Review: Honey Play Box Joi Thrust 2

As a fan of Honey Play Box’s Joi (so much so I even gave one away last year!), it’s been exciting to see this now award-winning vibrator get the love it deserves. And with the US-based brand unsurprisingly capitalising on this success, a number of follow-up toys have since been added to what is now the Joi collection. I wanted so badly to get my hands on either the Joi Pro or Joi Thrust when they first came out, with the former including a remote control and the latter offering thrusting and app compatibility, but prior obligations meant I was unable. So I bided my time, and after my reviews of the OLY 2 and RORA 2 a few months ago, I knew a similar version of the Joi with advanced capabilities couldn’t be far off. And I was right, because here I am now with the new Honey Play Box Joi Thrust 2.

Product Description

So what’s new? Well, if you read my previous review on the original Joi, the main points is that instead of rotating, the Honey Play Box Joi Thrust 2 now thrusts, as per the name, and that it is also compatible with the latest version of the Honey Play Box app that I covered with my previous reviews for the brand and in my App Round-Up. This means that, unlike the first generation Joi Thrust, the toy also features their pressure controls and vaginal temperature detection. Otherwise, this toy is meant to still be the same old Joi, with its unusual rabbit-like shape and its little mouth, flapping tongue included. However, something else I’ve noticed that isn’t mentioned on the brand website is the big change to its vibrations. Whilst the original Joi had two of its four motors dedicated solely to this, with one in each of the shaft’s bulbs, the Joi Thrust 2 has zero. I’ll talk more on this later, but essentially they have now combined the “vibrations” with the thrusting motor. Further small changes then become apparent when comparing the two side-by-side. For instance, the tongue on the Thrust 2 is slightly bigger, the “lips” are more pronounced, the buttons have been flipped, and there is no logo underneath them. In addition, whilst the overall shape is the same, the linework is different, with this being particularly obvious at the portion of the shaft that extends during thrusting, as it features some thin lightly ribbed silicone, helping it to stretch. A reflective panel of rose gold ABS plastic then remains on the back, featuring the Honey Play Box bee, and just below this you’ll find the magnetic plates for the charger to connect to. Finally, just like the original, this version of the Joi is waterproof, USB rechargeable and made from body-safe materials, and whilst it is anal-safe it is not intended for this use. 

Packaging

My order for the Joi Thrust 2 was placed with Honey Play Box on the 2nd of August and I received it promptly on the 9th. The package was then 100% discreet, with no mention of the sender or what was contained within. The box for the Joi Thrust 2 itself was then exactly what I have come to expect from the company, with their consistent branding and packaging being one of the few mainstays of the sex toy industry over the last few years. A small picture of the toy on the front and some information on what it can do on the back, this outer sleeve can then be removed to reveal a mostly discreet white box underneath, which is perfect for storage. Opening this, you’ll then find the toy resting safely in foam, alongside its charging cord and luxury gold branded storage bag, as well as an app guide and user manual. After repeated past issues, I am happy to see that the app guide has been updated once again, no longer including a useless QR code for further instructions. But it still doesn’t really offer any help outside of how to download the app and connect the toy, and whilst I don’t think including more detailed instructions are really necessary for app-controlled toys, it does feel like they’ve gone back on their previous commitment to improving it. Finally, as with past Honey Play Box toys, the Joi Thrust 2 comes with a one year warranty.

Unexpected Issues

The first time I went to use the Honey Play Box Joi Thrust 2 was a huge disappointment… because it didn’t turn on! I had fully charged it the day before and had not turned it on yet, so I was concerned it was broken. I popped it back on charge and took it off after a short time, but when I tried turning it on again.. it was fine. Soooo I fully charged it once more, went to use it the next day…. and sure enough, it didn’t turn on. It seemed my copy of the Joi Thrust 2 was unable to hold its charge for more than a few hours, an uncommon fault that I’ve seen a few times in sex toys. I got in touch with Honey Play Box right away, and whilst they were very shocked to learn of the issue, saying it’s something that has never occurred before, they were happy to organise a replacement. My new order was placed on the 16th of August, and this took a little bit longer, arriving on the 29th, although it was thankfully just as discreet. As for my new copy, it is exactly the same as the previous Joi Thrust 2, just without this fault. Additionally, one other difference is the storage bag, which is green and gold instead of just gold.

