Here’s a thing that didn’t occur to me until very recently: what if I wanted the luxury of a high-end vibrator, but disliked powerful, rumbly vibes? Nearly all fancy pants sex toys come with words like ‘powerful’ and ‘rumbly’ splashed over their product pages and packaging. That’s great for me, cos powerful and rumbly vibes are the best as far as I’m concerned. But what about those folks whose clits and bits recoil at the thought of thunderclaps on their genitals? How do they get their luxury with a side of gentle? Well, they could check out the Sky Alto by AVE.
Nine times out of ten, if I consider a sex toy to be beautiful, it’s a dildo. Vibrators can be fancy, sure, but I most often feel that they’re built for function rather than form. And rightfully so, a pretty vibrator would be pretty pointless if it didn’t deliver.But the Sky Alto is one of the most gorgeous vibrators I have ever seen, second only to this one.
Though it was a bit grubbier than I’d like (warehouse dust & fingerprints), the packaging is very chic. White and pale grey with the subtlest of branding, it’s supremely discreet and delightfully giftable.
Inside the solid presentation box, in a soft foam nest, lies the Alto. Just like the entire Sky line, the Alto is fashioned to look like a cloud. I’d love to launch into a bit of cleverness about different types of clouds right now. But luckily for y’all, the only things I know about clouds is that they live in the sky and sometimes look like bunnies, hotdogs, or Jesus.
What I know about this cloud, is that it’s stunning. Made from hard plastic that’s been encased in brilliant white silicone, it feels luxuriously smooth to the touch. The rolling curves are sensuous and soft, yet offer some super intense vaginal sensations.
I say vaginal not to disregard the butt, because the Sky Alto is perfectly anal safe. But I’ve restricted my use of this toy to vaginal only, because I feel that the curly silver plastic trimmings make it less than ideal for anal. You won’t be able to see it in my photos, but spaced out around those silvery bits there are what look like tiny missing slivers. I’m guessing that they’re caused by whatever tool embeds the plastic into the silicone.
I’m anal about sex toy hygiene, as we should all be, so the idea of butt bacteria getting in those holes and living there forever freaks me out. I don’t know why I’ve convinced myself that vag bacteria is easier to clean. It’s a mystery. As a plus, the Alto is waterproof, so you can use it for anal if you wish and then give it a good dunky wash. Though don’t use alcohol based cleaner cos, according to the info leaflet, the silicone won’t thank you for that.
But, yeah, the shape of this thing is awesome. And the size is fab, too. From end to end, the main shaft is 9-inches long (4.5-inches insertable). It’s a flat shaft, measuring 1.5-inches in diameter at its widest, and just one inch thick. As the Alto is a dual stimulator, it has a 2-inch external arm to tickle the clitoris.
That arm is flexible. When you wriggle the shaft around inside you, the arm bends and sways to maintain contact with the clit. Of course, fit will be dictated by the user’s anatomy, as is the case with all rabbit-style vibes.
When I spotted two little metal dots near the base of the toy, I knew I had another magnetic charger on my hands. I was prepared to give it all the hate, but then I pulled the USB cable from the box. It’s a little cloud, people. The part that connects to the toy is a little fucking cloud!
How cute is that?! And the connection isn’t bad either. It stayed put, even though I was moving around the bed while it charged. From flat, it takes about two hours to charge, and if you use it for dual stim, you get up to one and a half hours play.
The Sky Alto isn’t just dual stim, it’s dual motor, too. One in the shaft, and one on the external arm. I confess, I didn’t know how to get those motors going when I first used the toy. There’s a very clear arrow beneath the clit arm, and as it clicked when I pressed it I thought that was it. I really did think it wasn’t holding a charge cos when I pressed the arrow nothing happened. I was in despair, but then I noticed something that made me blush.
There, printed on the box, plain for everyone to see, was a control diagram. I was pressing the mode button. To switch the toy on, I needed to press the PLUS button, which is fucking invisible. It’s located on the larger bump on the handle. That one brings the toy to life and increases the intensity. On the next bump down is the MINUS button. Yes, this one is invisible, too. It decreases the intensities, and switches the toy off when you’re done.
That figured out, it was time to discover the vibes.
You get seven modes with the Alto, and ten intensities. The lowest one is a barely-there shiver, and the highest? It’s kinda like a buzz with an added shudder. I can feel that there’s something more than a buzz there, but it doesn’t qualify as a rumble. It doesn’t make me itch like many buzzy vibes do. There isn’t an unpleasant tickle that gives my labia pins and needles. There’s just a pleasant, mild buzz that feels nice to use for long, lazy sessions.
I didn’t think I would achieve orgasm with it, but I did. Though, I do think it was more a mixture of the firm tip pressing against my g-spot and the curves of the shaft stimulating my vaginal opening that did it. The vibes helped, sure, but they weren’t the star of the show for me.
Dual stim wise, I didn’t get a great deal from the clit arm. The vibes in that part are super buzzy, though the ones in the shaft do lend it some of their deeper quality when the power is dialled right the way up.
Yes, slow rocking, fast thrusting, deep grinding…it all feels great with the Alto. The chunky handle gives me something substantial to hold onto, and the positioning of the buttons is perfect. I haven’t once accidentally changed things up during play. Not even when I aimed high and tried to make myself squirt with it. It didn’t happen, but I had fun trying.
Something I have found is that using less lube works better for me with the Sky Alto. I glooped the stuff on (water-based lube only) the first time I used it, and completely lost the stimulation from the curves. Using less lube doesn’t necessarily mean more friction, either, because the silicone is the type that seems to have a glide all of its own. So yeah, for me less lube = more sensation with this toy.
When it’s time to clean the Alto, I make doubly sure that I go around each of those silver curls with a soft toothbrush. Its’ a pain, I know, but gunge does get trapped along the sides and in those little nicks I mentioned, so it’s necessary work. Once it’s dried, I put mine back in its box, but there’s a soft bag provided if that’s how you prefer to store your toys.
So, would I recommend the Sky Alto? I would, yeah. But not to power queens, or anyone who needs a rumble to their vibes. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants something fancy but gentle. If mega vibes make you nervous but bullets and lower end products aren’t doing it for you anymore, you could do worse than check out Ave’s Sky line. If the white doesn’t do it for you, you could always choose something in blue.
