Hey Everyone I’m a professional tester. It’s what I do, it’s my job, career, my way of life. Let me give you an example. Every morning when I pull into work’s carpark there is a sign that says “Turn engines off when stationary”. Every day I think “stationary -?, hmmm yep, with an e is for letters, they have it correct”. Every single day! So why, why , why have I applied to become a tester of sex toys with Lovehoney? Stupid, stupid me. Sex - The one area of my life where I just let it hit me and ‘Yeah baby’ or ‘Ooo, That’s so good’ were all I needed. Let me give you an example. Yesterday the postie arrives with my latest bundle of Lovehoney joy, an amazing Doc Johnson stroker which I’m going to give a fantastic review. And that’s my point! … I’m going to put together a review on how it went to help all our lovely Lovehoney customers. So instead of thinking ‘Yeah baby’ I’m thinking “pretty packaging, good feel in the hand, how much lube to advise using, top tips for getting the best out of it, don’t forget to mention the length” and ways to clean and store. This product really is so good that there were plenty of ‘That’s so good’ moments as well, but do so see where I’m going. The only area of my life I just lay back and enjoyed. Now I’m micro analysing. Stupid , stupid me! Why Lovehoney, why? So, testing: Gift or Curse? What’s your spin?
It's a gift! Basically we're testing everything in life, and this forum offers life tested advice on everything, plus we have fun. So just enjoy it! 😉
I started to develop the same mindset, over analyzing everything to the point of not being able to switch off and be in the moment, I've done a lot of work to relearn to relax. Anyway, point being I asked myself the same question, Am I turning this pleasure into a 'chore', however you only need use a toy in 'review mode' a few times and the benefit is that examining what is it that you enjoy or don't like so much about a toy you can learn so much about what works for you. I take it seriously but I also think that if you treat it too analytically and forget to have fun it can reflect in a slightly clinical and boring sounding review. I try to make sure I only take on testing when i've the time to enjoy it so don't end up rushing (doesn't always work). As long as I keep these things in mind it is a double pleasure as I love writing creatively and don't have much opportunity, actually it's a triple pleasure as I also love helping people so when I see someone has found one of my reviews or recommendations helpful it gives me a glow! Have fun!
I can see where you're coming from. I think if you had test item after test item without your own personal me time, it could be more of a chore than a pleasure. For me, the first 5-7 uses of an item will be me making mental review ideas and I'll note down things I noticed after each use. When a review is complete, I'm "free" to use something I enjoy without putting any thought into it. This is a good feeling in itself. Most of my LH reviews are items I've bought with my own money and I just review them in my spare time. If I'm lucky enough to be selected to test an item, I consider it a gift because it's not like I get them everyday, haha. But if I had to test a number of items and had to finish all the reviews before a deadline, I can see how that would be more of a chore 😵
I enjoy it. Even with the things we've tested and not got on with it's still been a fun experience. And I think it adds an extra dimension to play time too.
We have been lucky enough to be sent a few items to be tested by LH and the first few times we used them, it almost felt clinical. You want to portray a proper experience, but at the same time, you aren't using the toys solely for pleasure as such, you are performing a service. Granted, its a great perk getting the toy for sexual pleasure and then writing about it, but theres still a background purpose for you having the toy.
As per HunnyMonster29, we have also reviewed toys that we have bought ourselves, my most recent being a male power thong and dominix chastity cage. Each was purchased solely for my/our enjoyment, so there is a different slant on things.
I very much agree with HunnyMonster29 on this.
Yes, it can definitely detract from the pleasure if you are thinking about the review you are going to write while using the toy. These days I’m pretty good at tuning out any thoughts of reviewing and often I wait to try a toy until I am in the mood to use it rather than thinking “I should use this now so I can review it”, which isn’t always possible with testers as they have a deadline (or at least, I have to push myself a little more so I can use the toy enough times to write a decent review)
The thing is, once you’ve written the review you can go back to just enjoying the toy and not over thinking the experience. However, if you are still struggling with it, reduce down the number of reviews you write. Yes you need to write reviews and continue to write them to have a chance at receiving testers, but that doesn’t mean you have to review absolutely everything or review everything quickly. I have a wishlist of the products that I’ve bought (and are still current products) but haven’t yet reviewed. If I’m in the mood to write reviews, I have a scan down the list and see if there is something I’ve used recently or just feel I’ve used enough to write a decent review.
I'm an oddity then!? Really been lucky with tester items and am very grateful. I think of them as gifts first and items requiring review second. I use and enjoy without focusing on the details needed to review so that I dont loose the fun. Thinking about it I generally open with my Husband who will remind me later of the way they were packed etc. I ll give myself a day to review based on deadline and circumstances (time to use) and on that day i will pull it all together including looking at the item in detail. Husband's opinion does come in often. 7am ramblings are the best 😂
It's a wondefrful gift!
We have got to try out, and ultimately own, toys we would not even thought of buying but which turned out to be amazing and in some cases life changing.
When a new item arrives we always give it a thorough test which, as you say, involves some degree of detachment and objectivity if you are going to write the most helpful review possible, but once the report is written you can lose yourself forever in whatever sensations the toy provides. We love it.
I think I'm joining Mrs John in the oddity group. 🙂 I can't say I treat testers that much differently to the toys that I buy. All the information I'd include in a tester review is all the information I'm automatically thinking anyway. First thoughts on look and feel, button set-up, vibe frequency, range of speeds and patterns, vibe strength, noise, how it feels to use (does it live up to expectation), any additional features (and what new things I can do with them), easy to clean. That sort of thing. But I'd be considering all of that anyway, whether I was going to write a review or not.
