Review: Embrace Lover’s Remote from Cal Ex

Embrace Lover’s Remote from California Exotic Novelties

Pros:
- Made from silicone
- Designed for couples
- Both pieces vibrate
- Rechargeable
Cons:
- Remote isn’t waterproof
- Buzzy vibrations
- Expensive
- Stimulator functions poorly (will explain)
- Cheaply made
Overall:

-Overview-

If you’ve read any of my reviews, you know I try to view a product for what it is, not just my experience with it.  I know that just because something doesn’t work for me, doesn’t mean it’s a horrible toy and no one should ever give it a shot.  Well, today that changes.  Don’t buy this toy.  Seriously, just don’t.  It’s priced like luxury, but it’s really just a cheap toy that doesn’t work the way it should.

-Intro/Use-

The Embrace Lover’s Remote from Cal Exotics is a vibrator designed for couples.  It features a stimulator which is designed to be inserted into the body, and a remote that controls the vibration settings.

Sets like these are typically used together, with one person being stimulated, and the other controlling the stimulation.  People often use vibes like this in public, getting off on their secretive play while out in the open.  If you’re looking for a product that’s suitable for public use, this isn’t the one to get.  The Embrace Lover’s Remote is far less discreet, and for a good reason; the remote itself also vibrates.

The vibrating remote can be used in a variety of ways.  It can be used on the person who has the stimulator inserted (for dual (vaginal/clitoral) pleasure), on the partner controlling the vibrations inside your body, and on any sensitive area on either of your bodies.  Similarly, the stimulator can be used outside of the body in the same sense.

The stimulator has a nice little retrieval cord on the bottom that makes it easier to remove.  Don’t let this give you false safety.  There isn’t a proper base on this toy, so it shouldn’t be inserted anally.  While you could try holding onto the cord the whole time, it’s really not worth the risk when you consider the complications should it slip too far inside your body.

The way this toy is waterproof makes no sense to me.  The stimulator is waterproof, which it should be considering it’s designed to be used inside your body, but the remote is only splash proof.  This really takes a lot away from the toy since you need to use caution with where and how you use the remote.  If the stimulator is waterproof, why couldn’t the remote be as well?

-Material/Texture-

The Embrace Lover’s Remote is made from silicone and ABS plastic with silver plating.  Both materials are non-porous, latex free, and phthalate free.  They can be cleaned using soap and water (be careful to not submerge the remote) or your favorite sex toy cleaner, and can be sterilized using a 10% bleach solution.  Where the plastic and silicone meet aren’t flush, so you’ll need to pay close attention when cleaning to get into the grooves.

The silicone is matte and glides easily across the skin.  It does pick up some dust and lint, but is easy to manage by wiping down before use.  Apart from the retrieval cord, both the stimulator and remote are firm.  The silicone is simply a skin over the internal parts, which is good for those that enjoy pressure.

The cord itself is flexible which allows you to comfortably use it underneath clothing.  Though it bends with ease, it’s not stretchy at all, making it much easier to remove.

There’s no intentional texture on this toy, but you can feel where the silicone and plastic connect, and the buttons on both pieces are raised.  It’s really obvious when you’re touching it with your hands, but isn’t as much once inserted.

-Design/Size-

The Embrace Lover’s Remote is available in grey, pink, and purple, but the plastic areas are silver on each.  They’re both pretty basic looking pieces, being similar in design to many toys before it.

The stimulator is bulb shaped, having a wide, rounded top and decreasing slightly in size toward the bottom.  At the base is the retrieval cord which features a circular disc at the end.  It has a fairly nice shape to it, but how well it works inside your body will depend on your specific anatomy.

The remote has a very ergonomic shape to it.  It has a nice curve and bulges in all the right places.  You can easily lay it over your vulva and allow it to provide broad coverage, or use the tip for more targeted stimulation of the clitoris, nipples, or other areas.  The controls are in a convenient location, but aren’t easy to accidentally press.

The size of the Embrace Lover’s Remote is reasonable, but the end of the stimulator might be difficult for some to insert; not so much because of the size, but because it’s rounded.  Using some water-based lubricant and relaxing should help if you’re having trouble.  The full length of the stimulator (including cord) is 7 1/2″, but only about 3 1/2″ are designed to be inserted.  The girth ranges from 4 1/2″ in circumference (at the widest area), down to 3″.  Most users who are used to penetration should be able to use this product.  The remote itself is 3 1/4″ long, and 1 1/2″ across the widest point.

-Function/Controls-

The Embrace Lover’s Remote is rechargeable and arrives with a partial charge.  Prior to the first use, you should plug it in and allow the vibe to fully juice up.  The first charge will take approximately 90 minutes, and will provide 90 minutes of play when used on the highest setting.  The really neat thing about the USB charger they include, is that you can recharge both the stimulator and remote at the same time.

