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Fleshlight... disappointed

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Contributor: Alt Alt
Well I have finally bought a Fleshlight (a translucent regular one), and all I have to say is that it is a huge disappointment.

I thought the material was going to be silicone-like... nope.
It feels like a mix between jelly and rubber with elastomer in the equation.
Not only is it porous but the material is very fragile. In fact after attempting to use the damn thing for 15 or so minutes, little pieces of the material covered the pubic area... wow that was fun to try to get off (even when being completely shaved)
It also added too much friction when using due to the peeling nature of the material.

The porous aspect also means that lube needs to constantly be reapplied every few minutes in attempt to avoid friction.

Cleaning is a nightmare, and I cannot imagine trying to wash it out if one happened to actually ejaculate inside.
Attempting to turn it inside out, just resulted in the material starting to split, so basically that means you can only rinse/soak it in hot water to clean the inside, and just let the water become absorbed into the porous material since it cannot be dried (Although a hair dryer might have some effect)
It is also not trivial to remove the insert from the case and put it back in due to the "sticky" nature of the material.
BTW, when the whole thing gets wet with just simply water, it will get super sticky to anything that should come in contact with it. (such as trying to dry it with a towel or even just paper towels… wasn’t effective at all)



Infact these statement say it all: (From - link )
1. Simply rinse your removeable Fleshlight sleeve with warm water from your sink and allow time for it to dry before storing. Do NOT use soap to clean your Real Feel Superskin sleeve.

2. To maintain that soft feel, sprinkle a liberal amount of corn starch on the sleeve and shake off the excess powder.

3. Shake out as much water as possible and place in a well ventilated area - near a window or next to a fan. For quick drying, slide a thin cloth/towel through it from one end to the other. When you return it to the case, make sure to leave the end caps loose so that air can continue to circulate.

4. The soap will damage your Fleshlight sleeve. The soap will also burn if you are using your Fleshlight and it enters your penis.

Okay so: no soap allowed, must let it air dry by sitting out for a few hours so that everyone can see, and oh the material will degrade if you don’t powder it… wow, WTF ?
Just make the damn thing silicone…



Although most importantly, it doesn't even seem to provide much stimulation. Maybe I need to try a textured one, but I already feel like I wasted $80 and don't want to experiment with another.
Indeed the time I wasted getting this thing to “work” it was quite a boring and unpleasurable experience.
Not to mention it is really bulky so it requires that you have some large hands to really grip the thing.

I guess the Fleshlight could be a good tool to tease/warm up with if you don’t mind your penis having some leftover “debris” on the shaft, but this doesn’t even come near to being successful towards the task at hand.






What they should do:
-Make the material silicone, or silicone-based: so that it doesn’t peal, is more durable, less soft, not/less porous, and easier to turn inside out, and actually cleanable.

- Make the case & insert less bulky. Seriously this makes my D-Cell Maglight look like a mini flashlight. What flashlight is ever going to be that damn big other than some kind of portable spotlight… so forget discreteness

- Make it have less noise. I really hate hearing the sounds when using it… quite a turn off.



I knew this thing was too good to be true, and I should have just gone with my instincts.
I think I will stick to Vibratex’s Sidekick #2 as the best masturbation sleeve - link

I find this statement comical on their FAQ:
“No other sex products are built with the same feel and durability as the Fleshlight. Words can not explain this one of a kind product!”
Yeah, that’s for sure!



Anyway, have you all found similar annoyances about the Fleshlight?
12/09/2009
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Contributor: Alan & Michele Alan & Michele
Wow that's odd. We have 5 Fleshlights now that get regular use, and have never had one tear or leave any particles anywhere. Did you by chance use a silicone-based lube with it? That's the only thing I know of that will make the material degrade like that. OR did you use it without washing it first? Fleshlights are packaged with a coating of powder both on and inside of them, so if you don't rinse them well before that first use you will get gross little globs of powder/lube all over yourself.

They aren't meant to be turned inside out, so doing that is probably what tore it.

