Regular readers of this blog will know that we've been exploring orgasm control and chastity play for some time now. Sol has been wearing the CB6000 since it was very kindly gifted to us by friends last year. We've had enormous enjoyment out of this device. However because it's plastic main cage has split five times under pressure ... a problem encountered by many wearers of the device ... we've reached the point where we only take the CB6000 out for specific play now and then. Which means we've been searching for a more long term chastity device.
We've had enough experience with chastity devices to understand that there is no one perfect chastity device out there that we can recommend to those of you who ask our advise in their search for "the right devise". Everyone's anatomy is different. And therefore everyone's experiences of each device are going to be different. What's comfortable for you may not be comfortable for us, and vice versa. So please keep this in mind when you read the following review. Or
go read this excellent post by Tom :).
We'd been very interested in the
Birdlocked, the first silicone device on the market. However the price was horrifically high at the time, and good friends who'd purchased the device had had problems. It was at this point that we visited
S(A)X's leather workshop at Byron Bay, and discussed reviewing the just released BON4 - the second silicone device on the market. We agreed sol would wear the device for two weeks and then I'd write a review here, and cross post it on S(A)X's website's blog, where I drop in now and then to post product reviews.
Things didn't quite proceed as planned...
This review contains the following sections:
- The Bon4 - technical details
- Initial observations and online discussion about the BON4
- Silicone Wars
- First Installation of the Bon4
- First Impressions
- Problem 1 - Peeing
- Problem 2 - Injuries
- Other Wearers Share their Concerns
- Design Problem 1 - Where the Main Cage and Cock Ring Meet
- Design Problem 2 - The Edge of the Cock Ring
- Conclusion
If you are thinking of buying the BON4 I suggest you go fetch a large drink and wade through the whole review. Otherwise just skip to the Conclusion at the bottom :)
Okay. Time to look at this new device:
THE BON4 - TECHNICAL DETAILS
Pretty, isn't it?
You'll find the BON4 website
here. The device is designed by BONbdsm. The manufacturer's website claims the company:
"[is] owned by Peter (Holland) and Tubi (Italy). BONbdsm produces a wide range of bdsm products and only produces high quality"
It is a bit weird that a company that's been around a while (
"We produce everything ourselves and do this since 1997") and claims to produce a wide range of products, still doesn't have their main website (http://www.bonbdsm.com/) working. Perhaps it will be up by the time you read this.
The BON4's technical details are reproduced on
S(A)X's page about the product:
"The Bon4 Male Chastity Device ... is supplied with three ring sizes of flexible silicone that interlock with the comfortable silicone cage. The device is fully adjustable and will fit anyone. Simply choose the cock ring that fits the best and fit it around your penis and testicles. Then attach the cage and interlock them with the silicone belt. Add the padlock and lock things down!
"Approx. 4.3 (111 mm) inches in total length; internal cage length approx. 2.5 (65 mm) inches in length; cage opening approx. 1.4 (35 mm) inches. Ring sizes are approx. 1.6 inches (41 mm), 1.9 inches (47 mm), and 2.1 inches (52 mm).
"The fully assembled weight is 90gms"
The manufacturer also
makes the claim:
"Because BON4 comes with 3 different sizes of cockrings. it will fit anybody"
This claim worried me right from the start. Here's another:
"Bon4 is probably the best Chastity device in the world". And two more:
"after a few hours you will not even feel that you are wearing a chastity device ...[and] ...
nobody will notice that you are wearing a chastity device!".
Even taking into account that English is not the first language of the BON4's manufacturer, making rash promises like this creates unreal expectations in the minds of purchasers. It sets the product up to fail. If you'd prefer to read a more balanced view of the manufacturing blurb and fewer rash promises, check out the info on
the site created by the Bon4's UK distributor (Tickleberry).
INITIAL OBSERVATIONS
+ ONLINE DISCUSSIONS
Another
rather suspicious statement on the manufacturer's website reads:
"BON4 is available since the beginning of April ... The BON4 has been selling very good worldwide and the reactions of the consumers are overwhelming. We knew the BON4 was good but not that it was that good. I want to thank all our distributors for their trust and believe in our product and especially all the consumer customers for their interest in the product and their nice e-mails and reviews".
This intrigued me because from the moment we'd been asked to do this review last month I'd been searching online without luck for "nice e-mails and reviews". Discussion about the release of the device on various online chastity forums and kinky cyber communities revealed others, like me, had little luck finding anything online (
Robertincmh writing
on Fetlife in late May
"I've been scouring the web trying to find someone that uses it and their impression").
