REVIEW by EROS ZINE ---- 3-01-2005



For years, gay men have raved about cock rings. The weight, the erotic feel, the way they can tug on your balls, the way they make your balls slap harder against your lover, the way they make you feel more erect - for longer. Gear Essentials has this market covered.

Hell, it's time to spread the word, guys: cock rings are for everyone. If you don't believe me, ask your girlfriend after you try one for the first time. My initial reaction was "holy shit…gimme a minute…." But don't take my word for it; my lover had some comments he wanted to share, so I turn it over to him to elucidate:
Metal Cock rings… I had no idea!

You know that feeling when your lover is giving you head, she grabs firmly around the base of your cock behind your balls and suddenly everything is amplified? That's what a cock ring feels like.

You know that feeling of pressure you get when the intensity of your erection is way beyond normal and all your senses are focused on how stiff you are and the weight in your balls as you thrust into your lover? That's what a cock ring feels like.

This beautiful piece of art that I had seen in stores and online had always looked hot, but impractical; however, it was addicting from the first moment I felt the weight of it in place. It turned both of us on, and any fear of discomfort immediately disappeared when we started making love. I felt like someone was caressing my cock and balls around the base at the same time I was inside her. At times it was easy to imagine there was someone else in bed with us gripping me and urging me on. She felt the ring bumping against her clit and immediately went off like a rocket - happy girl. This has got to be one of the best toys we ever added to our collection - and that's a large collection and sincere praise.

Gear Essentials was kind enough to provide two rings for testing, so when the first one was such a success, I had to know what two would feel like. Amazing! Not necessarily for everyday wear, but OHMYLORD that is an incredible feeling. It's like suddenly your balls weigh a couple pounds and you are feeling hung like a horse!

OK - so these things are not going to change your physical attributes (maybe a little, because when properly sized, they slightly restrict blood flow to the cock and thereby increase the intensity of the erection). However, never underestimate the psychological value of wearing this. That feeling of something lovingly gripping you puts a whole new spin on your head. You can wear this to work if you want to enjoy a constant sense of self-awareness of your genitals and it's perfectly comfortable. Or just slip it on as part of foreplay. Either way, I can't find anything I did not love about these rings.
Now back to the girl's point of view - my lover is absolutely correct when he wore them and they ground into my clit, a sensation that ensures I will go over the top with extreme (and vocal) pleasure.

There's nothing quite so incredible as the feeling of getting fucked and having your clit stimulated at the same time, which can be hard to do, depending upon your position, but this little doo-dad manages to hit all the right spots.


Titan Series
The feeling of added weight is a bonus for the woman, as well - you can feel a heavier cock inside you, the erection seems harder, the penetration is more intense, and you get the feeling that the penetration is either deeper or not quite as deep - depending upon how your lover is wearing his rings.

Pretty intense, I must admit.

When my lover tried the first ring, I immediately thought that I had missed out on this for far too long in my life. When we spoke to the folks at Gear Essentials, we requested two sizes of rings, just to make sure we had the correct fitting, and with one slightly larger than the other, my lover can wear both at the same time and the world just explodes as the orgasms come fast and hard.

It's actually a struggle for us to choose whether or not to wear one ring or two in our fuck-sessions, now!

I met these great folks at AVN and told you about their rings in our Valentine's Gift article, but now let me give you a little more information.

These are fantastic folks, pure and simple. When I stopped by their booth, the gorgeous sales assistant admitted he was wearing one right at that moment, and it was quite an erotic feeling. Not knowing much about rings, I was surprised one would wear one without the immediacy of sex involved, but he assured me that it was a constant feeling of sexual intensity. Hey, if you're standing in a booth all day, it's nice to have a little something tugging on your cock to keep that happy smile on your face while dealing with customers.

Now, for a little background on the rings themselves - there are several types one can choose to get that hot experience. The Titan offers clean lines and simplicity of style in three finishes: brushed, mirror, or charcoal. The Master is just what the name implies because it is a bigger, bolder piece, available in the same finishes. Imperial rings are rounder, not quite with the squared edges that other rings offer, in Brushed or Mirror finish.


Omega Series
The Omega is the one that we tried, and whoo-boy, was it worth the experience! "Made for the Alpha Male," says the website, and it was a piece that really did give that impressive, distinctive feel. Completely rounded with no hard edges, it was fantastic. We chose the brushed finish, which gives off a grand, beautiful iridescent sheen. It fairly glows and is such an attractive piece, I actually bought my lover a red-pillow for their display in our home, because they are pretty enough to showcase. Lover wanted the charcoal, but I won on this one.

There is also an Engraved series, which are all awesomely lovely. They come in a brushed finish, and the ones I saw on display came with some tribal, Celtic, or Barbwire looking engravings. Of course, I'm sure you can have a name engraved or whatever, but they're truly a personal statement, and, as the Gear Essentials website states, "It's the Ultimate Commitment Ring." This piece would show you why.

One thing - here's how to find out what size you would wear. Look, it might sound easy, but I wouldn't have guessed, so I'll assume others might need a tip too. Use a cloth (read: sewing tape) measuring tape and go around the circumference of the penis (the width, not the length). Then divide by p, you know, Pi (not the movie, the mathematical equation - 3.14). You should remember this from school, silly. Gear Essential rings come available in four sizes 1 ¾", 1 7/8", 2.0" and 2 1/8". This should fit even you gargantuan monsters out there.


Engraved
The site's FAQ has the answers you'll need about rings. If you're a woman buying one for your man, it should have all the responses you'd need as well, but there's also a helpful address to answer all those questions, and they are super speedy with their response times. (Go, Speed Racer, Go!)

I cannot recommend this piece highly enough. Neither can my lover. This was the best new toy added to our personal fuck-arsenal, and I can't see how it could be displaced from its pedestal any time soon. I fucking LOVE this thing.

If you're a straight guy, give it a try - it might turn out to be one of the best investments you've made to your romantic love-making toy box in a long time. Seriously. Women will adore you for this. I promise you can't go wrong with it.

And if you're a gay guy - hey, you already know about rings, but this line is far superior to others I've seen.

You can either purchase right on the site (and prices are really reasonable compared to what I've seen other places), or there is a list in the Retail Locator link on the top menu.

And as they say, "Go ahead…and try one on for sighs."


Gear Essentials - by Alexia O'Neil Top of the Guide