Stamina Training Unit
The stamina training unit is probably one of fleshlights most well known products within the mainstream community and is designed to; as described in the name: ‘train stamina’. The way it does this is through a vast amount of nodules or circular bumps layered all the way through the sleeve, this allows the head of the penis to be enveloped and constantly stimulated with each movement inward or outward.
Having purchased the stamina training unit back in late 2012 I must say it was hard not to be over stimulated by the toy, especially when it was propped between something to keep it still so you could thrust instead of using your hand to move it. This coupled with a length that most people can’t cap out, you were in for a good test of your stamina. However to someone who has now used fleshlights and sleeves of different feels, textures and materials, it’s not as stimulating.
As the variation of sleeves has developed from fleshlight, especially with the fleshlight girls, ice and turbo range, there’s been an obvious tilt towards utilising multiple types of textures, tightness’ and chambers that alter the experience for the user. The days of the super ribbed and plain repeating of textures is at it’s end and other companies have also taken notice of this and implemented similar variation to keep up.
Ice Lady
The Ice lady was one of fleshlights first departures from repeating textures and was a warm welcome as it set a higher standard for both visual and texturing standards.
The first chamber includes a light lotus barrier to give the sensation of breaking past a wall which helps stimulate the head of the penis as well as the shaft. After this entry you begin to feel the tighter lightly ribbed tunnel that will press harder against the penis creating a change in sensation as you enter followed by a widening to differentiate the ribs even more.
Nearer the middle is a rounded chamber with more pronounced nibs used to tickle and tease the head and shaft as it moves even deeper into an even tighter and lightly ribbed tunnel opening up to a more rectangular texture which changes the sensation even further and finally ending in another section of tapered ribs to push hard into if you can reach it.
Compared to the STU, the texture is a world of variation with tight sections, ribs and rounded chambers to provide you with even more tickling and varying sensations that just like the STU, test your stamina. Because the material is the same but also clear, you can see yourself moving past and rubbing up against all of these textures which provides a good visual if you are into that.
Clear toys tend to be best especially for partners as seeing the action from a second perspective gives even more incentive to change up the stroke style which just adds to both parties pleasure.
My First experience with this ice texture would have been shortly after I used the STU and boy it was a pleasant experience. There’s something alien about feeling such variation, with the tpe material letting you ease past it all and to see it at the same time can really get intense. Unlike the STU you can specifically reduce your stroke length to keep your head or any section of your penis constantly stimulated if you like the repeated sensation of a certain texture.
Problems with Clarity:
A main gripe me and multiple people have with the clear texture is an unfortunate one in that the sleeve can easily discolour over time. This yellowing will slowly become more and more pronounced with heavy use of the toy and is best avoided with proper cleaning and drying. Ontop of this the sleeve can also become cloudy making the visual experience worse. Compare your first experience visually with your tenth and you can tell it becomes slightly misty.
Tenga Flip Hole (2012)
The Tenga range of toys have been another example of texture and design usage as the main selling point of any Tenga toy is material quality and aesthetic.
Unlike fleshlight the inner sleeve is sealed onto the casing which means there’s less hassle with drying and maintenance. The material is also TPE but is slightly firmer than Fleshlights variant making the textures, ribs and nubs pop that slight bit more. This leads to a very toe curling experience on first entry, tickling and touching the top and bottom sections of the penis with a wave of bumps grooves and nubs initiates a very intense sensation that just like the other toys mentioned can be hard to not be overwhelmed by.
The textures inside many Tenga toys such as the Flip Hole series include chambers and sections designed to provide focal stimulation to the head of the penis.
Suction is also a strong point of the Flip Hole series as the device has a soft section with hard plastic circles used to provide the user with optional suction through applying pressure to any of the circles located on both sides of the toy. This allows even more variation of pleasure as you can focus pressure on the top, middle or bottom section of the toy creating a sensation different to other strokers out there.
Design is a focal point of Tengas philosophy when it comes to toy manufacturing and the flip hole introduced their own way to dry the device with the use of a outer casing that keeps the two sides of the toy closed together. After use, you slide this casing off the main section, flip open the toy, rinse and clean then prop the main section (half opened) ontop of the outer casing making sure the sleeve is elevated off any surface and open to air flow.
Fleshlight’s being separate from their casing make them harder to dry and clean as moisture can still be held inside the case.
OnaHoles
Unlike other sleeves and male masturbators the OnaHole range provides an even more interesting design philosophy when it comes to textures and chambers. Included in some of them is a dual layered TPE design *like the one in the photo* which provides a soft shell for easy and pleasant handling and a harder inner material used to provide firmer textures which help translate into more enhanced sensations. One of the issues with making textures feel…I guess textured is the density and rigidity of the material.
The softer the material the more pliable it is, making it more accommodating and easier to manipulate, this provides sleeves with the benefit of textures lasting longer as they do not produce much resistance when force is applied and can be stretched and formed in certain ways in use that allow for things such as the above tenga to use suction chambers efficiently.
However this also means that the stimulation provided from the sleeve will not be as strong as the textures are not firm enough to really bump against the sensitive parts of the penis. Overall the firmer the material the more you will feel it though it can come with disadvantages as some textures when too firm can provide too much stimulation (such as ribbing) which overwhelms and can also cause discomfort.
Having a mixture of firmness comes with the disadvantages of wear and tear. As the internal cavity and the texture are not one piece of TPE, there is reports of the layers coming apart after heavy use.
The benefit of having this difference in an OnaHole Is that a slightly firmer material can be encased in a softer material making it pleasant to touch and hold whilst also more stimulating on the inside.
I haven’t got the chance to try a fully fledged OnaHole yet but will do a full review of the experience once I do end up purchasing one. Most of what i can find online about them is that they are more realistic and I can assume this would be mainly because of the firmness, chamber design that goes along with the texture.
Material
TPE is the go to material for male sex toys on the market as it provides a mouldable material that is both soft and stretchy making it accommodating and also realistic to touch *mainly with the use of corn starch*.
This material is used in all of fleshlights male strokers and is most likely set to stay unless the rubber/plastic industry creates a cheaper and more usable material. Compared to hard rubbers and silicone, this Material is more prone to degrading as the elasticity can help tearing occur.
A common issue for fleshlights and sleeves similar is focused the end points and edges. Any tear can wear larger and larger over time. This makes moulding important to get right as any weak point in the mould would likely create issues for toy users in the future with holes and cuts forming through rough or continuous use.
Main disadvantages of TPE are that its less resistant to tearing and is a porous material, meaning moisture and mold can form which can be hard to remove once generated in the moist environment these toys tend to end up in.
This requires proper drying techniques be used to maintain the integrity and also body safe nature of the toy. Light ISOPROPYL alcohol use will not damage the toy unless over used and is relatively safe for clearing any bacteria or residue that resides within the grooves of the toy. Best practice is to use warm soapy water(without fragrance) to clean it after you have used to toy and to leave to air dry.
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