Oh, and just for the record, you don't have to powder Fleshlights to keep the material from degrading. The powdering is just an optional step to make them softer.
12/09/2009
Contributor: Epiphora Epiphora
There should not be any peeling or any pieces of the material coming off. There shouldn't even be splitting, unless you are pushing the material way too far and trying to turn it entirely inside out. I know this because my boyfriend has never had his Fleshlight "shed" on him, and he routinely pulls it open to wash it.

Not sure why you weren't aware of the cleaning instructions before you purchased it... but it's really not the worst thing ever, according to my boyfriend.

Silicone is a great material, but it would be nearly impossible to get it to the same softness as Superskin. You seem to dislike the softness, but that softness is exactly what makes the Fleshlight so wonderful to others.

The Sex in a Can series has a less bulky case.
12/09/2009
Contributor: Jimbo Jones Jimbo Jones
I agree with Alan & Michele and Epiphora. I have four Fleshlights now, one of which is Ice and I have never had a problem with pieces of them coming off or splitting. I don't turn them completely inside out, but I can turn the back end inside out without a problem. I complained about cleaning with the first one because water is all you can use, but I have gotten past that now and appreciate the other aspects of the Fleshlight. The only male masturbation sleeve that I know of made of silicone is made by Tantus. Maybe you should give that a shot?
12/09/2009
Contributor: namelesschaos namelesschaos
I agree with the last three posters I own three Fleshlight sleeves and not one of them has ever shed or torn. I brought the first two sleeves years ago and I was careless about taken care of them back them (I’m much more careful now especially with my recently purchased Ice version.) I have routinely turned them instead out during clean and I've accidentally used silicone lube on one without an shedding or tearing, if it was peeling on you after only 15 minutes I'd say you either, got a defective one or you forgot to wash it off before use (it come powered).

The TPR silicone Flip Hole might be more to your liking: link
12/09/2009
Contributor: Gary Gary
I will try not to repeat what everyone else has already said here, but did you read a review that gave you some of these misconceptions about this product? I know the product listing itself states the material with a link to the material properties.

Also, if you are experiencing too much friction and having to reapply lube, you are probably not using enough lube. Not using enough lube could definitely alter the experience in a negative way.

I have a two Fleshlights, and the one I have owned and been using for almost 9 months. I have never tried to turn it inside out though, I am sure this is why yours is probably splitting. When it does get sticky, you can dust it a bit to reduce this. With mine, the sticky/tackiness has not really been issue.

The material, of course anything made out of silicone will be more durable and easier to care for, no arguments with that. However, after using many different kinds of masturbators, including silicone, I can say that the silicone material (at least what I have used) feels the least natural both in sensation and in its physical reaction to movement (the squeeze, stretch, push, displacement that happens during use).

I would recommend trying the Fleshlight again, with a lot more lube (if it is still usable). I would also recommend reading a lot more reviews next time before you make a purchase. Not to say that will guarantee you will like it, but a number of your concerns would have been made obvious to you before your purchase.
12/09/2009
Contributor: Alt Alt
@Alan & Michele

-->"Did you by chance use a silicone-based lube with it?"
No I used a water-based lube.
And yes, I did wash it first. Although I think I recall using a little bit of hand soap (before I knew it was bad for it after reading their FAQ, so perhaps that is why it is peeling) Although the material is overall way too soft, so it's not surprising.
There was no powder in it however.

-->"They aren't meant to be turned inside out"
Yea, apparently...

As for the powdering.. well that is good to know, I will ensure that I do not powder it. It is too soft already.
Needs to be more sturdy like silicone, IMO.



@Epiphora

-->"Not sure why you weren't aware of the cleaning instructions before you purchased it"
It's not like it comes with a manual, other than doing online research.

-->"Silicone is a great material, but it would be nearly impossible to get it to the same softness as Superskin. "
Exactly. I don't know, the softness doesn't do it for me at all. It mainly just makes you have interesting feelings, but nothing that could cause an orgasm to occur or anything close, at least for me.




