When Tantus launched their new line of Space Toys towards the end of last year I instantly knew that I had to have one, in no small part because of the appearance. I'm a bigger sucker for great design, and with a colour scheme like that I couldn't resist, so after a lot of hemming and hawing I eventually settled on the Asteroid butt plug as my choice.
The shape of the Asteroid actually isn't unique, in fact if you're familiar with Tantus toys you'll probably have noticed that the designs used for the Space Toys are all recycled, but with an updated colour scheme. The Asteroid itself comes from the same mould as the Cody, a plug which never especially caught my interest before, so it just goes to show really how much importance appearances can play.
Like all Tantus products the Asteroid is made from 100% platinum silicone, and is completely odourless and body safe. The silicone is reasonably firm, slightly more so than some other Tantus products I've used, but not excessively, and it has a shiny and seamless finish. The material is comprised of three different colours, a neon "highlighter" shade of green, orange, and pink, moving from top to bottom. If you check out the two photos above you'll see that the one on the left, taken directly from the Tantus product page is an idealised form of the plug, with the three bands of colour being completely uniform, while the image on the right is a photo of an actual example of a plug that you might purchase. Because the toys are hand-poured the likelihood is that colours will run together like in the plug on the right, and create a bright marbled effect. Personally I find that when the images are put side by side I prefer the slightly more random effect of how the colours blend from one to the next, rather than discrete blocks of colour. I think it really is quite a beautiful plug, and definitely one of the most attractive pieces in my collection. One interesting thing to observe and contrast is the varying opacity of the different colours; when you hold the Asteroid up to the light you'll see that the pink area is the most opaque, while the green is fairly translucent, and the orange sits somewhere between the two.
In total the Asteroid is 5 3/4" long, with 4 1/2" insertable, and a hefty base on the end. The shape features a stepped design which progresses along the gentle taper of the plug, and demarcates three sections. Around the tip the circumference of the plug is a mere 3 1/4", while the middle portion increases to 4 3/4", and finally the widest section of the Asteroid measures 5 7/8". It's not the biggest plug around, but it's also not the smallest, so I'd have to place it in the intermediate category as you'd want some prior anal experience before tackling it. I always advise people against used stepped plugs as a training tool, even though the design seems conducive to that, because a conical plug with a steady taper will invariable work better at dilating the muscles gently. The plug is finally finished off at the bottom with a 2 1/2" wide base which makes it completely anal-safe.
Using the plug is a really nice experience and quite a straightforward affair. The small section at the tip of the plug allows you to easily centre yourself over it, as well as getting the first portion into the body without difficulty. The rest of the plug soon follows suit and the gentle gradient overall gives the sphincter plenty of time to adapt and expand along the way, so you don't feel rushed or as though you're fighting yourself. The bulges on the bulb are quite subtle, but they create enough distinction between this and a standard conical plug that you're definitely aware that they're there. I find them a very welcome additional because I like things which add an extra point of interest to a toy, and after a while purely conical plugs become quite boring.
There are a couple of ways to insert the plug: either you can use the base like a nice chunky handle and physically push it into the body, or you can stand the plug up somewhere and lower yourself down onto it. The width and thickness of the base gives the plug a low centre of gravity, and correspondingly a lot of stability, so if you're going to be squatting over it then you needn't hold it in place with your hands. Unsurprisingly removing the plug works in much the same way: either grab onto the base and simply pull it out, or simply relax the sphincter and slowly stand up to leave the Asteroid stood in place on the surface of your choice.
With the plug inside the body it's a very comfortable fit. The length of the Asteroid works perfectly for me, taking up the majority of the rectum but without being long enough to hit the top of it in an unwelcome fashion. The size creates a reasonably filling sensation, but you may crave more if you've used bigger toys in the past. The slightly increased firmness of the silicone isn't an issue as the plug can still flex around sufficiently inside the body, and in this case "sufficiently" is quite a small requirement to begin with. The sphincter comes to rest around the neck of the plug, just above the base, and the silicone is soft enough to cushion it if you feel like clenching and giving it a little squeeze. The neck is 4 1/4" in circumference, so it keeps the sphincter permanently expanded by a reasonable amount, and the design manages to keep the plug held in place and avoid slippage.
My favourite way to use the plug is actually as more of a dildo. While you can just insert the plug and leave it there during sex, masturbation, or even just going about your daily activities, I find that you miss out on some of its potential. Even though it's quite a simplistic shape there's just something I really enjoy about the sensation of it entering and exiting the body, so I find it great as a toy for thrusting with. You can thrust by hand, or bounce up and down and ride it, and the great thing is that because it's a plug you don't have to worry in the way that you might about any excess length with a dildo, so you can come down hard and fast on it and then just sit there, with nothing uncomfortably jabbing at your insides. The elongated and slightly bulged shape seems to really lend itself to use it this manner, and create some quite pleasurable effects, though I would suggest that it's not really a toy for prostate stimulation.
If you are going to use it more as a plug then possibly the only complaint I'd have about the Asteroid is the base, because it is somewhat large and obtrusive. It's not an uncomfortable base, but the size of it does take up quite a lot of room between the buttocks, as well and projecting outwards. Once you have it in there you do start to get used to its presence, and you can walk around without any difficulty, but its not ideal for long term wear and I'd probably tire of feeling it there constantly. The base is also slightly conspicuous due to its size, so if you're wearing it under clothes then you'd want loose trousers and underwear, lest there be a visible outline across the fabric.
I have to say that I do really like the Tantus Asteroid, both for its looks and how it feels, and I'd be very happy to recommend it to anyone.
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