Review: ZALO Desire

In my recent review of the ZALO Amorette I spoke a lot about how I have adored the brand’s magical girl inspired line of toys, Sweet Magic, for years, and about how getting to try the latest addition to the range was a dream come true. But today’s review is even more special for me, because I’ll be taking a look at one of the original products from the range, and one that I feel like I’ve had my eye on forever. First released in 2017, but currently being re-promoted as ZALO continue to expand to the western market, the Desire is a true wish-list item for me and I was overjoyed when the brand asked if I wanted to review it. I’ll admit that its stunning appearance has a lot to do with why I wanted it so badly, as it looks more like a staff that one of the powerful anime girls from my childhood would wield rather than a sex toy, but there is a lot more to it than just that. As ZALO’s first thruster style toy, a toy type that I love but have yet to have much experience with, this product also boasts a self-heating function and turbo mode. Oh, and did I mention it’s also really cute?

As part of ZALO’s Sweet Magic collection, the Desire follows the same aesthetic cues as the ZALO Amorette that I reviewed last month. Pale pink silicone covers most of the toy (it also comes in a light purple), whilst a band of gold ABS plastic divides the insertable area and the toy’s handle, which is what most gives this toy its staff-like appearance. In addition to the ZALO logo and detailing on the silicone, the handle also features the product’s button pad, which is also made from the gold-coloured plastic and is centred around a SWAROVSKI crystal. As for the shaft itself, this features texture in the form of three raised bumps that spiral down the toy and slowly increase in size, and the silicone is covered with ZALO’s usual Softek coating, making it beautifully smooth and soft, yet somehow non-lint attracting. Considering the silicone is entirely firm due to the mechanics inside of the toy, the Desire is surprisingly large, with a maximum diameter of 3.8 cm / 1.5 inches, although its tapered and squishy tip makes up for this. The only visual flaw to the toy is its visible seam, which is more prominent on its raised bumps along the shaft, although this is really just nitpicking. Lastly, on the back of the toy near the handle is a small piece of silicone that can be lifted up, and this is where the charging cord for the toy can be placed.

Once I managed to stop admiring the looks of the ZALO Desire, I realised that overall it’s actually quite a simple product. ZALO have a reputation for adding too much to their toys, and some of my longest reviews have been on their products. Rather than this being a good thing however, it usually just means that all of the aspects of their toys are subpar, rather than just focusing on making one element excellent. But aside from the Desire’s heating function, this toy can really only do one other thing: thrust. Similar to Fun Factory’s Pulsator line, it does this by using magnets to rock back and forth, rather than actually moving back and forth like a hand-held sex machine. Then, despite some of the product’s advertising labelling it as a vibrator or mentioning its vibrations, the Desire does not vibrate. One potential issue to note with the toy is that it is fairly heavy, weighing in at 270 grams, however this should be expected of a toy like this, and compared to my only other magnetic thruster, the Fun Factory Stronic Eins, it is actually quite light. Finally, this toy is USB rechargeable, body-safe and splash-proof, however as it has no flared base it is not harness compatible or anal safe.

ZALO sent the Desire out to me on the 8th of November and I promptly received it on the 13th. Unfortunately the box was not very discreet though, as it had “Handheld massager” listed as the contents and “Zalo Health Care” listed as the sender. I always get super excited whenever I get a new ZALO product, not just because of the toy, but because their packaging is some of the best and most luxurious in the business, and I was not let down with the Desire. In fact, the Desire’s packaging is on a whole other level from any sex toy packaging I have received before. Arriving in a long cylindrical cardboard case, similar to what fancy whisky bottles come in, the front features such beautiful imagery that I don’t think words can do it justice, so I’d recommend just checking out these pictures. Essentially though these designs again take their cues from magical themes, with a transmutation circle surrounded by fantasy creatures being the main imagery. On the back of this is then a rather out-of-place sticker, which shows a picture of the toy and some simple information on it, and this is really my only negative about the packaging, as it seems more of an after-thought and doesn’t match the rest of the branding. You can then lift the main part of the cylinder off of its base to reveal the toy, which is safely protected in a piece of plastic that has been moulded around it to allow it to sit perfectly upright. Along with the toy you’ll also find a charging cord, instruction manual (which isn’t the best as it is full of typos and grammatical errors), and a high quality storage case. Overall I really love the packaging design, and the one upside to the sticker is that once it’s removed the packaging will be fully discreet, which means I can easily reuse it. In addition, the Desire also comes with a one year warranty.

Charging the ZALO Desire is easy since it is USB rechargeable. Just plug one end of the charging cord into the hole on the toy and the other end into a USB port. When charging a light on the toy should flash, and when done the light will remain solid. Charging should then take 1 hour, and this should give you 2-4 hours of playtime. Additionally, if the light flashes during use this means that the Desire has low battery and needs to be charged.

