u/aLowlyKiton

Hi! I'm still new to this whole sex toy thing, but I was very excited to share my thoughts about Strange Bedfellas' Qarl model! Visually, it ticked a lot of boxes for me with a thick shaft and a gentle knot that looked enjoyable, but not too difficult to handle as someone still quite new to anal play. It also took some steps away from the standard wolf theming that many knotted toys had which was a huge bonus for me since I personally adore avian/reptile themes.

While I did originally have my eyes on a size medium, the size small came quite a bit cheaper (~$45 for a small, ~$70 for a medium) and in a rainbow drip color that I really liked! Sizes also do get quite big and I am still a bit of a beginner to anal-play, so I found the small size to be very good choice for me personally.

First Impressions and Size

Delivery and shipping was very straightforward! My toy took about 7 days to ship to me and the delivery tracker was pretty much exactly on schedule in terms of tracking, though I do live in the US, so international buyers may want to check their shipping schedule in more detail.

The package itself was a plain brown box that came through the mail. It was actually a deceptively small package since Qarl was slightly curled within to reduce package volume. The package also came with a sticker and a small amount of wrapping paper to reduce bumping and potential damage. After I opened it up (with embarrassing levels of excitement), I immediately forgot that I even ordered a small because the Qarl I got had a very healthy thickness and length that I immediately wanted to get my hands on. Qarl itself came in a little plastic wrapping with a small sticker from the designer, Meesh of Strange Bedfellas which was cute!

It's pretty common knowledge that more "fantasy" focused designs for sex toys can have some pretty scaled-up sizes, and the Qarl is no exception. Compared to more ordinary dildos, it probably sits closer to the upper end of medium in girth specifically. All of the size specs are available on Strange Bedfellas' website (there can be a LOT of different girths for just one toy), but the size small Qarl has about 5 inches of usable length and a shaft girth of around 5 inches as well. Those specs don't really fully describe the feeling of holding Qarl in your hands or having it in front of you, but I think if you enjoy the appeal of a thick, knotted toy that has its own flavor away from the standard wolf toy, you'll be quite pleased with Qarl's design!

Insertion and Play

Starting out, I would use a LOT of lube for this thing. It has lots of ribs and ridges which are great for stimulation, but also provide a lot of room for lube to collect oppose to spreading out evenly across its length. Qarl's head is quite pointed and feels a little small compared to the rest of its length. Personally, I enjoy this head-to-shaft ratio since it lets me ease the head in before getting to the rest of its length, but the primary stimulation definitely comes from Qarl's ridged shaft which has the wonderful effect of letting you feel every rib when you're going slowly which has a wonderfully enjoyable ribbing pattern. I think for me, Qarl is a toy that I really prefer taking my time to enjoy. There are plenty of ribs and nuances to enjoy, so I like being slow and thorough.

One thing I do absolutely adore about the Qarl though is its very well-sized knot. I'm still at a point where I have to feel out what exactly I can fit inside of me, but Qarl's knot was the number one thing I was excited (and nervous) to experiment with. In my first session, after a bit of warmup, I can happily say that I was able to get it all down (yay!). I found Qarl's knot to be an amazingly pleasurable experience to take while not stretching my limits too badly. It slipped in with a lovely and characteristic "pop" and a shock of pleasure that I must say, I'm very quickly growing quite fond of! I think Qarl's knot is a great size for stimulation while not being so impossibly large that impatient little things (me) will have to train for a long time in order to handle. That said, the knot does go up in size quite a bit on bigger models, so do be aware!

And as a bit of a sidenote, but I LOVE sucking this thing. It's probably just my own pervy inclinations, but the little ridges and mouth-filling girth of Qarl feel so satisfying to lick up and suck. There's something so exciting and enjoyable about warming up before a session just by licking Qarl up and feeling its girth fill my mouth up! My Qarl doesn't feel like too much either in girth or length (it is quite thick though, beware), but it really fills my mouth up just the right amount for me to want to push myself to get it all down. That's not even mentioning all of the fun the knot introduces, which adds a wonderfully subtle but impactful addition to the whole experience. If you have a strong oral fixation like me, I think you'll have quite a bit of fun!

Safety, Cleaning, and Storage

Strange Bedfellas guarantees that their toys are made from 100% platinum-cured silicone, and I've had no issues with their build quality whatsoever. The shaft, head, and knot are all very robust and even though I got the soft model, I've never had any material failures or irritations. Qarl does come with some soft feathering towards the base that are potentially fragile, but even during cleaning or rougher sessions, I've never noticed any chipping or flaking.

Qarl is also quite easy to clean and store, though that more comes down to what size and firmness you buy. A soft Qarl has a healthy amount of flex and you can squish them quite a bit without causing long-term deformities if you need to store them in a particularly tight drawer or box.

I personally always clean mine after a session by letting it soak in hot, soapy water for about 5-20 minutes depending on how deeply I want to clean it, but a simple soapy rinse will also do as well if you're low on time. In my experience, any unpleasant smells have always come out with a good 15ish minute soak (letting it soak while I shower has worked pretty well for me).

Some Closing Points

I've been very positive about the Qarl so far (since I really do enjoy it!), but 2 things I'd like support for are a cumtube and a suction cup. These aren't huge dealbreakers or demands, especially since Qarl's base is very easy to grab and has a lot of surface area for pseudo-suctioning onto smooth surfaces, but they are definitely quality features that I and I'm sure many others would appreciate.

Strange Bedfellas has also recently started making custom orders for specific models now! So aside from waiting for specific drops, you can order in your own with color, size, and firmness to your taste!

Final Words

As a beginner trying to dip his toes into the realm of fantasy sex toys, Qarl has been an amazing investment for me! For $45, Qarl is absolutely amazing in both quality and design. An unfortunate side effect is that I'm now incredibly curious about the rest of Strange Bedfellas' inventory, but I think I'll spend a bit more time really getting to know my Qarl before diving too deep into other models.

I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for gentle, but still thick and knotted addition to their collection!

Some pictures of my specific Qarl: https://bsky.app/profile/alowlykiton.bsky.social/post/3mdeutpr6ok26

Strange Bedfellas' Qarl page

Final Thoughts: 8.5/10

The build quality and design is absolutely beautiful, I love the knot, and my only regret is that I don't have a bigger one already <3