Rebellious readers, this month I have a review that is long overdue. For about five years, I have been using and loving toys from Strange Bedfellas, a Texas-based independent toy company that creates absolutely gorgeous, creative fantasy toys.
While many that I’ll be talking about were sent to me for review, I’ve also purchased some myself. When a company gives me free toys and I love them so much that I HAVE to have more—that says a lot of the quality of the toy and the company itself. (I even have a T-shirt and multiple pins from them. Creature Lovers and Monster Fuckers unite!)
I first reached out to Strange Bedfellas when I was going through the earlier days of my pelvic pain. For months, penetrative sex was either taken completely off the sexual buffet table for me, or when it was on the table (not literally), it wasn’t pain-free like it had been all those years before. Dilating can get boring. Dilators are pretty sterile, medical-looking devices and some people love them for this reason. Even I loved them for that sometimes, too. Sometimes I just wanted to grab my medical tools and do completely non-sexual dilating (which is, in my opinion, the best way to go when you first begin). But other times, dilating became a type of foreplay. I wanted it to be sexier.
Enter Strange Bedfellas with a HUGE range of sizes and silicone densities. Please note that every toy I’ll be discussing is made in either their super soft or soft density silicone and every size is either Slim or Small. Many of their models also come in Medium and Large and they also make toys in medium and firm densities (density is what makes a toy squishy and bendy or hard and unforgiving—something for everyone).
I had the brilliant idea of using their slimmer toys as dilators. I asked if I could review them and Meesh, the artist who started it all, was more than happy to send me some samples as one of their earliest toy designs was meant to be small and easy to use. We were a perfect match! I would have my very own alien dilator set!
In that first package from Strange Bedfellas, I received a Slim Aelit, Slim Deelit, and the Small Vetti (designed as an anal/vaginal plug rather than dildo). All of these toys had very tapered tips and are very squishy. The Aelit and Deelit were perfect for dilating, though I preferred the shape of the Aelit overall. What made it so great was the gradual widening from tip to base. The Deelit has more of a “swell” in the middle of the shaft that tapers a bit toward the base.
Occasionally the small tips of both of these toys felt a little “sharp” but this was when I was very sensitive so I would not expect most people to feel this way. A good way to describe it is the difference between the tip of a finger and the “pad” (or fingerprint part) of a finger. The tip may feel too intense, while the pad of a finger has a little more softness and distribution of pressure. (This is also why we suggest starting with the pad of a finger when first exploring anal stimulation, rather than the tip.)
I also tried the next size up of both the Aelit and Deelit. The texture on the larger sized is more pronounced and of course they are a nice step up from the Slim size so it took a little more time for me to work up to them. I really felt like I had my own special monster dick dilation set. I was (and still am) so grateful to Strange Bedfellas for offering such great designs for people who may need smaller, slimmer toys. We deserve lots of options, too!
I occasionally used the Vetti after I was very warmed up, but I tend to prefer toys that I can move around, rather than the plug-style of the Vetti. The Vetti also has more intense texture, so I don’t reach for it as often.
After giving all of the above toys a shot and having pretty consistently great experiences with them, Strange Bedfellas offered me a couple new designs to try. One was one of their brand new—at the time—vibe sleeves. Their vibe sleeves come in several different designs, from tentacles (mine) to claws and even a robotic looking finger. These toys are designed with a hole through them for you to put a bullet-style vibrator inside so you have your very own mini vibrating fantasy beast. The shape of the tentacle sleeve I have is perfect—the tip of the tentacle curves down to hug the clit if you hold it just so—and I’ve enjoyed using it both externally and as another small internal creature.
The other new design at the time was their Small Batou. It quickly became, and still is, one of my favorite toys in my toybox. While all of my Strange Bedfellas toys are phallic in shape, the Batou is the most realistic looking of all. It’s got testicles, some small veins on the shaft, and a foreskin. It also has a couple of nubby horns on its head. The broad head made me nervous, and while there’s sometimes a little discomfort right at first, once the head is inside and in deeper—bliss. During thrusting, I love the slight stretch-and-release that the bulge in the middle of the shaft creates. Batou is the toy that made me feel normal again. I don’t usually use that word. What is normal? There is a judgement to it, a suggestion of morality. But after I spent months unable to enjoy the kinds of sex that had only in the past brought me pleasure, the Batou was the toy that started to bring me pleasure again. It wasn’t so slim that it reminded me of a dilator, but it wasn’t so thick that it hurt. It was perfect in every way. I pumped on a ton of thick water-based lube and went to town. (In all truthfulness I don’t think my knees today could handle the way I went to town back then, but that’s another story.) After using Batou for years, I still love it.
And finally—my last two toys from Strange Bedfellas, Ceela and Ziq. I purchased them myself. I haven’t been able to use them yet. They are both size Small but both shapes are a little more challenging. I haven’t attempted to use the Ceela for awhile, but I’m pretty sure by now I could use it without issue. (With where my libido has been lately, I just haven’t made trying new dildos a priority.) But the Ziq is the toy I aspire to use. It’s got the broadest tip of all because it is molded in the shape of a monster fist. One day. One day I will get to enjoy the not-so-gentle caress of Ziq. Until then, I will just admire the design and beautiful colors.
Strange Bedfellas really offers it all—incredibly unique designs with silicone pours by amazingly talented artists. Most of my toys from them are in gorgeous pastels, but there are a couple of dark and dreamy pours as well. They have a variety of shapes for ANYONE. Need something with a small tip and a slim shaft? They’ve got you covered. Need a broader tip and a nice swell? They’ve got you covered. Whether monster dick or creature fist, THEY’VE GOT YOU COVERED.
They are for people who want to up their dilation game and people who want something to work up to. Strange Bedfellas has really kept me company through it all. I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to get this review out into the world, but better late than never, etc. etc. Their creatures have become my friends and I look at them fondly. If you’re in the market for unusual monster pals (and who isn’t?), you are bound to find something in their catalog that speaks to you…or growls or purrs or snarls. Whatever excites you most.