There are only two customer comments on the manufacturer's site, but neither struck me as genuine. One is a glowing comment from 20 May covering every topic imaginable ...
"So comfortable / VERY high quality / lightning fast shipping /packaging VERY well done ... You may use any part of this message as a reference" The other is from 12 May, stating
"found your device on fetlive.com (forum)" Fetlive.com doesn't have a forum. If the person writing meant Fetlife, well that's not a forum either ... and the poor English rings familiar alarm bells.
Perhaps poor English is also the reason my post regarding our first installation of the BON4 - where I state very clearly that my post is NOT a review - is listed as a "professional review" link in the "News" section of the manufacturer's website. In private correspondence with me Peter Schuurhof later thanked me "for the great review", again reinforcing this language problem.
The fact the BON4 offers a warranty raised some interest online (Veupa
on Chastity Mansions:
"The manufacturer is offering a 1 year waranty which makes me feel that he is confident in the quality of his device") as did the manufacturer's site early offer of free shipping worldwide (
nzelfboy on Fetlife in April "
I also like free international shipping too"). Unfortunately this offer backfired when an early buyer from the US experienced major problems ordering direct from the manufacturer, resulting in this
Chastity Lifestyle "Avoid BON4" forum thread:
"This company has terrible business practices. They advertised free shipping then charged for shipping. ... their customer service has been poor to non-existent. When you advertise that shipping is free, charge for shipping, and the customer asks you to explain this discrepancy, you say "That was our mistake. We will refund the shipping to you." Instead, they replied "Thank you for pointing out the error on our website. It has been corrected." That's just one example. My last two emails have not been responded to".
I'll quote more from this thread, and from private correspondence with this purchaser, later. The result was a few posts began to appear containing negative comments. Some of these seemed unfair because people making the comments had not actually tried the BON4, but unfortunately the similarity in design between the two products meant the BON4 often got lumped with Birdlocked's problems. Here's some examples from Fetlife:
cagedray noted "very similar to the bird locked, which I can't use due to rubbing and chafing as well as extremely hard to put on" while
Aarkey found "From my stand point, it looks like the same issues as the original Birdlocked design". At around the same time an American adult store
posted a negative report on Fetlife as to why they decided not to stock the device.
Then, on 18 June (the day I was finalizing this review) a new notice appeared in the "News" section of the manufacturer's website:
"WARNING Already now there are cheap copies available on the market. Be sure to buy from a real bon4 dealer when you purchase the device"
SILICONE WARS
BON4 copy on left + Birdlocked on right
being sold by Birdlocked in June 2010
on the bon4-chastity site
This warning was in response to a website I'd informed Tickleberry about a day or so earlier. Although it never dawned on me that they were not already aware of it.
I'd written to Tickleberry as BON4's UK distributor requesting clarification as to what this website revealed. With respect to the BON4 manufacturers, their customer relations record isn't too good so far and I doubted I'd get a response from them that addressed the issues I wanted to raise. I've always had respect for Tickleberry, and the fact that they'd put a lot of effort into promoting the BON4 meant they had faith in the device. I hoped they'd help me sort out the problem. They forwarded my message to BON4 manufacturers, without response.
This is how BON4 found out that
Birdlocked had started fighting back, in a very nasty way.
It's clear from the reply I received from Peter Schuurhof - which also included a copy of the message he received from Tickleberry when they forwarded my message to them - that both Tickleberry and Peter Schuurhof believe Schuurhof is in the right, in terms of legal ownership of the design of the BON4. However as I've mentioned above, online discussion about the design of the BON4 and the Birdlocked has certainly made clear how similar those designs are. As one dedicated male chastity device person wrote to me privately
"it's very difficult to take Bon4's claim that "It took us more than 1 year to come to this design" seriously".Before we go any further here, let's stop and take a moment to compare the two devices visually via
JakkZone's You Tube video.See what I mean? Visually the things that hit you first are the quality of the BON4's finish (smooth clear silicone), that there are less air holes (three air holes rather than seven) and that the BON4 comes to two parts, rather than the Birdlocked's single piece.
With two silicone chastity devices now on the market, this single piece design versus two part design was originally - in May and early June - the way the two manufacturers differentiated between their designs.
Birdlocked's site states
"made in 1 piece!' while the BON4's UK distributor
claims:
"The BON4 is the only silicone chastity device available with a separate cage and ring fixing. Meaning it’s far easier to fit than any other silicone device available today".
Birdlocked then decided to up the antes. Sure, they were not having a good couple of months. They had their first major market competition on their hands and they were losing custom and distributors. As an example of the latter,
Tickleberry had stopped distributing them in the UK, and was also aggressively promoting the BON4 via their private mailing list and a
UK website for the product.
