If you were to ask a broad spectrum of guys to shed some light on which way would be the best for using a Fleshlight, you are likely to get a broad spectrum of illuminating answers. Since its invention, zealous fans of these plush, attractive masturbators have been eagerly sharing tips and techniques online on sites such as the Fleshlight Forums.

The varying methods dreamed up by Fleshlight enthusiasts are, perhaps, just as creative as the design of the toy itself. Of course, there are always the basic ways to use it: as your basic hand-held stroker -- either with the sleeve alone to vary the tightness with the grip of your hand or with the sleeve inside the case with the end cap adjusted for varying suction.

When using the sleeve alone, it is limited to hand-held use because the material makes it too floppy to thrust into hands-free. But, when using the sleeve inside its case, you have more options. While you can still use it as a hand-held stroker, you can also use it as a hands-free thrusting device by placing it between the cushions of your couch or under the mattress of your bed. Innovative users have also discovered that any Fleshlight can be stabilized for hands-free fun by lacing it up firmly inside a shoe. If you decide to check out the shoe method, you might find it necessary to place a weight on the toe of the shoe to prevent it from moving around. In experimenting, other guys have discovered that placing a Fleshlight in the center of a rolled-up sleeping bag, blanket, or yoga mat is a fantastic way to facilitate a hands-free, more realistic experience. If you are willing to spend the extra money, there are also quite a few position aids available to hold your Fleshlight for hands-free thrusting action. To further customize your experience, you can even choose to use common kitchen and office items, such as Saran Wrap and Scotch Tape (see the Personal Comments section).

Finally, the Fleshlight is just as amenable to couple's use as it is to solo use. But, no matter which method becomes your own personal favorite, it is safe to say that, universally, the best way to use any Fleshlight is with lots of low-viscosity water-based lube, a hard cock, and plenty of gusto and enthusiasm.

Like all Fleshlight sleeves, the Tera Patrick Twista is made of Superskin®, a hypoallergenic and latex-free material which rates a 5 out of 10 on the EdenFantasys material safety scale. The safety scale measures the porosity of materials, with the higher end of the scale (around 8 to 10) being nonporous and the lower-to-middle range of the scale varying between extremely porous (around 1 to 4) to somewhat porous (around 5 to 7). The case for the Twista sleeve is made of a pearl white plastic (though other Fleshlight designs may come in black or some other occasional color). Plastic is a nonporous, phthalate-free material that rates an 8 out of 10 on the material safety scale.

I do not recall ever noticing any type of smell upon receiving this product and tearing it out of its packaging, but I must admit that we were just a bit too excited to receive my husband's first Fleshlight to "stop and smell the roses," so to speak. After several weeks of multiple uses, there is still no notable smell, save for the faintest scent of the cornstarch with which we keep it lightly dusted -- and I can only smell that when pressing my nostrils directly onto the material.

The material is incredibly plush and very, very soft, and it is an absolute tactile delight to simply sit and fondle it. It definitely comes the closest of any inorganic material I have ever felt to imitating the feel of human skin, though this stuff feels like the softest, most tender, peach-fuzzed human skin imaginable. As a matter of fact, I think that it would make a fantastic material for constructing a lifelike and realistic-feeling newborn replica doll. As off-putting as that may sound, I only mention this to further emphasize the amazing softness of Fleshlight sleeves. It is the softness and the general feel of this wonderful material that is one of my very favorite features of this toy.

During use, the material does feel fairly realistic. If you work it long enough (after approximately ten minutes or so), the sleeve will warm somewhat inside -- though, of course, it will never get as warm as a real body. After applying warming lube in an attempt to make it feel a bit more realistic, my husband did not note any increase in warmth during use. He was never interested in soaking it in warm water to try out that warming technique because using a wet, water-dripping toy was a turn-off for him. Besides, after reading reviews where other users have stated that the sleeve does not seem to hold onto acquired heat for very long when warming it in this way, it honestly seems like it would be more hassle than it is worth.

I would like to try wrapping a heating pad around the sleeve for several minutes before use (with the heating pad turned down to the lowest setting to avoid damaging the delicate material) and see how well that works. I've also considered using a warmed glass dildo (again, not too hot) to insert into the sleeve to warm it before use. Additionally, warming a sample packet of lube in some hot tap water before applying it seems like it would provide a wonderful sensation. Who knows? Perhaps we'll try all three of these methods simultaneously to maximize any possible results. I'll mention just how effective the warming techniques that I am planning actually turn out to be in my followup review.