What do other people do when they buy a non-tester toy if they're not thinking about these things? 🙂
I never think of testing anything as a chore! It's all pleasure, pleasure, pleasure as far as I'm concerned. I just use or try on and wear the item as I would with any item I'd buy. With toys it's a case mainly going through the speeds, settings etc, then using it . I tend to not to think too much about what I'm going to write rather than just enjoying the experience. It's only afterwards I then think back to how it felt, did it do the job, was it noisy. I find it fairly easy to recall those thoughts and feelings when I write the review.
In my opinion it is a great gift and I get to try stuff out that I probably wouldn't always be able to afford to buy but I have never once felt that it detracted from the pleasure of using it 
Me too. It‘s always been a gift in my limited experience of testing. 🥰. We‘ve not had any testers so far that turned out to be a major disappointment & who doesn‘t love a present in the mailbox, Right?! I think being open and curious to trying new pleasures is a great way to be, and the admin bit of submitting the review can definitely wait til the fun’s done!
The review bit‘s a pleasure of it‘s own kind to some of us too. Anticipation, surprise & excitement are followed by sweet & wicked pleasures (fingers crosses) when the goodies arrive, and then afterwards we get to help others decide anonymously. What‘s not to love? For the two of us it‘s a win/win.
It's most certainly a gift - or a perk.
By nature, I focus way too much on details. Furthermore, I've worked in customer service for many years. Even though it has nothing to do with sex toys, I know how to describe and talk about items so that any potential customers get all the information they need to know about the product.
Having the opprotunity to review sex toys as a tester for LH is just a perk for me. It comes naturally, so it is a win-win!
For me it's the opposite. Shopping for clothes is a chore; I always have to feel the fabric, smell it and look at it under different lights because the experience of wearing textiles makes my skin crawl if it's not to my liking (the sensations are all too overwhelming). It could be said that I overanalyse my daily clothes. When I test I don't know what I'm expecting, and I actually manage to switch off the part of my brain that is analysing. It's interesting because I end up wearing things I would not normally look twice at. That said, I think about 80% of the lingerie I tested I donated after use because it wasn't my style.
A gift. Without a doubt.
I've tested various items over the years, and also been a secret shopper/restaurant reviewer. The reviews here are more difficult to do as generally it was just a tick box exercise for them.
However, I've never had so much fun as with the items I've had from Lovehoney. Whether toys or lingerie I've always involved my partner as I think most people here buy lingerie probably as much for their partner as themselves. I also like to think that even toys originally designed for solo use can benefit couples.
I do get a bit apprehensive as I press the submit button as I would always feel bad if I'd recommended an item for someone to buy then be disappointed so I try to be as descriptive as I can.
I'm just finishing a review now, as it happens. My partner is a long distance driver so he's coming home in the early hours to a treat! I've got my opinion, now I'm just waiting for him to weigh in.
We've only been lucky enough to be selected once so far to test an item of lingerie and I can see both sides here if I'm honest.
We had the usual excitement and anticipation knowing it was on its way and yes, it felt a bit clinical opening and inspecting it before starting to put some words together for our review but once we'd made a start, my wife nipped upstairs to try it on so that we could give it a proper road test.
Well, that was the start of another hands on inspection that lasted well into the night, checking it out from every angle and generally giving it a really good going over!
My point is, that being a tester for Lovehoney gives you the best of both worlds. Great products to play with, test and review and, best of all, you get to keep it and only have to review it once. What's not to like about that 😉
My answer: Gift Thank you everyone so much for your replies to this, my first post on the Lovehoney forum. I have to admit that the post was written somewhat tongue in cheek. As a number of you said, the idea is that participation is fun and gives us the opportunity to introduce a little bit creativity into our writing. Like most of you I don’t do it for ‘free stuff’ but because I enjoy sharing my experiences, to help others make decisions about what can be expensive products or maybe make the leap over that ‘first purchase’ hurdle. The best bit about becoming part of the Lovehoney team: The conversation “What do you do?” “I’m a tester” “Oh, … what do you test?” “Sex toys!” It sounds so much better that software!
Definately a gift. Without lovehoneys generous tester offers i wouldnt have had half the experiences that i have done. Some items i wasnt sure id like so wouldnt buy but then it pops up as a tester item and im either proved right or wrong which i then pass my opinions onto others to help them. I even ended up advising friends and colleagues who were struggling either being single or getting relief on which toys to get and directing them to the site. Im eternally grateful to lovehoney for providing me with the chance and the wonderful items to test. I hope i can continue to help more in the future
I'm relatively new to love honey so haven't been fortunate enough to be one of the 'chosen ones!' I have given short reviews for some of the items we have bought through the site (recent purchases to be reviewed soon...) but these are all things that we discussed and picked to 'fill' a certain desire and have generally been looked forward to and well received when used so have has correspondingly good reviews. I think the testing element opens you up to trying things that you wouldn't necessarily buy as you are unsure of them so this would potentially expand your horizons but also increases the possibility of a not so glowing review as your trying something a little different
For me, its - 100% a gift. I just LOVE it. I've luckily had a number of tester items from lovehoney and its never a chore. If I had the option to test lingerie on a full time basis and get myself a professional photographer, I'd be in heaven haha. For me, I really enjoy looking at products properly before trying them on or using them if they're toys. Particularly for toys, I feel having a proper understanding of them and all the controls before use, really makes using them much more effective. With lingerie, I will take the time to look at the material and seams, really have a good look at the quality. I enjoy all aspects of testing and it's absolutely never a chore and will always make time for it!