Like many people, grinding was my entry point into the world of masturbation. Whether it meant rubbing at my vulva by hand or going on top of my pillows at night, I was doing it long before I even knew what a vibrator was. But now, after seven years of testing hundreds of sex toys, it’s not often I find myself resorting to this kind of “acoustic” play anymore. After all, I have all kinds of gadgets that can achieve the same thing for far less effort, and thus grinding had become but a distant memory. So, you can imagine my surprise when in 2021 a new toy trend seemingly emerged out of nowhere: grinders. From indie makers releasing a wave of textured non-insertables, to retailers relabelling old favourites like the We-Vibe Touch and Tenga Iroha+ Kushi as grindable toys, clearly something was going on, and I wanted in. Which is why I sought out six of the best for today’s very special grinder review round-up!
Review: Satisfyer Pro 2 Next Generation
Welcome to Princess Previews 2.0! If you’re a regular here, you might notice things look a little different. That’s because for the last few weeks I’ve been slowly redesigning my blog to better represent myself and what I do here, and this is my first post since making the switch! Part of this update meant taking a photo of myself that I could use both on my sidebar and as a profile picture on social media, and for such an image I knew I wanted to include a sex toy. The question was: which toy did I choose? I’ve now reviewed over two hundred items at the blog, and that’s only one portion of my actual collection. But I knew that whatever I chose had to be both loved by me (it is quite a endorsement, after all!) and easily identifiable. So when I was scrolling through real estate TikTok (don’t judge me) and saw the iconic Satisfyer Pro 2 briefly appear unnamed in a video, yet all the comments were talking about it, I knew I had my toy. Interestingly, though, while my review of the original Pro 2 remains one of my most popular ever, I never actually reviewed any of its later iterations, commonly dubbed the “Next Generation”. So, six years later, I figured it was finally time!
Review: Momotaro Apotheca Salve
You know how they say bad things happen for a reason? Well I don’t really believe that, but I do have one such example. I had just turned 18 and a month after my birthday was Melbourne’s biannual sex convention. I knew next to nothing about sex toys, asides from the fact that I wanted them, and embarrassingly picked out a few options from a popular “$10 or less” stand. I saved them for an upcoming trip away with my ex and was so excited to try them out on that first night, yet as soon as I did I felt some of the worst pain I’ve ever experienced. It felt like my vagina was literally on fire, but being young and in an unfamiliar area, we didn’t seek help. At the time I thought it must be my problem, and I continued thinking that way until I finally decided I needed answers. I learned about the dangers of unsafe sex toys and how my experience was extremely common yet unspoken. With that, I knew I wanted to dedicate myself to helping to spread awareness, and shortly after I started Princess Previews.
Review: Closetplay Speedster
In October 2021 the sex toy world suffered a huge loss. Geeky Sex Toys, Australia’s first (and, for a long time, only) independent maker of silicone toys, closed their virtual doors. Pioneers of the fantasy genre, they introduced the idea of mixing pop culture with sex toys for all us “naughty nerds” out there, and as it turned out, there were a lot of us. But while they might have been the first to bring us the lightsaber dildo and Pikachu butt plug, they certainly won’t be the last. Many retailers, from other indie makers such as Deep N’ Geek to big brands like The Realm by Blush Novelties, have taken inspiration from Geeky Sex Toys over the years. However, I don’t think any have quite captured their almost chaotic creativity quite like newcomer Closetplay Sex Toys.
Review: SquarePegToys G squeeze
The first sex toy ever was estimated to have been made around 29000BC, so to say this industry has been around for a long time is a bit of an understatement. What this means though is that your pleasure is in good hands, because there are countless tried-and-true classics out there that are almost guaranteed to give you a good time. From wand massagers, to bullets, and the simple yet effective dildo, these sex toys have been refined over the years to the point where they don’t get much better. But on the flip side, this also means that new and innovative ideas are a rarity, despite almost every product on the market claiming that’s what they are. I’ve seen a few true instances of this during my time, including the now hugely popular suction toys, but I am always on the look out for more. So when I recently learned about the SquarePegToys G squeeze, a product that has been ten years in the making and really is the first design of its kind, I knew I had to get my hands on it, and thankfully Peepshow Toys were happy to help out.
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.