History
Before an actual Fleshlight review, I’d like to start with a bit of history of this amazing toy. Why? I dunno. To acknowledge one of the greatest inventions of 20 century.
So Fleshlight was developed and patented by Steve Shubin in 1998 as a “device for discreet sperm collection”. The name comes from the flesh-like material of the inner sleeve and the case that looks like a flashlight. While the device is marketed as “discreet” and “can be taken for an ordinary flashlight by your guests” I doubt that anyone would think it’s an actual flashlight due to its size.
Since then, Flashlight developed a plethora of different textures (50 or more as of today), cooperated with dozens of pornstars (including gay pornstars for Fleshjack), created interactive toys like Fleshlight Launch and Quickshot Launch and organized a diverse infrastructure of complementary products like lubes, cleaners, warmers and so on to make your ride as smooth and pleasurable as possible.
What is it?
So what actually is a Fleshlight? Fleshlight consists of a rigid plastic case and a soft inner sleeve that is meant to imitate the “real flesh”. The case consists of the base, top cap (to close the Fleshlight when not in use) and end cap (the regulate the suction power). The sleeve is where the magic happens and obviously is the most important part of the Fleshlight. There are tons of different textures and styles ranging from simple designs like just a smooth tube to some weird “parallel universe” textures like Stoya Destroya. Not only sleeves differ in textures but in tightness as well so you should consider this when purchasing (and take the size of your penis into consideration).
How to Choose
Now, let’s talk about some things you should be aware of before making the final decision.
Style
There are about 10 main styles (depends on how to count) you can choose from.
Classics – an original design that still rocks and is a great option for your first Fleshlight.
Girls – it’s basically the same as classics with one difference. The orifices are the actual copies of butts and vaginas of real pornstars. How cool is that? So if you ever dreamed of Stoya, Adriana Chechik, Elsa Jean or any other pornstar – this is your chance.
Fleshskins – It’s not technically a fleshlight but we are going to talk about it anyway. It has some resemblance with the brass knuckles but you probably can’t hurt anyone with it. Comparing to other models, this one is closer to the masturbation as you fully grab it with your hand and imitate the masturbation moves.
Turbo – Go fast or go home. Not really, but most likely it will be fast. Turbo was designed to imitate the blowjob and it actually does the job even better than many partners. So if your partner doesn’t like giving a blowjob (and you’re still too in love to leave her or him) or want to experience next-level blowjobs, Turbo is a must-have.
Quickshot – Again, it’s not really a fleshlight in canonical meaning but still a cool product. Quickshot is really small, has two ends that are the same and you basically can go entirely through it. It’s great for both masturbation or as an addition during an oral play.
Ice – Ice just means that a model is transparent. So if you’d like to see what’s going on there (what a pervert! just like us at ToyWithMe), Ice fleshlights are definitely for you.
Flight – Flight is a compact fleshlight able to deliver the same sensation in a smaller package. Great for travel.
Go – This one is also a portable version but it has a “vagina” orifice which is not the case with the Flight.
Freaks – This series is no longer available. Unfortunately. Or fortunately, I’m not even sure. But if you ever wanted to fuck a zombie or a vampire or an alien, you lost your chance. Bad for you.
Sex in a Can – this series also seems to go extinct soon (there is only one model left and there were way more in the past). Maybe because users mistook it for the actual can of beer or start using actual beer cans not as directed after some time. Who knows.
Also, you can create your own Fleshlight by selecting the orifice, texture and accessories.
Sleeve/Texture
As mentioned before, the sleeve is the most important part of any fleshlight. That’s why everyone (including us) will tell you to “choose wisely” and blah blah blah. But the truth is that most likely you’ll want to try more textures anyway. Moreover, you can buy a sleeve separately (without a case) and save significant bucks. Moreover moreover you can “buy 2 get 1 free”. It’s an “always on” deal and you get 3 sleeves for $99.90. If that’s not a bargain then I don’t know what is.
So don’t worry too much about picking your first Fleshlight and just go for whatever tickles your imagination the most or grabbed your attention or which pornstar do you like the most (that’s what I did)!
Also, in some sleeves, you won’t be able to reach the most “exciting” parts of the sleeve if you’re shorter than 6”. So always remember to check the picture of inner texture with measurements on the official website.
Orifice
Some people call these “entrances”. That’s basically how the “entrance” of the Fleshlight looks like. Previously there were three types: lady (vagina), butt and lips. But as of today, I don’t see the “lips” orifices on the official website. On the one hand, it limits the choice a bit, but on the other, who needs lips when you can have pussy or ass. The day I meet someone who makes such a choice, I’ll become depressed for the rest of my life.
In this case it’s again just a question of a personal preference. Are you a fan of anal sex? Go for it!
