When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Alyssa Powell/Business InsiderBetween all the options and confusing shapes, picking out sex toys can be a nerve-wracking and puzzling experience.
But buying a vibrator (or any kind of sex toy) is a true investment in your health and happiness: For women, men, and non-binary folx, masturbation helps relieve stress, boosts their mood, fosters better sleep, and allows them to relax. For partners, self or mutual masturbation is a great way to better understand each other’s wants and needs and to have better sex. It also greatly benefits females (particularly post-menopausal), since genital activity promotes blood flow and keeps tissues more supple and elastic, and penetration (by a person or toy) helps maintain “vaginal capacity,” Dr.
Barb DePree, gynecologist and founder of MiddlesexMD, told Insider. As a long-time sex writer, I’m no stranger to testing sex toys and leaned on that experience to highlight my 10 favorites below. And since toys aren’t limited to one gender, I handed off any I couldn’t use to friends who told me what they did (or didn’t) like.
At the end of this guide, I’ve also included answers to some FAQs, like the best way to clean sex toys and why orgasms are good for your health. Learn more about how Insider Reviews tests and researches health products. Here are the best sex toys for every kind of person:Best rabbit vibrator: Kama Sutra Lavani Vibrator, $139.
99 on Kama SutraThe Kama Sutra Lavani Vibrator has a sleek design and some seriously intense vibration patterns, along with easy-to-manage controls. Best clitoris vibrator: Womanizer Premium, $189 on WomanizerThe Womanizer Premium utilizes an innovative air pressure technology for touchless stimulation on your clitoris, giving you the feeling of oral sex without actual suction. Best vibrator for couples involving females: We-Vibe Tango X, $79 on We-VibeThe We-Vibe Tango X has a strong motor with rumbly vibrations for deep stimulation of the clitoris, but at 4 inches, it’s small enough to fit between bodies and not obstruct anyone’s view.
Best vibrator for couples involving males: Tenga SVR, $80 on TengaThe Tenga SVR is a stretchy, comfortable silicone cock ring with a petite vibrator attached powerful enough for clitoral or perineal stimulation. Best handcuffs: Unbound Cuffies, $9. 50 on UnboundUnbound Cuffies are the ideal cuffs for those new to bondage, thanks to their flexible design and body-safe material.
Best cock ring: Ahoy Cock Ring, $10 on BabelandThe Ahoy Cock Ring works in two different ways: It restricts blood flow to the penis and acts as a bumper against too-deep thrusting. Best stroker: Tenga Flip Zero, $99 on TengaThe Tenga Flip Zero has a unique soft cup design, allowing you to control the pressure of your stroker while still getting the benefits of a textured interior. Best butt plug: b-Vibe Anal Training Kit & Education Set, $159.
99 on b-VibeWhether you’re new to anal play or an old pro, the b-Vibe Anal Training Kit & Education Set is perfect for those looking to enjoy anal play the right way. Best budget vibrator: Maude Vibe, $45 on MaudeFor under $50, the Maude Vibe provides major stimulation in a sleek, minimal format, making it perfect for newbies and vibrator pros alike. Best budget butt plugs: Satisfyer Plugs, $14.
95 on Adam & EveWith its unique designs and thin silhouettes, Satisfyer Plugs provide serious sensation for just $15. Best rabbit vibratorKama SutraThe Kama Sutra Lavani Vibrator has a sleek design and some seriously intense vibration patterns, along with easy-to-manage controls. Pros: Easy-to-navigate controls, multiple vibration speeds and patterns, and a sleek designCons: Only holds a charge for two hours, and can get a little loud when both motors are going.
While plenty of rabbit vibrators are hokey-looking (complete with a realistic-looking rabbit), the Kama Sutra Lavani Vibrator eschews that norm with a sleek, sophisticated design. It comes in three colors and has an ergonomically-designed tip that’s the perfect size for G-spot stimulation. The vibrating arm that extends from its handle isn’t shaped like a rabbit but is instead curved with a flat head, so it lays against your clitoris instead of bouncing on top of it.
This allows for more stimulation than a pair of rabbit ears. The format is also completely bendable, and each arm has its own motor for maximum sensation. I loved how quickly the Lavani vibrator charged (which is great since the battery life is only two hours), and how easy it was to cycle through its different vibration patterns and intensities.
Unlike other vibes, this one has up and down arrows — handy if you’re like me, and you tend to accidentally skip your favorite setting on a regular basis. Instead of having to cycle through each pattern to get to your favorite again, you can just hit the back button and get back to business. Best clitoris vibratorWomanizerThe Womanizer Premium utilizes an innovative air pressure technology for touchless stimulation on your clitoris, giving you the feeling of oral sex without actual suction.