The texture of this particular sleeve is called the Twista, and it consists of soft spiraling ridges that swirl down the entire internal length of it. Because of the softness of the material, this sleeve would be appropriate for anyone, including beginners who are uncertain whether they enjoy texture.



My husband loves texture inside his sleeves, but he has found that, to really be able to feel the texture, the material of the sleeve must be somewhat firm. He has a Vibratex Maven, which has dimpled craters inside of it, as well as a Succubus 2D-Wavy Ripple, which has fine, shallow ridges. Both of these stroker sleeves feature relatively firmer materials to better enable him to feel and appreciate their textures. While it is possible that the spiraling ridges of the Twista add to his stimulation, he finds it impossible to define or identify the inside texture during use due to the softness of the material; however, he says he can definitely tell that he is rubbing against something. It would be interesting to try the original Fleshlight sleeve (which is perfectly smooth), just to see if he can then appreciate and notice the texture of the Twista a bit more.

My husband says that he does not really like the size of the plastic Fleshlight case, which is designed to look like an oversized plastic flashlight. His gripe is that the larger size makes it a bit bulky to handle, even with his rather generously-sized hands and sizable handspan. When I use it on him, I find that it is possible for me to use just one hand since I have long fingers, but it is better for me to use both hands for better control. The case would definitely be more ergonomical if Fleshlight made it a bit smaller in diameter. Overall, our Fleshlight is larger than my husband's other masturbators (in both length and diameter). Still, however, despite it seeming a bit cumbersome at times, the combined set (case and sleeve) is a good fit for average users and will even accommodate well-endowed men who have above-average length and/or girth.


Cobra Libre, Vibratex Maven, Tenga Flip Hole, and Fleshlight

The case is 10 inches long with a 3.5-inch diameter cap on the receiving end and a 2 1/4-inch diameter cap on the far end.

Unscrewing the cap on the receiving end, the opening of the case (where you insert the sleeve) is 2 5/8 inches in diameter. The first three inches of the case's length remains roughly this diameter (though the case does begin to very slightly taper).

Measuring the inside diameter of the opening on the far end, I came up with 1 13/16 inches in diameter. The last 4.5 to five inches of the case, leading up to the far end, remains roughly this same diameter. With the sleeve inserted and the "bumper" portion slightly extended past the opening, this means that a man who is 5.5 inches in length will mostly experience the larger-diameter section of the case (meaning that the sleeve is less tight there), while the glans of the penis will be stimulated by the tighter section when thrusting.

The sleeve itself is nine inches in length from bumper to end. It is 3 3/8 inches in diameter on the bumper end and 1 6/8 inches on the far end. The material is extremely flexible and stretchable. It is also very floppy when used without its case, but my husband has found that, due to its "squishiness," he can fold the excess length over and easily grasp it to keep it from flopping around.

In addition to various textures inside the sleeves, Fleshlight also offers several different designs for the outer opening, ranging from nondescript, to anal, to oral (lips), to labial. The opening on the penetrative end of the Twista sleeve is made from a mold of porn star Tera Patrick's labia. I personally think the sleeve opening makes this a very attractive masturbator and find that the slightly lopsided labia minora adds a lot of character (and is actually rather cute). The bumper portion even bears a raised mold of Tera's signature. The opposite end of the sleeve has a finger-sized opening to release air pressure.


Tenga and Fleshlight

Like all Fleshlight masturbators, the Twista has an overabundance of the soft material at the opening, forming a wonderful "bumper" to enable the user to thrust or stroke with abandon. Both my husband and I find the realistic slapping noises this makes during use to be quite satisfying and pleasing.

Regarding how easy this toy is to hide, that entirely depends upon your living arrangement -- namely whether you have a nosy roommate, sibling, housekeeper, or parent; and, it also depends upon exactly how prone to snooping they are. Since the sleeve comes with a case that has two twist-on caps on either end to completely enclose it and protect it from dust, you could easily hide this on the floor of your closet, tucked away behind low-hanging clothes amidst shoes and boxes -- or you could even it stow it away under your bed alongside boxes (or even behind boxes for zero visibility). Unless your snooper has seen a Fleshlight before, the case looks fairly nondescript in such a setting.

