Masterbatory aids ... from cloth to silicone v. other base
Being that I travel away from my wife, sometimes for several weeks at a time, I have many times considered getting some "masterbatory aids." I wanted to replicate the "feel" as much as having my wife in-person, especially if we tried to have "phone sex." In the end, I just "hold off," especially since I'm back to working in the northeast US (and not so much west) and flying home almost every weekend now.
But with that said, let me make some suggestions with increasing cost ... (ignoring blow-up dolls, which are a waste and I probably couldn't stop laughing) ...
1. Soft cloth
2. "Depository" toy
3. "Replica" anatomy
First and foremost, I don't know about you guys, but I (probably many others) indirectly became an "expert" on various cloths when I was a kid and jacking off daily. I ruined so much cloth (much to the dislike of my bother) that at one point I literally budgeted money to buy cloth, cut it, use it a few times (and a few hand washes) and discard. It's quite effective with everything from simple, non-thick felt to more exotic furs or padded comforters (when on-sale).
Secondly, most people go for the "depository" type toys. They are everywhere, and vary from plastic to silicone to a few, more exotic types of materials. The Fleshlight seems to try to strike a balance in cost to pleasure, although they are also relying on silicone for feel, which is not perfect.
With those two covered, I'm going to get into the "replicas" because I seriously looked at them myself. But in the end, other than maybe Danni's, they weren't practical for transportation.
Danni's Jiggly Fantasy Boobs
If I wanted to blow $100, I'd go for these:
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=Danni's+Jiggly+Fantasy+Boobs&btnG=Search+Froogle&scoring=p
They are still silicone-based, so not the ultimate in pleasure (won't flow as much as real breasts), but I'd still get off nicely considering I have a hefty lust for Danni, she has the perfect size for pleasure, and I love to tit-fuck.
The material is from a company that makes "CyberSkin" and also available in a few other products:
http://www.cyberskin.com/products.asp
Cyborgasmatrix Elastomeric Gel-based
A lot of people talk about the Real Dolls, but they are still heavily silicone-based. And they are damn expensive. For masterbatory purposes, I'd really be into just the "components," and would look for a better material when it comes to pleasure. The trade-off is, of course, the fact that the material isn't very "forming."
As such, Cyborgasmatrix and their Electromeric Gel-based anatomy is probably what I'd get if I lost my wife (these things are definitely too big to travel with) -- especially sub-$800 or even sub-$400.
http://www.cyborgasmatrix.com/DollsTorso_Gallery.htm
The no-head torso (including vaginal cavity) is $795 and the bust-only torso is $395. I heard the material is a dream to play with, as well as quite good for entering vaginally (if you buy the former). The material is supposed to be very, very capable to storing/distributing heat, so putting it in hot water or heating areas can be a very nice addition. Given the cartoonish nature of the head, I don't think it's worth the few extra hundred bucks, so $400-800 is a great deal!
So, what are the downsides? Several ...
1. The body is very fluid with no backbone (unlike the real-doll, or even Danni's boobs). You need to use a chair or other surface as the backbone.
2. The material will stretch to a point, then tear. You have to be somewhat careful with it. It's got a good amount of tensile strength and will take "pulling," but don't expect to be able to pull it weight by just grabbing part of the body -- that'll definitely tear it.
With #2, you don't want to move it much if you can help it. And given the size and requirement for a backbone, you should have a private, dedicated area for it to sit (especially if you have visitors).
This could be as simple as a deep closet with a chair in the back where you put place her. Probably more fun would be a large, jacuzzi-type master bathroom, where you can lock the door or close fogged glass and leave her in it (especially for clean-up as well as using hot water -- the body holds warmth quite well!).
Again, if my wife ever left me or passed on, I'd probably get one. I can't stand cartoonish heads and a real doll is not really what I'd like either, since it's not lifelike enough. But I definitely want the feel and "body" and the Cyborgasmatrix does serve that quite well, at an affordable price. There's just a little consideration when it comes to handling it that you don't with the silicone of other dolls.
BTW, they do have a full torso with back option now, but it's $3,000. If you like doggie or can't stand the material's tendency to flatten and were looking at the real doll, this new creation (4 years in development) might be a better alternative for those that care more about the feel than look.
Ignore the color of the full body prototype, that's not the finished model.