But they should have sat tight and had faith in their own product. After all, it's not like this kind of thing doesn't happen all the time. And it's certainly happened before in the world of male chastity devices ... we've all had conversations with friends over the design similarities of
The Fort Stainless Steel Locking Chastity Device and the CB-3000 (for some online examples, here's Elle on
KinkUnleashed musing
about exactly this:
"One has to wonder if there aren’t issues with the creators of the CB line?" and
chaste777 on Fetlife "
Another reason why I dislike the Fort is that is it a blatant rip-off of the CB-3000 invented and manufactured by A L Enterprises.").
You just do the best you can. Birdlocked appeared to do that at first. They massively cut the prices of their products and as I mentioned above, they tried to focus on design elements that weren't shared. But behind the scenes they were registering a few new domain names using the term BON4, and it now appears - I'm only speculating here - having a little word with the Chinese factories that make their products.
Shortly afterwards, the
bon4-chastity.com website appeared, the site I wrote to Tickleberry about. And it's linked to
this. And
this. And several other domain names along the same vein. All these sites sell three products:
"A new model of medical silicone cage called "Birdlocked" appeared in 2009. It comes in three models:
- Birdlocked Of Novice (BON) : Model for someone new to chastity and men who wish to experiment with various ring diameters
- Birdlocked Classic : The best selling model, ideal for extended wear over a long period
- Birdlocked Mini : For those who likes to feel tight
Spot that first one, the
Birdlocked Of Novice (BON). Look familiar? Bet they are real pleased with that explanation for the word BON. Should we tell them that
Birdlocked Of Novice doesn't actually make sense in English?! To further elaborate on that "novice" bit they then add:
"Why Good model meant for the beginner" ... The model "BON" is not appropriate to be worn over a long period. Its use must remain casual. For use over a long period, we recommend the model Birdlocked Classic or Mini. They have a ring triangular shape fits into the male anatomy, avoiding all forms of pain and friction. Classic and Mini models are equipped with plenty of holes for ventilation, allowing the skin to breathe when worn over a long period"
Isn't that upstanding behavior, folks? They rip off the design of the people who they believe ripped them off, and not only sell the product via their fake distribution websites but just can't resist adding some text to discourage you from buying it!!!
It gets worse. They even offer BON4 related products that are not available via BON4. For example, on the FAQs page of the BON4 manufacturer's site you'll find the question "Is the BON4 also available in colors?" . Here's the answer:
"Not yet, but we are working on this, we expect around Sept/Oct. this year to have the BON4 in transparent purple, yellow and black. Anyway we know that the basic natural clear one will always sell the best"
And yet this website appears to provide photos of those colored products, and claims you can purchase them:
There is also a question that is relevant to something I raise later in this review: "Do I have, or can I choose a size of the BON4? ". Here's the answer:
"The BON4 comes in a box with 3 different sizes of rings: 41, 47, 52mm. Simply choose the size of the ring from the box that you think is best for you after you have received the BON4, it will always fit"
Note those three ring sizes. This website even shows the five rings for sale:
Keep those rings in mind, for later in this post.
This is a VERY nasty way of getting the focus back on your own product. And just to reinforce it these sites are offering:
EXCHANGE OFFER
"You already have a "BON" model and you want a Classic or Mini Birdlocked model for € 79 .- (€ 20 .- reduction) For all clients holding a Bon or Bon4 who wants a Classic or Mini Birdlocked cage, we're offering a special price. Just send us E-mail ( info@birdlocked.com) or post proof of purchase in the form of a bill prepared by us or by another dealer.
"For all other product information Birdlocked Classic, Mini, Pico and PA, simply go to the site www.birdlocked.com"
Well at least they are up front about who's behind it all.
Birdlocked has certainly created confusion for buyers with all it's fake BON distribution sites ... but that confusion might not all be working in their favor (
obedientandfun's recent
post on Fetlife:
"i ... accidentally ordered [the BON4] when i was trying to order the birdlocked device").So far BON4's public response has been to put up that "warning"
("Already now there are cheap copies available on the market. Be sure to buy from a real bon4 dealer when you purchase the device") and run a single promotion line on their site
"PROMOTION: Anyone who purchases a BON4 get a free gift". I understand legal issues are being raised behind the scenes.
So, why have I made you read all of this? Two reasons.
