# Encore Deluxe Review: 90% Success, $130 Once, and Nobody Advertises It

> Battery and manual pump heads, seven tension rings, a vacuum limiter, and an erection sufficient for intercourse in around 90% of men — including men where drugs have failed entirely. The catch is not effectiveness.

- **Source:** ED Treatment Guides (https://www.edtreatmentguides.com/encore-vacuum-reviews/encore-deluxe)
- **Last updated:** 2026-08-02
- **Type:** product
- **Sold by:** Encore
- **Product:** Deluxe Vacuum Therapy System
- **Active ingredient:** No drug. A sealed cylinder, a vacuum pump with a pressure limiter, and elastic tension rings that hold blood in place mechanically
- **Regulatory status:** FDA-cleared device
- **Doses available:** Deluxe — interchangeable battery and manual pump heads; Standard — manual pump only; Seven tension rings in assorted sizes supplied with the Deluxe
- **Editorial rating:** 4.1/5
- **Best for:** Men for whom PDE5 inhibitors are contraindicated, ineffective, or no longer working.
- **Recommended:** Men on nitrates, men where tablets have stopped working, and anyone rehabilitating after prostate surgery. The lowest lifetime cost of any effective treatment on this site.
- **Closest equivalent elsewhere:** About $130 once, against $1,200 or more for five years of even the cheapest telehealth subscription
- **Website:** https://timmmedical.com/vacuum-therapy-systems/
- **Commercial relationship:** No commercial relationship. Links to this product earn us nothing.

## Key points

- **Around 90% achieve an erection sufficient for intercourse** — the best success rate of anything you can buy without a prescription.
- Mechanical, so it is **unaffected by nerve damage, artery disease or hormones**, and completely safe with nitrates.
- **About $130 once.** Roughly a tenth of a subscription over five years.
- **Practise alone three or four times first.** Nearly all abandonment happens before competence, not after.
- **Medicare stopped covering these on 1 July 2015** under the ABLE Act, and Medicare Advantage cannot cover them either.

## Scores

| Criterion | Score | Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Clinical quality | 4.5/5 | An erection sufficient for intercourse in around 90% of men, a place in the AUA guideline, and a defined role in post-prostatectomy rehabilitation protocols. It works independently of nerves, arteries and hormones, which is why it succeeds where every drug on this site fails. The only reason it is not a 5 is that continuation rates are poor. |
| Transparency | 4.2/5 | Published specifications, stated ring sizes, real instructions, and no inflated regulatory language — refreshing after the rest of the device category. Marked down because retail listings are scattered across resellers at inconsistent prices, and several still claim Medicare coverage that ended in 2015. |
| Value | 4.6/5 | The best on the site over any multi-year horizon. Around $130 once, then a few dollars a year for replacement rings. Nothing recurring, no renewal price rise, no cancellation to remember. |
| Experience | 2.9/5 | The honest weak point. It interrupts sex, it needs practice, the erection pivots at the base and may feel cool. Long-term continuation is often under 50%, and almost all of the dropout happens in the first few weeks before anyone has got good at it. |
| Privacy | 4/5 | No questionnaire, no prescriber needed, no health record, no recurring charge. The trade is physical rather than digital: it is an object that ships in a box and then lives in your house. |

**Overall: 4.1/5**

## Pros

- **Around 90% of men achieve an erection sufficient for intercourse**
- Works where drugs fail — after prostate surgery, in diabetic neuropathy, in severe vascular disease
- **Completely safe with nitrates**, unlike every PDE5 inhibitor
- About $130 once, and essentially nothing after that
- Both battery and manual pump heads, so hand strength is not a barrier
- **Vacuum limiter** — the safety feature that separates medical-grade from novelty pumps
- Seven tension ring sizes supplied, which is most of the difference between working and not

## Cons

- **It interrupts sex.** No version of this product solves that
- Continuation is often under 50%, concentrated in the first weeks
- The erection pivots at the base and can feel cool or slightly numb
- Needs three or four practice sessions before it works reliably
- **Medicare has not covered these since 1 July 2015**
- Ejaculation can feel restricted or be partially trapped by the ring
- Care needed with anticoagulants and bleeding disorders

