Review: Sohimi Rose Queen

Last night I finally watched Free Guy, and I can’t help but think back to Taika Waititi as the CEO of a video game company saying “Make an original? Why would I do that when I can make a sequel?“, when writing this review. Sequel culture is everywhere these days, with films, television, video games, and just about every other form of entertainment choosing to stick with what their customers already know and love rather than risking doing something remotely new or inventive. So, when a brand manages to create one of the most popular sex toys in years, so much so that it goes absolutely viral on social media, it was only a matter of time before the sequel arrived. Introducing the Rose Queen, the next evolution of Sohimi’s massively popular ROSE suction toy. Also known as the Rose Toy Pro, this version keeps everything that was great about the original, while adding an insertable arm and vibrations for G-Spot stimulation. Plus, with a design that reinforces, rather than takes away from, its predecessor’s floral charm, this is one sequel I can get behind.

Product Description

While the ROSE and Rose Queen do look very similar (asides from the internal arm, that is), they’re actually quite different when placed side-by-side. The ROSE is much larger, although their suction nozzles are the same size, and is also a lot more flat on top in contrast to the Rose Queen’s more tapered design. The two also offer alternative petals designs, with the ROSE’s being separate flaps of silicone you can actually move and the Rose Queen’s just being visual decals carved into the silicone. Of the two, however, I do prefer the Rose Queen’s, which feels much more refined. The biggest functional change is then the internal arm, which extends out from the base of the rose-like head as a stem would. Entirely straight and quite thin, although it does get slightly thicker near the end, it is also completely firm asides from a small hollow area in the centre that allows for some flexibility. The entire toy is then made out of a red body-safe silicone (which is the only colour it’s available in), whilst a thin band of gold plastic divides the suction area from the internal arm. Two buttons can be found directly under this band, whilst on the back is the magnetic charging plates. Finally, this toy is fully waterproof and USB rechargeable, and while it supposedly could be used anally, I do not feel that the suction head offers enough of a base for this to be classed as safe.

Packaging

Sohimi sent their Rose Queen out to me on the 22nd of July and I received it on the 6th of August. The package was then fully discreet, with no mention of the sender or what was inside. The box for the toy itself is then completely black apart from a stylised silver drawing of a rose on the front (it looks a lot like the one from Beauty and the Beast) and some manufacturing information on the back. This means that while it would be clear what’s inside to somebody who already knows, nobody else would as nothing on the box itself mentions the toy, Sohimi, or anything else about it, keeping it 100% discreet and allowing for the box to be easily reused (even searching the manufacturing names on the back result in nothing sex-related). Opening this up you’ll then find the toy resting in foam, alongside its charging cable and a brief instruction manual. Overall, this was all fine for a toy of its price tag, and certainly a better first impression than I had with the Sohimi ROSE.

Charging

Since the Sohimi Rose Queen is USB rechargeable, charging it is designed to be easy. Simply connect one end with the magnetic plates on the back of the toy and then plug the other end into a USB port. Unfortunately though, not only is the magnetic strength between the two some of the worst I’ve encountered, making connection very difficult to maintain, but the actual charging cord itself is one of the shortest I’ve seen. At just 58cm / 23 inches in length, the cord can barely reach the top of my small bedside table where I usually do all my charging, and this combined with the weak magnets has just made the whole process a nightmare (which is not great when you consider I’ve needed to charge this more frequently than any other toy – more on this later). Charging should then take 2 hours and give you 1 hour of play, and a light on the toy’s button will flash when in process and turn off when complete.