Firstly, because I think Birdlocked have behaved in a really disgusting manner. They should have had faith in their own product. That people would judge the two products, draw their own conclusion in regard to it's design, and make the right choice re their final purchase. Birdlocked have thrown their hard won reputation to the wind. I'd never buy one of their products after this, and any of my friends and readers was considering it, I'd point them in the direction of
this website.
Secondly, because the BON4 manufacturers are right in that
"there are cheap copies available on the market" and if you want this device you'll want to avoid those copies. Go direct to distributors like
S(A)X or
Tickleberry.
Now. Finally. Let's get back to actually reviewing the BON4:
FIRST INSTALLATION
Sol wearing the BON4
We posted about our first installation of the device - in late May -
here. I've reproduced part of that post in this review because it contains relevant information to the final part of this review:
"It was time to install the device for the first time. Sol did a comparison between the BON4 rings and his CB6000 rings. We'd experimented with several of the latter and so sol decided on the BON4 ring that was closest to the CB6000 one he uses with most success. This turned out to be the smallest of the BON4 rings, the one that is 41mm. We thought it might take a while to find the right ring, and expected a few changes and adjustments during the evening.
"Getting his cock and balls through that very first time proved a challenge:
"Not only was the device unfamiliar but the manufacturer advises "using a [water based] lubricant while putting on the BON4". Which we didn't have to hand! I'll definitely confirm the manufacturer's advice in my final review!
"I was a bit concerned his PA piercing might be a bit damaged as he wiggled and waggled his equipment through:
"But soon he was through successfully, no problem to the piercing at all (just a bit red for a while):
"Next, he looped the "silicone belt" through the attachment points on the cage:
"Then it was time to fit his cock into the cage. We had no problem but certainly lube would make this even easier. Sol then interlocked the cage and the ring with the silicone belt:
Finally it was time to secure the lock:
"All this attention had resulted in sol getting hard ... or trying to! This is now as hard as he can get!:
"We spent some minutes checking out the sensitivity level of the device. Sol really couldn't feel my finger nails against the cage:
"Try squeezing the cage" I suggested:
"That was really all he could do ... We admired the finished installation for a while. Then sol said "I think this ring is too tight. May I have permission to change to the next size?" So we took everything off and started installing again with the 47mm ring. Here I am checking the end result, which looked good:
"We turned our attention away from the device for a while, watching some movies in bed and reading. A couple of hours later sol suddenly found himself out of the device:
"So it was back to the smaller ring. This second time, now being more familiar with the device, installation was easier. Soon sol was reinstalled:
"I gave him strict instructions to keep me up to date with how everything was feeling over the next few days. I was initially worried that the smaller ring might prove too tight but he seemed to adapt well"
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
(DURING WEEK ONE)
First impressions of the device were favorable.
As keyholder, I liked the feel of the device - the silicone is smooth, it's transparent color clear. I very much liked it's overall look - the design is pleasing. I also liked the fact it cut sensitivity. And that it originally seemed so comfortable.
As wearer, sol slept right through his first night in the device. Sol then wore the BON4 during a 1000km drive and found it comfortable. That's impressive for a newly installed chastity device, which are rarely comfortable at first, if at all. Although our trip was by car, the fact that the device has no metal parts and comes with plastic locks makes it extremely travel friendly.
Sol also commented on the flexibility of the design. When I asked whether it was better under clothes than the CB6000, he replied
"yes and no ... it's a bigger package under clothes ... it bulges more but in a less obvious way".
JakkZone also noted this feature:
"When on its a bit more bulky than a cb6000 because of the ring, but its flexible, so it sort of squashes naturally under jeans. The flexiness is something I really like about the silicone devices, it's a personal choice over a harder material like plastic or metal. I like not having something hard in my pants!! The flexiness is better at the gym and moves more naturally with my body"
We attended two kinky events and the device was examined and much admired. The Birdlocked doesn't have an Australian distributor so this was the first time many people in the scene here had seen a silicone chastity device.
We encountered the first problem fairly soon after installation:
PROBLEM 1 - PEEING
The first problem sol encountered was peeing. This was unexpected because the manufacturer seemed very proud of their design:
" BON4 has an opening at the end of the cockcage allowing you to urinate like you are used to. It has 2 extra holes. These 2 holes are for ventilation and makes it possible to wash your self. We think 2 air holes is the best. It took us more than 1 year to come to this design. Testing revealed that more air holes can cause rubbing or an irritated skin"
The UK site puts it a little more coherently:
"The cage has vented slots which allowing for washing and natural air drying, and the generous end opening means that most men can use this device at the urinals"
The important words in that sentence are "most men". Sol found:
"that the hole at the end was not big enough to cope with a stream of pee and the end of the cage filled up with urine. With a PA you may not always know where your stream is aiming ... with the Bon4 if you could somehow position your urethra directly behind the hole it would be easier"
The peeing problem had also been
noticed by bluewagon122 on Fetlife:
"The bon4 is more pointed at the end which makes urinating a challenge without making a mess. There is probably a technique like with all devices ... the good thing about flexable silicone devices is that the last bit of urine can be gotten out easily. That is not possible with hard ones""
True. You can shake out any pee that remains in the cage ... leaving the cage covered in a thin film of pee. Which builds up over time. This can become a bit smelly.
