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- Sexual health
- 16 November 2018
The Femedic reviews: Hot Octopuss’ Queen Bee
The Queen Bee was introduced to me as a “Marmite” toy – “You either love it, or you don’t,” cautioned the voice of wisdom that suggested I try it. Made according to therapeutic medical science, The Bee’s patented & trademarked PulsePlate Technology is based on a medical vibrator by company Multicept that uses a technique called Penile Vibratory Stimulation (PVS) as part of IVF treatment, to bring on ejaculation in men with spinal cord injury. The Bee is a clitoral stimulator, using PulsePlate Technology to deliver high-amplitude oscillations via a ‘piston’-like system.
I was told that the toy was suitable for someone who enjoyed a “rumbling” sensation and that it might require a bit of patience to get the most out of.
To the latter, I respectfully disagree.
The doing
Shaped like a hairbrush and on the larger side for a sex toy, the oval head contains a smaller vibrating plate on one side and on the other, has a textured surface suitable for massage. There are six settings of varying intensity and pulse patterns, but I always tend towards high-speed, constant buzzing so didn’t explore all of these with the same tenacity.
Pressure is my clitoris’ joie-de-vivre but she is very sensitive to the touch, particularly if I tense the muscles in my thighs in a gripping motion while using toys. The hairbrush shape and toy’s sturdiness made this easy to accommodate: the oscillating plate is ostensibly meant for the clitoris, but I had a lot of fun placing it on the top of my labia while gripping at the toy’s neck. To me, a great sex toy is something that does what it promises while giving you a bit of wiggle room to find something else that works. And wiggle, I did.
The Queen Bee’s vibrating plate
The plate creates vibrations that are certainly felt deeply, making for many sincere and sustained clitoral orgasms. Some reviewers have mentioned that that plates’ vibration slowed when pressed firmly enough against the body – I didn’t notice this enough for it to be a problem, but this could have been in part because I was also moving the toy slightly to create my own pulsing rhythm, so the plate didn’t have consistent pressure and contact with my body.
I also might not have noticed any significant pauses in the vibration itself because I kept accidentally pressing the buttons on the underside of the neck, which changed the patterns and intensity and threw off my flow a bit. This would be the one bone I have to pick with the Bee – I became too aware and cautious of the buttons than I would have liked.
The context
Sex toys exist to serve pleasure needs in creative – and sometimes vanilla, yet effective – ways, but it’s not as often that they are made with inclusive intentions. When describing the benefits of the PulsePlate Technology, the Bee’s creator Hot Octopuss make a point of acknowledging the different types of people and experiences it might work for. They note how changes to the body that can come with ageing might impact one’s arousal process, such as vaginal atrophy or less vaginal lubrication, and make penetrative sex difficult or out of the question. They mention those with conditions such as endometriosis and vaginismus, who might also be unable to have penetrative sex.
The Bee is not the first toy to use oscillations to stimulate the clitoris nor is Hot Octopuss the first company to mindfully acknowledge the diversity of female sexual experiences, but they are sadly still in the minority.
The Queen Bee with packaging
On a personal note, I love sex toys that mark a departure from feminised forms, motifs, or colours. I have nothing against feminised toys per se – my ol’ reliable is a sturdy, hot pink vibrator in the shape of a flower bud — but my view is that gendering pleasure is a way of suppressing it. ‘Male’ or ‘female’ genitals might be the functional ways we experience pleasure, and pleasure may well be something we attach to our gender identity. But the pleasure itself is and should be amorphous, never completely knowable, and ultimately individual.
The important details
The Bee is made with medical-grade, non-porous TPE which makes it body-safe. It requires four hours of charging via USB for one hour of use and is waterproof, which means that you can safely play in the shower or bath.
It also must be said that the Bee is on the louder side. This isn’t a problem for me, but if I still lived in a shared house with paper-thin walls and a hyper-creaky bed, it might be.
The verdict
My orgasms with the Bee came quickly and were very intense; once I got into the rhythm of the toy it was almost like I could use it to push a magic orgasm button. That said, I like sturdier toys that I can grip and use to anchor my movements and am a fan of hard-and-fast and side-to-side stimulation.
If you’re someone who needs a firmer and more consistent clitoral pressure to orgasm, then there’s a chance the plate’s slowed vibrations when pressed hard against your body could interrupt your flow.
The Bee could also reliably be used for a softer, lighter-touch session – this isn’t my bag, so I didn’t try it, but did play around with how the sensation changed when the toy was held at more of a distance and on a lower intensity setting. If gentle, but decisive, vibrations float your boat, the Bee might be worth a look.
If you like a toy that is a bit more responsive in the way of movement, the Bee might not be the best; if you want something sturdy that can sustain your grip, the Bee holds its own.
It is fair to say that this toy is probably not for everyone, but then again, neither is Marmite. Both serve the people that enjoy the specific sensations they offer: unique, memorable, and leaving you thirsty.
This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Hot Octopuss. We have been paid to provide a fair review. Learn more, and purchase, the Queen Bee here.