The controls for this toy have got to be some of the most confusing and non-intuitive that I’ve ever experienced. This fact is then not helped by the incorrect instructions, which talk about star-shaped and heart-shaped buttons, for which there are none. Essentially, there are four buttons on the gold pad at the end of the toy, and these are indicated by strange symbols that kind of fit with the magic theme. There is a crown (top), arrow (right), exclamation mark (left), and flame (bottom). To turn the toy on, first press the right arrow button, which will put the toy in stand-by mode as indicated by the blue light around the button pad. You can then press the same button again to turn on the thrusting, and you can continue clicking this button to cycle through the 6 modes. To then go back and cycle through the modes in the other direction you can click the left exclamation mark button. At any time you can also press the top crown button to put the toy into “Turbo Mode”, which is the fastest mode, however this is only slightly quicker than the fastest regular mode. When done you can then turn the toy off by holding down the left exclamation mark button. Additionally, whilst the toy is in stand-by mode you can press the bottom flame button to turn on the heating mode, which is supposed to heat to body temperature in two minutes. Other than the stand-by mode, which I don’t understand the purpose of, I don’t have issues with how any of this functions, the problem is simply that the buttons don’t seem to make any sense. This is not only because there is no indication of what does what (perhaps asides from the flame button), but because they go against what I instinctively assume they will be (for instance the top or bottom buttons usually turn the toy on, and the button you turn the toy on with usually turns it off as well). Overall I get the sense that the Desire was visually designed before they worked out what features it would have, since most of the buttons just feel unnecessary, particularly the “Turbo Mode”.

One of the first things I did when I got the ZALO Desire was test out its heating function, but I have to admit I was slightly unimpressed with it. Rather than the entire toy heating up it is very much centred on just one point of the toy, which is just after toy’s soft tip ends (which is about 3 cm / 1 inch down the shaft). Then, rather than just heating to body temperature this area gets quite hot, which feels very strange when considering that the rest of the toy stays cool. Despite this I think this feature would be enjoyable in winter when I want to warm things up before use, but since it’s currently summer here I haven’t had much use for it.

Turning the toy on for the first time I was shocked and impressed by just how strong the thrusting is, especially since it’s entirely internal so you can’t see it happening. I have experienced this sort of magnetic thrusting once before in the Fun Factory Stronic Eins, but since that toy was widely regarded for its abilities I did not expect the ZALO Desire to really compare to it. Instead, I find the Desire just as powerful, if not more so, and turning it on and simply holding it is very impressive to watch. Plus, I’m also amazed by just how quiet this toy is, as considering what it is doing it barely makes a sound, although I would say that compared to the Stronic Eins it is slightly louder.

Judging the Desire by its large size I figured that I would need to warm up prior to using it with smaller insertable toys, but I was happy to find that this was not the case at all, since the smooth silicone combined with its soft tip and taper meant that I could easily insert it without any prior arousal. Putting it inside of myself for the first time I was immediately surprised by just how good it feels, as the buttery silicone mixed with its curved shape and subtle texture makes this an extremely pleasurable toy before the thrusting mode is even turned on. While it can’t hit my G-Spot, I do find that it can rub against it quite easily, which was an extra unexpected joy. Turning the thrusting on then simply takes those amazing sensations and automates them, so that I can put my focus elsewhere. I’ve found the Desire to be perfect for my style of lazy masturbation, as I can simply turn it on and let it go, which lets me use my hands for other activities, such as using a clitoral vibrator and holding my phone for porn. Being able to use the toy hands-free like this is a feature I was hoping for in particular, as it was something I was unable to do with the Fun Factory Stronic Eins, since that toy’s weight meant it would just immediately fall out of me. I’ll admit the Desire isn’t completely without fault in this regard, as it can occasionally fall out as well, but it happens far less often, and I’ve found it can easily be avoided by simply propping it up against my ankle. Using it like this then allows me have fast and intense orgasms when combined with a good clit vibe, such as the Dame Kip, and as such it has quickly become one of my favourite insertable toys. The only real downside perhaps is that you do need to be careful to not insert it too far, as otherwise this can make cleaning a hassle.

Since the ZALO Desire is made of silicone cleaning it is relatively easy, although as it is only splash-proof you do need to be careful to not get it too wet or to submerge it. Additionally, there are some areas of the toy that require extra care, such as the texture on the shaft and the area where the silicone meets the ABS plastic, and as such I would recommend scrubbing these over with a soapy toothbrush. For the rest of the toy you can then simply wipe it down with some warm soapy water and rinse, before drying and returning it to its storage bag. Please 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.

Overall I am thoroughly impressed with the ZALO Desire, perhaps more so than with any other ZALO product that I have tried. I mentioned before that they always try to fit too many things into their products rather than perfecting just one thing, but I feel like the Desire finally breaks that cycle, with the toy’s simplicity allowing its thrusting mode to truly shine. Unfortunately, however, the Desire is the oldest product from ZALO that I have tried, so rather than this signifying the brand’s improvement it shows the opposite. Still, it does show that ZALO do know how to keep it simple, and this gives me hope that it is something the brand can go back to. While not a completely perfect toy, with notable issues being its confusing controls, poor heating function and not being fully waterproof, it is almost perfect, with a stunning design, beautiful packaging and excellent thrusting ability. Plus, I’ve found it to be a far superior thruster to the Fun Factory Stronic Eins, and considering that toy is supposed to be one of the best out there and is also more expensive, it’s definitely a massive win for ZALO. As such I would highly recommend the ZALO Desire to anyone looking for a thruster style toy, but particularly those who are fans of this aesthetic and who are willing to put up with a few flaws in the name of beauty.

You can get the ZALO Desire from JOUJOU for just $209.99 AUD / $152 USD!

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