Icicles No. 2: review

Icicles No. 2 at a glance — here’s what you get

Icicles No. 2 is a hand-blown glass massager wand from Pipedream Products, sold under the Icicles brand. It has no battery, no motor, no buttons, and no modes. The entire product is a single piece of solid glass, shaped like a row of balls that increases in size from the narrow tip down to the widest end. It’s a product category where the specification normally consists of four lines — material, length, diameter, and weight — and where what separates good from bad is how reliable those four lines are.

And that’s exactly where this article gets interesting. Pipedream, in fact, publishes none of them. The manufacturer’s product page states neither length, nor diameter, nor weight, nor glass type, and the specifications tab on the page is empty. The PDF manual that the manufacturer links to contains seventeen pages of safety and care instructions in sixteen languages, including Swedish, but not a single measurement. What you can actually verify with the manufacturer is the item number PD2902-00, the EAN number 603912279436, the material glass, the list price of 39.99 dollars, and a one-year warranty.

The measurements in this text therefore come exclusively from the shops, and they are shown with the shop’s name every time they’re mentioned. It’s not a formality: the seven shops that list the item report five different lengths and three different diameters for exactly the same EAN. This spread in itself is the most important finding in this review, and it’s covered in its own section further down.

For this market, the item with EAN 603912279436 is sold by Harmony at 34.99 GBP and is out of stock.

What the Icicles line is, and where No. 2 fits in

Icicles is Pipedream’s line of hand-blown glass products. The line is numbered sequentially, and the number says nothing about size, shape, or price — it’s just an item number in words. No. 2 is one of the older models in the line and one of the simplest: a straight wand without a curve, made of a number of graduated balls. The manufacturer describes the entire line with the same text, word for word, regardless of model: elegant, exclusive, handmade, with glass that is hypoallergenic, non-porous, body-safe, and designed to last a lifetime with proper care.

That the description is identical for the entire line is worth noting before you compare models. The difference between Icicles No. 2 and, for example, Icicles No. 8 can’t be read from the product text, because the text is the same. The only difference the manufacturer actually lists is the price: 39.99 dollars for No. 2 versus 57.99 dollars for No. 8, a difference of eighteen dollars or 45 percent. What those eighteen dollars buy you isn’t shown in any specification — only in the product photos.

That’s why the practical advice becomes unusually concrete for this series: buy based on the picture, not the description. The shape is the only thing that differentiates the models, and the shape only shows in the photo. This also applies when you compare prices between shops—several shops use variations of the same series description on all their Icicles pages, which makes two completely different models look identical in the text.

Bead shape: what a row of graduated glass beads does

The shape is what defines the model. The manufacturer’s own product images show a straight shaft where the shaft consists of a row of round beads lined up, separated by clear indentations, and where the beads gradually increase in diameter from the narrow tip down to the widest end. So it’s not a uniformly thick shaft with ridges, but a genuinely graduated shape—more related to anal beads than to a classic dildo.

One retailer describes the shape as handmade in a formation with beads in a row, and another calls it bead-shaped. Another retailer writes in its product text that the shaft consists of six beads. That’s a claim that doesn’t match the manufacturer’s own photos, where the rod clearly has more than six beads. So don’t count on six, and don’t assume an exact number either—the manufacturer publishes nothing.

What can be concluded about the graduated shape is two things, and both follow directly from the geometry. The first is that the diameter varies along the shaft, which means that the same product offers several different widths depending on how far in you go. One shop states the range as 1.50 to 3.70 centimeters, and another as 1.5 to 3.5 centimeters—the figures differ, but both describe the same principle: a narrow end and a wide end. The second is that the indentations between the beads create a series of tactile transitions, where each bead passes as a distinct event rather than a smooth glide.

The downside of the same feature is that a graduated shape doesn’t have a natural stopping point and no base with the flange that anal products normally require. The manufacturer’s manual doesn’t address the issue, and the shops list the item under different categories: one shop states both vaginal and anal use, another shop lists body parts as vagina and anal, while Pipedreams own page tags the item under both Anal and Dildos. What’s missing is an explicit construction requirement from the manufacturer about how the base should be formed, and that’s an essential omission in a product marketed for anal use.

