Review: ZALO Queen Set

Back in 2017 I worked with a Chinese sex toy manufacturer that was looking to reach out to the western market. Their name was ZALO, and their products were like nothing I’ve ever seen before. While their designs weren’t particularly new, the actual appearance of their products were amazing, taking design cues from Versailles and Lolita styles (which these collections are adequately named after) to create a range of products fit for a princess, or even a magical girl if you check out their Sweet Magic collection. I promoted ZALO as a sponsor for 3 months, and spent every minute of it lusting after their products, but my tight schedule back then meant I never actually got to test anything. Since then I’ve heard nothing but good things about the company and their US expansion, with their newly released Queen Set winning the coveted Luxury Pleasure Product of the Year award at XBIZ Europa. So when JOUJOU recently approached me to review it, therefore finally giving me the opportunity to try a ZALO toy for myself, what do you think I said?

Product Description

To be honest I never had a chance to take a proper look at the ZALO Queen Set before I received it to review, so I was quite surprised to find out what it can actually do. The main product is the ZALO Queen, which at first glance looks like a typical G-Spot vibrator. It can be used in this way, but the bit that makes it award-winning is the innovative PulseWave technology that ZALO have developed for it, which is designed to also be used on the G-Spot, potentially in combination with its vibrations. Then, in getting the more expensive ZALO Queen Set, my Queen comes with a silicone sleeve that can be attached to it. This sleeve then turns the toy into a clitoral suction product, similar to my Satisfyer toys. What?! A toy that is both an internal vibrator and a clitoral stimulator?! Yeah, I was pretty surprised when I found this out.

I’ll warn you now, this is going to be a long review, just because the ZALO Queen Set can do SO MUCH! It’s app compatible, USB rechargeable, self-heating AND travel-lockable. Without its sleeve it can be used as a clitoral vibrator, G-Spot vibrator, or PulseWave vibrator, and with its sleeve it transforms into a clitoral stimulator. The only thing the Queen doesn’t really offer, and this is a bit of a big one, is that it is only splashproof, not waterproof. Additionally, since this toy doesn’t offer a base, it is not anal-safe or harness-compatible.

The design of the ZALO Queen Set is inspired by ancient Egypt and Cleopatra, and the whole product oozes elegance. It’s made from body-safe silicone, and is coated in ZALO’s Softek for an extra silky sensation. This is completely firm, although with a diameter of only 3.5cm / 1.4″ you should have no trouble using it regardless of your size preferences. The gold band near the handle, representative of a snake, is made with ABS plastic and a SWAROVSKI crystal is used to reinforce the luxurious nature of the product. This band design also helps to indicate where the two main buttons are for the toy, as they are otherwise hidden. On the top of the toy’s handle is the ZALO logo, and another button rests here to control the heating mechanism. At the head of the toy are some ridges, which I’m not really sure of the purpose for other than looking neat, and in the centre of this is where the PulseWave occurs. This feels hollow at first, but then a small moveable piece can be felt, and the movement of this when the toy is turned on is what creates the waves. On the back of the toy are two metal prongs for the charger to connect to, and this is the only element that takes away from the otherwise refined product, as they are quite sharp and not as nestled into the silicone as you would expect them to be. As for the sleeve that comes as part of the set it is just a simple piece of silicone that fits over the toy. The product comes in three colours that I enjoy very much, Wine Red (which I have), Jewel Green, and Twilight Purple. It is not anal safe or harness-compatible.

Packaging

JOUJOU sent the ZALO Queen Set to me on the 18th of February and I received it on the 20th of February, which is the type of speed I’ve come to expect from this stellar Australian retailer. The parcel was also discreet, with no mention of the sender or what type of item was inside. I have heard such good things about ZALO’s packaging, so I was very eager to check it out and see if it lived up to the hype, and I wasn’t let down. A fun fact about me is that I absolutely love ancient Egypt and have ever since I can remember, and after spending the week prior playing a TTRPG based around it I was over the moon when I saw the Egyptian inspired packaging. The whole box is very luxurious, being made of a matte black card with all the designs and writing being printed on with a gold shiny ink. I love the Egyptian designs that cover the box (words don’t really do it justice, so I made this video and took some photos) and then on the back is pretty much all the information you could need about the toy in 9 languages. The box also has a clear plastic window at the front, which allows you to view the toy without opening the packaging. Once opened you can then access all the accessories in a smaller box. This includes the silicone sleeve, luxury storage bag, charging cable, detailed instruction manual, warranty card (this card is fantastic, it’s the same material and thickness as a credit card, so it feels super fancy. It comes with a 1 year warranty and a 10 year commitment), and two sample packets of ZALO’s water-based lubricant (these contain glycerin so I wouldn’t recommend their use). On the toy and sleeve were also little plastic strips that I believe were designed to act like safety seals, as once they’re removed you can’t put them back on properly, so this way you’ll know if the toy has been tampered with. You can check out photos of all these elements here as they’re all very nice and hard to describe with words.

