Over the last few years, sex toy companies and stores have asked us to review their toys in exchange for, you know, their toys. Today we’re reviewing the Manta from Fun Factory.
Part of being trans is knowing when to pick your battles. So when a sex toy is advertised as “for men” and what they really mean is “for people with penises,” I can roll my eyes in pursuit of the pleasure I deserve. But when the toy is disappointing like the Fun Factory Manta Vibrating Stroker, my annoyance is doubled.
The Manta is a silicone vibrator with a ribbed open claw at the end. You can place your penis in this claw to, as advertised, “turn your penis into a vibrator.” I tried it twice solo and once with my partner and found it to be equally uncomfortable and pleasurable.
First, the positives — this is a good vibrator. It’s powerful and easy to handle, and it absolutely did the trick getting me off.
The problem is that the claw (or as Fun Factory calls it, “the wings”) ends up being sharp — and not in a fun way. If you lube it up and glide it back and forth on your penis or hold it at a certain angle at the base during head, it might work. But it offers very little versatility. The wings uncomfortably pressed against me when I tried to add pressure along with vibration. And when I tried to use it with my partner grinding against me, it uncomfortably pressed against her.
Maybe it’s unfair to criticize a toy that theoretically does work in the specific ways advertised, but even if you aren’t trans, I have to imagine you’d want some versatility if you’re going to drop money on a new toy. Even if you are using it in the prescribed ways, it seems unfortunate to be limited in speed and pressure and closeness to your partner. It seems like it’d work best if you remained sort of stiff (and I don’t mean your penis).
The toy might work better if you’re on the smaller side because at least the wings wouldn’t press against your penis. But still, you’d have to really just use it in precise and limited ways.
Again, this is a good vibrator. It’s easy to charge and to use, and the various settings are nice. But I’m always measuring my vibrators up against my faithful wand, and this one does not offer anything new — at least not new in a good way.
When Fun Factory says this is a sex toy for men, they don’t just mean cis men. They mean cis men having boring sex.
