Just like there are many different types of vibrators, there are different types of masturbators for men. The Stroker is pretty much exactly what the name implies: Something to add on to your stroking. It's not going to mimic a blowjob or sex for the most part, but it can be a great alternative to the simple hand job.

The Stroker XL is in a small class; there really aren't many high-quality, silicone masturbators out there. While most men are never going to share their masturbators, having something made from a very porous material can still be a downfall (ever forget to clean up after a good masturbation session? It happens to me, and the husband, more than one would like to admit). My husband has ruined both a Fleshlight and a Tenga Fliphole from either forgetting to clean it and then putting it away for awhile, or cleaning it but not letting it dry 100% before putting it away for awhile. He's never experienced an obvious mold situation with those, but they did both retain an unpleasant odor that didn't go away with rubbing alcohol.

It's not exactly easy to accurately describe the feel of the Stroker XL. It's solid, yet soft. It stretches and moves, yet not nearly as much as rubber, jelly, TPR or Elastomer blends.

If you've tried a Fleshlight product or any Tenga product, they're much softer and much stretchier. Yet they're also porous. They're a little difficult to clean because you're restricted in what you can use. Tenga products tolerate soap and water, whereas Fleshlight can only tolerate water or a little rubbing alcohol if absolutely necessary. Silicone, of course, can be boiled, thrown in the dishwasher, washed with soap and water, etc. The mere fact that the Stroker XL was made of body-safe, easy-to-clean silicone was enough to persuade us into trying it.

The silicone has a more matte "texture" to it; it is partially translucent when unstretched. It doesn't catch and hold onto dust and fur/hair as easily as the more "sticky" material of the Tenga Fliphole; however it does gather up some detritus (much moreso than the Tenga 3D strokers).

The Stroker XL is bigger than the original Stroker. Just a little over 5 inches long, the unstretched inside width is 1.5 inches; the unstretched inside width where a ridge is is only 0.9 inches. This sleeve does stretch and has give, and it is soft....yet those ridges are very, very substantial. There is nothing subtle about this stroker. Each ridge is almost 1/2 an inch thick from the outside of the stroker to the inside edge of the ridge. If your cock is sensitive at all - if you don't like pressure, if you prefer the silky, smooth things in life - you're not going to like this. The prominent ridges can easily "catch" on the frenulum.

I got my husband the Stroker XL and a Tenga 3D (Pile) at the same time to try. Despite the fact that the Tenga was a little *too* soft for him and he ended up being a little too rough with the material, the Stroker was a little too much. And this is coming from a guy who can enjoy a really firm grip on his cock during a handjob. We started out at first with the Tenga 3D, switched to the Stroker XL, and then back to the Tenga 3D. He did say that the Stroker made his cock more sensitive, which allowed him to climax more easily then using the Tenga. That's not to say it's a necessary step in order for him to orgasm with the Tenga. He did use a lot of lube with the Stroker and after just a few minutes use, his cock was noticeably more pink than before. You know your clitoris or penis is really sensitive just after orgasm? Well I'd recommend that you remove the Stroker XL from your penis before you climax. Our thought is that the sensation would be unpleasant to slide it back down just after orgasm.

Another aspect that drew us to this stroker is that it doesn't look like anything. It's pretty plain. The "realistic" stylings to the Fleshlight products don't do anything for my husband; neither do designs that look like a flower, a dinosaur, etc.

Since this is a "Stroker" it is open-ended and will not provide any suction. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but my husband prefers masturbators that cover the entire head of his cock and the shaft and so he didn't really love this open-end design.

As I said before, we wanted this because it's silicone. Did you wait til the next day to clean-up? No problem. Drop this in boiling water for a few minutes and then (after it cools down to a safe temperature) take a wet washcloth and soap to it. You basically can't hurt it. Dishwasher is fine, too.

The standard recommendation is to proclaim that only water-based lubes can be used with silicone products. However, Tantus uses only high-quality, pure silicone. A high-quality silicone (or blended) lube will not necessarily ruin the product. I've successfully used a couple of silicone lubes on Tantus items.
Another option for someone who prefers a thicker lube for masturbation is to use Boy Butter, either formulation. Tantus has said that coconut oil is perfectly compatible with their silicone and I asked them if Original Boy Butter was safe with the Stroker; a resounding yes was the answer!

Disclaimer: Before trying out a silicone lube with your silicone product, do a test patch. It'll only take a minute for a reaction to occur if there's going to be a reaction. The silicone will get gummy; just wipe it off after a minute to see if there's any obvious change to the material. It only takes a tiny drop to do the test, so pick a spot that won't affect your use of the toy.

The Stroker comes in the standard Tantus packaging for smaller items, a plastic clamshell. Very tasteful packaging, but it's pretty obvious what it is. If you have the room for it, I'd say store it in this clamshell just to prevent too much dust and fur/hair from landing on it when not in use.

This won't be getting much use. We both really wanted to love it, because it is made from Tantus Silicone. However, those ridges are just too prominent, too abrasive, to use as a jack-off aid from start to finish. Perhaps for someone with a cock that is not as thick as my husband's, it wouldn't feel so overwhelming (he's about 7.5" long and 1.75" wide).