Charging

Charging the Honey Play Box Joi Thrust 2 is easy since it is USB rechargeable. As with my original Joi, you’ll just need to plug one end into a USB port and then place the other end over the metal plates on the back of the toy so that the two can connect magnetically, which is quite sturdy. Charging should then take 2 hours, with this giving you one hour of use, and the lights on the toy will flash when charging and then become steady once full. Sadly, these times are the complete opposite of the original Joi, meaning that the charging duration on this version has doubled whilst only providing half the runtime. Additionally, Honey Play Box recommends charging the toy before first use.

Controls

Speaking of opposites, it seems Honey Play Box have also decided to flip the controls on the Joi Thrust 2, not only confusing past OG Joi fans like me, but also making their placement less intuitive (since previously they were closest to the end they controlled). The symbols on them are still easy to read though, with the tongue-like symbol controlling the external arm and the two arrows controlling the thrusting. Then, another change is that whilst the original Joi had its two buttons work completely independently of one another, this product removes that ability and adds a stand-by mode, both of which are almost certainly because of it now being app-controllable. Thus, to turn the toy on or off you’ll want to hold down the thrusting button for two seconds. You can then continue clicking this button to cycle through the nine thrusting modes, with three of these being steady speeds and six being patterns, and at any point you may also use the tongue button to turn this side of the Joi Thrust 2 on, cycling through another nine modes which are the same as the thrusting. Additionally, as with my past two Honey Play Box toys, this product also uses pressure controls, which means that the tighter you squeeze the toy, the harder it vibrates (although this has yet to work in actual use). As usual, this functions nicely when in my hands, with any pressure applied to the bulb closest to the buttons resulting in the thrusting and tongue both running at varying steady speeds.

The App

It’s been five months since the last time I tried the Honey Play Box app, and in that time it seems like it’s been through a pretty big update! You can read my full and up-to-date thoughts on it at my Sex Toy App Review Round-Up, but the biggest new feature is definitely having inbuilt partner play. Previously you’d send a URL to prospective partners for them to control your toy via the web whilst you’re connected to the app, and whilst this was good in some respects, it was limiting in other ways, for instance your partner couldn’t communicate with you at the same time. Now, whilst this option remains, you can also connect to a partner within the app, and even video or voice call them at the same time. Plus, another update is Spotify integration, with it seamlessly controlling the toy through the music you play within the Spotify app. Unfortunately though, this new version of the app is also the most glitchy I have seen, and I struggled to run even basic functions within it, with almost every aspect of it breaking during my tests. Due to this, I have now reduced my overall rating of the app from 3/5 to 2/5, meaning that at its present state, it does not make for a very good companion for the Honey Play Box Joi Thrust 2. Additionally, when pairing both of my versions of this toy to the app for the first time, I had to wait a few minutes whilst it completed a software update, so this is something you’ll want to organise in advance so you aren’t waiting for it mid-session.

First Impressions

The first time I went to use the new Honey Play Box Joi Thrust 2 was also a huge disappointment… as I realised: where are the vibrations? Advertised as a vibrator and promoted as having “vibrating G-Spot stimulation”, including on the Honey Play Box website, the packaging, and in the instructions, it turns out that this toy does not feature any vibrations. What I realised instead is that most (but not all) references to vibrations mention the Joi Thrust 2 having “thrusting vibration patterns”, and so what I think Honey Play Box mean is that when the thrusting is activated, the toy does feel a bit like it is vibrating due to the movement of the shaft. At the end of the day though, this is not vibrations, and so I am extremely disheartened by this. Not to mention that the dual vibrations within the original Joi were one of the key aspects to it, and I was excited to see how these felt combined with the thrusting. As for the rest of the Honey Play Box Joi Thrust 2, the tongue is definitely more powerful than before, not only being physically larger but also more resistant to pressure. Plus, the thrusts also work nicely, with a good speed and extension range, even if they don’t really compare to other recent dual-stimulator thrusters like the ZALO Mose and YoYoLemon Rabbit. As for the noise level, this is definitely louder than the original Joi, not just the thrusting but the tongue too. However, considering thrusters are notorious for being loud, the Joi Thrust 2 is actually not too bad, which is a much needed win for this product.