The Queen Bee was introduced to me as a “Marmite” toy – “You either love it, or you don’t,” cautioned the voice of wisdom that suggested I try it. Made according to therapeutic medical science, The Bee’s patented & trademarked PulsePlate Technology is based on a medical vibrator by company Multicept that uses a technique called Penile Vibratory Stimulation (PVS) as part of IVF treatment, to bring on ejaculation in men with spinal cord injury. The Bee is a clitoral stimulator, using PulsePlate Technology to deliver high-amplitude oscillations via a ‘piston’-like system.
I was told that the toy was suitable for someone who enjoyed a “rumbling” sensation and that it might require a bit of patience to get the most out of.
To the latter, I respectfully disagree.
The doing
Shaped like a hairbrush and on the larger side for a sex toy, the oval head contains a smaller vibrating plate on one side and on the other, has a textured surface suitable for massage. There are six settings of varying intensity and pulse patterns, but I always tend towards high-speed, constant buzzing so didn’t explore all of these with the same tenacity.
Pressure is my clitoris’ joie-de-vivre but she is very sensitive to the touch, particularly if I tense the muscles in my thighs in a gripping motion while using toys. The hairbrush shape and toy’s sturdiness made this easy to accommodate: the oscillating plate is ostensibly meant for the clitoris, but I had a lot of fun placing it on the top of my labia while gripping at the toy’s neck. To me, a great sex toy is something that does what it promises while giving you a bit of wiggle room to find something else that works. And wiggle, I did.
The Queen Bee’s vibrating plate
The plate creates vibrations that are certainly felt deeply, making for many sincere and sustained clitoral orgasms. Some reviewers have mentioned that that plates’ vibration slowed when pressed firmly enough against the body – I didn’t notice this enough for it to be a problem, but this could have been in part because I was also moving the toy slightly to create my own pulsing rhythm, so the plate didn’t have consistent pressure and contact with my body.
I also might not have noticed any significant pauses in the vibration itself because I kept accidentally pressing the buttons on the underside of the neck, which changed the patterns and intensity and threw off my flow a bit. This would be the one bone I have to pick with the Bee – I became too aware and cautious of the buttons than I would have liked.
The context
Sex toys exist to serve pleasure needs in creative – and sometimes vanilla, yet effective – ways, but it’s not as often that they are made with inclusive intentions. When describing the benefits of the PulsePlate Technology, the Bee’s creator Hot Octopuss make a point of acknowledging the different types of people and experiences it might work for. They note how changes to the body that can come with ageing might impact one’s arousal process, such as vaginal atrophy or less vaginal lubrication, and make penetrative sex difficult or out of the question. They mention those with conditions such as endometriosis and vaginismus, who might also be unable to have penetrative sex.
The Bee is not the first toy to use oscillations to stimulate the clitoris nor is Hot Octopuss the first company to mindfully acknowledge the diversity of female sexual experiences, but they are sadly still in the minority.
The Queen Bee with packaging
On a personal note, I love sex toys that mark a departure from feminised forms, motifs, or colours. I have nothing against feminised toys per se – my ol’ reliable is a sturdy, hot pink vibrator in the shape of a flower bud — but my view is that gendering pleasure is a way of suppressing it. ‘Male’ or ‘female’ genitals might be the functional ways we experience pleasure, and pleasure may well be something we attach to our gender identity. But the pleasure itself is and should be amorphous, never completely knowable, and ultimately individual.
The important details
The Bee is made with medical-grade, non-porous TPE which makes it body-safe. It requires four hours of charging via USB for one hour of use and is waterproof, which means that you can safely play in the shower or bath.
It also must be said that the Bee is on the louder side. This isn’t a problem for me, but if I still lived in a shared house with paper-thin walls and a hyper-creaky bed, it might be.
The verdict
My orgasms with the Bee came quickly and were very intense; once I got into the rhythm of the toy it was almost like I could use it to push a magic orgasm button. That said, I like sturdier toys that I can grip and use to anchor my movements and am a fan of hard-and-fast and side-to-side stimulation.
If you’re someone who needs a firmer and more consistent clitoral pressure to orgasm, then there’s a chance the plate’s slowed vibrations when pressed hard against your body could interrupt your flow.
The Bee could also reliably be used for a softer, lighter-touch session – this isn’t my bag, so I didn’t try it, but did play around with how the sensation changed when the toy was held at more of a distance and on a lower intensity setting. If gentle, but decisive, vibrations float your boat, the Bee might be worth a look.
If you like a toy that is a bit more responsive in the way of movement, the Bee might not be the best; if you want something sturdy that can sustain your grip, the Bee holds its own.
It is fair to say that this toy is probably not for everyone, but then again, neither is Marmite. Both serve the people that enjoy the specific sensations they offer: unique, memorable, and leaving you thirsty.
This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Hot Octopuss. We have been paid to provide a fair review. Learn more, and purchase, the Queen Bee here.
