Fleshlight Flight Pilot review: fasten your seatbelt for a turbulent ride

The Fleshlight Flight Pilot has spent a long time hovering near the top of our list of the best sex toys for men, and it's about time to get hands-on and find out just why it's so well respected. 

Though it's at the smaller end of Fleshlight's traditionally torch-shaped products, cheaper than some, and sports a clear inner and genderless entrance, it doesn't otherwise break far from the brand's typical formula – but is that enough to earn it a place in your collection? Is this really the best Fleshlight around? Here's our Fleshlight Flight Pilot review. 

• Buy Fleshlight Flight Pilot from Lovehoney

Fleshlight Flight Pilot review: design and features

The outward shape of the Flight Pilot isn't exactly subtle. This would still rank amongst the chunkiest D-cell packing torches were it actually a torch. But it's one of the more compact strokers in the main-line Fleshlight range, and it's positively dwarfed by the likes of the Ice Lady (read our Fleshlight Ice Lady review for more on that one).

Yes, it's not small like Fleshlight's own open-ended Quickshot toys or Arcwave's (admittedly somewhat chunky) rival, the Voy (here's our Arcwave Voy review). Unlike those, though, this is self-contained and, despite being smaller than some, not ungenerous with its capacity – only the particularly well-endowed are likely to butt up against the end of it. 

And yes, there's an end cap, unscrewable to adjust the amount of vacuum pressure inside and to help in cleaning the Flight Pilot (here is how to clean a Fleshlight, in case you were wondering). It's really stupid. It screws on just fine, sure, and you can desperately tweak it when you need to, but why did Fleshlight design it with a little slashed, angled profile? All this does is stop you being able to stand the Flight Pilot on end, and that's something you'll be surprised you did so often when presented with a toy that doesn't let you.

The outer case is made of fingerprint-loving glossy plastic. It's not the most premium finish, though Fleshlight's investment has clearly gone on the inner clear sleeve rather than the outside, so we'll forgive it.

Whether clear SuperSkin and the coloured variety used in other Fleshlight toys differ too much is something we'll have to test down the line: for now, we'll say that this see-through inner seems strong enough, though you'll definitely have to look after it if you want it to last long-term. It's a little sticky out of the box, but once lubed and warmed that does go away.

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Does the Fleshlight Flight Pilot really work?

As Fleshlight inners go, this one's a little peculiar. Not necessarily for the non-anatomical opening, which keeps it pleasing for anyone who might want to use it, but for the arrangement and design of its many textures. As you travel through, you hit a studded chamber rather early on, followed by a tighter narrowing – get through this and you're greeted by some almost Tenga-like geometric formations, followed by ribs for those lucky enough to be able to reach them.

For some users, particularly those with less sensitivity, this'll be just right. Go shallow and things are fairly comfortable, venture further and the sensations get a lot stronger. But be warned that the Pilot can feel a little rough if you're not expecting it, or if you haven't applied quite enough lube, and the early narrowing makes it feel a lot tighter than you might expect and builds a lot of friction.

Peculiarly, we found that this basically drinks lube, so you'll need to use a lot (here's our guide to the best lube, if you need some suggestions). It certainly seemed to need a fair amount more than the Fleshlight Ice Lady, which also employs Fleshlight's clear SuperSkin material.

That's a lot of caveats, but we can't claim that it doesn't work: this is an enjoyable, flexible toy which does exactly what it's supposed to do – and at times feels perfectly natural, which is something certain more rubbery toys can't achieve. Get the angles right and there's a lot of suction to be had; while this isn't anywhere near as noisy as the Arcwave Voy, it does tend to make a somewhat distracting slurp as the pressure inside reaches equilibrium.

• Need some tips? Here's how to use a Fleshlight
• Oil- vs water- vs silicone-based lube: make sure you get the right one

Fleshlight Flight Pilot review: alternatives to consider

Oh boy. If it's a closed-ended stroker you're after, there's a long list of sex toys which would fit the bill, the majority of which have made their way to our guide to the Best Fleshlights. 

Raising the curtain a little here, we tested this alongside the Fleshlight Ice Lady, which is quite similar. It's more anatomical and offers what can be a flattering view of the action, but it's also more expensive and more difficult to tuck away. 

If you'd prefer something a bit extra, Lovehoney's Blowmotion Real Feel Rechargable Vibrating Male Masturbator has a name which is altogether too long, plenty of length in its sleeve, and a pair of knock-your-socks-off bullet vibrators perfectly positioned to make things more interesting.

Fleshlight Flight Pilot review: verdict

The Fleshlight Flight Pilot is everything it purports to be: it feels pleasant, and more natural than many more rubbery alternatives, it's mostly well presented, and it's not going to jibe with whatever your sexual preferences might be. It's also nice and flexible, and if you get the angle right you can achieve some very satisfying suction. Any down-sides? It's not super-advanced, and it might be a bit rough for some. Perhaps this isn't the best first toy, but for more experienced users, it could really hit the spot.