Charging

Charging the toy is super easy, although it can occasionally be a bit finicky. One end of the charger fits into a USB port while the other magnetically connects to the metal prongs on the back of the toy. This generally works fine, but make sure to leave the toy somewhere it won’t get moved or knocked as the magnets can disconnect fairly easily. One thing I like in particular about the charger is that it features the ZALO logo, making it easy to identify. Once everything is connected, a LED light should flash to indicate charging. This light will then become solid when charging is complete. Charging should take 1 hour, and this will give you 1-2 hours of playtime.

Controls

The buttons on this toy can be a bit confusing, firstly in working out where they are and then in regards to how they work. I always do my first test of any product by trying to use it without reading the instructions to see how intuitive it is to use, and usually this method works out alright, but I couldn’t even find the buttons for this product, let alone turn it on, without checking the instructions first. Basically, there are three buttons which are named with letters in the instructions. A and B are next to each other but separated by the golden band around the toy, with A being closest to the insertable end, while C is at the very top of the toy where the logo is. To turn the toy on you need to press A, and a flashing LED light will indicate you’ve put the toy into stand-by mode. You can then continue pressing A to cycle through the waves (which has 8 modes, 4 steady speeds and 4 patterns), or press B to cycle through the vibrations (which also has 8 modes, but sadly only 2 steady speeds and 6 patterns). At the end of both of these cycles the toy will return to its stand-by mode, so don’t forget to turn it off by holding A for three seconds. Alternatively, you can also use waves and vibrations at the same time to combine the two.

There’s a bit to unpack here, like why don’t the buttons have any indication that they’re buttons? I know that ZALO want the toy to be aesthetically pleasing, but I also don’t want to look at the instructions every time I use it to remember what the buttons do. A small symbol on them would have been preferred. Next, I hate stand-by modes, but since the toy needs it for its app compatibility I’ll let this slide. Lastly and most importantly, 2 steady speed vibrations? If you know me you’ll know that I think less than 3 steady speeds when it comes to vibrations is just unacceptable in vibrator design. It’s proven that people prefer steady speeds over patterns, so why any company would chose to go against their customers desires and give them a heap of patterns and two lousy steady speeds is mind-boggling to me.

The toy then has two more additional functions it offers with its buttons. First, it can be put into a travel lock, which is done by holding A and B simultaneously for three seconds. You can then unlock the toy by doing the same thing. Then, secondly, you can press the C button at the top of the toy to turn on the heating function. To use this the toy must be in stand-by mode, as it is intended to be turned on and warmed up used prior to actual use of the toy. When C is pressed a LED indicator where the button is will flash slowly, indicating that the toy is warming up, and you can then press C again to cancel this, or start the vibration or wave modes which will also cancel it. The warming works really well and quite quickly, and it’s unfortunate I’m writing this review in the middle of a summer heat-wave, because I think this would be amazing during use in winter. I do find it heats up a little too much for comfort though (107° Fahrenheit / 42° Celsius is the max), but you can easily turn it off when it gets too hot or let it cool a little before use. If you forget you’ve left it pre-heating then it’ll eventually turn off on its own, but it will stay in stand-by mode so make sure you turn it off eventually so the battery doesn’t drain.

The App

I always enjoy reviewing apps as I’ve actually studied designing them, so I feel more justified in giving my opinion. To me, however, the ZALO Remote phone application just reeks of a poorly and quickly made product, not at all on par with what you’d expect from the rest of the product or company. Finding the app on the store is easy, just type in “ZALO Remote” and you’ll quickly see their familiar logo, but the actual listing isn’t the best, with a poorly written About section, no reviews, and strangely being listed as for ages 9 and above. Praying this was it and not some imitation virus, I installed it to find that this is indeed ZALO’s app, or at least it seems that way. On my phone’s home screen its image and name is rather discreet, so I doubt anyone who sees my phone would work out what it is unless they know the ZALO brand.