@Jimbo
-->"maybe you should give that a shot? "
Yea the Tantus one is pretty nice. Silicone is the kind of material that more masturbation sleeves should be made of. The only downfall to the Tantus sleeve is there is not enough stimulation with the 4 internal rings alone. Needs either more of them with less spacing apart, and/or nubs inside.


@namelesschaos
-->"I have routinely turned them instead out during clean"
Well I will give it a shot, but it really looked like it was going to tear the last time I tried.

Perhaps one day I will try one of the Tenga masturbators, but not only do I have a bad feeling like it is also going to not be so good, but also the whole "one-time use" intended purpose really pisses me off enough to not even bother attempting to try it, since most likely its going to have some kind of subtle caveat (like falling apart within a month or something along those lines)



@Gary:
-->”did you read a review that gave you some of these misconceptions about this product”
I haven’t. All I have seen is positive reviews, which is what made me actually me pay the hefty price tag for it.

-->” you are probably not using enough lube”
I don’t know, it appeared to me like I used a lot, to the point that it was coming out of the other end when standing vertically.

-->” When it does get sticky, you can dust it a bit to reduce this.”
Dust it with what?

-->” a number of your concerns would have been made obvious to you before your purchase.”
Indeed, I have read a lot of reviews on it. I don’t recall the fine details, but I do remember hearing all positives about it, which is what made me buy it in the first place.






Anyway, I have brought it back out for another few tries. Other things I just remember that I dislike:
The scent – smells kind of like applying hot glue to two rubber parts… cannot say that is the biggest turn on (O.o)

1. The coating of the material – Wash the insert put it back in and then feel your hands, it’s like a greasy film left behind.

2. Opening it again, it appears to be even stickier now. I am talking more than scotch tape…
Maybe because I didn’t fully let it air dry?

3. Having to reapply lube every 3 minutes.

4. The whistling noise made by the base during use.

5. For every stroke, having the head of the insert stick to your skin (pubic area and scrotum). Although I guess that is motive to keep it fully shaved down there so it doesn’t start pulling.



I was finally able to turn it inside out after running under very hot water, and then quickly taking it from the head and pushing the backside through.
Although trying to dry this thing is still a pain. Using paper towels, just leaves paper pieces on the insert and using a towel leaves some of the cotton strands behind.

Getting it back into the case was once again a big challenge due to how f-ing sticky this gets after being washed with water.
I was finally able to get it back in after 5 minutes and a lot of twisting and turning, but at the cost of the plastic slicing the side my finger. =(





The only thing I have enjoyed about this product is seeing the action through the translucent material and casing. But if I do happen to try another one with actually good internal stimulation, then I will be sure to get the stealth design. The whole “giant vag” on the head is seriously an arousal killer… luckily it appears to not be as defined for the translucent insert, compared to images of the pink insert. Plus when masturbating, I would rather not pretend like I am/think about having sex…
I mean I love seeing female masturbation and all that, but it gives an awkward mental feeling if male masturbation sleeves are shaped after some kind of body part.

The whole thing seem to just be not even worth the use due to how much work it requires (prep, cleanup, and even during use)
Plus, if I actually take the time to pull out a masturbation sleeve, then its purpose is to induce a mind blowing orgasm, not just some interesting feelings on my penis. *Sigh*
12/09/2009
Contributor: Alt Alt
Arg, I labeled my numbers incorrectly. I ment to put the scent-dislike as the #1 thing.
12/09/2009
Contributor: Epiphora Epiphora
I just think it's kind of funny that for someone who acts like an authority on masturbation sleeves (judging by comparison threads you've written in the past), you did not have the forethought to read some reviews of the Fleshlight before you purchased it. Yes, people like it a lot, but a lot of reviews mention the "water only" cleaning issue. They also mention that the material is very soft.

I also find it amusing that you are complaining about the "giant vag" opening... since you can get the Ice Fleshlights with any opening you want: link
12/09/2009
Contributor: Saraid Saraid
Quote:
Originally posted by Alt
@Alan & Michele

-->"Did you by chance use a silicone-based lube with it?"
No I used a water-based lube.
And yes, I did wash it first. Although I think I recall using a little bit of hand soap (before I knew it was bad ... more
Dust it with cornstarch and shake off the excess. It should keep it nice and soft and avoid the sticky feeling you are talking about.
12/09/2009
Contributor: Alt Alt
@Epiphora

-->"for someone who acts like an authority on masturbation sleeves"
I have only tried a few masturburbation sleeves, so I don't see how I am some kind of authority on them.