## Pricing

| Plan | Price | Includes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Encore Deluxe | About $125–$170 | Battery and manual pump heads, cylinder, seven tension rings, loading cone, carry case |
| Encore Standard | About $135 | Manual pump, cylinder, rings, case |
| Replacement tension rings | A few dollars each | The only consumable. Replace when elasticity drops off |
| Five years of a cheap subscription, for scale | $1,200+ | Roughly ten times the lifetime cost of this device |

_Prices checked 2026-08-02. Verify on the provider's own site before ordering._

## Verdict

If this product had a marketing budget it would be recommended constantly, and the fact that it does not is most of why men have never seriously considered it. A vacuum erection device draws blood into the penis using negative pressure and holds it with an elastic ring at the base. It produces an erection sufficient for intercourse in around 90% of men, and — this is the part that matters — that figure holds in situations where every drug on this site has stopped working, because the mechanism is physics rather than pharmacology. It does not need intact nerve signalling, healthy arteries or normal testosterone. That makes it the standard option after prostate surgery, where it is used deliberately in rehabilitation protocols to keep tissue oxygenated while nerves recover, and it makes it one of the very few effective treatments available to men taking nitrates for angina. The Deluxe is the configuration worth buying because it includes both pump heads: battery for anyone whose grip or dexterity is limited, manual for finer control. Around $130 buys it once, seven ring sizes come in the box, and then it costs you nothing for years. Against a subscription over five years, that is roughly a tenth of the price. Now the reason it scores 2.9 on experience and not higher overall: it interrupts sex, it takes several sessions to get competent with, and the erection feels different — it pivots at the base because rigidity stops where the ring does, and it can feel cool. Continuation rates below 50% are common, and nearly all the dropout is in the first few weeks. Which means the highest-value thing you can do is practise alone three or four times before it ever matters. Buy medical-grade with a vacuum limiter, get through the first month, and you have the cheapest effective treatment that exists.

## What is in the box, and what each part is for

- **The cylinder** — A clear tube that seals against the body. Transparency matters — you need to see what is happening to judge when you have enough and to spot anything going wrong.
- **Two pump heads** — The reason to buy the Deluxe over the Standard. The battery head runs itself, which matters if arthritis, neuropathy or a stroke has affected grip. The manual head gives finer control over how fast pressure builds and never runs out of charge at an unhelpful moment.
- **The vacuum limiter** — The single most important safety component, built into the pump. It caps how much negative pressure can be generated so you physically cannot over-pump. This is what makes a device medical-grade rather than a novelty.
- **Seven tension rings** — Assorted sizes. Getting this right is most of the difference between an erection that holds and one that drains, and between comfort and pain. Start mid-range and adjust from there.
- **The loading cone** — A tapered guide that gets the ring onto the base of the cylinder ready for transfer. Fiddly the first time, trivial the fifth.

> **Never buy a pump without a vacuum limiter**
>
> Novelty pumps sold without one can be pumped to pressures that rupture blood vessels, producing bruising, pinpoint red spots and in the worst cases lasting injury. The price difference between a limited and an unlimited pump is small. The difference in what can go wrong is not. This is the one specification worth being inflexible about.

## Why it works when tablets have stopped

Understanding this properly changes how you think about the whole category. Sildenafil and its relatives do not create an erection. They block the enzyme that breaks down the chemical messenger your body releases during arousal, which means the signal lasts longer and works harder. If arousal is not producing that signal — because nerves were damaged during prostate surgery, or diabetic neuropathy has degraded them, or the arteries cannot deliver enough blood regardless — then there is nothing for the drug to amplify. This is precisely why men reach the point where tablets 'stop working'.

A vacuum device does not join that chain anywhere. It moves blood into the tissue with negative pressure and traps it with a ring. Nerves, arteries and hormones are not consulted. That is the entire reason the success rate stays near 90% in populations where drug response has collapsed.