If you are extremely hard-up in your living situation with a snooper who borders on being a stalker, the best advice I can give you for hiding it would be to place it inside a bag or tote with a handle, loop the handles over a hanger, hang a shirt on the hanger (which will conceal the bag), and then hang a jacket or winter coat over the shirt to better conceal the bulk. Then, hang the entire contraption in your closet, squished in between all your other clothing. Viewed from the door of your closet, with all your clothing hanging side-by-side, it will not be apparent at all that anything other than clothing is hanging there (though if your snooper routinely digs through your clothing to "borrow" things, you are pretty much out of luck here). Also, if you own your own luggage set, you could "nest" the Fleshlight inside your carry-on, place the carry-on inside your suitcase, and then stash the suitcase on a shelf at the top of your closet or on the floor, tucking it into a corner. You could do the same with any type of bag, even "nesting" a backpack containing your Fleshlight inside a larger duffel bag or other gym bag.

But for those of you who are lucky enough to not have to worry about snoopers (or if you simply don't care what they stumble across -- serves 'em right for snooping, right?), you could always store your Fleshlight in your dresser or nightstand, though the Fleshlight would take up a considerable amount of space unless you have extremely large drawers. Or you can be bold and simply leave it sitting out in plain view. Sometimes hiding things in plain view is the best strategy. Unless someone decides to examine the case and reads the words "Fleshlight Girls" embossed upon it and/or unscrews the lid to reveal the large, pink, puffy labia, the case itself really does not stand out and seems rather discreet (unless, of course, your visitor is familiar with sex toys and knows what a Fleshlight is . . . and then s/he certainly does not have any supposed "moral" ground upon which to stand to claim shock or offense, does s/he?).

You could easily take the Fleshlight with you when you travel, but be prepared for it to take up a lot of space. I definitely would not pack it in your carry-on if you are flying, unless you do not care about answering questions while security examines it, giving the line of fellow passengers behind you an eye- and ear-full. You could easily stash it in your checked luggage and save yourself any such scrutiny (at least that you are personally subjected to in front of an audience).

As previously mentioned, Fleshlight cases come with two screw-on caps for either end. One function that these both serve is to provide a dust-free place to store the sleeve. But during use, the larger screw-on cap is removed, and the smaller cap is adjustable to vary the amount of suction. You could completely remove the smaller cap if you prefer the least amount of suction; and you could tighten it as much as possible to maximize the suction, adjusting for varying levels in between by tightening and loosening the cap.

Despite screwing on the cap as tight as possible, my husband was disappointed in the amount of suction he was able to get. The cap failed to make an airtight seal and air could be heard escaping with each thrust. But, he found a very simple solution to remedy this, which is described in the Personal Comments section.

Using this toy is somewhat noisy in that it makes a slapping noise when the bumper strikes the groin area with each stroke or thrust. It also makes a relatively mild sucking, slurping noise. Nevertheless, these are noises that could easily be masked by background music or a television playing -- or even the shower since it won't hurt the toy to get it wet, so long as you make certain it is thoroughly dry before storing.

My husband is torn between stating that maintenance of the Twista is an unpleasant hassle and that its maintenance is simple.

I suppose both statements are true.

On one hand, the cleaning regimen is a simple procedure and is not exactly rocket science. But, on the other hand, the sleeve requires immediate attention post-climax for about five minutes. You just cannot leave a Fleshlight sleeve for later cleanup since the material is so fragile and porous.

To clean it, you must take the Fleshlight apart (simply pull the sleeve out of its plastic case -- the large cap should already be removed since you, assumedly, just used it) and then thoroughly rinse the sleeve with warm running water. My husband does this in the kitchen sink since it is deeper than our bathroom sink, allowing easier maneuvering of the nine-inch-long sleeve. He inserts the opening on one end of the sleeve over the nozzle, allowing the water to flow through and out the opening on the other end of the sleeve. Then, he squeezes the opposite end of the sleeve shut, causing the water to fill up the the sleeve and swell it. He is careful to not let it swell TOO much, or else it could very feasibly pop like a water balloon and ruin it. Then, he inserts the opposite opening over the nozzle and repeats this procedure. It may sound like overkill, but it is actually necessary to effectively remove all of the ejaculate and lube that gets caught on the multitude of spiraled ridges inside the sleeve. When cleaning, it is very important to NEVER use soap of any kind with the sleeve, as it will eventually degrade the delicate material.

Another important thing to note about maintaining the sleeve is that it is extremely important to make certain it is dry before storing it away inside its case since the material has been known to mildew when it remains even slightly damp for an extended period of time. If you need a more intense cleaning of your sleeve, you can use rubbing alcohol; but, unfortunately, once mildew sets in, the toy is likely ruined. Molds are toxic and dangerous to the body, and the extent of any mold infestation is always much greater than meets the eye. Even if you are able to remove the visible mold colonies, you can rest assured that there are many more that are not visible and have spread throughout the material of the entire sleeve. So, just make certain you clean and dry your sleeve as thoroughly and as timely as possible, each and every time you use it, to prevent infestation of your awesome toy in the first place!