Once we were aware of the problem we made sure sol always had loo paper on hand to clean up. Obviously everyone is different and this problem won't effect everyone. But it's something to keep in mind, especially if you have a PA piercing.
PROBLEM 2 - INJURIES
Another problem was that while sol was genuine in his claims the device was comfortable most of the time, he also told me he was experiencing quite severe pinching at odd times:
"at times its more comfortable than the CB6000 because of the soft material but it also has potential for pinching in ways the CB6000 (when it's not breaking in half lol) does not. When it's not pinching it's very comfortable but it does pinch in more severe ways and when you least expect it "
The seriousness of this pinching became obvious on Sunday, when we took the device off to play, to find a black pressure mark injury, a pinch, from bleeding under the skin:
I left him out of the device for 24 hours to allow healing time. This ended up being 36 hours but at the end of that time the mark was gone. I locked sol back in Tuesday morning, as we began the 1000km drive home.
Over the next couple of days sol wasn't quite so comfortable, but he said the device felt no different to other new chastity devices, so it remained on. Until Friday, when I noticed an abrasion weeping slightly on the top of sol's left ball, just outside the device. Again I asked sol if he wished the device removed. He said no but that he felt like there "might be more pinches and abrasions underneath". I asked him if he could go another day for review purposes - so that we'd finished a full week of wear - or was the discomfort too great? He said he was okay.
That was a mistake on my behalf. Never trust a masochist! I should not have waited that extra day. When I took the device off on Saturday we found half a dozen small cuts and weeping abrasions:
Several of these were on the underside of his balls, where his skin was in contact with the edge of the ring:
Can you see how the injuries follow the curve of the BON4's ring?
We treated sol's cuts with Betadine. However they were too severe to secure sol back into the device. Several days healing were required. At this point I called an end to the formal testing program. We took a lot of photos of sol's injuries and discussed possible causes in some detail, because we had to get things right in this review.
The first injury we can't identify a source but we think it might be related to general genital movement, between shrinking and growth. These types of injuries are familiar to chastity device wearers. However, the second set of injuries are a different matter.
After VERY careful examination of where the second set of injuries were placed, there seemed to be two issues:
- sol's skin was rubbing / getting caught on the edge of the ring
- sol's skin was rubbing / getting caught in the area where the device joins together
While these types of injuries are also familiar to chastity device wearers, they are usually exacerbated by poor fit. In this case we discussed whether they were related to the fact that sol was wearing a ring that he'd initially rejected as being too tight. Remember what I wrote in that very first post, the day he first put the device on?
"We admired the finished installation for a while. Then sol said "I think this ring is too tight. May I have permission to change to the next size?" So we took everything off and started installing again with the 47mm ring..
"We turned our attention away from the device for a while, watching some movies in bed and reading. A couple of hours later sol suddenly found himself out of the device ... So it was back to the smaller ring. This second time, now being more familiar with the device, installation was easier. Soon sol was reinstalled ... I was initially worried that the smaller ring might prove too tight but he seemed to adapt well"
In retrospect I think he adapted well in the short term. But not for an extended period - which of course is the point of a chastity device.
OTHER WEARERS
SHARE THEIR CONCERNS
It was clear others were encountering similar problems. servingb
writes of installing the device:
"Think "Ripley's Believe it Or Not + Olga Korbut + Sham Wow!". Add some discomfort. In summary, getting my balls through the base ring, THEN my member took an Olympic Gold Medalist performance. And this was with the LARGEST base ring. Watch the video on the Bon4 website. You will see that the video shows how to assemble the device WITHOUT actually showing it on a person's privates. There's a good reason for that. It's much easier to sell a device if you show someone assembling it in their hands rather than show the Olympian feat required to slip yourself into this contraption, much like it is easier to sell a ShamWow without actually mopping up water on a table yourself"
JakkZone
writes:
"I usually wear a 40 mm ring but needed to move up to the BON4 middle size ring for a more comfortable fit. I think the rings are a little bit wide, so to make things easier I used a small amount of Baby Talc to the inside of the ring before putting it on. The tube went on easily with the help of a small dab of lube smeared inside it. My first attempt at threading the plastic strap through the arms of the tube and onto the ring was a bit clumsy, it's just a matter of finding the right technique through trial and error"
Servingb also
shared sol's and JakkZone's problem of being between cock ring sizes:
"This morning I was washing myself with soap in the shower, slipping some soap beneath the base ring, and before I knew it. Poof! Magic! The darned thing slid off! Okay. Now what do I do? My domme has me locked into this device and now I have it off WITHOUT even wanting it off. Thanks a lot, Bon4! I'm gonna think of you which every stroke of the cane I get tomorrow night.
