When I first pulled Maven out of the box, I didn’t think I was going to like it. It looks so simple, the shaft is so smooth, its weirdly realistic in a totally unrealistic sort of way… there was just no way I was going to enjoy this. How could I possibly? I am totally into all things weird and wild… how can I be satisfied by the approximation of a human penis… But, I’ll tell you what, I was pleasantly surprised by Maven.
Maven was sent to me by the folks at Good Vibrations along with the Rippler Mini Vibrating Dildo I reviewed last week (check it out if you haven’t already, it includes a hilarious anecdote of me turning it into an accidental Chinese finger trap!). The Pleasure Works Maven is a pretty simple, but versatile toy. The flared, round base makes it usable with O-ring compatible harnesses, so you can use it with a partner, or you can forgo the harness all together and just have some good ol’ fashion solo fun. Great for vaginal penetration and its base makes it a perfectly appropriate toy for anal penetration! Versatility, I like it!
The design is pretty simple, a good toy if you are looking for realistic but not too realistic (e.g. a toy sans balls). The head is probably the most realistic part of Maven, highly sculpted, with a more textured feel then the rest of the shaft. Maven’s head has a rougher, skin-esque texture that is supposed to be similar to that of the skin of an erect penis (I’m guessing.) The shaft is completely uniform and smooth, not at all skin-like, but very soft and supple to the touch, I spent many enjoyable minutes just caressing my Maven. The shaft also has some veins running down the front, but they seem to be there mostly for aesthetic purposes and are not as realistic as the head. I didn’t notice the veins at all while playing, so I give it no bonus points for texture stimulation.
Maven is 7 3/4 inches in length (with about 7 inches of it being insertable length) and has a diameter of 1 5/8 inch. Girth-wise, I found Maven to be very comfortable and not at all overwhelming… in fact, it felt pretty natural to me. It was very easy to insert with a little bit of lube and very little warm up. Length-wise it is fairly long, I did poke myself in the cervix more than once, although once I was really good and turned on, I had far less trouble with the length of the toy and was able to accommodate most of it. I found the length to be pretty great, if only because I like having a little something extra to hold on to while I’m thrusting. There is nothing worse then getting into a good thrusting rhythm and then losing a tenuous grip on a short toy and watching it sail across the room. Simply the worst. This happens to everyone, right? RIGHT?!
Maven has a gently curving shaft, that gets wider as it nears the base. I rather like this feature, I love how it progressively opens my vagina just a little bit as I insert it further inside. Its not a super noticeable size change, but its just enough to make things interesting for me. I do wish the head was a little bit more pronounced, the ridge is pretty subtle and the head is fairly small, so there isn’t that fantastic “popping” feeling that I kind of like when pulling it out or pushing it in. The curve of the shaft does allow for me to get a little bit of g-spot stimulation, but the small head leaves much to be desired in this area. Granted, Maven is not billed as a g-spot toy, so this isn’t really a problem for me, but if you are looking for a dildo to do double duty and provide mind-blowing g-spot action, Maven may or may not work for you.
Maven is made from 100% silicone. The silicone is firm, but still quite flexible. It is much softer then my previous Pleasure Works toy, but still not quite as supple as my Bad Dragon toys. But, I like it, I think it works. There is enough firmness to it that there should be minimal drooping when used in a harness. It also appears to pick up much less lint then any of my other silicone toys, I’m guessing this is probably due to its more matte finish. I totally appreciate not playing “whats that strange hair on my dildo” every time I pull it from the closet.
Maven comes in three food themed colors – Vanilla (light toned), Caramel (medium toned), and Coffee (dark toned). My Maven is Caramel, which is a really nice warm brown color and also makes me crave a Sugar Daddy candy pop.
So, even though I thought Maven was going to be totally blah between the sheets, I have been happily proven wrong. It is a comfortable dildo that is totally thrustable and was also great as a clenching toy while I beat my clit into submission with my Magic Wand. My complaints about this toy are very few, the biggest being I wish the head was bigger. I definitely recommend this toy, especially if you are looking for a reasonably priced quality dildo. At $62.00, you are getting a pretty great deal for a nice toy.
Would you like to purchase your very own Maven? You can find them at GoodVibes.com!
Maven was provided to me by GoodVibes.com in exchange for my unbiased review. Thank you!