The Fleshlight is one of the best known male sex toys. It's a high-end masturbation sleeve housed in a rigid case, big enough for any size penis to find pleasure inside. This particular model is part of the Fleshlight Girls lineup, which features external openings molded from actual porn stars, in this case the lovely Lia19.

Like other male masturbation sleeves, the Fleshlight works best when used with sufficient lubricant. So apply water-based lube to your erect penis and the opening of the Fleshlight, and then push your way into the tight (but not too tight) opening. The cap at the far end of the Fleshlight can be tightened or loosened to adjust the sucking sensation. I find that the sensation is much more intense when the cap is screwed on tightly, so if you want to stretch out the pleasure and not ejaculate too quickly, then you might want to loosen it some. On the other hand, if you want the most intense sensation possible, keep the cap screwed on tightly.

For added realism, you can soak the inner sleeve in hot water for a few minutes to warm it up to body temperature before putting it into the outer case. (Do not microwave it!) This way it feels even more like a real person.

Iif you're looking for a more hands-free approach, you can wedge it between pillows, or use one of the Fleshlight mounts made by Liberator.

The Fleshlight is made up of two parts, a hard plastic outer case and a soft floppy insert. The insert is made from Superskin, a secret blend of substances, which is phthalate-free. The material is remarkably odor-free for such a soft material. It is incredibly soft, surprisingly lifelike, and by far the best material I've ever experienced in a masturbation sleeve.

Fleshlights are available in a variety of textures. This particular model uses the Lotus texture, which the Fleshlight website describes as having "a smooth ultra-tight entry, inverted stimulation node, and four pleasure chambers."

Note that due to the length of the toy, not all men will be able to reach all the textures. My penis is on the shorter side, so I can't reach the four "pleasure chambers" (thick ridges) at the far end. But even so, I have to say the textures which I can reach feel great. And the original Fleshlight models weren't textured at all, so texture isn't strictly necessary to make it work. I must say, however, that I'm thinking about buying another Fleshlight with more texture closer to the front in order to get more out of it.

The first few inches of the Lotus texture consist of a tight entrance which gradually widens to a larger round chamber. The "inverted stimulation node" is a sudden narrow spot (hard to describe, but it feels great) followed by another round chamber. After this are a series of narrow openings (formed by thick ridges) which make up the "pleasure chambers" which I can't reach. In the interest of testing them, I took the sleeve out of the case and inserted my penis into the far end of the sleeve. These chambers do feel pretty good, but I don't think I'm missing out on much by not reaching them in normal use.

The soft inner sleeve of the Fleshlight fits into a rigid, hard plastic case which looks a bit like a flashlight (hence the toy's name) with a cap at each end. The case is about 10 inches long, about 3.5 inches across at the business end, and about 2 inches in diameter at the back end. Although the case is lightweight plastic, the sleeve is quite heavy, so the whole toy ends up weighing over a pound.

When the larger cap on the front of the case is removed, the business end of inner sleeve becomes visible. It features a very realistic vulva (modeled on internet porn star Lia19's actual vulva) in the soft Superskin interior. Lia19's signature is written in raised lines to the right of the vulva. While a useful identification mark for those with multiple Fleshlight sleeves, the downside is that the signature tends to trap dust and hair. I think the toy would have looked better without it.

Whereas the cap on the front simply protects the toy from dust, the cap on the back end also allows you to control how much suction the toy has, from intense suction (cap tightly screwed on), to medium suction (cap loosened somewhat), to no suction at all (cap loosened a great deal, or removed entirely).

The design of the Fleshlight is great. The case is easy to hold, and being rigid makes it easier to use than floppy sleeves. Note that if you like the ability to feel your hand through a sleeve, then the Fleshlight isn't for you, as you obviously can't feel your hand through a rigid plastic case. But for me this is a plus, as it feels less like masturbation and more like the "real thing" if I can't feel my hand.

The Fleshlight is large enough to encompass just about any size penis. At ten inches long, no normal penis should ever hit the end of it, and the soft material should stretch to accommodate any girth, although I suppose the spectacularly well-endowed might find it somewhat tight. A shorter penis may not hit all of the textures inside, but it still works well.

My girlfriend expressed some frustration with the large diameter of the Fleshlight, as she thought it was a bit large for her to use on me. I found the diameter just fine when using it on myself. But a man with small hands, or a woman who wants to use the toy on her man may want to look into Fleshlight's "Sex in a Can" products instead, as those are smaller and less unwieldy.

One thing which isn't obvious until you try it is that the Fleshlight can be somewhat noisy when you use it. It's pretty quiet if the cap is fully closed, but otherwise there's a definite whistling or wheezing noise, depending on how open the cap is. It's certainly not loud enough to hear through walls, but it can be somewhat distracting.

The inner sleeve should washed after every use, with warm water and no soap. Soaps can harm the Superskin material. After rinsing out the Fleshlight, be sure to let it dry thoroughly before putting it away. I've found the Fleshlight reasonably easy to clean. Just be sure to get your fingers deep in there, and wipe out anything you've left in there. If water isn't enough, then you can use a little isopropyl alcohol to clean the insides on occasion. Be sure to dry your Fleshlight thoroughly after you wash it. You wouldn't want mold to start growing in your expensive toy! I like to gently wipe down the insides with a clean handkerchief, and then leave the sleeve to dry overnight before putting it back in the case.

If it gets sticky, you can dust the inside with cornstarch. (You may notice that it comes with some cornstarch pre-applied, which will disappear after being washed a few times.)

The material is somewhat porous, so it cannot be shared safely unless you use condoms. Bacteria and other nasties will find places to live in all the nooks and crannies of the sleeve, and there's no way to sterilize it.

You will always want to use this toy with lubricant, and you should be sure to use water-based lubes to avoid damaging it.

Fleshlight has some of the classiest packaging I've seen in a long time. The Fleshlight comes packaged in a big metal canister (a bit like old Tinkertoys containers) which would be very suitable for gift giving. The outside of the packaging contains the words "Fleshlight Girls" on a black/pink gradient background, alongside the silhouette of a woman. One side has a color photo of Lia19, a small picture of the toy, and some text describing the product. The only explicit part of the packaging is the picture of the toy (featuring the molded Superskin vulva); Lia19 is fully clothed in the photo. I find the can very convenient for storing my Fleshlight.

When you open it up the first time, you'll find an informative pamphlet (with great usage and cleaning instructions) and a sample of lube. Some Fleshlight models are shipped with a rigid plastic tube inside the sleeve, which you'll want to be sure to remove before use, to avoid a nasty surprise. Mine had just such a tube, and it was buried a half inch or so inside. So even if you don't see one at first, be sure to stick your fingers in there and feel around to make sure your Fleshlight is free of hard rigid objects before sticking a more sensitive body part in there!

I've tried out a half dozen or so cheap masturbation sleeves in the past, but have always been disappointed with them. None felt realistic at all, and I never found any great reason to use them rather than my bare hand. But the Fleshlight is something entirely different. It feels absolutely amazing to use, and while it doesn't feel the same as vaginal intercourse, it feels almost as good. In the same way oral sex doesn't feel the same as vaginal intercourse, but feels good in its own right, the Fleshlight provides its own unique sensations which are well worth the price of entry. I look forward to making it another part of my sexual experience. In fact, I'm thinking about buying some of the other Fleshlight products in order to try out some of the many different textures which are available.

I'll never waste my money on a lesser product again, now that I've experienced a high end toy like this.