"So what did I do? I tried the mid-sized base ring. OMG. If someone was making a movie of that effort, they would have laughed their butts off. After 15 minutes and failed attempts at using lube, I used soap (thinking to myself - why did this slide off in the first place? Soap!), I got it on, but it was so tight it acted like a cock ring and my balls were turning red and then blue within minutes...
"So I went back to the largest ring. Those of you with small packages ... might have an easier go of it. Those of you who need the nearly microscopic smallest ring ... you might try looping a rope around your balls, tying the other end to a door knob, squirting on a lot of soap, and slamming the door. I'm sorry but I am laughing at the effort I put into trying to go to the next smallest ring. I seriously thought if that if I tried any harder to get my balls through a ring that was more than an inch wide and only a little bit greater diameter, I would end up in the ER"
On the
Chastity Mansion forum spaiii
documented an escape from the device:
"The Great Escape: This morning I thought hey that looks way too easy, I put my split ring pliers right through the (rather large) side vent hole and popped the segmented ring open…rotated the PA ring until it disengaged the numbered tag (which stayed closed on the Bon4) still through the side and top holes; And pulled out.
"Can I get it back on in reverse method, I think so…it may take me a little bit longer but I’m fairly confident that I can.
"Security Issues: ... If I’m in bondage, I should not be able to escape… Bon4 security problems: Too easy to pull out. Large vent hole makes unlocking a captive or segmented PA ring a snap ... I’m just a bit bummed I want a secure light comfy device, is that too much to ask?"
No. It's not. Baroncino
had a similar problem:
"The device fell off! I used the tightest of three rings that would fit. But since you just push your testicles and cock into the ring, and there is no final clinching lock, they can just slip out by themselves, which is what happened to me"
We had thought sol had had a difficult time getting into the device because we didn't use lube. But it seems we might have been lucky not using it, as servingb's experiences with lube show. Addressing what he terms "stickiness" he
writes:
"The softer plastic of the device was what drew me to the product. Unfortunately, unless you apply lubrication often, the wider base ring means more surface are that "sticks" and causes you discomfort. I have not worn a cb-6000 or other device, but I have to think that more surface area sticking must be worse....
The width of the base ring was also a concern for servingb who
found the device "very wide. Once you have it on (see below), it is so wide that it pulls your scrotal sac far from your body".
sol wearing the BON4 I'd seen a similar comment on
Fetlife:
"The cock ring is much too wide. This makes it difficult to put on and it makes it extremely uncomfortable to wear". obedientandfun agreed:
"the "ring" (that goes behind the scrotum) is well over an inch "deep" (out of necessity based on how it locks). as a result, nothing "hangs" naturally and the device is clearly visible even under jeans (forget wearing it under a suit, every line is visible). it is unfortunate, because the silicon design is otherwise very comfortable and wearable"
So while the width of the ring was not a problem for sol it was certainly causing angst for other wearers. Discomfort was
another major problem for servingb:
"Unlike a cb-6000 with base ring connected to the penis sheath on top of the device, the Bon4 device has a surgical plastic bar beneath the scrotal sac that connect the penis sheath to the base ring. Basically, you are not only separating the balls from penis, but you are separating one ball from the other vertically...
"When you wear this device, you have a bar of plastic (yes, flexible plastic, but it is still a bar or divider) pressing on the bottom of your scrotum and your balls wedgeed into a space between the wide base ring and the penis sheath. This cannot be healthy, let alone comfortable. Even as I sit here to type I feel the base bar pressing into me, and I am wearing gym shorts"
servingb believes that:
"the combination of the width of the ring and the separation of the horizontal bar reduced circulation to my balls. After one or two more days I had to take it off. I found that my balls were red and dry and peeling, as though the skin was "dying" due to poor circulation (technically skin cells are dead cells, but you know what I mean)" (private correspondence with Ms160)
This made me wonder whether sol's abrasions might have had another cause, but we'd clearly linked them to two areas - the edge of the ring and the area where the device joins together. This raised the unwelcome possibility of design flaws.
