Arcwave unleashes a new wave of sex toys – and are those colours we see?

No more stack-of-old-tyres aesthetics for the premium stroker brand – or, it seems, premium prices

Arcwave new collection, sex toys for men
(Image credit: Arcwave)

Arcwave makes some of the best sex toys for men. That's an incontrovertible fact: we've rated its previous releases, the open-ended tightness-adjustable Arcwave Voy and the absolutely bananas frenulum-pummeling Arcwave Ion very highly in the past.

So, news that the company has just dropped a pair of new penis toys is pretty exciting – and the fact that Arcwave appears to have listened to our aesthetic complaints and made this pair look slightly more sexy (and made that signature black colour scheme an option) is the icing on the cake.

We feel like Arcwave is aiming at some slightly different targets here, anyway: its first pair took aim at the luxury end of the market, while these are more... populist? Fun? Dare we say basic? Not that that's a bad thing, if they work.

Arcwave Pow & Arcwave Ghost

L: Arcwave Pow / R: Arcwave Ghost

(Image credit: Arcwave)

First up is the £20 (around $24/AU$36) Arcwave Ghost, which is at the other end of the overly-complex scale to the Voy and especially the Ion: it's essentially a small penis-shaped bit of Arcwave's CleanTech silicon.

The Ghost is closed-ended, more like a sensibly-shaped Tenga Egg than your standard open-ended budget stroker, though unlike Tenga's disposable toy, Arcwave says this is meant to last for a long time. It's invertible, featuring dual textures on each of its sides. It's simple, then, but reasonably-priced, easy to clean and equally easy to tuck away or carry with you. And we can think of plenty of ways to use this with a partner.

The Ghost seems like pure stocking-filler frivolity next to the Arcwave Pow – a toy which feels like it could use an exclamation mark or three in its name – which is the real under-the-tree main event.

Arcwave Pow

(Image credit: Arcwave)

The £60 (around $70/AU$110) stroker shares a fair bit in common with the Voy: both employ a fairly padded sleeve of CleanTech, though this is textured with a series of helical bumps rather than the Voy's ribs; both, too, get a premium plastic outer, though this doesn't get the same ring of adjustable tightness.

What the Pow does get is suction. It's a closed-ended toy, and Arcwave has clearly given its design a lot of thought: there's a three-stage vent near the top of the shaft on the outside of the case, right where your index finger is likely to sit. Cover it (or partially cover it, depending on your preference) and you'll create quick suction – crucially, compared to toys like the Voy and Fleshlight Quickshot Vantage, you can do this without having to twist your wrist and fumble to cover a large open end.

There's another vent on the top, which is meant to help with cleaning and air drying. Presumably this means the sleeve itself is not removable. We'll find out for sure – and find out if Arcwave's premium experience carries over to more reasonably-priced toys – when we bring you full reviews of both soon. 

The Ghost and Pow are available from Arcwave and Lovehoney today in black, navy or mint.

James is T3's sex toy and male wellness expert who's been exploring the topic of sexual happiness for a decade. He knows it's not what you've got, it's how you use it – and how clean you keep it.