**Where it fits against the alternatives**

| Situation | PDE5 tablets | Vacuum device |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Taking nitrates for angina | Absolutely contraindicated | Completely safe |
| After radical prostatectomy | Often ineffective while nerves recover | Works, and is used in rehabilitation protocols |
| Advanced diabetic neuropathy | Response often poor | Unaffected — mechanism is mechanical |
| Severe vascular disease | Limited by the arteries themselves | Draws blood in regardless |
| Spontaneity | Take a tablet in advance | Interrupts the moment |
| Cost over five years | $1,200+ on subscription | About $130 once |

_See [vacuum device versus injections](https://www.edtreatmentguides.com/compare/vacuum-vs-injections) for the other main option when tablets fail._

## The first month, which decides everything

A 90% success rate and a sub-50% continuation rate is not a contradiction — it is a description of a learning curve that most men quit halfway up. Treat the first sessions as equipment practice with no expectations attached.

1. **Practise alone, three or four times.** The aim is competence, not an occasion. Every difficulty below is easier to solve without an audience.
2. **Lubricate the base of the cylinder generously**, water-based. Almost every failed first attempt is a seal failure rather than a device failure. Trimming pubic hair at the base genuinely helps the seal.
3. **Pump slowly and in stages.** Rapid pumping is uncomfortable and no quicker in practice. Pause as pressure builds and let the tissue respond.
4. **Size the ring properly.** Start in the middle of the seven supplied. Too loose and the erection drains within a minute; too tight and it hurts and the thirty-minute limit becomes something you feel.
5. **Start the clock when the ring goes on.** Thirty minutes, maximum.
6. **Expect it to feel different.** Rigidity stops at the ring, so the erection pivots at the base. It may feel cool or slightly numb. Both are normal and neither means anything is wrong.
7. **Bring your partner in early.** Men who present this as a shared piece of equipment rather than a private humiliation are far more likely to be using it a year later. Our guide on [talking to your partner](https://www.edtreatmentguides.com/guides/talking-to-your-partner) is genuinely useful here.

> **Thirty minutes, and no falling asleep**
>
> The tension ring restricts blood flow — that is how it works, and past about thirty minutes it becomes the risk rather than the mechanism. Remove it immediately for pain, numbness, coldness or colour change. Never fall asleep with a ring on. This rule is identical for every [constriction ring](https://www.edtreatmentguides.com/treatments/constriction-rings) from every brand.

> **Check with a clinician first if**
>
> You take anticoagulants, have sickle cell disease or another bleeding or clotting disorder, have significantly reduced genital sensation — because you may not feel a warning sign — or have [Peyronie's disease](https://www.edtreatmentguides.com/causes/peyronies-disease). None of these are automatic exclusions; all of them warrant a conversation before your first session rather than after a problem.

## Paying for it: Medicare, insurance and FSA

> **Medicare has not covered these since 2015**
>
> The Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act of 2014 eliminated Medicare coverage for vacuum erection devices. For dates of service on or after **1 July 2015**, codes L7900 and L7902 are statutorily non-covered — and because the exclusion is statutory, **Medicare Advantage plans cannot offer it as a supplemental benefit either**. Retailer pages still say otherwise. They are working from pre-2015 information.

- **Commercial insurance** — Some plans cover VEDs, usually requiring a prescription and often documented failure of oral therapy first. One phone call before you buy is worth the fifteen minutes. If you are denied, our [insurance appeals guide](https://www.edtreatmentguides.com/guides/insurance-appeals) covers the process.
- **FSA and HSA** — Generally an eligible medical expense, especially with a prescription or a letter of medical necessity. This is the most reliable route to paying with pre-tax money and applies to the full purchase.
- **VA benefits** — Separate from Medicare, and veterans have historically been able to obtain devices through VA care. Ask your VA provider directly.
- **Cash** — The default, and at around $130 for something with no running cost it is the cheapest effective treatment on this site by a wide margin over any multi-year period.

