When I first saw the Leaf collection of intimate accessories I was blown away. Now whether it was due to the lush and luxurious graphics, a rarely used refreshing shade of bright green, unique shapes that seemed rather ergonomic or the discreet packaging, I really can’t say. All I know is I was exceptionally impressed, something that doesn’t happen too often when you’ve pretty much seen and tried it all.
Fortunately being Canadian, and living within traveling distance from the head office, I was able to meet with the creative team behind the collection and see some of the designs before they were finalized. Now having the finished versions in my hands I can honestly say they’ve truly raised the bar and exceeded all my expectations. Having said that, even though I’ve had the absolute pleasure of working with the company I promise to be honest with my reviews.
For today’s review I’ll be covering Life, with reviews of the others to follow in the coming weeks.
Packaging
The first thing that impressed me with the collection was the packaging; each item comes in a sturdy and well made light brown box that’s discreet, professional, respectful and very much resembling something one would find on the shelves of a boutique department store, spa, or health and wellness center.
There’s nothing within the description to hint that it’s a sexual wellness product, not even the word ‘vibe’ or ‘vibrator’ can be found. The front of the box features the Leaf logo in a faint white ink, the name of the product, website and some benefits and features. One side sports the magnetic flip closure with the Leaf logo, product name and an image of the included version, while the other side offers a full list of benefits and features in 6 different languages. Basic info can be found on the back, along with graphic images that highlight the many features offered by the collection. Maintaining an air of simplicity, only a bright green leaf can be found on the top, with the bottom displaying the Leaf logo along with a scannable code that’s compatible with the Scanlife app for various mobile devices (very forward thinking of them!).
*Included w/ purchase: a user manual placed inside a dark chocolate brown cardboard cover, a light tan canvas tote, the specific product purchased and the charging jack.
The Good
When it comes to the benefits and features found with Life there’s quite a few to take note of. I figured I’d point form them all out since they encompass the entire line, that way when you’re reading the future reviews you can just skip this part and jump to the actual product being reviewed.
- Along with being phthalate and latex free, the matte silicone finish is soft and supple, granting a surface area that doesn’t really attract any lint (one of my major pet peeves when it comes to silicone sex toys). Because they’re silicone they’re also non-porous and don’t absorb bodily fluids, lube or bacteria, making clean up quick and easy (they even passed the flame test).
- The virtually seamless exterior provides a surface that’s fully usable (rather than just a shaft at the end of a bulky handle), offering a wide variety of options when it comes to exploring your body or the toy.
- For those that hate products requiring batteries, each Leaf vibe uses a rechargeable Lithium-Polymer battery making the entire collection eco-friendly, long lasting and ready when you are.
- Like many other high end luxury manufacturers, Leaf offers a 1-year limited warranty against defects in materials and workmanship from the original date of purchase (*hold on to your receipts). In my experience companies will only offer this when they truly stand behind their product and value their customers.
- Last but definitely not least, each Leaf vibe uses PowerBullet™ technology to provide an extremely powerful vibration that can be felt through the entire body of the product. I’ll be honest, I was rather surprised with the strength, especially when compared to other hand held clitoral stimulators of the same nature.
Life
Looking like a cross between an elf shoe, leaf, flower petal and leprechaun tongue, Life is by far one of my favourites in the collection, with Spirit and Fresh coming a close second and third. While the features listed above are reason enough for me to love it, there are many more that sealed the verdict; the compact design fits very comfortably in my hand and allows for an ease of control that’s hard to match, there’s no annoying exposed buttons or seams for me to worry about cleaning, it’s exceptionally smooth to the touch feeling almost buttery (unlike many other silicone sex toys), I can find the highest speed in an instant, it’s body safe, hasn’t yet died while getting me from A to O and most importantly – I can leave it out in the open without the fear of someone finding it and thinking I’m a total perv (while my friends know what I do – and don’t give a rats ass – there have been times when my husbands friends and family have shown up only to find a litter of non discreet sex toys sprawled around the house. Oops. My bad).