Material and build quality: a single piece of hand-blown glass

Material is the only property of an intimate product that can’t be compensated for through experience or care, and it determines whether the product is still hygienic after ten years. Here, the message is unusually strong. Pipedream lists a single material: glass. There are no seams, no join between the shaft and the head, no bonded base, and no battery compartment— the product is a single solid glass body with no divisions where anything could collect.

Glass vs silicone and TPE — why lack of porosity matters

Glass is a non-porous material, and non-porosity is the whole point. A non-porous surface can be cleaned, because there are no microscopic cavities where residue can be left behind. It is by far the most important property of a material that should lie against mucous membranes. Silicone shares this property, but glass goes one step further: it is also chemically inert against virtually everything found in a bathroom cabinet, and it doesn’t break down from either silicone-based lubricant, oils, or alcohol.

The comparison with soft plastic is where the difference becomes big. Phthalates are a group of plasticizers used to make plastic—above all, soft PVC—flexible. Kemikalieinspektionen describes them as substances that can affect the hormonal system and make reproduction more difficult, and several of them are therefore restricted or banned within the EU in a large number of products. Material labels such as TPE or jelly rubber say nothing at all about which plasticizers are included.

Glass needs no plasticizers at all. This is not a marketing point but a material property: the hardness is inherent, and there is no added substance that can migrate out of the material. The product’s quick facts list the property Kroppsäker & Fri från Ftalater, and for glass, that commitment is trivially fulfilled rather than a promise that needs to be checked. That makes the material declaration on this product the most robust in the entire category, even though it consists of a single word.

The other side of the same coin is stiffness. The product description states elasticity Not bendable and stiffness Hard. Glass gives in anywhere, under any kind of load. Where a silicone product adapts to the body, a glass product does the opposite—the body adapts to the glass. For many, this is the whole point, and for others, it’s the reason to choose to exclude the material. This is not a question of quality, but of preference, and it’s worth being honest about before buying.

What kind of glass is it? A question the manufacturer doesn’t answer

Here there is a real gap in the specification. Pipedream never states what type of glass Icicles No. 2 is made of — neither on the product side, in the manual, or on the packaging. It says “glass,” and nothing more. It’s a conspicuous omission in a category where the type of glass is the only technical detail that there is to provide.

The difference matters for this product in particular, because the manufacturer markets temperature change as the main function. Borosilicate glass has a low coefficient of thermal expansion and can handle rapid temperature changes better than ordinary lime-soda glass—this is the whole reason lab glassware and oven dishes are made of borosilicate. A manufacturer that states borosilicate therefore provides an indirect indication of how much strain from temperature changes the product can withstand. A manufacturer that only writes “glass” provides no indication at all.

The fact that the information can be provided shows the competitors. XR Brands explicitly states borosilicate glass and shatter-resistant glass for its Prisms Drops Anal Link, and another seller markets both Dream Toys Glamour Glass Curved Wand and Dream Toys Glamour Glass Ribbed G-spot Dildo as high-quality borosilicate glass. So Pipedream’s omission is not an industry pattern but a choice—and in practice that means you can’t know how big a temperature difference the product can handle, even though the manufacturer simultaneously encourages you to both freeze it and heat it in a microwave oven.

Measurements: two shops, five different lengths and three different diameters

This is the core finding of the review, and it deserves to be presented point by point. Since the manufacturer publishes no measurements at all, every figure below is a shop-provided claim, and the shops don’t agree.

• The product information lists a length of 22.50 cm, a minimum diameter of 1.50 cm and a maximum diameter of 3.70 cm.
• Another seller lists a length of 22.5 cm and a diameter of 3.7 cm—the same figures as the listing above, and the same product text word for word.
• One seller lists a total length of 21.5 cm and a diameter of 3.8 cm in the quick facts, but at the same time labels the item “Length 22 cm” in the product list.
• One shop lists a length of 21 cm, a minimum diameter of 1.5 cm and a maximum diameter of 3.5 cm.
• Another shop lists a length of 20.5 cm and a diameter of 3.5 cm, as well as an insertable length of 20.5 cm and an insertable diameter of 3.5 cm.
• One shop and a second shop do not publish any measurements at all for the item.

