Red Hot Ember by Calexotics Review

I didn’t expect to have the feelings about this toy that I do, but here we are. I purchased the Red Hot Ember by Calexotics while it was on sale, not really knowing anything about it beyond it flickers and that was enough to make me want to try it. I already knew Calexotics’ motors aren’t the strongest out there, but I was willing to risk it to try out something new.

From the moment I touched the tip against my clit, on just the first setting, I knew I was in for something really different from other toys I own. The flickering that the Ember does is fast from the get-go, not a slow build up. It’s the sort of toy that if I’m not warmed up or aroused at all I can unintentionally torture myself just a little if I touch an area that’s too sensitive. I have to start out letting it flicker my clit through the hood until I have more blood flow to the area and then I can pinpoint my most sensitive spots. Putting this thing to work at the base of my clit shaft can feel super intense, like ab-clenching intense. I’m normally the sort of person who mashes the strongest vibrations I can find against my clit because I love intense, deep power, but if you press hard with this you will lose most of the flickering. Calexotics describes this toy as pinpoint and I would say I mostly agree with that assessment, so if you prefer broad stimulation like wand vibrators give this toy may not work well for you. You can indirectly stimulate yourself by keeping the flickering action on the less sensitive areas of your vulva but the flickering and motor do not provide broad stimulation. 

When I’m using the Ember I let it flick side to side across my clit mainly, as opposed to up and down, but what feels best will vary depending on how you like to be stimulated. It’s small enough that it doesn’t take up too much space so I can easily use another toy internally, which is an important factor to me when deciding how much I like a toy and how frequently it will be used. I do often use the Ember alone though, which is a rarity for me with a clit toy; the stimulation that the flickering offers is a unique enough sensation that sometimes it’s all I want to focus on. For like the first four months after I got this toy I was using it all the time even when I wasn’t horny simply because I was obsessed with the sensations it gave my external clit. 

One of the most surprising things about this toy for me is the fact I actually enjoy the first four patterns it offers, and I normally do not enjoy patterns. I will often use the first pattern (4th setting overall) to warm up as it starts subtle and builds to a medium intensity, and then as I become more aroused I can work my way through the next three patterns. The reason these patterns work, opposed to other toys, is because they’re consistent. They do not swing wildly up and down or make your toy feel like it’s possessed by a ghost who is trying to convey a message in Morse Code. While the patterns usually still aren’t strong enough to bring me to orgasm so I do have to cycle back to the strongest of the three steady speeds for that, the bulk of the time I’m using this toy, I am using one of the patterns I mentioned. Now, like I said from the start, Calexotics motors aren’t known to be the strongest available, but they aren’t the weakest I’ve ever owned either. They’re on the buzzier side and their vibration strength definitely doesn’t penetrate very deep, however, because of the flickering action of this toy it’s mainly not a problem for me. During certain stages of my cycle due to hormonal fluctuations it can be harder for me to reach orgasm and that’s when I find myself wishing the motor was a bit stronger, but that’s not an all the time scenario. Mostly what the Ember lacks in vibration strength it makes up for with flickering action. 

An interesting tidbit, and the most shocking thing for me about using this toy is when placed just right on my clit shaft the feeling gets intense enough for me to squirt. Remember how I said it can get ab-clenching intense earlier? Yeah, this is part of what I meant. Throughout my years of masturbation and partnered sex I occasionally would get a feeling of needing/wanting to squirt from just clitoral stimulation but I never experienced it, and likely wouldn’t have without this toy. I can use the Ember without squirting at all, but I can also easily do it when I’m wanting to. I wouldn’t classify this toy as a toy for squirting though, and I wouldn’t recommend buying it if that’s your only goal. I’m not saying it won’t work for anyone, but I wouldn’t say it’s a reliable thing, either. 

While I really do love the Ember for the most part, I have two complaints, but they’re not deal breakers. The first is the fact it’s controlled by a single button and having at least two to cycle through its ten functions would be a lot more convenient and the second is the battery life. The Ember lasts for 3 hours on the lowest setting and 30 minutes on the highest; I usually get 35-40 minutes use before the battery dies on me. This won’t be an issue for everyone, but I often take a long time to reach orgasm so this toy has died on me quite a few times before getting the job done.

The last bit of advice I will leave you with is don’t put the lube on the toy and then turn it on without it being against your body because you will just sling lube everywhere, and I do recommend a good lubricant (no silicone!) because there will be lots of friction. Overall, I really like the Ember and would love to get my hands on some of the other Red Hot models from Calexotics to see how I feel about them, too.

The Ember is USB rechargeable, made of silicone, is waterproof, and comes with a one year warranty. It only comes only in red, like the rest of the Red Hot line. The single button lights up so it’s easy to see even in the dark, controls the on/off and lets you cycle through the 10 functions, and it also has a travel lock! The travel lock can be turned on/off by holding the button down for 2 seconds, and this function is invaluable even if you don’t take your toys out of the house. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to dig around in a drawer to find what vibrator I accidentally turned on by bumping it.