TENGA was one of the first major branded sex toy I bought. I generally love their products.
They always have an elegant, sophisticated style that sets them apart from the hundreds upon hundreds of fake asses, pussies and lord knows what ever else you can stick your penis into. I am a big fan of the TENGA eggs, although their disposable nature makes them a bit of an expensive investment (eggs typically retail at £9.99 – so that’s an expensive wank). The Ona-Cups are also on the pricey side, when you consider that they too are disposable. Which is why the Flip-Hole seems like the more attractive investment.
However TENGA are changing the rules again with their new line of cup masturbators. The Air-Tech range are designed in the same style as the original Ona-Cups, but this time, they have removed the pre-applied lube and the foam padding. This means that the sleeve is now removable, can be cleaned and then be re-used. Naturally, as soon as I saw these available, I knew I had to give them a try, and I bought all three models for £50 from Lovehoney. I thought these would be a great addition to my already over-flowing bag of tricks I was taking away on holiday this past week.
First Impressions
Like the original disposable cups, the Air-Tech cup is presented in a small plastic case, with the product information on the outer removable wrapping. The cup has an ‘hour glass’ shape, making it very easy to hold, even with slightly slippery hands. Once all the wrapping has been removed, you are left with a plain white case which just has the AIR-TECH logo printed in silver on it, making it relatively discreet.
When you remove the cap, inside the sleeve is a sachet of TENGA Lube. The sleeve itself is made from TENGA’s traditional TPR material, making it extremely flexible. The sleeve has been designed with air chambers on the outside of the sleeve, to help increase the vacuum sensation, as it allows for the air to flow round easier, enhancing sensations. The internal canal of the sleeve is lined with a series of tight rips, and at the bottom, there are 3 raised bumps, covered in ribs, designed to help stimulate the glans.
How to Use
As with any masturbator, you’ll want to apply a good coating of water-based lube to both yourself and the inside of the sleeve. At the top of the cup is a little silver sticker. This will need to be removed before use, as underneath the sticker, is a small hole – this is where you’ll control the suction – applying a finger over the hole increases the suction, and removing it decreases it. In order to use this effectively, you’ll want to make sure the hole is uncovered when entering, and then you can cover it back up once your inside.
I have a girth of approx. 5.5″ and I slid inside the canal extremely easily. My OH is a bit thicker at just over 6″ and he too, managed to slip in relatively easily. With a good helping of lube, the textured sleeve felt really wonderful, and it felt like it was really caressing every inch as you slide in and out. So as a generic sleeve, it felt pretty good, and on it’s own like that, I would have achieved orgasm easily. But the main feature of these cups is the vacuum, so it’s time to try that out.
After sliding in, I placed my finger over the hole and made to slide out. Immediately, the suction was intense. It initially felt like I wasn’t going anywhere. As the sleeve gripped me tightly, the sensation of the ribbing was enhanced. I was slowly able to pull myself out – it kept it’s grip on me good and proper until I was almost out, when all the pressure dropped and out I came with a small ‘pop’. Trying to get back in with the hole closed was impossible, all that did was make the sleeve come loose and disappear into the cup. So the best time to use the vacuum function is on the ‘backstroke’. For me, personally, I found the vacuum just a bit too much, and actually got the most pleasure from using it as just a regular stroker. My other half found the intense suction highly pleasurable.
Clean-up and Maintenance
Clean-up is very easy. You just need to remove the sleeve from the cup and wash under the tap with a good healthy dose of sex toy cleaner. As it’s made from TPE it’s very flexible, so turning it inside is a breeze. As there are so many nooks and crannies on the outside of the sleeve, you will want to make sure it’s totally dry before trying to put it back in it’s case – you don’t want any moisture to remain otherwise the material will go bad.
Getting the sleeve back in the case is actually a little tricky. The material is sticky, and the sleeve is almost the same size as the outer case, so you really do need to force it back in – you need to be quite firm with it. I found that putting my finger inside the sleeve to push it in, along with putting my finger over the suction hole, seemed to help a bit, as the suction ‘pulled’ the sleeve in.
The material is a total magnet for dust, hair and any other crap you might have floating around – so you will definitely want to make sure you keep the lid on (easier said than done, actually, as I found the lid on my Air-Tech kept popping off, or would become dislodged when put away) and you will want to give it another wipe over before you use it. If you haven’t bought a fleshlight because of the clean-up routine, this may not be a good option for you either – the clean-up is just as involved, even if you are working on a smaller scale.
Summary
For the most part, I think the Air-Tech are great. It’s size, sensation and cost make it a good buy – it’s easy to store, ideal for travel and does indeed feel great during use. But the cleaning and maintenance of the Air-Tech frustrates me. It’s a bugger to get back into the sleeve, and it attract dust very quickly, which makes the sleeve look slightly unappealing whilst it’s out of it’s casing. Once you get it back in, it’s not so much of a problem. Perhaps I’m just a snob? Who knows. However, for those of you who aren’t quite ready to drop the cash on a Flip-Hole of the TENGA 3D’s, then this is certainly a good compromise.
Where to buy
NOTE: This product has been discontinued.