So the range is 20.5 to 22.5 centimeters in length and 3.5 to 3.8 centimeters in maximum diameter—two centimeters versus three millimeters, on the same EAN. Two centimeters is almost ten percent of the product’s length, and that’s enough to affect a purchasing decision.

In addition, the shop’s information deserves its own note, because it’s internally contradictory. The quick facts state both a circumference of 6.5 centimeters and a diameter of 3.8 centimeters. De två talen går inte ihop geometriskt—a circumference of 6.5 centimeters corresponds to a diameter of a little over two centimeters, not 3.8. Which of the two figures is correct can’t be determined from the shop’s own page, and the manufacturer publishes nothing that can reconcile them.

Weight is reported by two stores, and they also don’t agree. One store states 0.36 kilograms, i.e. 360 grams. Another store states 347 grams. A difference of thirteen grams is small in this context and could very well be due to one figure including packaging and the other not — but it illustrates the same pattern as the measurements. The same applies to the packaging: One store states 27.50 × 10.00 × 7.00 centimeters, while another store states 70 × 100 × 250 millimeters, i.e. 25.0 × 10.0 × 7.0 centimeters. A difference of two and a half centimeters in the length of the box.

There is an explanation that makes the whole pattern understandable, and the manufacturer writes it out itself — indirectly. Each rod is hand-blown, and the product description repeats Pipedream’s own wording that some variation may occur because the rod is handmade. In practice, this means there isn’t one single true measurement to publish, but a range. The different figures from the stores can therefore be measurements of different specimens rather than pure errors. That makes the spread more understandable — but it also makes it the most important piece of information about the product, because it means that the specimen you receive doesn’t necessarily match the measurement you read.

The practical conclusion: treat 21 centimeters as a reasonable guideline for the length and 3.5 centimeters as a guideline for the widest bead, and allow a margin of at least one centimeter in each direction. If you need an exact measurement, this isn’t the product for you, and no store can give you that information with certainty.

Use: temperature play, lube, and weight

Without a motor, buttons, or modes, there’s no interface to learn. What remains are three practical questions: how the temperature function is used, which lube works, and what the material’s weight and hardness mean in your hand. The manufacturer answers the first two explicitly. The third is best answered by the stores’ own weight information.

How do you heat and cool a glass dildo?

Temperature play is the function Pipedream highlights most clearly, and the only function the product actually has. The information differs, however, between the manufacturer’s two own channels, and the difference is worth knowing.

The product page and the current PDF manual say the same thing, in Swedish in the manual’s Swedish section: hold the rod under warm water to warm it up, or under cold water for a cool sensation. The back of the packaging goes further. There, the manufacturer states that the rod can also be heated in a microwave oven and cooled in the freezer. Those are two significantly more aggressive methods than running water, and they don’t appear at all in the manual.

That there is a difference between the packaging text and the manual is in itself information, and it should affect how you proceed. The manual is the newer document; it is written in sixteen languages for the EU market, and it is the only one of the two that also includes safety sections and warnings. The more cautious method — running water — is therefore what is stated in the document intended to be read as safety instructions. Add to that the fact that the manufacturer never specifies the type of glass, which means you don’t know how much temperature shock the material is designed to withstand.

No matter the method, one thing applies that none of the manufacturer’s texts states but that follows from the nature of the material: glass holds its temperature for a long time. That means that a rod that feels just right at the wrist can still be too cold or too warm after a minute, because it doesn’t equalize with body temperature in the way silicone does. Only one store describes this, and its advice — always test the temperature against your wrist before insertion — is reasonable precisely because glass doesn’t forgive a misjudgment as quickly as a soft material does.

Which lubricant works with Icicles No. 2?

All of them. It’s one of the few characteristics where glass is unambiguously superior to silicone, and it is stated by several stores: one store says that the product is compatible with all types of lubricants, and another specifies that it works with water-based, silicone-based, and oil-based lubricants because glass does not react with any type of lubricant.

