When I heard that Lelo was making sensual products in addition to their lovely vibrators I knew I had to check it out. If their tickler was half as good as their other products this was going to be something special.
Problem is it is about half as good as their other products. Don't get me wrong it's soft, feathery and has a luxurious feeling handle but it isn't as good as some of the $4 ticklers I own. The feather tickler arrives in a lovely hard cardboard box. The tickler is wrapped in Lelo's signature paper and this is where the problem begins, the feathers are longer than the box. This means that they are curled slightly and bent over to fit the box. They never fully spring back from this treatment and remain curled over and slightly crushed looking.

The feathers are a mix of marabou and regular hen type feathers but are deep and rich in color. They are glossy and soft with strong flexible spines. They feel luxurious when danced across the skin and the handle is weighted for easy balance in the hand. The problem is the longer feathers are bent over and clumped together due to the short length of the box. I have steamed them to relax the feather spines but nothing worked, even gravity! The bent over feathers interfere with the spreading of the tickling sensation and really affect the look of the toy.
The feathers are approximately 5.5 inches measured from the top of the handle the handle is around 2.5 inches in total length. If the feathers weren't curled over there would be another half inch or so of feathers which would make them feel even better on the skin.

The handle is short and well balanced with a weighted metal ball at the end, followed by a lovely, clear, acrylic piece which measures almost an inch and attaches to the feathers with a metal band. The whole thing weighs in at .3 lbs which is enough to make itself known but not cause fatigue.

To keep your feather tickler in tip top condition store it in a box or bag that is long enough to keep the feathers from being bent and twisted. It would be amazingly helpful if Lelo had included a hanger on the handle or a longer handle so that it could be stored easier but as it is, it's fairly easy to lay the feather carefully in a lingerie drawer and it takes up next to no room.
Keep your tickler away from bodily fluids such as sweat, saliva, and genital secretions as these will cause the softer feathers to stick together. Feathers are porous so oils from massage lotions can cause the feathers to be impregnated and sticky or stiff. Oil from the skin can actually condition the feathers and keep them glossy and vibrant.
Plain cold water can remove dust and won't strip the feathers of their natural oils which can turn the feathers brittle. Use a spray bottle and softly shake the water off. You can dry with a hair dryer on low heat or 'air dry'. You can also hang the tickler upside down or place in a jar right side up, either way be sure the feathers have room to fluff out. Brush with a very soft bristle brush to seperate the individual feathers. Brushing the feathers with the palms of your hand can condition them as well as using them on the body of a partner!

While it isn't as pretty looking as the feathers of my Starburst Tickler, by Sportsheets, it is a very luxurious tickler. The handle is a bit short but sometimes being up close and personal with your partner is just what you want. I love to pair this one with a longer handled tickler so that I can stroke my partner's sides at the same time very easily.
This feels soft, warm and luxurious when stroked over the penis, scrotum and upper thighs and leaves my partners gasping and struggling to stay still, so all in all it was definitely worth the price. I just wish Lelo had made the box fit the feathers, it would have made a perfect place to store the feather if it had been just a few inches longer.

While I still like this lovely feather tickler it hasn't lost the folded over slightly irregular look it had when it came out of the box. It hasn't affected the use of the toy and it continues to be a favorite because of the luxurious feel of both the handle and the feathers. Still it would be nice if it had relaxed a bit and filled out.