Pros: Innovative air pressure technology and a unique autopilot modeCons: It can be difficult to form a seal on your clitoris when not using lubeThe Womanizer isn’t the only clitoris vibrator that uses air pressure to mimic the feeling of oral sex, but I’ve found that it does do it the best. The ergonomically-designed handle flares at the base, where a little notch sits. All you do is place it over your clitoris so it forms a slight seal, and then turn it on to provide gentle vibrations against your clitoris.
The Womanizer Premium has a battery life of four hours, which is twice as long as most vibrators. It has 12 vibration modes you can cycle through, as well as an innovative autopilot mode. When active, it cycles through every vibration mode at random for a true variable experience.
The one drawback I found was that it needs a decent amount of lube to form a suction. However, once I worked that out, it was good to go. And since the Womanizer is quiet, you won’t wake up any roommates while you’re playing.
Best couple’s vibrator involving femalesWe VibeThe We-Vibe Tango X has a strong motor with rumbly vibrations for deep stimulation of the clitoris, but at 4 inches, it’s small enough to fit between bodies and not obstruct anyone’s view. Pros: Powerful, small, rechargeable, multiple settings, intuitive controls, quiet, easy to hold, waterproof, travel-friendlyCons: May be too firm or have pinpointed pressure for someIt’s nearly impossible to say one toy is best for all couples since there are a lot of variables, including what body parts you’re playing with and preferences of pleasure spots. Because of this, we have an entire guide on the seven best sex toys for different couples with no single, overall winner.
But if your couple involves at least one female, we highly recommend the We-Vibe Tango X. This bullet vibrator is made of soft silicone and has eight intensity levels and seven vibration patterns. Its strong motor gives off a rumbly vibration, which better stimulates the deeper tissues of the clitoris.
The vibration strength may be too intense for some, but our sex toy writer Kate Sloan, who has tested over 100 erotic devices, points out that the Tango X is great for mutual masturbation since it’s powerful enough to help you reach climax yet still small enough to not obscure your partner’s view of the action. Best yet, it’s under $100. –Rachael SchultzBest couple’s vibrator involving malesTengaThe Tenga SVR is a stretchy, comfortable silicone cock ring with a petite vibrator attached powerful enough for clitoral or perineal stimulation.
Pros: Powerful, stretchy, rechargeable, versatile, quiet, waterproof, multiple speeds, comes with a storage case Cons: Vibe flops around during penetrative sex, only one button, only two patterns, some users may prefer a thicker or tighter ringAgain, it’s nearly impossible to name a single best sex toy for couples since everyone is working with different body parts and pleasure preferences. We highly encourage couples interested in adding sex toys to their sex life to read our guide on the seven best sex toys for couples. But for couples involving at least one male, the Tenga SVR vibrating cock ring will add serious excitement to your night and is non-intimidating for people new to using sex toys, according to our sex toy writer, Kate Sloan.
The ring itself is stretchy silicone that will fit around most penes and is low-profile enough to comfortably fit inside the vagina or anus for an accidental deep thrust or two. What makes the Tenga SVR special is it’s essentially a really great, small vibrator attached to a cock ring. The vibrator, which has 5 vibration intensities and 2 patterns, can be used to stimulate a partner’s clit or, turned around, to stimulate their perineum.
Its small size is handy enough that you can also use the alone vibrator for clitoral or perineal stimulation during masturbation or when your partner doesn’t want the cock ring on. –Rachael SchultzBest handcuffsUnbound BabesUnbound Cuffies are the ideal cuffs for those new to bondage, thanks to their flexible design and body-safe material. Pros: Soft, flexible design that’s easy to use and won’t bite into your skinCons: Can be a little tough to break in, but once you do, the cuffs are super stretchyWhile cuffs tend to be of the metal or velcro variety, the Unbound Cuffies allows you to play around with bondage without having to deal with knots or keys (or intimidating-looking devices).
These silicone cuffs slip easily on and off your wrists — no keys required. They’re stretchy enough to fit a wide variety of body shapes but are strong enough to not snap if you pull on them a little too hard. Their small, uncomplicated design makes them great to take on a trip or perfect for dipping your toe into bondage.
I was impressed by how strong the Cuffie’s silicone was, too. The one drawback is that these take a little breaking in to be truly stretchy, so you might want to try working them a bit before you actually use them. But once they’re a little broken in, they restrain your wrists without biting into your skin.
Best cock ringBabelandThe Ahoy Cock Ring works in two different ways: It restricts blood flow to the penis and acts as a bumper against too-deep thrusting. Pros: Textured band for pleasure, acts as a bumper to prevent too-deep penetrationCons: Some may find the thickness a little too intense for regular wearWhile it doesn’t have the bells and whistles of similar cock ring options, the Ahoy Cock Ring is still the best of the bunch. It does exactly what it’s meant to do — restricting blood flow to the penis in order to improve stamina.