DESIGN PROBLEM 1:
WHERE THE MAIN CAGE AND RING MEET
Let's look at the first problem - where the main cage and the ring meet.
These two pieces fit nicely together when you assemble the device in your hands. But when worn for extended periods - and when the body moves as it does constantly down there - the two parts fractionally separate, creating the potential for skin to get trapped between them. It's very hard to take a photo of this, but you can see sol in the photo below twisting the device to show how the the two parts separate:
Right where his right hand index finger tip is. Here's a close up of those interlocking sections:
If you own one of these and want to see what I mean, assemble it and then twist the two parts in your hands and watch the way the interlocking sections part.
At first it appears the Birdlocked device avoids this problem because it's made in a single piece. So no gap between interlocking sections can occur. However the Birdlocked hasn't escaped from problems in this area of it's design. Here's
one post:
"You say that the Birdlocked, being made from one piece, is stronger and more durable. This is not my experience. I find the Birdlocked is somewhat fragile at the point where the cage meets the ring. If you follow the Birdlocked instructions (insert testicles while the cage is turned down, then rotate the cage up), but do it badly, by holding the cage rather than the ring, there is a risk of tearing the Birdlocked at that junction. This is not unlikely, because it is much easier to rotate it the bad way rather than the right way. Thankfully I saw the problem before doing any damage. The BON4 does not have this issue".
No ... it's got a different one! But it's interesting that the designs of both devices are being argued about. Perhaps the perfect silicone male chastity device design still waits to be discovered.
DESIGN PROBLEM 2:
THE EDGE OF THE BON4's COCK RING
So how about the second problem we encountered - sol's skin rubbing / getting caught on the edge of the ring?
This is what I wrote last week, in my final draft for this review:
"The manufacturer claims:
"The BON4 comes ... with 3 different sizes of rings: 41, 47, 52mm. Simply choose the size of the ring from the box that you think is best for you after you have received the BON4, it will always fit"
"The first time when I examined the BON4's silicone rings they seemed nice and smooth and user friendly. However sol's injuries appeared to be related to constant pressure and rubbing against the inside edge over one week of wear. So I went back to the rings for a closer look and feel. If you own one of these devices, go pick up a ring and check this with me ... run your fingertips inside ... you can definitely feel an edge or slight ridge inside. Short term wear would not be a problem, but if - as in sol's case - the wearer was wearing a very tight ring, longer wear might well see further pressure injuries develop.
"A short term solution would be the application of lube ... but you can't keep putting that on forever - and servingb had already experienced problems with stickiness from lube. Better to eliminate this potential trouble spot altogether by rounding the inside edges of all the rings a bit further. The Birdlocked's ring edges are rolled ("The edges are rounded for comfort"). That would certainly fix the problem.
"And of course making more ring sizes available is VERY important. There is a reason, after all, why the CB series comes with five rings - their manufacturers have made enough of these designs to know what the wearer requires.
"Sol and I sat down and discussed how, if we had the option to discuss the design of the BON4 with the manufacturers, we'd suggest they not only increase their fitting options by making more rings available but that they make the sizes of those rings closer. At the moment they are 6mm (the Birdlocked is 5). We wanted to suggest 3mm. Or copy the sizes of the CB U-rings, where the smaller rings are closer together in size than the larger ones. This really seems to work."
I was just about to publish this when I discovered Birdlocked's fake BON4 distribution sites. Look at the rings they claim to stock for their BON:
They give the size of these rings: 41 45 47 50 52. Remember what the BON4 comes with?
"The BON4 comes in a box with 3 different sizes of rings: 41, 47, 52mm. Simply choose the size of the ring from the box that you think is best for you after you have received the BON4, it will always fit"
If Birdlocked is right in it's
claim that "For the majority of our customers, the ring is used diameter 45 mm", it's no wonder new BON4 purchasers are having trouble with the sizes currently offered ("41, 47, 52mm"). I found myself thinking:
"how many wearers - including sol - are having trouble trying to fit between those three sizes. Think of all those injuries, suffered due to bad fit. If Birdlocked - the fucking competition - thought to make five rings with their imitation BON, why on earth didn't the BON4 lot make them, with the real thing???".
The existence of these fake rings put me in a really difficult place as a reviewer. If sol - and some of the other men I've quoted above - had had access to a correctly sized ring, some of the problems they experienced could have been avoided ... and this would have been a far more complimentary review.
BON4 should be making all five ring sizes. I should be able to direct you to them to purchase another ring size if you require it.