-->"you did not have the forethought to read some reviews of the Fleshlight before you purchased it."
Incorrect. I read them, but didn't memorize them.

-->"you can get the Ice Fleshlights with any opening you want"
Yes, I know. That is why I said:
"But if I do happen to try another one with actually good internal stimulation, then I will be sure to get the stealth design."



@Saraid

Once the corn starch is on there, do you then rinse it off?
I am not sure how fun it would be to mix it with lube :/
12/11/2009
Contributor: Jimbo Jones Jimbo Jones
Not to beat a dead horse, and I think we already may have, but I think my Fleshlights have all come with an instruction pamphlet which said:


Attention!
There may be a white plastic tube located inside your Superskin™ insert. If so, remove and discard this tube, it is used for shipping purposes only, and can cause bodily harm if not removed prior to use. Removal is easiest if the Superskin™ insert is taken out of its case.

(Optional) Remove the Superskin™ insert from the plastic case. Place it in hot tap water, warming the Superskin™ insert to the desired temperature. Lightly shake the excess water off and put the insert back into the Fleshlight™ case.

1. Lubricate yourself, the orifice entry and internal canal of the insert with a water-based lubricant. Use only water-based lubricants. The use of other types of lubricants, such as oil or silicone-based, may deteriorate the Superskin™ Insert. Visit our Lubricants page on link to view our recommended brands.
NOTE: Be sure to use enough lubricant to allow for comfortable use and to prevent friction which may cause skin irritation.

2. Use the Fleshlight™as you would during sexual penetration.
TIP: The small end cap of the Fleshlight™ creates a suction on the back stroke. Tightening and loosening the cap will adjust the suction intensity.

3. After use, remove the Superskin™ insert from the case and run hot water through it to remove fluid deposits. For tough cleaning, we suggest using a small amount of isopropyl alcohol.
NOTE: Using soap or detergents to clean your Superskin™ insert will deteriorate the surface of the material!

4. Towel or airy dry the Superskin™ insert and put it back into the case for storage. Excess moisture may generate mold. (Although not necessary, repowdering will restore the insert to it's [sic] original silky feel. If you choose to powder, we recommend using corn starch.)


I guess you would not have known what the instructions said without doing some online research ahead of time though. From your comments, did you get the Original Lady? The original internal texture is the most boring of the bunch and if I was researching putting up $60-70 for a toy I think I would have selected a different interior texture and read up on how I was supposed to care for it. As for the opening, I think that what you were purchasing would have been pretty clear from the pictures.

A thin dusting of corn starch just restores the original (non-sticky) texture. Ice sleeves are much worse about feeling sticky.

Sorry your experience has been so poor.
12/11/2009
Contributor: Gary Gary
Quote:
Originally posted by Jimbo Jones
Not to beat a dead horse, and I think we already may have, but I think my Fleshlights have all come with an instruction pamphlet which said:


Attention!
There may be a white plastic tube located inside your Superskin™ insert. If so, ... more
Actually my first Fleshlight did not come with the little book of directions. Lucky for me Victoria has an insane memory. She gave me a run down on what to do, and what not to do (especially the soap), remembering it all from the reviews that she read.
12/11/2009
Contributor: Victoria Victoria
Quote:
Originally posted by Gary
Actually my first Fleshlight did not come with the little book of directions. Lucky for me Victoria has an insane memory. She gave me a run down on what to do, and what not to do (especially the soap), remembering it all from the reviews that she ... more
Aw, hubs! That sounds almost like a compliment!
12/11/2009
Contributor: Darling Dove Darling Dove
The material for fleshlights is similar to other realistic materials for the most part, it's just a different blend that they've copyrighted. The fact is that silicone just plain is not as soft. There are few ways to get silicone that soft, and that's by diluting the material with a slacking agent, or using something made specifically for prosthetics or theatrical use- this is very very expensive (moreso than whatever fleshlight is using, I can guarantee you) and would have a humorously floppy consistency.