Truth be told, it was the unique ergonomic shape that really won me over as it presented new ways for me to fiddle and diddle; the tapered end was great for pinpoint clitoral stimulation, while the flatter end provided a larger surface area for stimulation, the bulbous groove located in the middle was great to grind and press against, while flipping it sideways allowed it to fit my vulva comfortably (dare I say almost perfectly? Yes, I dare). Of course the design isn’t limited by gender, whether male or female, used for solo play or with a partner, the unique curves would likely fit the contours of any body exceptionally well (just keep in mind it’s not something you’d want to use anally since there’s no flared base).
And let’s not forget the color, it’s green! Not the standard black, white, purple, blue, or pink hues (which I’m admittedly getting sick of), it’s a bright, bold green that’s fresh and exciting. Yes, there definitely needs to be more of this please.
As for the controls, there’s only one button to worry about which makes it exceptionally easy to use. Having said that, there is a learning curve for those accustomed to continual button pressing when it comes to increasing speeds or jumping through vibration modes – once on, pressing the button will cause it to instantly shut off. Instead Life uses what the company calls “Press and Hold” technology; simply press the button and hold until you reach the desired strength, then let go and it will continue at that speed until you a.) press and hold it again (which will speed it up), or b.) press it once (which will shut it off). It’s simple. It’s straight forward. It’s time saving. Brilliant!
Rather than being a high-revving buzzy vibe that can only be felt on the surface, Life generates a low-pitched rumbly vibration that’s deep, penetrating and highly pleasurable. Having said that, the diagram in the manual shows the motor sitting closer to the end of the body, yet I found it could be felt through the entire length of the 4.1″ inches offered. Maybe it’s just me, maybe it’s the solid design, either way it’s badass and I like it!
*for as surprisingly powerful as it is it’s also damn near whisper quiet. Sure, it makes noise, but considering it is a vibrator it’s to be expected.
Thanks to a self sealing charging port Life is fully waterproof and allow for safe usage in the bath, shower or any other watery place you’d like to play (I left mine in the sink for around an hour and it was still going when I came back). Regarding the charging, simply insert the jack into the tiny hole located on the underside and leave it be. As it’s charging a little red LED light will glow beneath the surface, only turning off once it’s fully charged. Because of the type of battery used there’s no memory so you can charge it at any time, rather than having to wait for it to be exhausted before charging (for a single charge you’ll get between 1 1/2 to over 2 hours worth of play time depending on the speed).
Care and Cleaning
Because it’s a silicone toy I wouldn’t suggest using a silicone lube as it would likely ruin the product over time, instead opt for a good water based lube and all should be fine. On that note, while the silicone is very smooth there is a slight bit of drag on the skin so you will likely need to add lubricant.
When it comes to cleaning simply wash it with mild soap and water or spray it down with your favourite toy cleaner. Regardless of what you use remember that the silicone is non-porous so it doesn’t need the same heavy duty cleaning a TPE or TPR product would require.
The Bad
For as much as I wanted to find something to dislike there was nothing big enough to bitch about; sure the matte silicone can cause a little bit of drag on the skin (use lube, problem solved), there’s no vibration modes (I don’t personally like them anyways), and it turns off when you press the button (great for when you need to turn it off in a hurry), but considering there’s so much going for it I really don’t find those issues worthy of a rant.
Final Verdict
After having spent the last 5 years dedicating myself to finding the perfect external vibe (for my body) I think I may have found a new addition to add to my list of faves; it’s just as comfortable as the We-Vibe Touch (if not slightly more so), doesn’t have the same bizarre buzzy defect as the Form 2, offers the same discretion found with the Voila yet is far more comfortable to hold, doesn’t require batteries like the Pocket Rocket (and is much more powerful), isn’t heavy or bulky like the Hitachi Magic Wand and has silicone covered buttons to offer a fully usable surface unlike the Lelo Lily. Of course each of those other products will retain a place within my top 10 list, but Life fills all the little voids, while also offering a whole new range of benefits and features.
If you’re looking for an exceptionally well designed line of products, that are as eco-friendly as they are unique, reliable and powerful, you definitely need to check out the entire Leaf collection. Even if Life doesn’t interest you I’m sure there’s one within the group that will.