It’s a real advantage and not a detail. With silicone products, you must avoid silicone-based lubricants, because they break down the silicone surface over time and make it porous — and a porous surface can no longer be cleaned properly; you can only replace it. On glass, there’s no such limitation. If you already have a silicone-based lubricant at home, which often glides longer and requires less topping up, you can use it here without shortening the product’s lifespan.

The adult product description adds a recommendation that repeats the manufacturer’s own: use plenty of lubricant. This is especially relevant for this particular shape. When dry, glass’s surface has very low friction, but a graduated ball shape with grooves requires more lubricant than a smooth rod, because every transition between the balls involves a new contact point.

What the manual says about handling — and why that advice is wrong

The manufacturer’s manual contains a warning that deserves to be quoted, because it directly contradicts how a retailer describes the product. In the manual’s Swedish section, it says: glass rods can be very slippery when they are wet or lubricated, and if they are dropped on stone or tile floors the glass can chip or break. The manual instructs to always inspect the rod before use and to immediately stop using it if it is damaged.

Adult describes the same item as a "hand-blown massage wand made of unbreakable glass". It’s a store formulation that is in direct conflict with the manufacturer’s own safety text, and when a store contradicts the manufacturer, the manufacturer wins. The glass is not unbreakable. That XR Brands describes its own borosilicate glass as shatter-resistant — not unbreakable — points in the same direction: even the manufacturer that publishes the most about its material avoids that word.

The combination of the two pieces of information provides the practical advice. The product is slippery when it is wet or lubricated, bathroom floors are typically tile, and the glass can break if dropped on tile. So don’t use it standing up in the shower, and inspect it every time before using it. The manual also states that the product should be kept out of reach of children and pets, and that use should be stopped immediately in the event of pain, irritation, or unwanted reactions.

Cleaning: three different messages from the same manufacturer

Cleaning should be the easiest question for a solid glass product without electronics. It isn’t, because Pipedream provides three different messages in three different documents — and two of them are in the same PDF.

The back of the packaging states that cleaning is easy because the glass is non-porous, and recommends Pipedream Toy Cleaner and warm water or the dishwasher. The manual’s section Cleaning instructions states antibacterial cleaning and warm water, wipe off and let air-dry completely before storage — nothing about the dishwasher. The manual’s section Maintenance and care, two paragraphs further down in the same document, instead states that the product should be cleaned with a soft, dry cloth and that water and chemical cleaning agents should not be used.

The last two are in open conflict with each other on the same page in the same manual. The most reasonable interpretation is that the section Maintenance and care is a generic text template used for the entire Pipedream range — the same wording fits an electronic product, but it is clearly wrong for a solid glass wand that the manufacturer itself describes as able to be held under running warm water. What can be concluded is that the manufacturer’s documentation is not quality-assured on this point.

Can Icicles No. 2 be put in the dishwasher?

According to the manufacturer’s packaging: yes. Two retailers say it depends on who you ask. One retailer explicitly states that the dildo can be cleaned by being put in the dishwasher. Another states just as explicitly that a dishwasher should never be used, because temperature shocks and the hard water jets can cause cracks in the glass.

So here there is a store with the manufacturer and a store against the manufacturer. Formally, the manufacturer wins, and the packaging text allows a dishwasher. But the retailer’s objection is based on the same uncertainty that runs through the entire specification: a dishwasher exposes glass to rapid temperature changes, and since Pipedream never specifies the type of glass, you can’t know whether the material was chosen to withstand them. Anyone who wants to be on the safe side follows the manual’s milder instruction—hand-wash in warm water with mild soap or a cleaning product intended for intimate products—and forgoes the dishwasher. It takes an extra minute and removes the whole question.

Storage and inspection

The manual’s storage instructions are brief and concrete: clean and inspect the product regularly for signs of damage, store it in a cool, dry place when not in use, and avoid exposure to extreme temperatures or harsh chemicals. The last point is worth reading together with the packaging’s freezer recommendation—again, two messages from the same manufacturer pulling in different directions.

