TENGA Flip Air Solid

Date: (06 September 2011)

I got this for my hubby, here's what he thinks of it.

When my wife first told me this toy was on its way, I was quite excited. We had read so many reviews of previous TENGAs that I was keen to have a go myself and see how it compared to the other toys in our collection. I have had mixed results from these kind of toys in the past and so far I have found the best ones to be the cheaper ones. I have tried seven different ones already, ranging in price from £15 to £80. I'd like to find a more luxury model that lives up to the hype.

The packaging is classily understated, with a clear plastic box supporting a solid-looking, geometrically textured black cylinder. Oddly, I find the design very reminiscent of an iconic Duracell torch design from the 80s! Nothing gives away what the cylinder really is unless you know the TENGA brand name, and even that is very subtly displayed.

I was quite surprised at the weight, expecting it to feel a little lighter considering its called Air! However, I think that refers to its use of air pressure and suction whilst using the toy.

It feels solid in the hand mainly because the casing is solid plastic! Sliding the end cap off reveals the entrance, and also allows the case to be opened up for easy lube application and for clean up duties afterwards.

A full-length hinge down one side of the toy adds to the luxury feel as this is more discreet and more stable than using several smaller hinges. With the unit opened up, the myriad of textures can be seen and touched. Made using a clear compound, the variety of different textures that has been squeezed into one toy is quite impressive. Also, each side has a different set of textures to further vary the sensations. The material used feels very soft to the touch.

The TENGA comes supplied with a clear unmarked tube of lube, and you need to apply a liberal amount to the inner surfaces prior to play. Ensure you lube the entrance well otherwise you may have trouble getting in!

Once it's lubed up, you then close the two halves and slide the end cap into place on the opposite end of the toy from its closed position. The end cap has a slide that fits into grooves on the opposite side to the hinge and when in position firmly holds the cylinder together.

On each outer shell of the TENGA is a rubberised button. The idea being that you depress these to allow air to move within the toy whilst you slide in, then release them to create a suction effect whilst you are on your outward stroke. I did find the buttons to be a little ambiguous when in use with them being difficult to tell if they were actually being pushed in or not. I also felt they needed too much pressure to be effective, and therefore distracting from the real task in hand, so to speak!

Time to use the toy!

My initial reaction was one of disappointment. I found it more difficult to actually push into the TENGA than I expected, and once inside it actually took quite some effort to enter fully. Continued stroking will certainly build up your forearms! This was coupled with the fact that I could hardly feel any of the texture! I tried with suction, without suction, fast, slow, and also tried rotating the TENGA to see how the different textures felt. This helped slightly, as I found certain textures could be felt more on certain parts of the penis than others.

I did find that it took so much effort to enter the toy that I started to feel quite bruised. Much as I'd like to think I'm well endowed, I think I'm pretty averagely sized, maybe a little more girthy than the norm. I would not get this toy if you are a big guy - you'll probably hurt yourself!

The other thing that I found really annoying was the noise. This is definitely not a quiet product. I know some reviews for other TENGAs say it reminds them of a noisy blowjob¦ well this toy sounded more like Eeyore being roggered by Tigger.

By now I had become quite disillusioned with the product so I put it away as it could tell I was not going to orgasm.

I then started wondering if the problem was with me. I know I'm not very sensitive down there, but I know I'm not numb! So a few hours later decided to experiment and see if I could improve the results!

First thing I did was to use a different lube. The unnamed lube supplied with the TENGA was not really right for me. It was quite thick and seemed to go very sticky after a short while. Even wetting it didn't seem to help, so I reached for the trusty stalwart "Pjur Man Waterglide" lube. I applied more to the TENGA than I normally would, as I knew that more effort would be needed to gain entry.

Almost immediately I could tell there was an improvement in the sensations I was feeling. But at the same time I was still not getting the benefit of all that texture. I realised that the reason I was not enjoying the TENGA was because the solid outer casing was preventing me from adjusting the pressure I was feeling. It detaches your hand from the having any real input in the proceedings. Something I also found with the Fleshlights.

The air pressure effect really did nothing for me as it merely increased the effort needed to use the toy, and also increased the noise!

Out of curiosity, I slipped the end cap off so I could open the TENGA and have a look inside to see what was happening. And that's when I suddenly found I actually was going to like this toy!

With the outer casing unlocked, I was able to vary the intensity of the pressure simply by changing my grip. The textures were all making themselves known, and I was feeling some very pleasant sensations. Rotating the toy, these sensations changed because of the variety of texture, and it was easy to find the position that suited me best. As well as finally getting the feelings the textures had hinted at, it was also very quiet. The toy was no longer air tight, so no more farts, belches and squeals to distract me. The orgasm I had was great. The textures seemed to hit just the right spot. And even though I was using the toy in a non-standard configuration, it was still fairly well closed, so when I did cum, it remained within the unit until I cleaned it out.

Cleaning is really easy - just open the toy up and blast it with the shower head for a while.

Looking back, I think the problems I had were because the toy has been over designed. The textures are great, but when the unit is closed they fit so tightly to the penis but are made of such soft material that you don't actually feel them. When you remove the pressure you are free to vary the grip and get the sensations you want.

Out of the three expensive "luxury" masturbators I have tried this is really the only one to give me a very pleasurable orgasm. If you buy one, be prepared to experiment to find what configuration works best for you. I am glad I gave this a second go. I don't think it will be the last!