The Ahoy Cock Ring does this without being too tight or too restricting, too. It slips easily onto your penis with just a dab of lube and stretches to accommodate different sizes. The ring is also outfitted with deep ridges to help with clitoris or anal stimulation while you use it.
But the best part about the Ahoy Cock Ring is that it’s thick, so it actually acts as a bumper to prevent too-deep penetration. This makes it ideal for folxs whose partners have a very sensitive cervix or anus, or for folxs with longer-than-average penises. Best strokerTengaThe Tenga Flip Zero has a unique soft cup design, allowing you to control the pressure of your stroker while still getting the benefits of a textured interior.
Pros: Easy to clean and to control the pressure of your strokeCons: Very large and cumbersome, not portable for travelWhile Fleshlights get all the attention for the best stroker, we think the Tenga Flip Zero is a better design. On most strokers, there’s a hard plastic exterior that unscrews at the top for cleaning, and a soft textured interior. With the Tenga Flip Zero, the hard plastic exterior is still there, of course, but the Flip Zero has a unique pressure band you’re able to press down on, allowing you to control the pressure inside of the thruster.
It also has a flip-open design (hence the name) that makes washing and drying a snap. Regarding the interior, the Tenga is seriously textured, providing a ton of different sensations that change the deeper you thrust. This is one of the larger thrusters, though, so it’s not exactly discreet.
It does still have a sleek design instead of something anatomically correct, which means if you leave it out, it won’t be immediately obvious that the Tenga is a sex toy. Best butt plugb-VibeWhether you’re new to anal play or an old pro, the b-Vibe Anal Training Kit & Education Set is perfect for those looking to enjoy anal play the right way. Pros: It’s an educational set that still behaves like a fun, kinky sex toyCons: The lube dispenser can get a little messyI’ve long been a proponent of anal training kits as a go-to plug for anyone — whether you’ve tried anal play before or not.
The b-Vibe kit provides everything you need for anal play and education, including three different-sized plugs, ranging from small to large. Along with the plugs, the b-Vibe Training Kit also has an enema and an internal lube dispenser, as well as a pamphlet teaching you the intimate details of anal play. For something so educational, the plugs themselves also behave like toys on the kinkier side.
While the smaller plug isn’t exactly advanced, it is small enough for beginners while the medium and large plugs have a little extra. The medium plug vibrates, which allows you to stimulate your prostate, and the larger plug is weighted with two balls for extra fullness. It’s almost as if you have three different toys in one, which makes this a seriously variable kit.
The silicone on the plugs is strong, yet flexible, and they slide in easily with the help of the lube dispenser. With the educational pamphlet, you won’t mess up your training, too. It allows you to proceed through the steps like an old pro.
Best budget vibratorMaudeFor under $50, the Maude Vibe provides major stimulation in a sleek, minimal format, making it perfect for newbies and vibrator pros alike. Pros: It’s minimal, travel-friendly, and well-pricedCons: Those who love a lot of vibrational patterns may find the Maude Vibe lackingAs someone who tests vibrators for work, I’ve found few toys as enjoyable and easy on the wallet as the Maude Vibe. At less than $50, it’s a steal.
This vibe is sized somewhere between a bullet and a standard-sized buzzer, so it’s great for travel. It comes housed in its own duster bag which is big enough for a small bottle of lube and a condom, making it easy for anyone to take on the go. And for those who are overwhelmed by too many vibrating modes, the Maude is delightfully minimal.
It has three speeds — slow, medium, and fast — with the fastest speed packing a serious punch. It’s small enough that it feels great on the clitoris but large enough that you can massage other erogenous zones on the body, like the nipples, neck, or perineum. What I really love about the Maude Vibe, though, is how sleek and minimal it is.
Lately, vibrators have been moving away from being overtly phallic-shaped, which is perfect for people who don’t necessarily want penises involved in their masturbation sessions. This cone-shaped vibe is incredibly discreet and, at just $45, it’s one of the cheaper quality vibrators you can buy. Best budget butt plugsAdam & EveWith its unique designs and thin silhouettes, Satisfyer Plugs provide serious sensation for just $15.
Pros: Perfectly-sized for beginners, budget-friendly, and super texturedCons: Might be a little small for those more experienced with anal playThese Satisfyer Plugs come in a pack of three and provide a trio of sensations for just $15 — making them a great choice whether you’re new to anal play or not. Each plug is made of flexible, hypoallergenic silicone, which is both body-safe and durable. Since the kit comes with three different plugs, you’re able to experiment with variety right out of the box.
