Writing sex toy reviews can sometimes be really difficult. And then there are times when they are so blisteringly easy. Thankfully, this is one of those occasions.

TENGA is a brand that i’ve generally got on pretty well with. Most recently, I fell in love with the Flip Hole Zero – and it’s currently my favourite masturbator – and is never far out of my reach. I thought that this was the pinnacle of masturbator design. I’m happy to say, i’ve never been so excited to say I was wrong. And it’s all thanks to the innovative design of the TENGA Air Tech Twist.

When TENGA asked me if I wanted to review the Air Tech Twist, I never thought they would actually send both. But when they arrived, I was so extremely excited. For those that don’t know, the Air Tech range of masturbators look like the original style ‘onacups’ but feature a tougher, reusable sleeve. The original Air Tech masturbators were… interesting. They felt ‘OK’ but when you have the likes of the Flip Hole, they weren’t quite as alluring. Well all that’s about to change.

The TENGA Air Tech Twist’s were sent to use free of charge by TENGA Global in exchange for an honest review. 

First Impressions

When they arrived (discreetly, of course), I tore into that box like it was christmas. As with all of the TENGA ‘Cup’ toys, the packing is minimal. There’s no outer box or shell – just a plastic wrap around the case of the toy. In terms of style, they are packaged similar to the original Air Tech cups; but here they are slightly on the larger side. There are 2 cups to choose from – TICKLE or RIPPLE. So far, so good. To open, simply tear the strip up the side to remove the plastic sleeving. What you have left is a fairly inconspicuous looking toy. There is absolutely no writing anywhere on the case.

As you take off the lid, you are greeted by the gaping hole of the texture sleeve, to which, inside you will find a vial of lubricant. According to the label, this is a ‘one time’ bottle (so by that, i’m assuming they mean it’s enough for one session). Personally, I didn’t use the included lube as I have to admit, I tend to find the TENGA lube a lot stickier. But for those who don’t have an issue with that, I reckon you could probably actually get two uses out of it, rather than just the one.

Each sleeve features a different pattern. in the TICKLE, the sleeve features a spiralled motif which is spiked. As you get to the bottom (or tip?) of the sleeve, it’s studded in lots of soft spongy nubs. The RIPPLE is a bit more simpler in design – the texture is just a series of tightly wound ribs that run along the entire length of the canal. However it does also feature a few little nubs at the bottom (or tip?) as well. The sleeves are stretchy and odour-free.

So far, they sound like pretty ordinary sleeves, right? So what makes these so amazing? Well, it’s the innovative TWIST feature that really brings this into a world of it’s own. Simply twist the cap, and the internal canal will get tighter. There are 5 different tightness settings, allowing for a completely different experience each time. I took the sleeve out to see what was going on, and as you ‘twist’, the inside of the case has a second layer, that sort of ‘spirals’, thus squeezing the sleeve in, giving it a tighter diameter. It’s very clever, and such a simple idea as well.

The cups also feature their signature ‘vacuum’ hole as well. After playing around with the twist feature in hand, I couldn’t wait to put it to practical use.

In Use

TICKLE Texture

The first one I tried, was the TICKLE, as this was the one I was most excited by. I am an absolute texture fiend, and this one looked like it would an absolute treat. And I absolutely wasn’t wrong. But more on that in a minute. I wanted to give the MR a special treat as well, as he hadn’t been feeling well, so I thought I would let him take the first go. After a little bit of dirty talk got him good and ready, I swapped out the included lube for some Sliquid and carefully slid the cup over his cock. Initially, I just stroked with the cup on it’s lowest setting, just to get a feel for the sleeve and the texture.

To increase suction, you simply place your finger over the open hole and this creates the vacuum, and thus suction – and it’s definitely intense suction. After a few moments, I could see he was really enjoying himself, so time to try out the TWIST feature, and see how this improves things. With his cock still deep in the sleeve, I cranked the cap to the second tightness setting. He noted that he could feel the canal get tighter. This also enhanced the feel of the textured sleeve as well. As the evening progressed, we worked our way up through all of the different settings.

It wasn’t long before he was reaching the peak of orgasm, and with a final stroke, his body shuddered and he let out a huge sigh. He lay there smiling, so I knew he must have enjoyed it. “My turn” I said to him, as I lubed up and lay down. As I lay there, with my expectation at an all time high, he slipped the TICKLE cup over my penis and began to stroke. Even on the ‘loosest’ setting, it felt pretty darn good, and I could really notice the texture. He agreed, going so far as to say he never normally notices texture on other masturbators, but he did here.

