Tenga produce a range of products which aim to enhance the experience of male masturbation. Originally from Japan, your English Tenga will come with stickers over the Kanji printing on the outer plastic sleeve with instructions for non-Japanese speakers. Phew! Because my Japanese is rudimentary at best.

Masturbators are always an adventure for me, though I can’t speak for other men. Each is a different experience and each has its own pros and cons. The Tenga I tried is rather compact, 15cm long and 21cm in circumference. I’m no John Holmes, but I’m significantly longer than 15cm. Remove the protective cap that keeps your Tenga nice and clean … and we’re down to 13cm.

What you realise when you use the device is that it’s not meant to engulf you entirely. It stimulates the most sensitive parts of your penis head, the glans and frenulum. Understand your sex toy, that’s what I say.

The Tenga Air Cushion Cup comes pre-lubricated so you’re ready to go without any preparation. That is if you only want to use the Tenga once. Unless you use a condom to capture the intended “happy finish” you’ll only be able to use the Tenga once. It can’t be cleaned after use, it’s a sealed unit, so the only way to get more than one (money) shot from a Tenga is to wear a condom.

The necessity to use condoms to extend the life of the toy beyond one wank might lead you to discount it in favour of a more expensive and washable toy. Don’t. While the Tenga can never be as durable as more conventional masturbators its construction appears adequate for a few sessions of self-pleasure. Even with a condom the Tenga Air Cushion Cup is very pleasurable to use and the slurping sound that accompanies each stroke of the toy on your cock is different from any other masturbator I’ve tried.

Removing the condom and using the Tenga bareback allows you to feel the soft but firm grip of the toy’s innards. I must admit to being a little intrigued as to the exact internal workings of the toy. The translucent outer case hints at its pneumatic wonders, and I’m tempted to take a hacksaw to one just to satisfy my curiosity.

I’ll not be sawing mine up though as it’s fulfilled its purpose …

Since meeting Suze, solo masturbation is not something I indulge in. She enjoys watching too much. I must admit, having tried several masturbators since we began testing sex toys I have developed a technique. I prop myself up in bed against the headboard, body at about 45 degrees to my legs, back supported by pillows. Suze watches me while I indulge in my exploratory bouts of onanism.

The Tenga experience is simplicity itself, no lube, no pre-washing of the toy just get yourself up and go. OK so I wore a condom on the first half of the test so there is that preparation but that’s only a few moments.

The small size of the Tenga, in girth as well as length, meant that I did worry about it being too tight. No problems though. Its interior is soft and pliable and even though I seemed to fill the toy I was still treated to the sounds and sensations of a slurping, sucking, rubbing sex toy.

Suze, who has seen me masturbate with a wide range of toys, was thoroughly entranced by the sight of me pumping my penis with this one. The subtly of the sensation is in start contrast with masturbators that are lined with ridges and ripples or incorporate a vibating bullet. As I said above a different experience.

I removed the condom after a couple of minutes to see how much more intense the feeling was on bare skin. The difference was palpable, but not huge. I could feel the Tenga flicking my frenulum as its mysterious inner workings passed over my cock, but otherwise it was simply a more intense version of the condom-clad feelings.

I indulged myself with a combination of slow and fast strokes, tried long and short movements. All of these allowed me to vary the sensation a little, though not as much as is possible with a toy that fully accommodates your cock. You can also vary teh suction by covering and uncovering the air hole in the base of the Tenga. When I came the orgasm was satisfying, not earth shattering.

The Tenga Air Cushion Cup adds variety to your masturbation. I wouldn’t say this particular model is a revolution in masturbators, but it does the job. And after all it’s not the only toy from Tenga so maybe I’ll have fun trying out the rest and the different experiences they offer.

Tags: Tenga, Tenga Air Cushion Cup, Tenga review, masturbator review, sex toy review, masturbation