My Experience

Even though the Honey Play Box Joi Thrust 2 looks the same as the original Joi at first glance, this newer toy actually has slightly different proportions. Mostly, it is larger, being longer and thicker in some areas, but when it comes to the shaft it is actually slimmer, with a maximum diameter of just 1.47″ / 3.7cm. This, combined with a more tapered head, helps with insertion, although since this is still a little large for an internal vibrator, warming up first with a smaller toy like the Funkit Toys NoFrillDo R aids further. Sliding it in, I then remember what I liked so much about the original Joi: its positioning. With the first bulb resting just before my A-Spot and the second under my G-Spot, the external arm then fits perfectly on my clitoris to complete the triple stimulation. It will require to be pushed forward a bit more than the original Joi though due to that increase in length, but this isn’t too much of a problem. Turning it on is then easy, and you can either hold it in place during the thrusting or tightly close your legs for hands-free play. Whilst I miss the vibrations, with their absence removing any chance for A- or G-Spot stimulation (which is a shame when the toy is so close!), the thrusting, which is something I previously had to do myself, is definitely a welcome addition and ultimately more stimulating to my insides than before. Plus, the upgrade to the external end can also be fully felt in use, with the tongue being much more stimulating and also far less prone to pausing or stopping entirely. Combing the two, I can then simply sit back and let the Joi Thrust 2 do its thing, with orgasms being both quicker and more powerful than on the original model. As for the pressure controls, as per usual these did not work at first. However, when connected to the app, I found that if I placed the sensitivity to 70, it finally started responding!!!!! This is my third Honey Play Box toy to have this function, and the first time I’ve actually gotten it to work accurately. It’s still not really that helpful since I need to be in that particular app menu, and I fail to even see the point of having the toy respond to my kegel movements, but at least it’s something.

Cleaning & Care

Cleaning the Honey Play Box Joi Thrust 2 is easy since it is waterproof. Just throw it in some warm soapy water when you’re done and give it a quick wash, although you might also want to go over the lines and ridges on it with a spare soapy toothbrush. You can then rinse it and leave to dry, before storing it in a zip-lock bag or the storage bag it came with to keep it clean. Furthermore, make sure to not use silicone-based lubricant with this product, as it may react badly to the silicone it is made of, but if you do then first perform a spot test.

Final Thoughts

False advertising isn’t a term I like to just throw around here. But it has been a continuing problem for Honey Play Box over the last few years, and the Joi Thrust 2 really feels like a culmination of that. This is a vibrator that doesn’t vibrate. A sex toy that offers pressure controls and vaginal temperature detection, even though neither work consistently. An app-controllable toy with an app that’s barely functioning. And let’s not forget that this is my second copy of the Joi Thrust 2, since the first couldn’t even hold a charge. I wish these were one-off issues, a small stumble for a company that has perhaps grown too rapidly. But instead this is just another in a long line of toys that fail to meet their product descriptions, and as a reviewer it makes me question whether I can continue to support such a brand. Thankfully, I did actually enjoy using this toy, which is certainly an improvement from my last Honey Play Box review, and whilst there are elements I miss from the original Joi, I certainly agree that this model is far superior. And besides, at the end of the day, this toy is called the Joi Thrust 2, and thrust it does. Plus, while it still has a long way to go before it reaches the level of many of my other thrusters (including last year’s Top 10 toy: the much cheaper YoYoLemon Rabbit), I can confidently say it is the best thruster with a clitoral tongue attachment I’ve tried so far (to be fair, the competition wasn’t exactly tough). Overall, I would caution anyone buying this toy for any of its app-related features, its pressure sensitivity, and, of course, the “vibrations”. But, if you were a fan of the original, or if the mix of flapping tongue and internal thrusting really speaks to you, then this is still a worthwhile option.

You can get the Joi Thrust 2 directly from Honey Play Box for just $135.99 AUD / $89.99 USD, plus use my code GRACE15 to get 15% OFF your total order!

Last updated: 18/9/24

Price at the time of writing: $135.99 AUD / $89.99 USD

This post was sponsored by Honey Play Box, but as always, all opinions are my own.