Well, now I’m just bummed out. I was so excited when Peepshow Toys offered to send me the Laya II, I really admire Fun Factory and have genuinely enjoyed all their toys I have tried thus far (even the single speed, battery-powered Joupie), so I was pretty confident the Laya II would be a home run. I would masturbate, I would feel wowed and amazed, then I would sit down and write yet another glowing review of a Fun Factory product.
I was not wowed. I was not amazed. In fact the Laya II has left me feeling unfulfilled and kind of blah about the whole thing. I feel so let down! I need a cookie and some cuddles, I’m so distressed.
The Laya II is the rechargeable reincarnation of the older battery-powered Layaspot. Now, normally when a toy goes from battery-powered to rechargeable it’s a great move, you usually end up with a higher quality toy with more OOMPH. But somehow Fun Factory took a step backwards with this update. Compared to its older sibling, the Laya II is a hot mess. A weak, almost buzzy, hot frickin’ mess.
While the Laya II and the Layaspot look nearly identical, the real difference is in the strength 0f the vibrations. The Laya II just doesn’t have it. Even though Fun Factory claims that the Laya II is more powerful than the Layaspot, I vehemently disagree, and from what I’ve read other bloggers also disagree. What happened? You dropped the ball Fun Factory! Where is the cutting-edge German ingenuity? How do you make something as cutting edge as the Stronic Eins then fail at making the Laya II more powerful (or at least as powerful as) the Layaspot? I HAVE SO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS! I am also left puzzled and scratching my head after reading a handful of reviews describing the vibrations as “OUT OF THIS WORLD” and “SUPER POWERFUL” because I don’t see it… what am I missing? I feel like the Laya II is an inside joke that I’m just not a part of.
Okay, that’s probably enough picking on the Laya II (for now). Design-wise, I like the concept of the Fun Factory Laya II. It is a palm-sized vibrator that is lightweight and pretty easy to hold. During sex, it fits comfortably between my partner and I (even if the toy does relatively little for me in that position) and is so much less intrusive then a big honkin’ wand or vibrator.
The shape of the Laya II suggests that the way to use it is to allow the toy to cup my vulva, letting the plastic middle of the toy rest on my clit. If this is indeed the proper way to use the Laya II, then it is also the worst way to use it because it is nearly impossible for me to feel the already weak feeling vibrations this way. Also, I must not be shaped exactly as intended because unless I push down hard (which is kind of uncomfortable after awhile) there is a pretty large gap between the toy and my clit. So, I’m not sure that the Laya II is versatile enough for all bodies (or I am just a freak of nature, which is tooootally possible). My next attempt at achieving orgasm involved smashing the round ends of the toy against my clit, but it seemed like it was nearly impossible for me to get any kind of pin-point stimulation. I really thought I would be able to push one end or the other against my clit and get the vibration I was looking for but the vibrations remained pretty broad and continued to be weak and disappointing.
Operating the Laya II is pretty easy, unless you aren’t already familiar with Fun Factory toys… than it can be frustrating for those of us who have no time for instruction manuals. Like other rechargeable Fun Factory toys, the Laya II arrives with the travel lock engaged… the first time I encountered this with the Stronic Eins, I though my toy was broken. I smashed buttons, plugged it in, and couldn’t make it go. I was seriously ready to complain that I received a dud… but first I thought “what the heck, I’ll read the manual” and lo and behold I discovered the mysterious travel lock. If you are reading this, I hope I have saved you a mountain of frustration… it’s not broken, it’s travel locked! Other than that, the button configuration is pretty simple. Press the (FUN) button to turn the Laya II on then use the the (+) and (-) buttons to cycle through any of its four speeds and six patterns. The patterns were all pretty useless and I felt like the already disappointing vibe was mocking me… shitty patterns are just adding insult to injury. Okay, maybe I take things too personally.
I can’t deny that the quality of the toy is superb, but I wouldn’t really expect anything less from a Fun Factory toy. The toy is made from body safe silicone, which has a matte texture and quite a bit of drag when not lubed up (it also collects lint like it’s going out of style) and features an ABS plastic panel on the underside and on the topside where the buttons and charging prongs are located. It is also surprisingly quiet for a vibrator (“maybe because its so weak!” says the heckling side of me…) and I love that it is waterproof and easy to clean.
The Laya II (like I’ve said before) is rechargeable and utilizes one of my favorite methods of recharging a toy – magnets! I love magnetic charging, it is such a game changer… I’m telling you. I hate fiddling with the charging cables on some toys, trying to fit some tiny prong into a tiny hole hidden by a layer of silicone… maybe I’m just unusually impatient, but I hate it. So, when I discovered magnetic charging for the first time I freaked. I can just kind of halfheartedly direct the magnetic charging cable to the toy and it more or less sorts itself out, clicking into place. It’s the smalls joys in life.
So, as I sat here scanning my notes and writing this review I started thinking to myself, there is just no way the Fun Factory Laya II is all that bad. Maybe I was just having a shitty couple of days when I tested this little toy out. So, I dropped everything and gave the Laya II another chance just moments ago… still don’t like it. Although, to be fair, I was able to eek out a really underwhelming orgasm this time around. So while maybe not as terrible as I initially thought, the Laya II is not something I will be reaching for ever again. It is banished to the Isle of Misfit Sex Toys, where it will be forced to live out its endless days contemplating just how it has wronged me and failed my clit.
Do I recommend the Laya II? Nope. Nope. Nope. NOOoooope. NOPE. I just can’t, it was impossible for me to find a reliable way to orgasm with this toy. I tried every position I could think of to get this puppy to transmit enough vibration into my clit for me to reach at least some semblance of an orgasm and it never happened. I hate this thing…. and I can usually find the good in any sex toy! To be fair to the Laya II, if you are a person who is sensitive and prefers a toy to be gentle you may actually like this vibrator. Or maybe your anatomy will be more cooperative and the toy will function perfectly for you. I don’t want to completely dis the Laya II, because I did like the Layaspot and I know this toy has potential…and I really love what Fun Factory does… but this toy really did not work for me at this point in time (*heavy sigh*). If Fun Factory ever decides to re-vamp the re-vamping and make the Laya II more powerful, I could see possibly enjoying it… maybe… I won’t hold my breath, but if that day ever comes, I’ll let you all know.
If for whatever reason you are dead set on trying the Fun Factory Laya II out, you can snap one up at Peepshow Toys! Use the code KITTEN for a sweet 10% discount.
The Fun Factory Laya II was provided to me free of charge by Peepshow Toys in exchange for my honest review.