Controls

While the Sohimi Rose Queen has two buttons, they each only control one of the toy’s two motors, making use easy and straight-forward. Labelled well, the button closest to the suction nozzle with a picture of lips then controls the suction, whilst the button closest to the internal arm with a zigzag line controls the vibrations. To turn on or off either of the motors (which can be used separately or together) just hold down the associated button for two seconds. After this you can continue clicking the button to cycle through the modes, with the suction having five and the vibrations having ten. Of the modes, three of the vibrations are steady and seven are patterns, while the suction has three steady speeds and two patterns (which are more akin to two speeds of a tapping-style steady speed). Sadly, Sohimi have committed one of the ultimate vibrator sins with the Rose Queen’s suction mode however, as the patterns start before the steady speeds, so at first I didn’t even know they existed! Not only is this annoying to someone like me who dislikes patterns and must now click through them before starting use, but it also means that the toy doesn’t start off on its lowest speed. This is particularly bad when it comes to suction play, as if you turn the toy on whilst it’s already got a seal around you (which is very likely as it can be tricky to get it on your clit, so you’d usually do this prior to actually turning it on) it could cause pain due to how sudden it is (which is why most suction toys usually offer over 10 speeds, so there is a gradual ramp up). Plus, it appears that whatever backing is usually present under silicone controls is missing from the vibrations button, as there is instead some kind of spike under it which can be quite painful to press down upon.

First Impressions

Another difference between the Sohimi ROSE and Rose Queen that I haven’t touched on yet is what’s inside their suction nozzles. While both models unsurprisingly use the cheaper type of vibration-suction technology that has recently become popular, meaning that the suction chamber is only a small area with a vibrating plate inside of it (as opposed to the seemingly endless holes that original creators Womanizer and Satisfyer use), the Rose Queen’s is a bit different. Rather than a soft silicone wall at the back of the suction chamber, it instead has quite a hard piece of plastic. As you’d expect, this immediately made me concerned, especially considering these types of toys have been known to cause injury if not done correctly. Turning it on, my anxiety then increased, as the initial pattern modes are essentially just the hard plastic repeatedly pounding against whatever is at the nozzle’s entrance. Although once I found the steady speeds I am happy to report that this does mellow out a bit. As for the vibrations, I may be about to say something very strange… but they’re too strong? With all the power of a wand massager, the Rose Queen is actually difficult to hold when turned on, and this is the case right from the get-go, as there is very little variation between the three rumbly vibration speeds. Plus, this also means that it is very loud, and so definitely not appropriate if you have reason to be discreet. Unless, that is, you just stick to the suction, as this is quite low volume.

My Experience

I’ve got to admit, I was pretty nervous to use this toy for the first time considering how firm and relentless the inner plastic seemed (especially since at this point I didn’t know about the far less intense steady speed options). Almost expecting injury, I made sure to hold the toy against me lightly, so that it was enough to create a suction seal but not enough for my clit to be fully inside the nozzle. This worked well, and while I did find the initial pattern-like modes somewhat annoying, I was able to orgasm satisfyingly and didn’t feel any pain afterwards. Going into it the second time however, I had a newfound sense of confidence with my knowledge of the steady speeds, and had a much improved experience. I found the suction very similar to that of the Sohimi ROSE, which is to say it was absolutely intense and powerful, and gave me some amazingly quick and strong orgasms (I do think it is perhaps a little less intense than the ROSE, but since that no longer works properly, unfortunately I cannot compare them). Plus, I found that the plastic was unable to reach me anyway, allowing me to hold the toy firmly against myself for added stimulation. Since then I have thoroughly enjoyed using the suction mode on the Rose Queen, and it has been nice to once again experience the powerful orgasms the ROSE use to give me, which are truly unlike anything I’ve encountered with any of my other clitoral stimulators.

As soon as I received the Rose Queen I knew that it wouldn’t be able to work for my G-Spot. Not only does its long straight body not feature any kind of curve, but by having it be flexible due to the hollow area in the centre of the shaft, it means it is not firm enough for you to direct it where you want it either. Unsurprisingly this was exactly the case, but what I didn’t expect were those vibrations. I said before they are actually too strong (at least for me), as when turned on during use I actually find they can be painful and uncomfortable, something I’ve never experienced with an internal vibrator before as far as I can remember. This isn’t the case every time I’ve tried it out, which likely has to do with where I am at in my menstrual cycle in terms of my vaginal sensitivity, but it has certainly been my experience the majority of times. Plus, even when I don’t find it painful, the vibrations are still very overwhelming, and with nowhere to direct them they do feel a bit pointless. Regardless, thrusting the toy with them on or even just leaving it in while using a clitoral vibrator, such as the We-Vibe Touch X, is still enjoyable and certainly adds some extra stimulation to my play. However, my favourite way to use the internal arm has quickly become to not use it internally at all, but rather externally on my clitoris. The powerful rumbly vibrations seem far better suited to this job, and while the shape isn’t exactly ideal for it, I have still been able to have some great orgasms this way.

