Glance at any “best male masturbators” list online and you’re bound to see Fleshlights come up. The best Fleshlights—of which there are many—top a lot of those lists, because the products feel good, look realistic (sometimes, if that's what's your into), and elevate sex toys for penises to a whole new level. That being said, there are lots of other brands making Fleshlight-esque products these days, some of which are just as impressive.
While this type of sex toy comes with more than its fair share of stigma, there’s nothing weird or even unusual about buying a stroker, masturbator, “pocket pussy,” or whatever else you wanna call it. Like any other kind of sex toy, these products are meant to help you explore new sensations and experience more pleasure, which is worth celebrating, not shaming.
The Best Fleshlights and Strokers, at a Glance
In the mood for some self loving? Here are our top picks for this category right here, no foreplay necessary.
What is a stroking toy?
Fleshlights and other such toys basically do what your hand does: They can be stroked up and down on your dick in a way that (hopefully) feels good. But these toys are lined with a soft, squishy, textured material—typically elastomer—which can feel less like your hand and more like penetrative sex or a blowjob.
“Whilst a hand is perfectly capable, sometimes it’s just not enough,” sex toy reviewer David of The Big Gay Review, a website with nearly 100 different masturbators reviews, says. “There’s a primal urge about wanting to thrust yourself into something.”
The variety offered by strokers also makes them a great upgrade from your hand. In addition to the wide range of internal textures available, you can also experiment with strokers that vibrate, rotate, suck, and pulse. “With strokers of so many shapes and sizes available, it’s fun to explore,” says David.
What is a Fleshlight?
Much like how Kleenex is such a ubiquitous brand that a lot of us refer to tissues solely by that name, Fleshlight is such a trailblazing company in the sex toy industry that its name is often invoked when strokers are being discussed as a whole.