Silicone, any kind I have had, is also tacky as hell to the touch and picks up lint and particulate matter like a mofo so I have no idea what kind of silicone you're talking about. If you've somehow found a kind of pure silicone that's not a dust magnet I would love to hear about it. My Ella isn't as bad, because of the matte finish and how hard the silicone is, but it can still be difficult to clean. Nothing against Tantus or Vixen but as soon as those things are clean they immediately go in their bags again. Dust is magnetically attracted to them, I swear.

It seems obvious that your fleshlight was either defective or that the soap you used degraded the material. I know what you mean about material shedding because I once received a jelly stroker in the mail as a free gift with another company's order, and I had a grand ol' time destroying it by stretching it over things, turning it inside out etc and it began to peel- I can tell you that within realistic usage limits, no material should do this unless it is defective.

As far as powdering- use cornstarch, you don't rinse it off, and it doesn't hurt to leave it on. It causes no issues with lubrication or usage, it just reduces the stickiness of the material and gives it a smooth, skin like finish.

I really think for a purchase like that you should have done more research. I'm sorry, but it's really nobody's fault but your own. If the product was defective, you could have easily sent it back and got a replacement. Fleshlight is a proper company and I am sure they do not want inferior product going out to customers, especially people who will still use the product and take it as a representation of their quality.

As far as cleaning- if you rinse it thoroughly and let it dry completely you really have nothing to worry about. People get way too caught up over pores and stuff. Unless you have an immune system like theatrical easy-shatter glass you'll be fine so long as you clean it. You can also use rubbing alcohol on it if you're so worried.

So eh, you could still try going for a replacement, but now that it's been used I am not sure what luck you will have. Its likely that the soap has an ingredient in it that reacts with or destabilizes the softener used in their material. I can't say for sure what that would be, but if the product wasn't defective when you got it thats all I can think of for being the cause.
12/11/2009
Contributor: Alt Alt
@ Jimbo

Thanks, that is good to know about the white tube.
I was keeping it just incase I later found out that it was needed later on.


-->"From your comments, did you get the Original Lady"
No, I got the translucent version. It case with the vag head, and it appears that is what they call "Lady" version on Fleshlight.com
So I guess mine would be classified as Ice Lady.

-->"The original internal texture is the most boring of the bunch"
Yea apparently. That is why I said "But if I do happen to try another one with actually good internal stimulation"


-->"Ice sleeves are much worse about feeling sticky. "
The cost of aesthetics, I guess.


@Gary
Yea I won't be using soap again.



@Darling Dove
In my experience, silicone doesn't appear to actually be sticky like this material. Sure it picks up lint, but it doesn't stick to your skin like some kind of glue adhesive. Silicone can be a dust magnet, but it certainly isn't a skin magnet.

-->"As far as powdering- use cornstarch, you don't rinse it off, and it doesn't hurt to leave it on. It causes no issues with lubrication or usage, it just reduces the stickiness of the material and gives it a smooth, skin like finish."
Somehow the thought of corn starch possibly going into my urethra is not that appealing...

-->"I really think for a purchase like that you should have done more research."
I researched it for a while now, but I guess not enough.

-->"you could still try going for a replacement"
I am not sure if that would be possible. I didn't buy it from their website, but from a local The Red Door store.
12/11/2009
Contributor: Sir Sir
Corn starch will not get into your urethra if you powder the fleshlight correctly. You need to make sure that there are no clumps and that there are not any bits of the powder loose. You need to rub it into the fleshlight.
12/11/2009
Contributor: Epiphora Epiphora
Quote:
Originally posted by Sir
Corn starch will not get into your urethra if you powder the fleshlight correctly. You need to make sure that there are no clumps and that there are not any bits of the powder loose. You need to rub it into the fleshlight.
Very good point. Rubbing it in is key.
12/11/2009