I was soon asking for him to play around with the tightness. As he twisted the cap, I exclaimed that he was right! I could feel the sleeve tighten on my shaft, like when he’s riding me and he clenches. It felt just like that. As the sleeve gets to it’s maximum tightness, I noted I couldn’t stroke as fast as I could normally, but that’s fine, as the sensation here is deeply intense. And once we reached that point, it didn’t take me long to reach an orgasm either. I lay there breathless and giggling. That was GOOD!

RIPPLE Texture

So the RIPPLE definitely scores high for it’s incredibly intense sensation. But I couldn’t leave it there. I needed to try the RIPPLE, and whilst I was excited to use it, part of me was certain that it wouldn’t be anywhere as good as the TICKLE. Oh boy, was I wrong. So very wrong. So preparation is very much the same – I got myself ‘aroused’ and then slipped inside the cup, and allowed myself a few moments to take the texture in.

The RIPPLE is definitely a little bit more ‘subtle’ texture wise, but it still felt pretty nice. But it wasn’t ‘grabbing’ me the same way that the TICKLE had. So I decided to speed things up a bit, and start twisting right away. As the internal canal got tighter, the texture inside started to become more noticeable. It wasn’t bad! Although I admit, at this point, I had gotten carried away with the stroking – I completely forgot about the vacuum hole. Upon realising what I was going, I slowed down and gave myself a few minutes to erm, cool off, before I continued.

As it turns out, the star of the RIPPLE cup is NOT the textured sleeve… it’s the suction. Now, i’m not entirely sure why, or whether this is just me being silly… but I couldn’t help but feel that the amount of suction I received from the RIPPLE, was a lot more intense than in the TICKLE. It seemed to ‘grip’ me a lot firmer, to the point where I didn’t even need to stroke with the cup. The combined vacuum, mixed with the tightness of the canal, meant that before I even knew what was going on, it was draining an orgasm from me. Oh my… I was definitely not expecting that.

Clean-up and Maintenance

Clean-up is far easier on these Air Tech cups. The sleeves remove quickly and simply, and can be thoroughly rinsed with warm water. I use an antibacterial spray to try and keep the sleeve as fresh as I can, for as long as I can. Allow the sleeve to air-dry before placing it back inside the cup. I found the sleeves do pop back in with ease, making them far less fiddly than most other ‘cup’ style masturbators. The cases themselves can just be wiped over with a damp cloth.

You don’t need to treat the sleeve with dusting powder either, as they don’t really go ‘sticky’ once you have washed them. Just make sure you keep the lid on at all times to prevent them from getting dusty, as they are proper magnets for lint and stray pug hair.

Summary

So, for the most part, OH MY GOD; THESE ARE AMAZING, is what I will be saying about these Air Tech Twist cups. It’s such a simple idea but it’s executed extremely well. I like the idea of being able to customise the tightness of the sleeve without having to Macgyver the situation with a few elastic bands. As a built in feature of the toy, I think it works and works brilliantly.

There are only a few minor niggles, but they are minor. Now, I know i’m going to regret saying this; and i’m dreading the barrage of comments I might get – but the lids are surprisingly difficult to get off! I’m sure i’m probably the only one who had this problem – but literally, when they first arrived, I spent a good 5 minutes trying to work out how to take the lids off. Even now, i’m still not sure exactly what the knack is, other than brute force!

Secondly, make sure to keep a towel handy, because it can be difficult to twist the cap when your hands are sticky and covered in lube. Thirdly (is that a word?!), it can get very, erm… Slurpy. There’s a lot of squelching and slurping which might be off putting for some. It’s less pronounced when you cover the suction hole. It’s not a big deal for me, but worth mentioning for those worried about sound.

See? I told you they were minor niggles. I definitely think I can overlook these when I consider how knee-trembling the orgasms these cups provide. So which one is for you? The TICKLE or the RIPPLE? If you, like me, are an absolute fan of full on texture in your masturbation devices, then go with the TICKLE. However, if you are less fussed about texture but enjoy a good amount of intense suction, the RIPPLE could be your new friend.

What’s even better about this, is the price. They are under £40, so you could buy BOTH for the same cost of a Flip Hole. And when you think about the different textures and tightness, that’s a lot of BANG for your buck.

Where to Buy

NOTE: These products have been discontinued; but you can check out the TENGA Aero which features a similar concept.

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I would like to thank TENGA Global for sending us the AIR TECH Twists free of charge in exchange for an honest review. This does not sway or alter my opinion on this or any other product we receive for review. All experiences and thoughts present here are 100% honest and my own. Affiliate links have been used in this post. 

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