The duo plug has two bulbs in ascending sizes, starting with a smaller ball up top and flaring into a larger one. The triple plug provides a similar sensation, but with three plugs in gradual sizes instead of two. These plugs are great for a heavy, full feeling that plug users often love, while also working to help train your anus for sex.
The third plug, however, is a corkscrew plug that’s great for foreplay and delivers intense stimulation when you thrust it in and out. All three of the Satisfyer Plugs are perfectly sized for beginners or intermediate users, too. However, those who have experience with anal play may find them a little on the small size.
Just make sure to use plenty of water-based lube and since these plugs are made of silicone, silicone-based lubricants can break them down, causing them to house bacteria — and that’s never a good thing. How I test sex toysI, along with a small group of testers of varying gender identities and proclivities, have used and approved of the items included on this list. But testing sex toys isn’t just about how quickly it allows you to reach orgasm.
There are several other features we also considered, including:Design: Although the design of a toy isn’t everything, it is what most people look at first when considering a purchase. I looked at whether a toy was ergonomic in its handhold and in how it wraps around the body; whether it was designed for pressure and vibration in the right places; and how versatile a single toy was for offering different types of stimulation. Also considered in design was the quality of materials (particularly if it is made with body-safe materials) and the versatility of a product to be enjoyed by different body shapes and sizes.
Battery life: Having a toy die on you halfway through playing is the worst, so one huge factor is how long can a toy last on one charge?Power: For toys that were battery-operated, I looked at how strong the motor was and what kind of options there were for varying speeds, to both warm you up slowly as well as be soft enough or strong enough for each person’s individual desires. Comfort: This includes how natural and comfortable is the handhold, how the toy feels against skin, and how the toy feels on various body parts. Discreteness: How quiet is the toy while using? How easy is it to stash out of sight?FAQsWhat’s the best way to clean sex toys?It’s crucial to clean sex toys in order to prevent bacteria from growing or an STI from spreading and then creating an infection wherever you then insert said toy.
Each toy is cleaned differently depending on its design and its material:For waterproof silicone sex toys that don’t vibrate, submerge the toy in boiling water, then wash with a mild soap. For plastic, glass, metal, cyberskin, or rubber sex toys that are waterproof, soak them in warm, soapy water, then rinse. For any toy that is battery-operated, leather, or not waterproof, clean it with a warm, damp, and soapy cloth.
Find out more in our guide to Good sexual hygiene: How to clean sex toys, genitals, and avoid infections like UTIs and STIsAre orgasms good for you?Sex and masturbation (i. e. stimulation) are truly something that makes you healthier.
As said before, sexual pleasure is a form of stress relief, helping release happiness hormones and promoting better sleep for all types of people. Using a toy with your partner can also help strengthen your relationship: 1 in 5 people who “expanded their sexual repertoire” by trying new activities like different sex positions, BDSM, and using sex toys, reported a better sex life in a 2020 study out of the Kinsey Institute. It also has a significant impact on your health.
Dr. Barb DePree, gynecologist, women’s health provider, and founder of resource hub MiddlesexMD told Insider that for females, “vulvovaginal health is maintained or improved with regular stimulation and activity. “”Genital activity promotes blood flow to the area keeping tissues more supple and elastic, and this also enhances the natural secretions that help maintain vaginal health,” she said.
“Penetrative sexual activity, with or without a partner, helps to maintain vaginal width, length, and tone, or as we say, vaginal capacity. ” This is true for people of all ages, too, as women in menopause who aren’t experiencing sexual activity are more likely to have progressive atrophy of the vagina and labia, Dr. DePree explained.
Their vagina may also grow shorter and narrower while becoming drier and less elastic. She advises all people consider incorporating a toy into their sex life, whether with a partner or solo. She likens their use to reading glasses: “When our vision is impaired, we don’t stop reading, we get reading glasses.
[Use of sex toys] should be encouraged as not only appropriate but important to maintaining or regaining sexual health and function. ” To put it plainly: When our ability to orgasm is impaired, we shouldn’t stop enjoying orgasms — we should get a sex toy. Our expertsDr.
Barb DePree, gynecologist, women’s health provider, and founder of resource hub MiddlesexMDDr. Sadie Allison, PhD, sex educatorDr. Jordan Wiggins, sexologist and naturopathic doctorMedical review of this piece was completed by Dr.
Karen Duncan, an assistant professor with the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at NYU Langone. Check out more of our sex toy guidesThe best vibrators, according to sex experts and hours of testingThe best sex toys for couplesThe best sex toys to help maintain intimacy in a long-distance relationshipHow to pick the best lube for you, according to sexual health expertsThe best condoms for every shape and sizeRead the original article on Insider.
From: insider
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