One reason to get a prescription even though you do not need one: it means a clinician has sized the device, checked nothing rules it out, and put it on your record. That is worth having independently of reimbursement, and it costs you an appointment you arguably should be having anyway.

## Frequently asked questions

### How well do vacuum erection devices work?

Around 90% of men achieve an erection sufficient for intercourse. That success rate holds in situations where drugs have failed — after prostate surgery, in advanced diabetic neuropathy, in severe vascular disease — because the mechanism is mechanical rather than pharmacological.

### Does Medicare pay for one?

No. The ABLE Act of 2014 ended Medicare coverage for vacuum erection devices, and for dates of service on or after 1 July 2015 the codes are statutorily non-covered. Medicare Advantage plans cannot cover them either. Some commercial plans do, and FSA and HSA funds are generally eligible.

### Do I need a prescription to buy the Encore Deluxe?

No, it can be bought over the counter. Getting a prescription anyway helps with insurance, FSA and HSA reimbursement, and it means a clinician has sized it and confirmed nothing rules it out for you.

### Battery or manual pump — which should I get?

The Deluxe includes both, which is why it is the configuration worth buying. Use the battery head if grip strength or dexterity is limited by arthritis, neuropathy or a stroke; use the manual head for finer control over how quickly pressure builds. Having both means the answer can change.

### Why do men stop using them?

Because it interrupts sex and takes practice — not because it stops working. Continuation is often under 50%, and nearly all of the dropout happens in the first few weeks. Practising alone three or four times before using it with a partner is the single strongest predictor of persisting.

### How long can the tension ring stay on?

Thirty minutes maximum, the same as any constriction ring. Remove it immediately for pain, numbness, coldness or colour change, and never fall asleep wearing one.

### Will it feel like a normal erection?

Not exactly, and knowing that in advance helps. Rigidity stops at the ring, so the erection pivots at the base rather than being rigid all the way through, and it can feel cool or slightly numb. Ejaculation may feel restricted or be partially trapped by the ring. None of that indicates a problem.

### Is it safe with nitrates?

Yes. There is no drug involved and therefore no interaction. For men on nitrate therapy for angina, where every PDE5 inhibitor is absolutely contraindicated, a vacuum device is one of the few genuinely effective options available.

### What is the difference from a cheap pump online?

The vacuum limiter. Medical-grade devices cap the negative pressure they can generate; many cheap pumps do not, and over-pumping can rupture blood vessels and cause bruising or lasting damage. Ring quality and sizing range are the other differences, but the limiter is the one that matters.

## Sources

- American Urological Association. [Erectile Dysfunction: AUA Guideline](https://www.auanet.org/guidelines-and-quality/guidelines/erectile-dysfunction-(ed)-guideline) (2018)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. [Treatment for Erectile Dysfunction](https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/erectile-dysfunction/treatment)
- Urology Care Foundation. [What is Erectile Dysfunction?](https://www.urologyhealth.org/urology-a-z/e/erectile-dysfunction-(ed))
- National Library of Medicine. [PubMed — search the primary literature](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/)
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. [Device registration and listing — what it does and does not mean](https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/how-study-and-market-your-device/device-registration-and-listing)

## Related pages

- [Encore Vacuum Device Review: The Unglamorous Thing That Works](https://www.edtreatmentguides.com/encore-vacuum-reviews)
- [Vacuum Erection Devices: How Penis Pumps Actually Work](https://www.edtreatmentguides.com/treatments/vacuum-erection-device)
- [Vacuum Device vs Injections: Choosing Your Second-Line Treatment](https://www.edtreatmentguides.com/compare/vacuum-vs-injections)
- [What to Do When ED Medication Doesn't Work](https://www.edtreatmentguides.com/guides/when-medication-fails)
- [Constriction Rings and Tension Loops: The Cheapest Thing Worth Trying](https://www.edtreatmentguides.com/treatments/constriction-rings)

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_This page is general health information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medications or risk factors. Talk to a licensed clinician before starting, stopping or changing any treatment._

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