It looks like LELO‘s marketing people are keeping busy shaking up the pleasure products industry with bombastic launches and assertions of superiority. It happened with HEX, ‘the Condom of the Future’ (here‘s my complete review) and now with SONA, the ‘clitorally mindblowing’ sex toy that uses sonic waves and pulses to stimulate 75% more of the clitoris compared to conventional vibrations.
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The LELO SONA
For one thing, SONA is entirely different from everything else existing on the pleasure toy market.
SONA is the first external sex toy to use sonic waves and pulses to stimulate the clitoris.
Traditional vibrations already had a hard time dealing with the appearance of the clit suckers, stimulators with nozzle promising lightning orgasms by creating a suction effect on the clitoris via soft pressure waves.
The revolution started with Womanizer, the Original, and continued with Satisfyer, the Copycat.
Me and my clitoris, for a variety of reasons, have never been interested in these toys. The very thought of having my clitoris sucked made me uncomfortable; the fake finishings with Swarovski crystals and cougar-like leopard and lace patterns clashed with my sensitivity to good design; but above all, I always preferred to trust my better half, being sure that no silicone nozzle with whatever superpower would hold a candle to the good old practice of cunnilingus performed with dexterity and dedication.
Then came the SONA, with its elegant and discreet design, the luxurious black packaging and an extra (technological) kick, which promises entirely novel sensations that will change women’s life ‘one orgasm at a time’.
The magic is in the nozzle
What makes SONA the clitoris charmer is something located in the nozzle cavity: instead of vibrating motor, here is a pad that oscillates back and forth creating sonic waves.
While all the other toys stimulate just the external part (the clitoral glans), the sonic waves reverberate into the clitoris and are transmitted throughout its entire body, including the non-visible (but extremely perceptible) part.
LELO’s distinctive traits: super soft silicone and 3-button interface
The surface is made from a single piece of silicone (the unmistakable, inimitable, super soft silicone by LELO) that makes SONA watertight and easy to clean. The back side is coated with a gold-coloured ABS plastic. The base has a hole for the USB-charging port. The front houses the nozzle on the end and the usual 3-button interface.
+ and – buttons allow you to turn SONA on and off and to increase/decrease the strength. The middle button allow you to switch between 8 stimulation patterns.
Cruise Control function: pleasure with no decelerations
SONA is available in two versions, one of which (SONA Cruise, the one I tried) comes with the Cruise Control function that activates automatically to maintain a constant stimulation intensity avoiding any unwanted drop-offs in power.
Basically, SONA reserves 20% of full power during normal use to be unleashed when things get tense and hot and the toy is pressed firmly against the body. When the other sex toys slow down and put a handbrake to pleasure, SONA nails the throttle and reaches its destination smoothly.
My experience with SONA, the rock star of pleasure
Mindful of my delightful experience with two others LELO’s jewels of pleasure (the rabbit INA WAVE and the SMART WAND), I was so sure SONA would exceed my huge expectations, I wasn’t even quick to try it out. I was happy just to observe it sleeping, peacefully drown in the soft black foam, as a foretaste of the experience.
Little did I know that waking up SONA would mean to give my clitoris a free ticket for a rock concert. Front-of-speaker reserved seat.
But let’s go stepwise.
Before trying SONA, I took a look at LELO’s press kit to find out more. Specifically, I focused on the animated video with illustrations of chubby clitorises and long-legged ladies that explains the sonic waves effect.
Here’s the video:
After an introductory part comparing SONA’s deep stimulation with the one provided by conventional vibrators, which applies only onto the surface, the video explains the perception of sonic waves with a music parallel.
In practice, in order to understand the ‘entirely new sensation’, it suggests you to imagine going to a nightclub, standing in front of the biggest speaker you can find, letting sonic waves rebound on your body and feeling the music like it came from inside you.
What you may not read between the lines is that from the speaker comes a loud rock piece performed by SONA, the howling rock star. And I don’t just mean its noise nuisance (akin to a motor-powered insect), but also its impact on (my) clitoris.
Let me clarify.
My first encounter with the star: the beginning of a complicated relationship
They say you never forget your first, and I do remember mine with SONA. I’d call it… confusing.
I first tried it out on the palm of my hand, then I set the minimum intensity and I hovered it close to my clitoris. Then I pushed it away and pulled it close. Then I pushed it away and pulled it close again. And again, and again.
Every time SONA was close to my clitoris, it was uncomfortable and irritating as if the rock star was not only belting it out in the ears of my pleasure organ but was also tapping the mic on the most sensitive spot, so sensitive it felt pleasant and painful simultaneously.
The intensity always seemed too strong, the position too wrong and my clitoris too sensitive.
The more I tried to find the right angle, the less I could believe that it was so troublesome more times than not and pleasant only occasionally.
Meanwhile, my husband was staring at me with questioning eyes and I started wondering what was wrong with my clitoris, which until then only gave me satisfaction.
After several restless minutes of switching position and emitting off-key strings of ‘Ouch’ and ‘Ow’, I finally found a spot that worked well for me. Then I lost it and I found it. Then I lost it and I found it again. And again, and again.
Right up until the moment that pleasure overcame discomfort and the final of the concert exceeded expectations. And then came the (hard-earned) orgasm (I’ll get back to that).
Back to the theory
Even after the grand finale, I wasn’t inclined to believe SONA could be so complicated and hard to handle for me.