My husband wanted to make certain that his sleeve dried quickly and thoroughly enough to prevent an attack of nasty mold, so he sought to find a way to hang it vertically so that gravity could pull moisture downward through the hole at the end of the sleeve to hasten drying. Also, by hanging it vertically, the opening throughout the sleeve would be as open as possible to facilitate quicker drying. Yet, since the material is so soft and flexible, he experienced a problem with the sleeve slipping through the opening of any object from which he tried to suspend it -- that is until one day when he decided to try out the lid to an old blender.



The lid has a removable clear plastic piece, and he found that the diameter of this hole is just the perfect size through which the narrower portion of the sleeve could fit, while the wider portion of the sleeve up near the bumper is too large to slip through -- even with the material being as floppy as it is. The blender lid also provides plenty of evenly-distributed support to the bumper portion, so the material is not left with indentations to permanently misshape it.

After solving that problem, he then searched for an accommodating spot for his little contraption that would allow the sleeve to freely dangle while drying. The obvious place -- the towel rack in our bathroom -- did not provide enough clearance from the wall to even remotely come close to balancing and supporting it (and the sleeve alone would just slip through the towel rack and the wall since the towel bar does not provide enough support to the bumper portion). I was not exactly thrilled when he decided to claim my wrought iron candle sconce on our kitchen wall as the perfect drying spot, balancing the lid between two of the bases that support my candles. But, hey -- at least it works. My only stipulation is that he makes sure it is removed before any visitors arrive because it would certainly be difficult to convince anyone that it is all just part of the decor!



Cleaning the plastic case is much less fuss: he normally just gives it a quick rinse if he decides to clean it at all since he hasn't had a problem with any fluids getting inside it or on it. But, you could also use antibacterial soap and water -- or even alcohol -- to clean it thoroughly. You can either towel dry the case since plastic does not accumulate lint, or just leave it to air dry.

Once all components are completely dry, you can reassemble your Fleshlight. But first, I highly recommend that you take a moment to dust it with cornstarch ( Note: Fleshlight advises against using talcum powder ). Cornstarch does an amazing job at restoring the material to its original soft, silky feel. Without a dusting of cornstarch, the sleeve feels sticky and gummy. It actually adheres to my finger when I touch it, with bits of surface area actually lifting up as I pull my finger away.

As a matter of fact, when the sleeve is not dusted with cornstarch, the sticky texture reminds me precisely of Chef Boyardee pizza dough, according to a vivid recollection I have of a frustrating experience in my much younger days in discovering that the pizza kit did not contain enough flour . . . Suffice it to say that a sticky, tacky texture equates to an unpleasant experience, no matter what your activity. A little flour (or, in this case, cornstarch) smooths things over and makes working with your material much more pleasant!

In concluding our discussion on how to clean and maintain a Fleshlight, it is important to note that only nonporous materials are safe to share with other people because such materials do not offer places for microbes to hide. But, since Superskin® is not a nonporous material, and is, instead, a fairly porous material, the Twista cannot be sanitized and thus cannot be shared with another person. So, keep Tera all to yourself once you've become fluid-bonded (or even simply just made skin-on-Superskin® contact).

Also, don't forget that Superskin® is only compatible with water-based lubes and that silicone- and oil-based lubes will degrade the material.

I know the care and maintenance requirements seem like a lot, but once you get your routine down, cleaning becomes par for the course and your sleeve will be safely drying in no time.

The Twista Fleshlight comes packaged inside a black and magenta metal canister that features silhouettes of buxom female figures. On the back of the canister is a large silver-trimmed sticker that features a photo of Tera Patrick posing with her Fleshlight. The canister itself is 10 3/4 inches in length and could be used to store the Fleshlight, though we've found that the plastic flashlight-looking case is sufficient for storage purposes.

I am planning to use the canister to store feather ticklers, since most ticklers are shorter than 10 inches. Stood upon their plastic handles with the soft, fluffy feathers toward the top, I think the canister would be ideal to protect them from curious and playful pets, dust, and general disfigurement from being crushed, bent, and pulled during typical storage. Another excellent use for the canister would be for storing bondage gear; that is, if you don't have a lot of it, but want to store your small collection in one designated spot.