Once you enter the app you’ll be taken to the home screen straight away, and if your toy is in stand-by mode then it will automatically connect and vibrate a little. The home screen doesn’t have much, just a large number that is listed as a “Z Index” which is something to do with the amount of time I’ve used the product and the frequency I’ve used it, but I don’t really understand the formula behind this, and three smaller data points, the amount I’ve used the toy this month, this week, and how many calories I’ve burned using it. I’ve got no idea why any of this information is needed, and it’s slightly awkward to think that all of this is available immediately upon opening the app, as this could potentially be very sensitive to someone. In addition to this the home page also features a profile picture you can set for some reason, two menus you can access, and a bluetooth button which will let you set up the connection of the product. In regards to connecting the two I’ve had no issues at all, and it all works like a dream.

The first menu you’re presented with on the home screen is in the form of a hamburger menu, and this has two options: Historical Data and My Settings. Historical Data is literally just that, a creepy month-by-month graph of how much you’ve used the toy and how much heat you’ve consumed doing it. I’m not sure who would want this data, other than hackers, but alright. My Settings then lets you change the app language, set your nickname and age, and set your profile picture. Since this app isn’t social, meaning it doesn’t connect with other users of the application like some do for long-distance control of toys, I have no idea why these things would be needed (other than the language), and the nickname and age don’t appear again anywhere outside of this menu.

The second menu is the ominous button labeled ‘Enter’, and it is here you can control the toy. First you choose between the four different modes by swiping between them, Classic, Scene, Music, and Tease. In Classic Mode you’re provided with eight combinations of the vibrations and waves (called ‘Waveforms’), 2 of these being steady speeds and 6 being patterns. You can also control the intensity of the Waveforms for all eight modes, so in this regard I’m not sure why there is 2 steady speeds since they essentially offer the exact same thing. Scene Mode is very similar to Classic Mode, but instead of the ‘Waveforms’ being numbered, these have names related to… well… scenes. There is Club, In car, Surfing, and Coaster. As with Classic Mode you can also control the intensity of these. Additionally, Scene Mode gives you the option to create your own patterns and save them, which is the app feature I was most looking forward to. This isn’t the first app compatible toy that hasn’t had enough steady mode options to satisfy me, so the workaround I typically do is to create my own “pattern”, but I just make all the vibrations the same. Unfortunately though this method doesn’t work in ZALO’s app, as it doesn’t seem possible to have just one of the modes (either vibrations or waves) run without the other. If I have just the vibrations running, every second the waves will also pulse, and vice versa. Plus, it doesn’t let you adjust the intensity of created Scenes, so even if it did work or I used the two modes together the whole thing would be pointless anyway.

Music Mode is ZALO’s attempt at having the vibrations be controlled by the music on your phone, which every vibrator app seems to offer unsuccessfully. ZALO’s is no different in that regard, as every time I hit play the app crashes. Lastly, there is Tease Mode which is a touch responsive screen that controls both the vibrations and waves, and depending on where you touch the screen the intensity changes (I created a video to demonstrate this here, and it also shows off how the PulseWave function works).

Basically the app offers a lot of pointless features, but fails to let me do any of the things I actually want to be able to do with it. I just want to be able to control the toy effectively, to control the vibrations and waves independently and together, and to control the intensity of the two with more variety than I can using the buttons on the product. This isn’t just wishful thinking either, as the ZALO instructions state “use the ZALO Remote App to control the strength of the waves and/or the vibrations.” But no, you cannot control the two individually, and you can only control their intensity during their pre-set patterns. Perhaps if you are a pattern lover then the app would be amazing to you, but to me it is useless.

First Impressions

The noise level of this toy is definitely one of its best selling points. You’d think a product with two different motors would be quite loud, especially when they are both running at the same time. But instead I was pleasantly surprised by the two having quite a low volume, even when used in combination. Someone in the same room as you could certainly hear it, but you could probably get away with it going unnoticed behind closed doors.

