs around it, something I could never do with a smaller bullet like the Dame Kip. On that note, while I do ultimately prefer the design and vibes of the Kip over the Amore, I did enjoy it more than the Hot Octopuss AMO, which until now was my second favourite bullet vibrator. Perhaps the only downside to this toy is the button, which I do find a little difficult to press with one hand due to its small size at the end of what is a fairly long toy. But overall this really didn’t feel like it mattered considering how good everything else was.

Cleaning & Care

Since the Lovehoney x Love Not War Amore is fully waterproof and also primarily for external use, cleaning it should be super easy. Simply wipe it down with some soapy warm water, rinse, and then leave to air dry. If you have used it vaginally, then you may also want to give it a deeper clean with a spare soapy toothbrush, especially where the silicone meets the aluminium, as bacteria may hide here. You can then store it in the bag it came with. Finally, don’t use silicone-based lubricant with this product, as it may react badly to the silicone it is made of.

Final Thoughts

Such a high standard has been set for bullet vibrators at this point that it often seems new products, especially one from a completely new brand, can’t compete. But yet the Lovehoney x Love Not War Amore is here to prove that wrong. Often sex toys with a unique twist or selling point such as this will put so much into perfecting that one thing, that the actual pleasure will be missing. But as Love Not War proudly states, they made sure to achieve their dreams without compromising on all of the other things that matter. Not only is this a brilliant example of an eco-friendly sex toy, right down to its manufacturing and packaging, but it feels great too, and I’m so proud to now be able to call it my Number Two when it comes to clitoral vibrations. Plus, it could be a real investment if Lovehoney and Love Not War do start selling the heads separately, as I’ll be able to continue enjoying these satisfying vibrations in a range of different styles for far cheaper than if I was to buy them individually. Overall, I am absolutely impressed with the Amore and wholeheartedly recommend it and its sister products to anyone looking for a small vibrator or sustainable sex toy, and I look forward to seeing Love Not War continue their mission!

You can get the Lovehoney x Love Not War Amore for just $129.95 AUD at Lovehoney Australia or $84.99 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.