Behind both buttons on the remote, and near the button on the stimulator, lights flash to indicate the pieces are charging.  When they’re fully charged, the lights will glow steady to show they’re ready for use.

There are a total of three buttons between the pieces; two on the remote, and one on the stimulator.  To turn them both on, you first have to press and hold the button on the stimulator for a few seconds.  The light will come on and start flashing, showing that it’s activated.  The vibrations won’t start until you turn on the remote.  You press and hold down the power button (on the remote) and the vibrations will instantly be felt in both pieces.  From there, you can press the functions button and both pieces will cycle through the settings together, or you can turn off the vibrations in the remote.  To do this, you must hold down the functions button for a few seconds.  The remote will no longer vibrate, but it still controls which setting the stimulator is on.  If you only want to use the remote (which the paperwork states doubles as a panty vibe), you ignore the stimulator and simply turn on the remote.

Any time you’ve used both pieces, you must turn them both off.  Holding down the power button on the remote will stop all vibrations, but the stimulator will still have a flashing light.  Though it’s no longer vibrating, you still need to turn it off by holding down the power button on that piece as well.  It’s a lot of information to learn, but if the product is in front of you, it’s much easier to understand.

There are a total of seven settings, and the stimulator and remote always match each other.  The settings are:

1. Steady Low
2. Steady High
3. Pulse
4. Quick Pulse
5. Escalation
6. Roller Coaster
7. Mix of Each

The vibrations are extremely buzzy.  They’re lighter in the remote than the stimulator, but neither are very deep and certainly aren’t rumbly.  They travel fairly well throughout both, and as a result they numb your hands and the area of your body they’re in contact with.

The sound level is reasonable; someone in the same room could probably hear it (which is why public play is out of the question) but no one would be able to hear through a closed door.

-Packaging-

The Embrace Lover’s Remote arrives in black cardboard box that’s surrounded by a thin sleeve.  The sleeve has the product and company name on the front and the back has an image of the toy and covers the key points about it.  It’s not discreet since it’s obvious what the package contains, but it’s shown in a tasteful way.  When the sleeve is removed the box becomes even more discreet, but still has ‘embrace by California Exotic Novelties‘ on the top in silver lettering.  Inside, the stimulator and remote are nestled inside a piece of foam.  Behind that, you’ll find the charger and paperwork that comes with the toy.  Unfortunately, the package is all you receive for storage as it doesn’t contain a pouch.

-Experience-

I love rechargeable toys.  The vibrating side of my collection is mostly made up of rechargeable toys (the ones I’ve held onto), so I was pleased to see the Embrace Lover’s Remote was as well.

My first impression of the toy was the box it arrived in  It seemed a little more classy than some of their packaging, but still didn’t seem fitting for a ‘luxury’ product; and at this price point you’d figure it was safe to consider this one.  When I opened the package I immediately saw the truth; this product was a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

The vibrator looked and felt really cheap.  It’s very lightweight, the plastic isn’t lined up well with the silicone, and I could actually see some type of glue (or other clear bonding material) around some of the plastic.  If I had paid $109.99 for this product, I would have fainted at the sight of it!

I always, always give products a fair shot, and after taking photos and charging the toy, it was time to test.  I went into the bathroom, turned on the stimulator, put my foot on the side of the tub, and inserted it.

Now, this is something you really have to take a moment to imagine.  Here I am, all Captain style, with my foot on the tub, this weak, buzzy vibe inside my vagina, and the remote in my hand.  I remove my foot from the side of the tub, place it on the floor, and the stimulator stops vibrating.  I thought it was really odd, so I returned my foot to the tub to readjust and it started vibrating before I even had the chance to.  I’m literally standing in my bathroom, doing a little jig, trying to see what the issue is.  Foot up, vibrations work.  Foot down, vibrations cease.  Yes, I repeated this step several times and couldn’t help but laugh as I did.  I removed the stimulator and tried turning it a little.  Same results.  Tried pushing it in further.  Same results.  No matter what I did, it acted the same way.

I took the stimulator out, cleaned it, and tried squeezing it with my hands, trying to see if maybe it was pressure that was causing the issue.  No matter how I pressed on it, the vibrations continued.  I have no idea what the issue was, but I tried testing this set on four different occasions, and had the same result every time.  If I squatted or had my foot up the toy would work, if I stood up with both feet on the ground, they stopped.

I honestly have no idea what the issue was, but I could not get the darn thing to work for me.  I tried until I was frustrated and uncomfortable before I gave up.  This product was a major letdown.  It’s so expensive, cheaply made, has light and buzzy vibrations, and simply wouldn’t work the way it was intended.  This product isn’t worth the investment (and yes, I said investment), even if the stimulator works when it’s inserted.

If you’re interested in purchasing the Embrace Lover’s Remote, or something similar to it (or nothing like it) you can do so by clicking the banner below.

Embrace Lover’s Remote was provided to me free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review through the Cal Exotics Sexpert Program.  This is in compliance with FTC guidelines.