We huffed, puffed, and pulled some hairs out, a critique of the Hot Octopuss ATOM Plus.
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Let’s dive right in. Guys, you do not know how many times I’ve had to apologise to my partner about this toy. I’ve lost count; I’ve even apologised to his cock. It’s that serious. I love his cock, and I don’t want any harm to come to it, but I also like reviewing sex toys. I’ve been put into a bit of a predicament over the Hot Octopuss ATOM Plus Cock Ring.
First off, let me tell you that I love Hot Octopus. As a company, I love that they promote sex, not stigma, and I’m a fan of the Pocket Pulse, the Queen Bee (review coming soon), and the Pulse II & III. However, I think the Hot Octopuss ATOM Plus Cock Ring might need a bit of tweaking, or it’s just not a compatible match with us.
Basics of the Hot Octopuss ATOM Plus
- Cost: £89
- Materials: Black Silicone and Silver ABS
- Weight: 101g
- Size: 3.5 inches in length, 2.5 across.
- Number of Buttons: 3
- Charger: USB
- Speed Settings: 5 vibration patterns: contact, pulse, oscillating, faster oscillation, and a dash-dot pulse.
- Waterproof: Yes
- Full Charge: Two hours.
- Includes: Hot Octopuss ATOM Plus Cock Ring, USB charging cable, user manual, and a storage bag.
- Recommended Lube: Water Based
- Warranty: 1 Year
First Use
Settle in, I made notes when we were testing. I’m going to let past Ruby cover this section.
The notes start like this:
- “We just wanted to have sex. It took about 3 1/2 Slyvan Esso songs to get the dam thing on! When we did get it on it felt like I was being punched in the clit.”
- “It turned itself off whilst we were fucking.”
- “Made my partner’s balls pop back inside of him … I’ve never seen him move so fast.”
- The final quote from me: “Now he wants to try a different cock ring. Save my clit, save it!”
- The final quote from my partner: “It has personally offended me because it ruined the mood of the sex, and it traumatised my testicles!”
Basically, it ended with a lot of swearing and a lot of apologising to my partner.
Opinions
To quote their website, the Hot Octopuss ATOM Plus Cock Ring is ‘the world’s first integrated dual motor cock ring with simultaneous perineum stimulation.’ When we first saw it we were excited to try it out, really excited. I saw it on the stand at Eroticon, and it looked pretty darn snazzy. I did also try stretching it at the time, and it didn’t go well, but I held out hope! We’ve not had much luck in the past with cock rings, so when it arrived, we hoped this time would be different. Spoiler alert, it wasn’t.
Anyway, diving right into the meat of the problem – at least in my case, I cannot pull the ATOM Plus open at all. It’s not a toy I can put on my partner, and if we wanted to use it whilst I’m topping him. He doesn’t want a cock ring that’s work, and to be honest, nor do I. When he tried to stretch it out, he also had problems, and he lifts me up, down, and around, so he’s got some strength.
Like most toys with buttons, the Hot Octopuss ATOM Plus Cock Ring has buttons that are easy to ‘accidentally’ press. Conversely, it’s also really hard to press them or change the modes during sex. To turn the Hot Octopuss ATOM Plus Cock Ring on you might need to read the instruction manual. It’s a bit fiddly to figure out the first time.
I wanted to like this toy because it is a step up in terms of vibrating cock rings, both in design and in power. However, we’ve tried it more than a few times (it took a lot of bribery), and unfortunately, we really don’t get on with it. I don’t know whether it’s our positioning, the fact that we can’t get it as flush to the skin as we’d like, or how sturdy the silicon is (both a good and bad thing). The first time was a bit of a disaster, and we’ve tried stretching it more, making sure it’s on before any sexual activity, and enough lube our bed is a slip ‘N slide, but we can’t make it work for us.
My partner’s Opinions
We’re regressing a little to earlier reviews I ‘made’ my partner participate in here, but when I asked them for elaboration, it was more of the same … just more colourful language.
- “Didn’t make the penis extra hard.”
- “It’s more of a ball ache than a ball pleasure.”
- “I don’t like it. I really don’t like it.”
- “That’s the worst toy we’ve tested so far.”
I did ask him if he wanted to add any more responses ”sums up my feelings quite nicely“.
Positives of the ATOM PLUS Cock Ring
- Body-safe Materials and Waterproof: As always, Hot Octopuss has used body-safe hypoallergenic materials – silicone, and ABS plastic. The charging port is just under the small plus button, and it’s a nice snug fit to ensure no water leaks in.
- The Design: I’ve been a fan of the sleek, and smooth look of the Hot Octopuss products for quite some time now, and the Hot Octopuss ATOM Plus Cock Ring did not disappoint. The packaging is shiny (a weakness), clean, and in line with their other products.
