Sybian Q & A

What follows is a collection of honest answers to the more frequently asked questions I've been asked about this unique machine.

To be clear, I'm a male. My observations about the Sybian come from what I've witnessed, and from descriptions from the lovely people who have used my Sybian over the years.

If you're a female with Sybian experience, I would very much welcome your take on anything I've related here that doesn't ring true to your experience. I'd like to be as accurate as possible with this piece.

(I have nothing to do with the manufacturer or anyone else selling this device. My aim is strictly informational, for an audience whom I suspect might appreciate the read.)

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Q: What does the Sybian do?

A: The Sybian is a very well-engineered and terribly effective orgasm machine for women.

Imagine a particularly memorable orgasm you've had. Now imagine dialing that sensation up to about 15 on the bliss/intensity meter, and prolonging the sensation until your body simply exhausts herself. That should give you some idea.

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Q: Can men ride the Sybian?

A: I get this question a lot, so let's answer this one right out of the gate:

The Sybian is designed for women. It's not designed for male use, even if many find it a compelling fantasy.

The company that manufactures the Sybian sells a lesser-known, hands-free masturbation machine that is designed for males.

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Q: Why do you own a Sybian?

A: I'd heard about the Sybian before, but never assumed I'd see one in real life... let alone own one. But I saw a demonstration at a swinger's event. (Something else I never thought I'd experience. Life is funny that way.)

The host of the gathering was looking for a demonstration volunteer. Our friend Lara, half of the couple who'd accompanied us to this gathering, was brave enough to volunteer to "ride" the Sybian.

Incidentally, I've never liked that "ride the Sybian" phrase, but the people have spoken.

Lara shed her bottoms, got herself situated on the Sybian in the middle of the little room, and was soon surrounded by a circle of onlookers. The host ran the controls.

I was stunned by the screaming intensity of Lara's long stretch of orgasms. I think we all were.

After seeing that, I made a vow to save my pennies. I made the purchase a few years later. I've never regretted it.

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Q: How is it any different from my Hitachi wand? Or any other vibrator? Other than the outrageous price tag?

A: First, God bless the magic wand.

Second, every sex toy I've ever purchased was worth exactly half the price I paid for it. The same is true of the Sybian. But even minus the markup, I've found an enormous amount of value left over in my purchase.

Back to your question. It's really hard for me to think of the Sybian as a vibrator. Or a "toy." I mean, this thing is solid. It's there for you. The Sybian compares to a vibrator the way an anniversary dinner at Maxim's in Paris on a moonlit evening compares to microwave popcorn.

Yes, it's true that whatever (dildo-like) "attachment" you choose for your Sybian session vibrates inside you. But it also rotates inside you. You control the separate speed and intensity of the vibration and rotation.

Add to this a third dimension: the whole of your vulva is being massaged simultaneously.

It's the mix of all three dimensions at once which creates the out-of-body experience the Sybian is famous for. Taken together, the effect adds up to more than the sum of its three modes of stimulation.

It can be gentle or extremely powerful, depending on how you use the controls. One user told me, after a particularly intense session: "I've just been fucked by a Harley Davidson."

Your mileage might vary... but, yeah.

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Q: So, a partner runs the controls for me?

A: I wouldn't recommend that for your first time.

It can be a lot of fun with a tuned-in partner running the controls. But you know your body best, and the Sybian is capable of being... well... too much at higher settings. Better to regulate the intensity for yourself, until you and your partner get to know the machine.

Lots of guys assume they know how to operate the machine sight unseen. They get real control happy. They rush the process and push limits for their own amusement. Too often the result is a "less than" experience.

This is one reason I stopped extending my invitation to male-female couples.

I remember one couple in particular who invited me to watch them during their first Sybian experience. The guy disregarded my advice and took over the controls. He also managed to squeeze in a blowjob for himself in the first ten minutes—a multitasker.

After that, his girlfriend took over the control dials. She settled in to enjoy herself.

Thirty minutes later, in the middle of her wonderful extended orgasm, the guy looked at his watch and suggested she "wrap it up." He apparently had someplace better to be.

The metaphorical thumping sound that followed was me beating my head on the carpet.

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Q: What else should I know ahead of time?

A: It's a good idea to empty your bladder first. Have a bottle of water handy for hydration.

Before you power up the machine, take five minutes to find the attachment that feels best inside you when you straddle the Sybian. A lot of women go straight for the larger attachments first, which makes me smile. But the reality is, it's often a smaller attachment that actually feels best to them.

In my experience, about 60% of my users end up preferring one of the G-spot attachments over the other, larger attachment shapes. But that's anecdotal. You do you.

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Q: What happens next?

Everybody's experience is different. But speaking in the most general terms, there can be a sort of pattern to the experience.

Mindset first. The Sybian is a marathon, not a sprint. The machine has a way of setting the pace.

During the first ten or fifteen minutes, it will feel good. Nothing outlandish, more like what your favorite vibrator might do for you. You might experience an orgasm or two.

After that, things begin to change. The sensations begin to feel very good. You'll feel as if you wouldn't be able to convince your body to get off of the machine even if you wanted to.

A surprising number of users begin to develop an all-over body perspiration, usually around the 15-20 minute mark. It's normal. I'd tell you not to sweat it, but I'm afraid we're past that.

