In this article, I’m going to tell you about the Durex Play Aloe Vera Softness Massage lubricant.
No, it’s not very original. You probably already know this product. If you haven’t bought it, you’ve at least come across it, since it’s sold in pretty much any supermarket, as well as in pharmacies. So why test it, then?
For one thing, I’ve got a bottle right in front of me, and just because something is well known doesn’t mean you can’t give an opinion about it. All the more so since we use this lubricant: the bottle, quite large (200 mL), is already half empty.
For another, because we’re starting to have some lubricant reviews on this blog (the Pjur Toy Lube, for example, but we’ll be publishing more soon). And to test a product, you need criteria, and preferably a known benchmark. So the not-very-original Durex Play Aloe Vera Softness Massage will serve as the known benchmark. I’m not going to spend ten years on it either.
Chemical compatibility
This lubricant is water-based, like all Durex lubricants. It is non-greasy and silicone-free. It is compatible with condoms and sex toys (after all, a condom brand making products that wreck condoms would be rather paradoxical…).
Taste and smell of the Durex Play lubricant
It is stated that this lubricant is “unscented”.
Its smell is very faint, but not non-existent. It’s not bad, but not particularly good either: it can be described as neutral.
Its taste doesn’t resemble any particular flavour, but it is sweet. Perhaps a bit too much: if you taste it too much, it can become slightly cloying.
Appearance and texture
The product is colourless and transparent.
If you pour a small amount onto the back of your hand, it doesn’t run, and it doesn’t spread on its own as long as you don’t move. But if you move, it tends to spread.
Quantity/price ratio
Price: around ten euros.
Quantity: 200 mL, which makes a rather large bottle. Even if you lubricate often and generously, it will last you a long time. Unless you regularly have lubricant battles, share a bottle among fifteen people, or also use it to keep your doors from creaking.
The Durex Play lubricant bottle
The container isn’t very luxurious-looking, but it’s practical for dispensing the desired amount of product. You simply unclip the cap, then squeeze the sides of the bottle. And if you accidentally leave it open, it doesn’t leak unless you squash it. After all, taking the time to meticulously close the lubricant isn’t always the priority you’ll find most relevant.
You may have had a few ideas when you saw its slightly suggestive shape. Could the bottle have other uses than its original function as a container (at least, I did)?… Well, no need to think about it. In fact, it’s big, fairly rigid, and its surface has a groove your orifices would strongly disapprove of. A very bad idea, then. But after that, you do what you want.
Conclusion on the Durex Play lubricant
This product isn’t very original, then, nothing breathtaking, but it remains practical and effective. And it has two non-negligible advantages: it isn’t expensive, and it can be found everywhere.
