Review: Iroha Sakura from Tenga

Iroha Sakura from Tenga

Pros:
- Made from silicone
-Rechargeable
- Multiple settings
- Easy to use and understand
Cons:
- Odd surface texture
- Only Splash proof
- Expensive for what it is
Overall:

-Overview-

Sakura is a nice vibrator, having many of the qualities I look for in an external vibe.  It’s rechargeable, made from body safe materials, and has decent power behind it.  But what really makes this, and others from the Iroha line, stand out is the way it feels.  It has a firm core which is surrounded by a soft layer, and is covered in a silicone skin.  To put it bluntly, it feels really odd.  Everything about this vibe is great for those that enjoy broad stimulation, though the tips can apply slightly more focused vibrations when you press down with them.  It’s an alright product, but in my opinion you could get something better for around the same price or less.

-Intro/Use-

Sakura from the Iroha line from Tenga is an external vibrator that’s was primarily designed with women in mind.  The Soft Touch material makes it comfortable to use, and the shape helps it fit best with the female anatomy.

The shape of the toy makes it possible to use in a variety of ways.  One end of the toy is totally round, while the other has a small split.  This split makes it possible to stimulate either side of your nipples or clitoris at the same time, or you can turn the vibe on its side and rub the area back and forth to provide a new sensation.  The top and round side of the product provide broad stimulation that work well on male and female bodied users.

Sakura also works well for use with a partner since it’s easy to understand and the Soft Touch feature makes it nearly impossible to cause discomfort during use.  It literally feels like a marshmallow and shouldn’t look or feel intimidating to most.  It’s a little on the large side to fit between bodies during intercourse, but works well during foreplay.

Vibrators like this aren’t designed to be inserted into your body.  If you were to insert this toy anally, it’s very likely you would need to visit the ER in order to have it removed.  Play safe!

Sadly, you can’t add this one to your basket of bath time playthings, because it’s only splash proof.  You can clean it under running water (cold or tepid), but avoid submerging it as that could potentially ruin your toy.

-Material/Texture-

Sakura is made from a few different materials; plastic (for the firm inner core and controls), polyurethane elastomer (what makes it squishy), silicone (for the skin), and metal (for the buttons on the control).  The polyurethane elastomer doesn’t come in contact with your skin, and the plastic and metal are on the bottom of the vibe, so most of what you’re exposed to is the silicone.  It’s body safe, non-porous, latex free, and phthalate free.  You can easily wash the vibe with soap and water, your favorite sex toy cleaner, or you can sterilize with a 10% bleach solution.  Make sure you don’t soak the toy since it’s only splash proof.  This material is compatible with water-based lubricant only, and a little goes a long way.

The texture of this one is a little difficult to describe.  The surface of the silicone is incredibly silky smooth feeling, and glides fairly easily across the skin.  It repels dust and lint, which makes it so much easier to handle and use.  There’s really no texture apart from the control area and the split tip, but the way it feels is really quite odd.

The squishy inner layer and the silicone skin aren’t stuck together, so the outside of the toy can be pinched much like you can actual skin.  Underneath this layer the polyurethane elastomer has a gel like feeling to it.  You can see and feel it compress, but the material within keeps its shape and looks normal the moment you remove your fingers.

-Design/Size-

The design of the Sakura screams Japanese!  It’s cute, simple looking, and puffy.  Draw on a couple big eyes and it could look like either a cute fish or bunny depending on how you drew it.

On a real note, the design is fairly simple, but serves a purpose.  The Iroha website says:

“The cherry-blossom pink SAKURA allows you to pinch and please with its indented tip”

Truly, there’s no pinching going on here.  I’m not really sure why they made that statement since the tip can only be pinched if you use your fingers to do so, and it’s not indented enough to really hold it against your clit or nipples and pinch it closed.  It can rest on either side of those areas, and works well that way, but there’s no pinching involved.

The top of the vibrator (the side lacking the controls) is where the toy has the most give.  The bottom has much less in comparison, but you wouldn’t typically use this side against your body.

The size is very reasonable for a product like this, and fits easily in your hand.  It’s a nice travel vibe because it’s compact, but doesn’t have a locking feature or storage pouch, so you might just want to leave this one at home.  The full length of the vibe measure in at 3 1/4″ and is 2 1/4″ at the widest point.  The tip only indents 3/8″, which might not be enough to properly surround the desired areas.