Inside the canister, along with the Fleshlight, a postcard-like photo of Tera Patrick is included. On the back of the card are photos of seven of the Fleshlight girls enticing you with their wares. Also, there is a small Care and Usage Guide pamphlet.



I want to caution you to look for a white plastic tube inside the sleeve any time you are lucky enough to receive a new Fleshlight. Be careful to remove this before attempted use, as attempting penetration with it inside the sleeve would be painful, to say the least! It was in there quite snugly, and I found that removing the sleeve from the case made pulling the tube out considerably easier.

At first, my husband was a bit disappointed with his Fleshlight, as it did not initially perform as he had been anticipating. Here, he explains the extremely simple solution that enabled the Twista to surpass his expectations, using only basic household items like Scotch Tape and Saran Wrap:

"Without tape around the screw-on cap on the base of the toy, the sleeve was not very tight and I also could not get very much suction, no matter how tightly I screwed the lid on. After taping around the lid, the suction increased tremendously -- I experienced more than twice as much suction. I got so much suction that it was hard to pull; I even had a hard time withdrawing from the toy. It makes a loud suction noise each time I withdraw. The suction also made it feel much tighter."


Where to tape the case for increased tightness and suction

"To experiment a bit more, I wrapped the sleeve with Saran Wrap to see if it would make the sleeve even tighter. Wrapping the sleeve with a sheet of the Saran Wrap AND also taping the screw-on end made it quite a bit tighter than it was just with tape. The tightness due to the Saran Wrap also enhanced and increased the amount of suction."

"So, if you want the most out of your experience, bind the sleeve with Saran Wrap and then tape the seam around the screw-on cap to prevent the air from escaping. I didn't notice it being any louder with the Saran Wrap/tape combo than it was without these modifications."

"The sensation is very much like a blowjob, given by a mouth that happens to have a jaw that never gets tired or decreases in intensity."

Wedged in between the seat cushions on our couch, my husband says that the experience of using the Fleshlight is almost like having sex, though there is nothing (like an ass or hips) to grab. He did find that stabilizing the toy in order to thrust provided more pleasure, though kneeling on the carpeted floor did hurt his knees. The problem with kneeling on a pillow is that it can move around (some pillows more than others, depending upon the type of pillow cover on it . . . satin and silk obviously slip a lot more than flannel). A yoga mat, being nonslip, would be most ideal for cushioning the knees, enabling you to get the most pleasure from this technique.

Since he found himself wishing for something to grab onto while thrusting, we both think that if he had something large and soft that he could wedge the Fleshlight into to grasp and thrust against, that would be the most pleasurable for him when using the thrusting method. I think I'd like to get him to try using a rolled up blanket next since we don't have a sleeping bag. And I definitely want to get him one of Liberator's special Fleshlight position aid pieces. I just wish that Eden offered more than one of them!

When stabilizing the Fleshlight between or under a stationary object for thrusting action, if you would like to simulate vaginal sex then it's best not to set the adjustments for a lot of suction (since a real vagina does not exactly have a lot of suction). If you're trying to simulate a blowjob, then you might want a lot of suction.

When my husband ditched the case to use the sleeve alone, he said that it is almost like pounding up against an ass (albeit a very, very, very small one) because there is more of the soft surface area allowing you to feel more "flesh" slapping against the scrotum and penis. The texture is also more notable when used this way. Generally, you can feel, and push against, the softness of the material better this way.

He said that using the sleeve alone feels more like sex with a real person than it did even by placing the case between the couch cushions and thrusting into the sleeve. He advises doubling the sleeve over so that you are gripping the whole thing instead of letting the extra length flop around everywhere. However, when you fold it in this way, the sleeve does tend to adhere to itself and forms a big blob when you are done. You just need to peel it back apart to return it to its full length. Powdering the outside of the sleeve with cornstarch before use helps prevent it from adhering to itself as much.

Used inside its plastic case, he said that there is more tension and friction, and he also found it to be a little tighter. (Again, wrapping the sleeve tightly in Saran Wrap and then taping the screw-on end cap of the case, as described above, makes it much, much tighter).

His parting piece of advice is that you can probably masturbate more easily and get more speed into your rhythm with the sleeve IN the canister than with the sleeve alone, though you can experiment with this to see what you like best. After all, experimenting is part of the fun!

Perhaps the very, very best thing about Fleshlights is that their design enables the user to make personal modifications, as well as lending themselves well to a plethora of techniques. You are, pretty much, limited only by your imagination . . . and, well, if you need help in the inspiration department, there's always the Fleshlight Forums!