Retailer advice complements it in a way that’s reasonable regardless: store the product where it can’t roll around and hit hard surfaces, and check the glass against the light for cracks before each use. No storage pouch is included in the delivery—the packaging is a hanging display carton with a plastic insert, and it functions as storage if it’s saved.

No battery, no motor, and no IP rating

This product has no battery, no motor, no charging port, and no intensity steps. That means that the entire part of a normal specification that concerns runtime, charging time, battery capacity, charging port, and sound level simply doesn’t exist here. It’s neither an advantage nor a disadvantage in itself—it’s a different product class.

The consequences, however, are real and point in different directions. There’s no battery that degrades, which is the most common reason a vibrating product becomes unusable after a few years. There’s no charging cable to misplace, nothing that stops working after a firmware update, and nothing that needs to be charged before use. The manufacturer’s wording that, with proper care, the glass is designed to last a lifetime is, on that point, less of a marketing line than it sounds—the glass itself doesn’t age.

When it comes to water resistance, Pipedream does not publish any IP rating, which is to be expected since there is no electronics to enclose. One retailer states in its specification “100% waterproof,” and another retailer states “Waterproof: Yes.” Both are store details, and for a solid glass body without openings they are reasonable — but they are not the same as a tested enclosure rating class, and they should not be read as such.

Icicles No. 2 compared with the alternatives

Three comparisons are relevant: against a more expensive model in the same series, against a competitor that publishes what Pipedream omits, and against the cheaper glass products that sit on the same shelf in the same stores. All manufacturer details below come from each manufacturer’s own pages, and all shop data comes from the stores’ product feeds and product pages on 12 September 2026.

Against Pipedream Icicles No. 8 for a different shape

Icicles No. 8 is the same series, same manufacturer, same material, and the same warranty. Pipedream lists the list price as 57.99 dollars for No. 8 versus 39.99 dollars for No. 2 — eighteen dollars, or 45 percent, more. In this market, Icicles No. 2 is sold by Harmony at 34.99 GBP and is out of stock.

What you pay can’t be read from the manufacturer’s specification, because there isn’t one. The product text on Pipedream’s page for No. 8 is word-for-word identical to No. 2’s, and No. 8 also has no published dimensions, weight, or type of glass. The only information you can go by is the store listing: it states No. 8 at 17.5 centimeters, i.e. shorter than No. 2 at 22.5 centimeters according to the same store’s own measurement.

The conclusion is uncomfortable but honest: you can’t make a comparison between two models in the Icicles series based on data, only on the photo and the price. If it’s the shape you’re after, choose based on the photo. If it’s the price you’re after, No. 2 is the cheaper of the two, and nothing in the manufacturer’s documentation suggests that it’s built worse.

Against XR Brands Prisms Drops Anal Link — same idea, published specification

The most interesting comparison is not with another Icicles, but with a competitor with the same basic design. XR Brands Prisms Erotic Glass Drops Anal Link Glass Dildo is also a glass rod made of a row of balls, intended for temperature play, compatible with all lubricants, and cleanable with mild soap and warm water. Same idea, same material, same use.

The difference lies in what the manufacturer tells. XR Brands explicitly states borosilicate glass, describes the glass as shatter-resistant, states that the shaft has five links, and publishes complete measurements: total length 11 inches, insertable length 10.5 inches, and diameter 2 inches — converted to approximately 27.9, 26.7, and 5.1 centimeters, respectively.

So this is a significantly larger product, and most people considering Icicles No. 2 won’t see it as a direct alternative. The point of the comparison is different: it shows that everything Pipedream leaves out can be published by a competitor in the same product category and the same price segment. Glass type, number of balls, total length, insertable length, and diameter — five details that XR Brands states and Pipedream does not. This doesn’t affect how Icicles No. 2 feels, but it does affect how well you can know what you’re buying before the package is opened.

Cheaper glass wands in the same store are listed.

The third comparison is the most practical, since it appears on the same page in the same store. The Dream Toys product is explicitly marketed as high-quality borosilicate glass in the store’s own product information, while the Icicles page only states glass.

