If you want to kick things up a notch in the bedroom, the best sex toys for men are a great place to start. These days, there are countless ways to slide, stroke, and vibrate into an earth-shattering orgasm—so if you’re curious, there’s no reason not to give one of these a try. Here’s everything you need to know before investing in a vibrator for beginners, a luxury sex toy, or a fab butt plug, or anal beads.
Why should men try sex toys?
Toys designed for penises and prostates can increase arousal, enhance pleasure, and make any sexual encounter more fun, says Todd Baratz, a certified sex therapist and licensed individual and couples’ psychotherapist. “Some people simply don’t like toys, and that is 100% okay,” he says. “However, it’s always a good idea to try everything and see what works.”
That exploration can make your sex life better in ways you might never have expected. “Part of the benefit of sex toys is that they add another flavor of variety to our sex lives—and for the vast majority of people, variety is important,” says Andrew Smiler, PhD, a licensed therapist and author of Dating and Sex: A Guide for the 21st Century Teen Boy. “People tend to report that they are happier with their sex lives when they’re having more variety.” Male sex toys allow you to switch things up both solo and with a partner (or partners); they present people with the “opportunity to please their partner in a new or different way,” Smiler continues.
What types of sex toys can men use?
Some of the most popular men’s sex toys differ from the vibrators you may be more familiar with. There are two main categories: penis toys and anal toys. That first group includes male masturbators (sleeves that you use to stroke or thrust yourself to orgasm) and cock rings (toys that wrap around the base of the penis and can lead to stronger erections and climaxes).
The backdoor group, meanwhile, includes butt plugs, vibrating massagers, and anal beads. These toys are designed to stimulate the sensitive nerve endings around your anus and prostate, which can be just as sensitive (and orgasm-inducing) as the ones in your penis. As long as you take hygiene seriously and give yourself permission to explore with no judgment, anal sex can take your pleasure to new heights. Just make sure you use plenty of anal lube, Baratz says, since your body doesn’t produce natural lubrication.
You can also invest in sex toys for couples. These include wearable devices like cock rings, plus handheld wand vibrators and remote-controlled toys. Because there are so many ways to use sex toys, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all option, Baratz notes: “Explore and experiment with a variety of different options, shapes, sizes, and materials.”
If you plan to use your toy with a partner, Smiler recommends sitting down and talking through your desires together—you might discover that they have some unexplored kinks and fetishes (think spanking paddles and nipple stimulators) that they’d like to give a go.
Ready to unlock entirely new levels of pleasure? These are the absolute best sex toys for men, according to rave reviews and our own resident toy testers.