My Experience

Now I’ve spoken about all the ways to control the toy, let’s discuss what it’s like to actually use it. Trying it internally as a G-Spot vibrator is the first thing I’m drawn to doing, as this was my first impression of it. I find insertion easy as it’s quite thin, and it can quickly find my G-Spot. It feels good just as a dildo, and even better once the vibrations are turned on. While it’s a shame the toy only offers two vibration steady modes, I always find this is less of an issue when I use toys internally than externally, as I’m not as sensitive to the changes in strength. However, due to this and the fairly buzzy nature of the vibrations, I don’t enjoy using the ZALO Queen as much as I do with my other two main G-Spot vibrators, the L’amourose Prism V and Paloqueth G-Spot Vibrator. As for using the PulseWave function internally, I do not like this at all. The first time I tried it I hadn’t yet read the instructions properly, and I assumed it wasn’t intended for this as I found it immensely uncomfortable. But to my surprise, this is actually one of its main selling points. I find using it like this to be kind of how you’d imagine a suction style toy to feel inside your vagina, like an unpleasant itch that can quickly turn into pain the closer it gets to your sensitive G-Spot or the stronger it gets. This was a new experience for me and as one of the first testers of this product I don’t have much to base my use off of, so perhaps I am using it wrong, and as such I’d certainly be interested to hear what others think of it.

To transform the toy into a clitoral stimulation product is super easy, although I’d recommend either doing this prior to using it as an internal vibrator, or in a separate play session. Just place the silicone sleeve over the toy, and use some water-based lubricant to ease its application and removal. Even though it uses a different type of technology than my Satisfyer toys it feels very similar. It’s way less intense than my Satisfyer toys however, and while most of my Satisfyer’s generally have large heads that give off a more broad feeling, the ZALO Queen’s fairly small head instead feels a lot more focused and pinpoint. But these aren’t particularly bad things and I actually really love the Queen’s suction, after all I do always say I find Satisfyer too intense. As such ZALO’s version of this stimulation is still easily enough to give me strong and quick orgasms. In regards to using the vibrations at the same time, this sadly doesn’t work as successfully as in a toy like the Satisfyer Pro Plus Vibration. Unfortunately the vibrations are just too far back in the toy to give any noticeable stimulation to my clitoris when it’s applied in this manner, so while it can be turned on during, it isn’t really worth it. You can also use the PulseWave function on the clitoris without the sleeve applied, as this creates a satisfying and orgasm-worthy feeling similar to using a clitoral vibrator, plus I far prefer this to using the vibrations on my clit, as they are simply too buzzy and weak.

Cleaning & Care

Cleaning the toy can be a little tricky since it cannot be submerged in water, and you have to be particularly careful to not get the charging port wet. I usually just wipe it down with some warm soapy water and then give it a little rinse, before leaving it to air dry, and placing it in its storage bag. The silicone sleeve is a lot easier to clean as this is waterproof, so this can be put in the water, cleaned properly and then left to dry before also being placed in the bag. 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.

Final Thoughts

This has been a long review filled with a lot of complaints. But that’s just because the ZALO Queen Set can do so much, which means there is a lot to critique! I actually really love this toy, and it’s one of the best and most innovative products I’ve ever tried. I found its internal PulseWave mode and phone application pretty useless, but I didn’t even realise it had the PulseWave function till later, and I don’t like using apps that much anyway. The things I was excited to use it for, its internal G-Spot vibrations and its clitoral stimulation, weren’t the best I’ve ever tried, but they were still really good, and considering they’re both being offered in the same toy I thought they were brilliant. Plus, it comes with so many other great features, such as the heating function, travel lock, and just the overall gorgeous design of it. Perhaps my biggest real criticism of this toy is that it’s not waterproof, because I think this would have just elevated it to another level, and also because all vibrators in 2019 should be waterproof. I do think ZALO still have a bit of work to put into this product, particularly its app, but for what it is so far it gets my stamp of approval. Just, if you’re planning to purchase one definitely make sure you get the Set so the silicone sleeve is included, as I feel the fancy PulseWave technology would be wasted without it.

You can get the ZALO Queen Set from JOUJOU for just $229.99 AUD / $155 USD!

Last updated: 9/4/24

Price at the time of writing: $229.99 AUD / $163 USD

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