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In partnership with LELO. Editor’s Note: We only select and work with partners that meet our quality standards, so you can rest assured we only endorse products we believe in.
Somehow, well on our way through the 21st century, talking about women’s pleasure still feels a little taboo. Even after the wave of celebrity-endorsed sex toys from A-Listers like Harry Styles, Dakota Johnson, and (of course) Gwyneth Paltrow, there’s still plenty of euphemisms and blushing involved in most brands’ discussion of the sex toys crowding all of our bedside tables. Nevermind that so many studies show that masturbation has real mood-boosting health benefits, from reducing stress to improving sleep.
Thankfully the (s)experts at LELO both talk the talk and walk the walk, consistently creating the best sex toys in the market without a hint of bashfulness or apology. Their much-loved devices first caught our eye because of their beautiful, luxurious design – more sculpture than sex toy. But the more we got to know the brand, the more impressed we were by the way LELO’s technological innovations and aesthetic prowess came out of a deeper set of values: the belief that these beautiful, bold sex toys can help us celebrate self-pleasure as an empowering experience, not something to be whispered about in secret.
We’d heard many amazing things about the LELO SONA 3 sonic vibrator, the latest update on one of LELO’s bestselling devices. We’re nothing if not pleasure-seekers, so we decided to check out the SONA 3 for ourselves. The results stunned even our most adventurous editors.
Read on for our honest LELO SONA 3 review:
Smooth Rides With SmoothRise
The first thing we noticed about the SONA 3 was how seamless the experience of using it felt. In the past, traditional vibrators have had noticeable steps in power that distracted from our experience of pleasure. To solve this issue, LELO intentionally developed the SONA 3’s SmoothRise tech to help you stay in the zone: its sonic waves build in intensity in a way that feels more natural than any other devices that we’ve tested. We were seriously impressed when there weren’t any jarring jumps in power as we adjusted SONA 3’s intensity, meaning we stayed completely immersed in the moment.
Next Level Waves
Speaking of waves, the SONA 3 doesn’t vibrate in the way we’ve experienced with traditional toys. It feels more like a deep, pulsing wave washing over your whole body. LELO’s high tech design means that these sonic waves resonate deep into both the surface and internal structure of the clitoris without direct, jarring contact. To be honest, the orgasm from the SONA 3 felt different than anything we’ve experienced: waves of pleasure that intensified naturally to a fuller, deeper climax. This was our first experience of a sonic clitoral vibrator, and it’s hard to imagine going back to a more traditional design now that we’ve experienced the SONA 3’s resonant sonic waves.
Intuitive Design, Customizable Pleasure
Getting a new toy usually means an adjustment period while you get used to a new toy’s controls, but we didn’t experience any of the usual fumbling with confusing controls with the SONA 3. The SONA 3’s controls are simple to operate and intuitively designed. The LELO team clearly prioritized a seamless, simple user experience when designing the toy, without compromising on features. There are a stunning 16 different intensity levels with 10 unique patterns so that you can find the perfect pleasure settings for your body.
We loved how the SONA 3 is made from silicone that feels silky smooth, especially when paired with LELO’s Personal Moisturizer. Honestly, it’s such a beautifully designed object that we wanted to leave it out on our bedside table. Of course, if you want to be more discreet the toy comes with a luxe, silky black storage sachet. A design bonus: we also really appreciated that you need to press two buttons simultaneously to turn the toy on – no accidental vibrating while you rummage through your bedside drawer or pack it in a suitcase to join you on a weekend adventure.
Revolutionary Connectivity
One of our more adventurous editors immediately downloaded the LELO App and started playing with the two exclusive new modes that you can control from your phone. FINISH ME OFF does what it says on the tin, so to speak, delivering a high intensity setting that pushes you over the edge without having to press a bunch of buttons on your device to find the right mode. OUT OF CONTROL was a wild ride designed to surprise, creating a series of unpredictable pulses that felt like you were in the hands of an experienced lover – perfect for when you want to get out of your head and submit to an exciting, immersive experience.
We were especially impressed by the Love Bridge feature: if you and your partner both download the LELO App, you can create a private chat room where you can trade control over each other’s toys. The real time, connected experience was an exciting way to spice up one of our editor’s long distance relationship, but could also be used for parallel play in the same place. We’ve never experienced anything like it – no lag, just connected pleasure.
Our Recommendation: LELO SONA 3
Forget outdated taboos around celebrating self pleasure: the SONA 3 was so powerful that we simply had to talk to you about it. The LELO SONA 3 exceeded all of our expectations of what a sex toy can deliver, from the sonic vibrator’s intuitive design to the revolutionary LELO App developed to make self-pleasure a more connected experience. Traditional sex toys are no match for the erotic waves delivered by our new favorite self-pleasure device. The SONA 3 is hands down the best new sex toy our editors have tested in years. Consider us serious converts.
