Exploring The Subtler Side Of Things With Aer And Arc - One Customer's Journey

 By Orina Conti

I was first asked to write about my experience with the Aer because my initial reaction was less than stellar. Simply put, I purchased it expecting the immediate and outstanding results trumpeted in reviews I'd read. Yes, the ongoing pandemic meant I had time to read reviews, but even the idea of there being reviews for sex toys amused me. 'A suction toy like no other', 'best suction toy for beginners' - all of this struck me like reading reviews of tools at Home Depot. What actually got my attention was that the first time I saw this device was on a billboard (a billboard for a sex toy?) on the highway (a sex toy billboard where?) during rush hour. Advertising mandates had clearly changed.

Then came the Aer write up on Refinery29. Whoever was behind the marketing campaign was smart - it was distancing itself from the clutter and breaking through the noise.

So, I read them all. Far from being a beginner in this area of oral sex, and already a fan of the Wand, it was worth giving it a try. But like I said, I wasn't impressed. I emailed The Lake about it because there didn't seem any reason to publicly post bad news. The response I got was not only different than what I expected, but also different from the reviews: "This is a totally different experience than a typical vibrator." 

I did expect it to 'mimic the feeling of oral sex', but when I tried it out, something was missing (apart from an immediate orgasm). It was the intensity and the energy that comes from being with another person when engaging in oral sex. What was also missing was the varying competence, or lack thereof, and all the subtle negotiating that goes along with that experience.

That is the highbrow analysis. Actually, what I wrote was that the Aer is like the last guy I went out with - he sort of knew what he was doing and he made a valiant attempt at getting things right. I stuck with him for a while, but after a while all the good will and patient instruction was just not worth it. In this case, the difference here was that I don’t have to deal with the Aer’s politics, and that guy I was with liked Trump. Sometimes you just want what you want and when you want it, you want it now.

It was suggested I give it another try and I did, quite a few times. Also, The Lake suggested I try something different for comparative research purposes. Intrigued, I selected the Arc.

If you are hoping for a hardcore technical review, look elsewhere. What I did discover was a new appreciation for anyone or anything that can deliver an orgasm. Devices like the Wand are show-stoppingly immediate, but there's a blunt force drama to devices like that. The Aer and the Arc are a different game. They won't (immediately) take your mind off a bad day. You have to arrive in the mood. They require patience, knowledge of your own body, willful determination, and in that, comes success.

Of the two, I found the Aer was preferable, but I admit, I gave that one more time. And then more time, And then more time after that. Research is hell. At first, I didn't have the will to explore with the Arc, but it sat in my bedside table drawer, calling my name. I answered. And I can report that patience is the key to solving all problems.

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