- Lights: Any toy that has charging lights gets a good old pat on the back in my books. I hate not knowing when a toy is charged, and the red (charging) to white (charged) lights are a nice change. As a bonus, the white light is on when the toy is on, so you’ll always know what the buzzing noise in your draw is when you’re rooting around in the dark.
- User Manual: I’m a fan of a clear, and concise user manual, and the one included in the Hot Octopuss ATOM Plus Cock Ring is just that.
- Noise Level: The Hot Octopuss ATOM Plus cock ring is fairly quiet. The sound is something that wouldn’t be too noticeable during a hot and heavy bout of sex. It’s nothing compared to the Pock Pulse line, for comparison – or a Doxy.
Negatives of the ATOM PLUS Cock Ring
- Stretchy: This is one of my biggest gripes with the Hot Octopuss ATOM Plus cock ring, as mentioned. I’m sitting here after a few uses and a lot of trial and error, and it’s not stretching.
- Contraception: Considering how much pulling and pushing you have to do to get the Hot Octopuss ATOM Cock Ring on, how does this work in terms of birth control?
- Well, tried putting it on before the condom, and we tried putting it on after the condom. Both proved difficult. Once the Hot Octopuss ATOM Cock Ring is on, it has to stay on. There’s no way you’re taking it off, and saving that condom – if you want to take it off, you have to get a new condom. If you’re putting a condom on after you’ve got it on, then the cock ring pushes against the base of the condom, making it bunch up a bit too much at the base for my liking. Also, there’s a chance of pre-cum transferring areas around the vagina.
- Since we’re condom only, thinking about birth control, and how it relates to sex toys is at the top of my list.
- Intensity: After the – my partner calls it ‘trauma’, of getting the Hot Octopuss ATOM Cock Ring on, sex wasn’t exactly pleasant. Aside from that, we either couldn’t feel the cock ring, or we could really feel the cock ring. My partner couldn’t feel the motor by his perineum, and I couldn’t feel the one that was supposed to titillate my clit. Off the cock it does seem pretty darn powerful – it vibrates my whole hand; the power was just lost in translation, it seems.
- The Buttons: Oh yes, buttons. You can bet your ass if a sex toy has buttons, I will comment on them. The Hot Octopuss ATOM Plus has buttons so small, considering the toy has so much surface area. This is definitely a toy that could benefit from a separate controller. The buttons were hard to press during sex – I didn’t even attempt pressing them because that would be too much contortion for my body. At one point, we even managed to turn it off whilst fucking – what can I say, I repel technology!
- Ow: I tried grinding. I tried softly smashing my pubis into the black silicon. I tried plonking myself very gracefully down on his cock. Nope, nope, nope. I think it might just be a little too firm for me, but that’s okay; my body is a sensitive thing.
Accessibility
My main two points regarding accessibility with this product are stretchability and buttons. I find it impossible to stretch. My partner also finds it extremely difficult – and he has muscles. This won’t be good for anyone who has weak wrists. It apparently does take some stretching to make them pliable, but if both partners have difficulty with strength, this could be a problem. The buttons were hard to press whilst it was on during sex, by either partner. The buttons are also directed by the vibrations (and small), so they are not too good for those with sensitive hands. This could be fixed by a remote (I do love remotes), like the Hot Octopuss Pocket Pulse.
As a plus, the box is easy to get into, and it isn’t in a mass of packaging, and there is a visual indicator to tell you when it’s charged. Hooray! The instruction manual is a high contrast black on white, which for some is easier to read.
Conclusion
Maybe we’re just not meant to use cock rings? Well, maybe we’re just not meant to use dual-powered cock rings. Even though it hasn’t worked for us, as you can see from other reviews, if you search the internet, it has worked for others. There’s no ‘one for all’ sex toy. I wonder if the other model, the Hot Octopuss ATOM, would fare any better, but I might need to sate my curiosity for now – I don’t think my partner will let me test the other so soon after this.
As always, Hot Octopuss scored high points with me for design, the user manual, charging lights, and the simplicity of the packaging. I do love the thought behind Hot Octopuss ATOM PLUS Cock Ring, but maybe there needs to be a little more product development.
We tested the Hot Octopuss ATOM plus. However, there is a version of this cock ring with just one motor that is cheaper called the Hot Octopuss ATOM, which is £69. You can also buy it from the Pleasure Garden (UK).
You can pick up the Hot Octopuss Atom and Atom PLUS cock rings on Peepshow Toys.
The Hot Octopuss ATOM Plus was provided by Hot Octopuss in exchange for an honest review, if you’d like to view my other Hot Octopuss reviews click here.