Accessories
What I really like about Fleshlight (and admire from the marketing point of view) is that they thought about various needs a user may have and created accessories for different use cases. Want to use fleshlight in the shower? Get a shower mount. Have a tablet? Use the launchpad. Want to add vibration? Vstroker is there for you.
Besides, they developed a lube, renewing powder and cleaner specifically for fleshlights.
One of the coolest accessories they have (and I think it’s a must-have) is a SleeveWarmer. You can use hot water but it’s a bit messy (and raises your water bills). SleeveWarmer lets you heat fleshlight to an ideal temperature and enhance you experience even further.
My experience
So now we are getting to my experience with Fleshlight. I decided to just go for a pornstar I like, namely Dillion Harper (Lady model).
Package
The package was discreet and actually quite heavy. The box itself was simple. No fancy thick cardboard you can get in some premium toys. It included some lube samples (could be more in my personal opinion), usage guide with some promo materials and the actual fleshlight. While I wasn’t impressed with the box, I didn’t care much about it. Why? Because the fleshlight itself felt solid and was built like a tank. They probably can ship this thing without the box and nothing ever will happen to the toy. Yes, it’s still plastic and you can crack it if you have enough force and desire but it’s not an easy task for sure and will rarely happen “by occasion”.
The sleeve itself felt really nice. Sure, it’s still not real skin or flesh but it feels very soft, silky and well…arousing. The sleeve had a plastic tube inside, for protection purposes I guess, so don’t forget to pull it out before the use (obviously you weren’t going to leave it there…but just in case). You can stretch, pull and bend the sleeve just to have an idea of how flexible it is and how well it retains the initial shape. In short, I was very surprised by the quality and the overall feel of the sleeve. Just “petting” this thing gives a strange yet pleasurable feeling (weird me, I know).
Regarding the weight of the whole construction, I want to point out that it’s not even a con. It actually feels solid so you don’t feel like you’re fucking a can of Pringles. Also, the housing is an integral part of the toy. It’s not just the storage case but makes the fleshlight what it is, the best-selling male sex toy in the world.
Warming, Lubing, Suction
Since the first day of owning a fleshlight, you’ll face a really important question: to warm or not to warm the sleeve. In my opinion, warming definitely helps in achieving more lifelike experience but if you’re in a hurry or just can’t wait any longer, the toy will still feel great and get warm from your body.
Second advice – don’t forget the lube. Use it both on the toy and on your penis. Also, it’s ok if you’ll need to add some more during the process. The amount of lube influences the intensity so here you also have some room for experiments.
Advice number three – find your ideal suction power. The end cap regulates the suction and unscrewing lowers the pressure thus making the experience less intense. Just try different variants to find the one you like the most. Personally, I always use it fully closed.
Usage
Though the process may seem straightforward, you can add some diversity to it. First, you can use it in analogy with masturbation, just moving the toy with your hand. Then, you can press it against the wall to make the experience more realistic. You can also put it between the pillows. I guess there are a ton of ways you can get creative with it.
I personally was using it old-fashion way but the feelings were nowhere near the standard masturbation. Was it “the same as a real thing”? Obviously not the same but it’s really close and definitely a thousand times more real than your own hand. Frankly, I had hard times trying to last more than 4 minutes. Many users say to be able to last 5-10 minutes depending on the use so I’ll be getting there. Besides, you can make pauses and play with it like you’d do in real life, make a “sound check” so to say or tease it (yeah, I know it’s not alive).
Also, note that orgasms are very intense and most likely you won’t be able to keep thrusting as the feelings are just overwhelming. Because of this, some users prefer to finish off by hand.
Cleaning/Drying
Cleaning is very easy and straightforward – remove the sleeve from the casing, remove the end cap from the casing, rinse the casing with water, rinse the sleeve inside and outside. That’s it. Don’t use the soap or any sort of detergent as it will ruin the material. If you’re worried about bacteria and stuff, just use an anti-bacterial toy cleaner.
Do it and place it in the well-ventilated place. The drying time depends on the ventilation, temperature and humidity. Usually, it takes several hours but can go up to 24 hours in case of poor ventilation and high humidity.
Renewing Powder
After some uses, the material of the sleeve will become tacky and not so silky anymore. But don’t worry, there is nothing wrong with the toy and you can easily “renew” it using the Fleshlight Renewing Powder or just an ordinary corn starch (main ingredient of many baby powders). After that, the fleshlight will feel as new.
Conclusion
Overall, I have no doubts why fleshlight became the most sold male sex toy. For the price asked, it overdelivers a hundred times. And owning at least one shouldn’t be something to be ashamed of. As you shouldn’t feel guilty masturbating if you don’t have a partner (and it’s ok even if you have one), you shouldn’t feel bad using a pocket pussy. So go for it and have fun!
