LELO Oden

Date: (30 November 2011)

When we first saw the Lelo Oden, when it was first announced, we struggled to figure out what it actually did due to it's out of the ordinary appearance. After learning that it was actually a wireless vibrating cock ring that hooked onto the penis we were very intrigued by the product and to our delight the fabulous guys at Sextoys.co.uk sent us one to test and review.

Design / Shape / Size

As mentioned above the Lelo Oden is a strange beast breaking away the standard cock ring design. The main unit looks similar to a sperm in some ways with a wider bullet head and a curved tail which wraps around the penis shaft. Most of the unit is made of soft silicone with a gold coloured ABS plastic Lelo branded joint between the head and the tail.

On the head of the main unit there is a button that some people may miss due to being small and black. This button syncs with the controller and is also the power button by pressing and holding in for around 2 seconds. When the toy is on, the head has a flashing orange light so you know if it's on or off. Strangely the Oden doesn't turn itself off automatically after a period of non usage therefore draining the batteries if not turned off after use.

The head screws off easily which allows you to charge the unit, this is a very novel way of charging a toy but we are slightly concerned that the seal isn't very flush to the gold banding which could allow liquids into the charging unit.

The tail section of the main unit is very flexible and we feel it would accommodate thick penises quite easily and also slim penises without issue. The tail doesn't actually go in a full circle even with the slimmest of penises which does raise an issue of restricting blood flow. The Oden is not able to grip the penis firmly like other cock rings due to the tail design therefore it doesn't perform very well as an erection enhancer or even a orgasm delayer.

The controller of the Oden is very nice being made with the same silicone and ABS plastic combination as the main unit. There are 3 buttons on the silicone which turns on, changes patterns and turns off the remote. The buttons are raised from the surface which allows the user to easily tell which button is which.

To get into the battery compartment of the controller, Lelo has provided a little tool that slots into a groove and you rotate to release the lid. This mechanism is very funky but due to the small size of the opening tool it is easily lost however we have tested a 1p coin which also opens the lid (Lelo advises against this but we wanted to test it).

The controller takes 2 AAA batteries that do not last very long because the controller not only controls the main unit but also vibrates draining the batteries quite quickly so we would advise using long lasting batteries inside the controller to help combat battery drain at the worst possible time.

As the controller vibrates we have found it's great to use it as a body massager whilst also using the main unit. It definitely adds an added incentive to purchase this product and Rox especially likes this feature.

The main unit can be worn with the bullet facing down which rests on the balls or you can wear it with the bullet facing up stimulation the clitoris. When we have tried with the bullet facing upward it doesn't like to stay upright very well especially when thrusting hard so we have to keep putting it back up. Facing down the bullet is much better and it stays in place very well, however depending on the sex position the bullet can struggle to rest on the scrutumcorrectly giving a lacklustre experience.

Wearing the Lelo Oden for the most part is comfortable but it is not a cock ring you could wear under clothes due to the odd shape and the lack of firmness of grip on the penis. Steve has noticed the Oden to pinch on the odd occasion but it's not very painful.

The Oden comes with a cute little Insignia Brooch which comes as standard for all products in their Insignia line. It is a nice little added extra but the closing mechanism isn't the strongest and we feel will break after a short time.

Functions / Controls

Many people do not read sex toy instructions before using them and we don't at times but we have to stress that it is very important to read the instructions of the Lelo Oden as it is much more complex than most other sex toys on the market. The Lelo Oden has two SenseMoton modes which allow the user to control the vibration strength without having to press a button. This is a great idea and Lelo has somehow managed to get it to work quite well saying it's the first of its kind.

Mode 1, which is automatically selected when turning on the product, changes the strength of the vibration as you tilt it from a horizontal to a vertical position. This mechanism is very similar to how an iPhone rotates its screen based on how the user is holding the phone. This is by far our favourite method of controlling the main unit as it works exceptionally well.

Mode 2 is quite an odd mode and is our least favourite pattern as the faster you move the controller around the more intense the vibration is. We found this mode to be quite awkward as to get a powerful vibration the user has to frantically shake the controller which isn't very erotic.

By pressing the centre button on the controller it enables the 6 standard pattern modes which are varied and stimulating. With each of these modes you can control the vibration strength by pressing the + or - buttons. The strength of these vibrations go from very mild to quite powerful.

The vibrations emit from the main bullet section which do travel down the tail but not very strongly so only giving mild vibration stimulation to the penis. This is a bit unfortunate as we would have much preferred strong vibrations on the penis and less on the scrotum especially as using the bullet on the clitoris doesn't work very well.

The capable wireless range on the Lelo Oden is really good and even works through walls with ease and easily passed our our tests for several metres range. We were also able to control the main unit when the controller is downstairs, also I'm not sure due to the nature of the Oden if this very long range is needed but it is a welcomed sight to see the Oden capable of long range play.


Packaging

As with all Lelo products it seems the Oden is exceptionally packaged that not only protects the product inside extremely well but it also presents the product in a beautiful way. Each of the items inside the presentation box are nestled safely inside with the instructions and warranty information accessible via the charger compartment.

We really cannot fault the lelo packaging, and the instructions supplied gives useful and easy to understand information about the Oden which is good as it's not the easiest product to use without reading the instructions.


Care / Cleaning

To clean the Lelo Oden we advise using a good sex toy cleaner as it seems to do the job quite well. It is important not to try and clean the Oden by placing it it boiling water as this will likely kill the motor inside. As the Oden is made with silicone is is very important not to use silicone lubricants or place it on other silicone products as it will degrade the toy.


Steve's Experience

I have never seen anything like the Lelo Oden and was always unsure how the Lelo Oden would perform as a cock ring due to it's unclosed nature. The lack of a firm grip on my penis made the Oden perform not very well as an erection enhancer and orgasm delayer so it was up to the vibrations to give me pleasure. The vibrations of the Oden head when it's pressed on my scrotum feels really good but to get this to happen we are limited sex position wise.

With the Oden facing upwards it doesn't seem to want to stay still especially when thrusting hard and we didn't particulary want to keep moving it back into place so we tend to use the Oden facing downwards.

I do feel the vibrations from the Oden on my penis but it's not overly powerful as the tail that wraps around the shaft doesn't transfer the vibrations from the head very well, which is probably due to the ABS plastic banding across the centre of the toy.

I do really like the wireless remote especially SenseMotion Mode 1 as it allows Rox to control the vibration strength without pressing any buttons and she uses the controller on me as a massager whilst also using the main unit.


Rox's Experience

With the Oden facing upwards the vibrations feel really strong when hitting my clitoris but it is very hit and miss as the toy tends to move around missing the sweet spot. I do very slightly feel the vibrations on Steve's penis when having sex but it is very mild and not very pleasurable.

The modes and patterns on the Oden are very good and the ability to change the vibration strength of each of the set patterns is a nice touch. Mode 1 is my favourite also as Mode 2 makes me look like I'm masturbating someone!

The wireless remote is ingenious and I'm shocked at the sheer range this product has as I can even be downstairs controlling the vibrations whilst Steve is upstairs. I also like using the remote as a body massager thanks to its soft silicone material.


Overall Opinion

It's very good to see that Lelo tried something new with the Lelo Oden but for us it wasn't a big success especially as the Oden tended to move around when facing upwards making clitoral stimulaton very difficult. The remote of the Oden is where this product shines as it works brilliantly with a staggering wireless range that would beat even some wireless routers.

Using the Oden facing downwards is the only way we can get pleasure with the Oden but it's still not great as the vibrations don't travel onto the penis very well and limited sex positions.

The Oden does have potential and we hope Lelo continues with this idea as the remote really is great.