-Functions/Controls-

The Sakura is rechargeable and comes with an interesting charging set up.  It features a flat base that the toy magnetically connects to, and has a USB cord that plugs into it.  It also comes with a wall adapter so you can charge your toy using a computer or a regular outlet.  The black base has a clear plastic top and doubles as a storage container for your vibe.  

When it first arrives, it’s important to allow your toy to fully charge before use.  Make sure to line the control buttons up with the magnets on the base and plug it in.  When properly connected to the charging base and plugged in, a small light will glow (from the charging base), letting you know that it’s charging.  Once the charge is complete (after approximately 120 minutes), the light will turn off and your toy will be ready to use.  On a full charge, the power can last up to 90 minutes, but that depends on which settings you’re using.  The stronger settings require more power and will drain the battery faster.  How long your vibe takes to recharge after that will depend on how low the battery was when placed on the charger.

The Sakura has a very reasonable amount of settings.  Three steady vibration settings (low, medium, and high) and one pattern setting (pulse).  To turn the toy on, you press and hold down the plus button until you feel the toy start vibrating.  Each press of the plus button after that will take you to the next setting.  The settings will keep cycling as you press the plus button.  To go back to a previous setting you can press the minus button or cycle back through until you’ve reached it.  When you’re ready to turn the toy off, you simply press the minus button until the vibrations cease.  No matter what setting you’re on, the toy will always start off on the lowest steady setting, the vibe doesn’t hold your place.

The vibrations travel well throughout the whole toy which is both a positive and a negative.  In one sense it’s great because you can use any area of the toy to stimulate your body, but at the same time it can make your fingers feel a little tingly.  It’s not horrible, but can be slightly annoying at times.

The type of vibrations are a little more rumbly than buzzy, but not by much.  It’s almost like they found the middle ground between the two and felt it was good enough.  It’s enough that it should work for most users, but might fall short for some power queens.

The sound level is quite modest, being impossible to hear through a closed door.  If you’re in the same room with someone else while you’re using it they may hear the vibe from underneath clothing or covers, but a little white noise should cover it.

-Packaging-

The packaging for the Sakura is really classy looking, featuring a sleeve that shows an image of the toy on the front, and contains product information on the back.  Inside the sleeve are two boxes; one that’s white, and one that’s pink.  The white box contains the user manual and charging cord, and the pink box contains your vibrator which is resting inside a cardboard nest, already inside the plastic charger/storage case.  The packaging isn’t discreet since it’s obvious what it contains, but it would make a suitable gift for a close friend or lover.

The user manual isn’t specific to the Sakura, but covers the whole Iroha line.  It covers the basic information you need to know about charging, how to use, cleaning and care, product specs, etc.  There are warning that state much of the obvious, but also mention things like how important it is to keep away from heat.  Always make sure you wash your vibe with cold or tepid water to prevent damage.  The last thing included in the user manual is the warranty information (1 year against defects due to fault of production or materials), and even has a form you can fill out if necessary.  All this information is covered in eight different languages.

-Experience-

After trying out some of Tenga’s male products (the Black Flip Hole is awesome!), I was excited to hear they were producing a line of vibrating toys designed for women.  When I saw what they looked like and heard about this Soft Touch feature, I was even more interested.

When my Sakura arrived, I was immediately intrigued by the way it felt in my hands.  I spent about 10 minutes fondling the poor thing, trying to figure out if I liked the texture or found it bothersome.  I decided to stop messing with it, and charged it up to see if it felt as odd during use as it did in my hands.

The first time I tested it out, I tried using the indented tip on either side of my clit.  I’m a big fan of targeted stimulation, and I felt pretty underwhelmed by what I experienced.  I tried applying more pressure and that helped, but I just wasn’t a fan of using it that way.

The next time I tested it out, I was determined to find a way to make it work better for me.  I don’t normally like broad stimulation, but I figured I’d try the opposite end first.  Nope, nothing.  I tried using the top.  Yeah…not any better.  I switched it back around and tried the indented tip again, only on its side.  I didn’t just hold it in place, I rubbed it back and forth against one side of my clit, creating a light flicking sensation as a result.  That did it for me.  I was actually pretty blown away by the feeling it provided.  Because the tips are soft, it didn’t cause any discomfort, and I was able to press down pretty firmly during use.

So for me, this wasn’t a very versatile vibrator, but I was able to make it work, and make it work well!  I still think there are better product available, but the Sakura isn’t a terrible little vibe.

If you’re interested in purchasing Sakura, or any of the Iroha line, you can do so by clicking the banner below.

Sakura was provided to me free of charge in exchange for an unbiased review.  This is in compliance with FTC guidelines.