What differs again is the information provided: the Dream Toys product is explicitly marketed as high-quality borosilicate glass in the store’s own product information, while the Icicles page only states glass. The Gildo series is sold in 20 and 23 centimeters — meaning the length is stated directly in the product name, which makes the measure harder to misunderstand than the spread of two centimeters that Icicles No. 2 has between stores.

That doesn’t mean Icicles No. 2 is a bad buy. It means it doesn’t have any price advantage in the Swedish glass category, and that what justifies the choice therefore has to be the shape — the graduated ball row — rather than the price or the specification.

In this market, it’s sold by Harmony at 34.99 GBP and is out of stock.

Our data shows that Harmony sells Icicles No. 2 at 34.99 GBP and that it is out of stock.

The stock situation can vary by retailer. The product is sold by Harmony at 34.99 GBP in our market data and is out of stock. This means availability may depend on the store you choose.

If multiple retailers show the same underlying product listing (for example, identical product text), the practical difference for you as a buyer is often down to shipping cost and delivery time rather than the product itself.

A retailer page can include a comparison that’s worth understanding: a recommended price and a previous lowest price during the past thirty days. A discount against the recommended price is therefore not the same as a discount against what the item has actually cost. The prices in the table above are updated when the stores’ product feeds are updated, but always check the final price at checkout.

Who is Icicles No. 2 for — and who isn’t it for?

It’s for you if you want a material that doesn’t age, doesn’t need to be recharged, and can’t become porous. It’s for you if you want to be able to use any lubricant you like without worrying about whether it breaks down the surface. It’s for you if you’re curious about temperature play and want to try it with a low commitment. And it’s for you if you want a graduated shape where each bead feels like its own transition rather than a smooth, even glide.

It’s not for you if you need to know exactly what you’re buying before the package is opened. Seven stores list five different lengths, the manufacturer lists none at all, and since each example is hand-blown there likely isn’t an exact measurement to provide. It’s not for you if you want a material that gives — glass is hard, period. It’s not for you if you want vibration, modes, or app control, because the product has no electronics at all. And it’s not for you if you want documented temperature tolerance, because the type of glass is never published despite temperature play being marketed as the main function.

One more thing belongs in the decision. This is a product that can break. The manufacturer’s own manual warns that the glass can chip or break if it falls on a hard floor, and the product is slippery right when it’s used. It’s not an argument against the purchase, but it is an argument to read the manual’s handling section once — and to ignore store text that claims the glass would be unbreakable.

14-day right of withdrawal, legal guarantee (2 years), and complaints

Pipedream provides a one-year manufacturer’s warranty on all non-vibrating products, counted from the purchase date. The warranty covers mechanical defects or manufacturing defects, and the manufacturer requires proof of purchase from an authorized retailer for a warranty claim to be handled. One year is short compared to what several manufacturers in adjacent categories provide, and it’s worth factoring in — but it matters less than usual here, because a massive glass body without moving parts has few ways to be affected specifically by mechanical defects.

What always applies, however, are your statutory rights—and they last longer than the manufacturer’s warranty. Under EU rules, the seller is liable for defects that existed at delivery and appear within at least 2 years. So a defect that was present at delivery—such as a chip in the glass, a crack, or a casting defect—is covered by that at least two-year legal liability with the seller you bought from, not by Pipedreams’ one-year warranty.

With online purchases in the EU and EEA, consumers generally have a 14-day right of withdrawal, starting when the goods are received. Under EU rules, sealed goods that are not suitable for return for health or hygiene reasons are exempt from the right of withdrawal once unsealed—and this product is delivered in a hanging cardboard box with a plastic insert, where the seal is clearly visible. The seller is still liable for defects that existed at delivery and appear within at least two years.

A final note about who you make the complaint to. The manufacturer’s manual lists an EU address in Bremen as the point of contact, but in practice you should direct your claim to the seller you bought from—under EU rules, the seller is liable for defects that existed at delivery and appear within at least two years. Keep the receipt—it’s also the proof of purchase that Pipedream themselves require if you would like to take the warranty route instead.