So I watched the video one more time and I couldn’t help but emit sarcastic notes during the part illustrating that ‘because SONA [specifically the oscillating pad that creates waves] never even needs to make direct contact with the clitoris, it can be used for hours, days or even weeks at a time without any soreness or discomfort.’
After the first orgasm, my dizzy, confused and happy (it’s still an orgasm!) clitoris didn’t want to hear a peep.
So I went and checked the user manual: basically the most concise and generic instructions in the history of LELO sex toys. Two minimalist diagrams showing ‘how to hold’ the SONA and ‘where to place on the body’ (roughly where the line starting from the caption ‘clitoris’ ends).
Still hesitant, I went to read all the reviews written by other sex bloggers that, in the meantime, seemed to have joined the ‘LELO fan club’ filling virtual pages with rockin’ orgasms and resonant rounds of applause to LELO.
Then came a glimmer of hope: someone said she faced some trouble at first until she found the right angle and position and that paved the way to a state of grace of pleasure.
By that time, I was ready to give it another try but things followed the same script. Same rock concert bearable at times, same sounds of disapproval, same conflict between pleasure and pain. And finally, the orgasm.
Then I tried some changes of scenery and things have changed.
Decryption of pleasure
For the third trial, I took SONA for a hot bath and there, with its nozzle on my clitoris, I felt Harry Potter in the Prefects’ bathroom in his attempt to solve the golden egg’s clue. If opened underwater, the egg’s screechy sound turns into a Mermaid’s song revealing the encrypted message.
In the same way, magic came when I put SONA underwater and the rock concert turned into a harmonious Vivaldi’s Spring whispered to my clitoris by the rosy nozzle, now inoffensive. (First contact is still a rude awakening for my clit, anyway).
In my case, the message wasn’t so heavily encrypted: all I had to do was follow the suggestion by the illustration of the girl in the bathtub appearing in SONA’s video and user manual.
Learning from Betty
The second revelation came while I was shooting these pictures in front of my better half’s camera.
In order to fill in the time between the shots, I played with my SONA being delighted to find out that, if used with the underwear on, all the discomfort and the discordant notes were gone and all that remained was a flawless symphony all to my clitoris.
Once again, I could’ve figured that out quicker. It’s nothing new to the world of clitoral stimulation: amid the sexual revolution the ‘Betty Dodson Method’, which involved using a towel or fabric over the genital area, allowed to soften vibrations and prolong the duration of pleasure indulging in masturbation with the Hitachi Magic Wand (I wrote about it in my post ‘Magic Wand: history of the orgasm revolution maker‘).
The grand finale: end of the concert with standing ovation
After boring you this far with the chant of my trials, I assume you all want to know what a sonic orgasm sounds like.
Whether your clit’s listening to a rock concert or the Vivaldi’s spring, SONA’s performance ends with a standing ovation-worthy orgasm.
Every time I tried it, as irritating as it was, SONA always proved foolproof, effective and punctual when it came to closing with a grand finale.
As the occasional lover you call when you’re just looking for good sex, SONA is the backup sex toy you grab when you’re just looking for a legendary orgasm.
Calling it a clitoral orgasm sounds even too simplistic because when it comes, it overwhelms the whole body with a polyphony of pleasure.
In my experience, the build-up to orgasm never happened in record time, quite the contrary.
Before that entrancing burst of overwhelming pleasure, I could have browsed the grocery list in my mind, read the television programming (and I don’t have/watch any tv) or checked the weather forecast.
For some reason, it takes me a long time to go from discomfort to nothing to pleasure. But once there, SONA takes me from pleasure to orgasm breaking the sound barrier.
Time to take stock
I learned that every experience with the SONA is deeply subjective and depends on many variables like position, personal anatomy, sensitivity…
If this little gem had a ‘harmless’ cost, I would advise you to go get it no matter what, even if only to have that kind of orgasm as a one-time-only thing.
But quality, good design, and research (and brand) come at a price, which is £129,00 / $149 for the SONA and £159,00 / $179 for the SONA Cruise.
In taking stock, I would recommend the SONA to all the brazen lovers of strong feelings and overwhelming orgasms, and to those who are not looking for sex toys for couple play.
I wouldn’t recommend it to beginners to clit play or anyone with a very sensitive clit who prefers to enjoy the journey before to reach the destination.
I personally always intended sex toys as a spicy ingredient in a menu for two, but I find very hard to set another place at the table with the SONA.
I am the first not to know exactly what direction to go, and letting my better half drive it would be like asking him to eat blindfolded. Ergo, having my clit get forked.
[vc_row gap=”10″ content_placement=”top” css=”.vc_custom_1519063991290{padding-bottom: 15px !important;background-color: #fff1ee !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_single_image image=”4385″ img_size=”full”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″]LELO SONA and LELO SONA Cruise come with USB charging cable, satin soft pouch, warranty registration card and user manual.
Colours: Pink, Cerise, Black
Material: Silicone ABS
Finish: Matte, Glossy
Size: 115 x 50 x 56mm
Weight: 116g
Battery: Li-Ion 530mA 3.7V
Charging: 2h at 5.0V 400mA
User Time: 1h
Standby: 90 days
Frequency: 120 Hz
Max. Noise Level: 50 dB
Interface: 3-button interface, 8 modes[/vc_column][/vc_row]
Photographies: I’M