But I can't do that. I would have to direct you instead to Birdlocked, who are the ones who have those extra ring sizes. Apart from the fact I would now never buy a Birdlocked product, I also can't vouch for those rings. I have no idea if they are well manufactured. If their edges are smooth. Or if they are indeed the sizes they claim.
All I can do is hope to God that BON4 is working on this problem right now and that five rings will soon be available with every BON4 purchase - as they are with the CB series. And for those of us who are trying to cope with poor fit because our BON4's only had three rings, that shortly the BON4 site - and their distributors - will have those five differently sized cock rings available for individual purchase. At which point I'll add a link here and direct you all to it.
But for now I have to be honest and say this device WILL NOT fit everyone, and that you really need to check your ring size before you purchase it. If you've worn a CB then check what size ring you found best to wear with that and see if a BON4 ring matches that size. If you've not worked out your size, then follow Birdlocked's instructions
here.
CONCLUSION
We wanted to complete a two week period of wear before reviewing the BON4 for
S(A)X, the BON4's Australian distributor.
This review period was extended due to sol's injuries and so I could document the underhand tactics of
Birdlocked, who flooded the internet with
fake BON4 distribution websites selling fake copies of the BON4 in mid June 2010, two months after the BON4's release. For this reason I sincerely recommend anyone wanting to buy the device purchases it from a reputable distributor like
S(A)X or
Tickleberry.
During our first week wearing the BON4 we found lots of positives.
As a wearer, sol found it more comfortable than the CBs because of the soft silicone. It allowed him to sleep through the night. It fitted better under clothes. It was great for travel (both flying and driving). And there was no constant worry about the device splitting (like the CB6000). He did experienced some problems peeing in the device.
As an owner / keyholder I really liked the look of the device and the fact it's soft to touch and yet cuts sensation (although others have found differently - see Baroncini's post on
this thread). Most importantly, from a psychological point of view the device worked extremely well. While wearing it sol quickly achieved the submissive mindset I enjoy ... which became even more pronounced when the device was removed for play. So the BON4 certainly works well as a chastity device.
However after a single week, sol had enough small - but I have to be honest here, extremely painful - injuries that they added up to significant discomfort and required the device's removal for several days and the termination of the two week trial.
We identified two reasons for these injuries.
- The first was poor fit. Sol falls between the ring sizes currently available with the device. For him one ring is too tight, the next sized ring too loose. Ironically while BON4 only produces three cock rings, Birdlocked has produced it's fake BON with five rings.
- The second reason was poor design, with severe pinching occurring where the device joins together. For more details see the full review above.
Our trial has proved that the manufacturer's
claim that
"because BON4 comes with 3 different sizes of cock rings it will fit anybody" is incorrect.
If we had the option to discuss the design of this device with the BON4's manufacturer, we'd suggest:
- having more ring sizes available, to widen fitting options. They can still sell the BON4 kit with three rings but at least advise purchasers that other sized rings are available if required
- dropping a line to customers who have supported their business via early BON4 purchases, to make them aware the new sized rings are available. This will greatly improve the manufacturer's poor customer relations record
- altering the design of the BON4 cock rings so their edges are further rounded, to avoid rubbing / pressure injuries (Birdlocked got this detail right)
- slightly enlarging the center hole to help with the peeing problem, so that pee does not build up in the cage (which Birdlock avoids with the extra air holes)
With regret we cannot suggest a solution for the severe pinching where the device joins together.
So, do we recommend this product?
As a short term chastity device, absolutely we recommend it. For all the positive reasons we've given above. I think it is especially good for men who have active lives and for men who travel - it would be an ideal device to lock your partner in prior to a short business trip.
For longer wear, we simply can't recommend it because we experienced too many injuries.
I sincerely hope that very soon the makers of the BON4 will offer more rings. At which point sol and I will be able to purchase one that fits better and the BON4 will move from a short term chastity device to one that we can use for much longer periods. Although we'll still need to keep an eye on that pinching where the two parts join.
I think the BON4 - and silicone as a base material - has potential. Silicone offers amazing opportunities as an alternative to metal and plastic devices. Yes, there are teething problems ... but what new chastity device doesn't experience them? And as all of us who are interested in male chastity know, what works for one person - or in this case, one reviewer - doesn't for another. Everyone's anatomy is different, and therefore their experiences of each device is different.
Sol says that the BON5 (meaning the BON4 manufacturer's next version of the device, not the appalling ripoff by Birdlocked) will probably be the perfect male chastity device. And I agree.
But believe me, you can still have a hell of a lot of short term chastity fun with the
BON4.