The full sensations really kick in around the 20 minute mark. It's a whole body thing now, and you're in a kind of physical trance. You may be only vaguely aware of anything outside yourself. You might be experiencing a series of orgasms, or one long extended climb to something major. (The latter experience seems to be more common.)

Little by little, you'll find yourself increasing the intensity of the controls. Or backing off as needed.

This is the period when you might hit a super frustrating plateau. It happens sometimes. It will feel as if you're hanging on the edge of an orgasm that just won't come. It's frustrating, but you're fixed to the sensations and you don't want them to stop.

This frustration can be maddening. You might convince yourself the great release that's just out of reach won't happen for you.

Give it a few more minutes. It will.

(Consumer tip: If you ever find yourself stuck in this plateau situation, use the little bench/chair that comes with the machine to steady yourself. Bend far forward. Or, lean back a little if that feels better to you. The change of position often helps to break through the plateau more quickly.)

The session usually ends when your body simply can't take any more. At this point, most users switch off the controls and melt off the machine into a little puddle. It usually takes a person five or ten minutes to recover. Several users have told me their knees and thighs feel a little wobbly afterwards, which might last for an hour or so.

Generally speaking, a Sybian session lasts between 35 and 45 minutes. I've seen some women go a full 80 minutes before they reach their limit. 80 minutes is unusual in my experience, but... say it with me... everyone's different.

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Q: I've only seen a Sybian in porn. Those screaming porn stars riding Sybians... that's fake, right?

A: I wish the Sybian weren't such a fixture in porn. That's how people think of it—a 'fucking machine' stuck within the confines of pornland. Wouldn't it be great if the Sybian were seen for what it could be: a really fun piece of sex-and-wellness equipment?

I know how I sound, but I sincerely wish every woman could have an opportunity to experience the Sybian at least once. If the machine excels at anything, it excels in surprising people with the pleasure their bodies are capable of. Wipe-away-tears levels of pleasure, which actually happens sometimes.

I mean, the Sybian releases a far greater endorphin rush than your treadmill does. And it's way more fun to use.

Those screaming porn stars? Yeah, some of that's fake. But a lot of it isn't. I've been privileged to witness more than my share of those shrieking orgasms, and those responses are very real. Not everyone responds that way, but most everybody responds.

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This is a good place to mention a downside of the Sybian. This gadget is not apartment friendly. It just isn't. Not unless you like angry neighbors and first responders showing up at your door.

It's not especially smart for hotel use either. I got away with it once, but I wouldn't do it again.

Screams aside, the machine itself—at higher vibration speeds—sounds like a prop plane zooming 25 feet over your head. The thing can get loud. Perhaps the manufacturers have addressed this problem since I purchased mine.

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Q: What about cleanliness?!

A: Soap, water, and the right proportion of bleach.

The Sybian parts that come into contact with your body are made of medical-grade silicone. My own practice is perhaps overkill, but it's obviously better to be as thorough with clean-up as possible.

First, I disinfect these parts in the bleach water. The machine itself gets a thorough disinfecting after use as well.

Shortly before the next session the attachment-related parts get another round of soap and bleach water, followed by three minutes of boiling.

Condoms are always used over my attachments.

Whenever someone expresses an interest in a Sybian session, I invite her to consider purchasing her own attachment in advance of a session. No one yet has done that. I find this odd.

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Q: Is the Sybian good for women who have difficulty reaching orgasm?

A: I'm not qualified to answer that question.

Here's what I know anecdotally. More than a few women have told me they have difficulty reaching orgasm, but reached orgasm on the Sybian. This doesn't seem all that unusual to me.

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Random observations:

1. Choosing the stem.

A "stem" is a little part of the Sybian that connects the (dildo-like) "attachment" to the Sybian itself. The stem is roughly the length and size of a golf pencil. One end of the stem slips into the top of the saddle, while the rest of the stem slips up inside the silicone attachment. The machine vibrates and rotates the stem, which in turn vibrates/rotates the attachment inside you.

The stem also serves to provide a certain firmness to the attachment.

There are two kinds of stems. One is a spring that gives easily. The other is solid, made of tough, rigid plastic. Each stem provides a different kind of firmness to the attachment vibrating/rotating inside you.

If you're offered the choice of stem before your Sybian ride, consider this: I'd estimate over 90% of the women who have used my Sybian preferred the firmer, plastic stem that strengthens the attachment. The spring is too bendy to really do the job well, particularly when it comes to G-spot stimulation... although it's always possible you may prefer the softer, more giving feel of the spring.

2. A Sybian session can be a very wet experience. You might be surprised at how thoroughly you've drenched the machine when your session is over. Don't be embarrassed. It's the norm. That's why the sheet is there.

3. Sometimes (and this is rare), if you dial in the intensity too quickly, your lady parts can go numb for awhile. Surely your mother warned you about this.

4. I should note I've had two instances with two separate users when the Sybian turned out to be a "less than" experience.

One woman found the Sybian too powerful, which was uncomfortable for her.

The other woman told me she did have an orgasm or three, but simply didn't like the noisy "machine" aspect of the experience.

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Q: Where will it all end?

A: Here. Here's good.