On that note, to date, whenever Lovense have released a new version of toy, they have always managed to improve on the original; whether that be by bringing new innovations or simply by doing the same thing but better.
So have Lovense managed to continue this trend with the Tenera 2 - their app-controlled clitoral suction simulator?
The disclaimer
Well, first of all, I have to say that I’ve never been able to try the original Tenera as it wasn’t available in my territory (the UK). Sadly, that leaves me without any sort of benchmark against which to compare the Tenera 2. However, from all the digging that I’ve done, it seems like the original was very popular with those that tried it.
Actually, popular is an understatement. Most Tenera owners seem to absolutely rave about how good it was. Which means that version 2 of the product is going to be a sure fire hit then, right?
Well, I’ll get into that in a little bit...
What is the Tenera 2?
The idea is that the shaped suction zone on the toy (which we’ll call the mouth for simplicity) sits over and around the clit and, in conjunction with those air pulses, it gives the sensation of being sucking on during oral sex.
For those that like to know the numbers, on max power, the Tenera 2 can produce up to 4500 of those pulses per minute, which is slightly down on the 5000 that the original model was capable of. And they say that the volume of it is only slightly louder than light rain at 43 dB. I suppose the truth of that lies in what power setting you are using it on. From my experience of it, what noise it does make is relatively low pitch and fairly discrete, certainly compared to some of my other Lovense toys.
The techy stuff and what's in the box
The toy itself is made from the typical body-safe silicone that Lovense employs for most of it’s toys and the whole thing feels pretty sturdy, although the mouth area does have some squidge to it so that it can deform just a little bit to fit against the contours of your body. The silicon feels fine against my body. I wouldn’t say the feel of it is super wow but it’s also not something that bothers me in any way. So just fine.
Although, I will say that using it for extended periods is no problem as it doesn’t cause any sort of soreness by continually buzzing against your skin, even when no lube is used. If you do want to lube up though, the silicon is safe to use with any water-based lube.
As for how long it will go for, I’ve used it for over an hour on a few occasions without the battery dying from being fully charged. Lovense themselves say the life is 1hr 18mins, which is presumably based on high power usage. I’ve probably got somewhere close to that or even beyond it by not always going full power.
The silicone is also IPX7 water-resistant so safe to put in use in the shower or bath (although Bluetooth connectivity can be hindered by water).
It also means that cleaning it is an absolute doddle, which for me, this is a big win for the Tenera 2. All you have to do is run it on max power and then drop it (figuratively, not literally) into a bowl of warm water for 1 minute and it cleans itself for you. How great is that? A totally self-cleaning toy! Just make sure the water is warm, not hot, otherwise you could have an exploding battery to deal with.
Personally, I like the ergonomics of the Tenera 2. It’s comfortable to hold in a number of different ways, even for someone like me whose hands are on the smaller side. At it’s largest points, it’s just under 5 inches long, 2.5 inches tall and 1.7 inches wide. So not too big at all. Actually, it’s a very nice size to keep a nice firm grip on.
Control of it is handled via a pair of buttons on top of the toy, which cycle backwards and forwards through the different intensities and patterns, with one also doubling as the power button when held down.
If you are a Lovense user already, you’ll be familiar with the sort of options that are available here but notice what I said there; backwards and forwards. I think for just about every other toy I have tried, you have to cycle through the patterns in a single direction before looping back around to the start. It might just be a small thing but being able to go in both directions is a big win for me and hopefully something we’ll be seeing more in the future from them.
The top of the toy also has the magnetic charging points for their now ubiquitous magnetic USB charging cables. It’s such a relief that we’re not forced into having a drawer full of different charging cables for our Lovense toy and that just a single one can service the majority of my collection, barring my very earliest purchases (the Domi 2, Nora and original Hush being the exceptions).
And one final thing to mention about what you physically receive in the box. Alongside the toy itself and the charger that I’ve just been singing the praises of, you do, of course, receive the customary black baggy to store the Tenera 2 in. I feel like this is such a standard expectation now that I needn’t even keep mentioning it but I really do feel like I want to keep highlighting it because I’m so grateful for getting one with each product.
Does it live up to the anticipation?
OK, so let’s get onto the performance.
Like I said at the off, I never had the opportunity to try the original Tenera. My understanding, although don’t quote me on this, was that it was only available in certain territories due to some sort of copyright issues, primarily in the U.S. I have a feeling that this is going to be a rather important point.
Rather than being an upgraded version, I get the distinct impression that the Tenera 2 is actually a slightly compromised version that is able to circumvent whatever those copyright issues might have been.
Indeed, if you take a look at all of the user reviews in Lovense’s Discord server, almost every single one that has been submitted from a Tenera 1 owner, is one of disappointment and let down as the new model seems to be considerably less powerful than the original.
For whatever reason, a major aspect of the redesign has been to make the sucking sensation more pinpoint (their choice of words, not mine). And this has left the performance of the toy much more at the mercy of different body types than the original which was apparently loved by all because of the wider mouth giving a much broader suction zone. When people say "less powerful suction", I'm more inclined to read that as either "harder to target suction" or "not as suited to all body types". Let me explain...
My personal experience
My first few attempts with my Tenera 2 were very disappointing as I felt very little suction or stimulation at all. To the point where I was questioning if I was somehow trying to use it wrongly. But, with a little perseverance, I found that, if I could find a very exact sweet spot, it actually created a very enjoyable feeling. Not one that would make me go weak at the knees or cross-eyed but still very nice regardless.
The problem is that, if your body is anything like mine, you first need to find that sweet spot and then, somehow, keep holding the mouth of the sucker in that exact spot without losing it. Easier said than done, let me tell you!
So it seems very much like it is very dependent on your particular anatomy as to how effective that pinpoint stimulation is. Some users, like with my early efforts, get absolutely nothing from it, whereas others find it to be pretty orgasmic with very little fuss.
To be honest, I’m yet to cum from just using the Tenera 2 by itself. If anything, I find it much more useful for a bit of light teasing or warm-up. Perhaps a bit of extended edging. But not if I just really want to cum and cum hard. That's not to say it can't do that though. Just not for me and plenty of other users.
Let’s not forget about a good bit of nipple play though. Because, as with my Exomoon, I think I actually find that using it on my nipples is actually more pleasurable than fiddling around between my legs with it. Of course, it is still subject to finding that sweet spot when sucking on my nipples but I do find that much easier in comparison. In combination with another toy that is providing either clit or G-spot stimulation instead of the Tenera 2, that feeling of titty sucking can nicely take things up a notch or two whilst the other two does most of the heavy lifting.
In closing...
OK, so to summarise. Anticipation for the Tenera 2 was extremely high due to the popularity of the limited-availability Tenera. However, this is a sidegrade rather than an upgrade, making it the first time that I’ve come across a Lovense toy that doesn’t take a nice step forward with a numbered successor.
I really don’t think I can say that this is either a good toy or a bad toy. If there is a fault with it, it is that it is too dependent on your personal anatomy so it may be hard to predict whether it's something that will work for you, even if, like me, you are a lover of clit stimulating toys.
Obviously, it's not ideal that it is a bit of a lottery as to how enjoyable you will find it. All I will say is that the overwhelmingly negative reviews you might find online may not be at all relevant to you. But they may also be absolutely spot on. And therein lies the problem.
At least, if it fails to deliver on the clit sucking, you might be able to get some enjoyment out of nipple sucking instead so it might not be a complete loss.
If you feel like taking a chance on the Tenera 2, which might be very well worth it for you (sorry, I really don’t know!), why not head over to the Lovense store and order one for yourself right now!
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