Unexpected Issues

While my experience with the Sohimi Rose Queen has been mixed, I definitely enjoyed the suction enough to give it a positive review overall. Which is why I’m so disappointed by the rest of my time it. Shortly after my first test, the Rose Queen turned back on by itself. This is something that happens from time to time with toys, so I wasn’t too concerned, but considering it was what led to my ROSE breaking, I’ll admit it was a little nerve-wracking. A week then went by with the Rose Queen sitting happily on my bedside table without any use or incidents, and then it happened again. And after that, it didn’t stop happening. Over the last two weeks, the Rose Queen has turned itself on at almost every opportunity as long as it has the battery to do so. And if it does have the battery, you can bet it’s going to keep doing it until it’s flat. Sometimes I can turn it off, and sometimes I can’t (strangely when this happens the only way to turn off the vibrations is with the suction button?), but even if I do it won’t be long before it’s back on. The worst part though is that because the vibrations are so loud and strong, it has been impossible to place it somewhere in the house where it cannot be heard, constantly scaring my cat and waking us up at night, and a few times it has even knocked things off tabletops when left momentarily unattended. It also means that whenever I want to use it I have to charge it again (which, of course, is an issue in itself), and when I do there is always a moment where I need to seriously consider whether charging it is actually worth it? Sadly, for me, the answer is no.

Cleaning & Care

Cleaning the Sohimi Rose Queen is easy as it is waterproof, although the placement of the buttons does mean you’ll need to put a bit of extra care in when using this toy internally. Simply place it in some warm soapy water, and then rinse thoroughly before leaving to air dry. After internal use you’ll also need to use a spare soapy toothbrush to wash around the controls, charging plates, legal symbols, and the gold plastic band. You can then store it however you want, but if you do plan on using it internally I’d recommend keeping it in a ziplock bag so it remains sanitary. Since the Rose Queen is made out of silicone, also ensure you do not use silicone based lubricant with it. Furthermore, I have found prolonged use of suction toys can make my clitoris quite sore the next day, so I wouldn’t recommend using it excessively if you are planning on having any rigorous sex or further masturbation within the next 24 hours.

Final Thoughts

I’ve had just about every experience under the sun when it comes to sex toys. I’ve had bad ones, okay ones, good ones and even life-altering ones. But usually whatever experience I have, it remains in the bedroom. The Sohimi Rose Queen, however, has become a massive part of my daily life over the last two weeks… and not in a good way. For instance, last weekend my mum visited, and five minutes before she arrived the Rose Queen decided to turn itself on. I did everything I could to muffle the sound, but when I finally realised it was impossible, I decided to throw it out my second-story apartment window instead if it came back on (it didn’t, but let’s just say I was more than a little stressed for the entirety of the visit). Every day has been similar to this, and to be quite honest I still feel like throwing it out of the window just to finally have it out of my life. While this is obviously some sort of malfunction, and hopefully not something that occurs frequently with the toy (I have asked Sohimi for comment and a replacement to check this for myself, but I’ve yet to hear back), it’s still pretty a big one and makes me hesitant to recommend it, especially considering something similar happened with my Sohimi ROSE. But even without this, the Rose Queen still has a lot of issues, from the difficult charging to the excessively powerful vibrations and poor G-Spot abilities. So overall, unless you really want a low-priced toy that offers vibrations alongside suction, I actually think this is a case where the original is better than the sequel.

You can get the Rose Queen directly from Sohimi for just $63 AUD / $45.99 USD!

This post was sponsored by Sohimi, but as always, all opinions are my own.