How to Choose the Perfect Sex Toy - Types and Functions

Your Questions…

Answered.

In this day and age, the market is flooded with all sorts of different toys with Bluetooth options, multiple vibrators and almost every other sort of function you can imagine! While that’s wonderful, it can be a bit overwhelming to choose just one. 

Don’t worry, we’re here to help!

This is going to be a short series on the varying things you should consider before you purchase any kind of toy for your growing collection.

Part 1: Sex Toy Materials

Part 2: Sex Toy Functions

Part 3: Choosing a Lubricant 

Part 4: Cleaning & Hygiene 

You have three options here: disposable battery-operated, rechargeable products, and ones that stay plugged into the wall.

Toys that use disposable batteries (AA, AAA etc.) are commonly regarded as having weaker power, they drain the batteries quickly, but they are more affordable compared with the other types. Some of the main drawbacks are the possibility that you’ll lose power mid-playtime and that using batteries can be damaging to the environment. However, with a price point that low, who minds taking the batteries out of the remote once in a while?

Products that are rechargeable either with a unique cord, a micro USB cord or otherwise often have lithium-ion batteries inside that hold a charge for hours. These are commonly known to be much stronger in terms of power and vibration but tend to be on the higher price end. Many of these products are of higher quality and thus tend to come with a warranty and the possibility of having a longer shelf life. 

If your toys are still attached to the wall, then you must love having the most powerful toys on the market! Since these bad boys don’t lose their charge and draw directly from your electrical sockets, they’ll keep buzzin’ and thrustin’ all night long! The biggest drawback here is that … well, you’re stuck plugged into a wall and therefore don’t have a large range of motion like some of the independently charged products.

This can be critical for your happiness with a product! This can take some careful reading on your part. 

Waterproof = splashproof. This often means that it’s safe for use in the shower, safe to clean briefly in the sink and generally okay for being partially in the water.  This means you CANNOT take it in the hot tub, bath or any other bodies of water you’re trying to get funky in. Check the packaging or the item description, it should tell you what water situation is appropriate for usage.

Water Submersible is where the fun lies in our opinion! This means the product is safe to join you in the bath, in the pool or anywhere else you want to go without the fear of getting a quick shock! It should tell you more about it on the box. If you’re not sure, feel free to ask our Sexperts here at My Amora.

This is pretty self-explanatory however, too many people forget to check for this! If you have a rechargeable or battery-operated toy and you like to travel with your toys, you may not think twice about popping your favourite vibrator into your suitcase on your way to the airport. Well, you may want to if it doesn’t have a travel lock. A travel lock can be activated so that your toy doesn’t start doing what it does best while you’re out and about. 

This is where you have to ask yourself: Where do I want to be stimulated? What is my sensitivity to stimulation?

The easiest way to think about it is for when you get a massage. Do you like a firm, deep tissue massage? Or do you prefer a light, relaxing rub down? 

There are many options for the type of stimulation, but the basics are:

Fullness or containment which is for a toy that is used for insertion and gives you that glorious feeling of being penetrated. These toys give you a sense of being fulfilled while your other bits are being stimulated. Examples of these would a butt plug or ben wa balls.

Vibrators are the most popular toys on the market today with a fascinating history (more on this later.) These are usually used on the most delicate parts of the body such as the clitoris, nipples or the perineum to provide a unique kind of sensation. Examples of vibrators would be the classic Magic Wand or a vibrating cock ring. 

Thrusting toys are used for penetration of the vagina or the ass (see our Anal 101 series.) These are usually made to simulate a penis or other phallically shaped object used for pleasure. Many toys on the market today thrust by themselves, meaning less work for you! An example of this would be the Fun Factory Bi Stronic Deluxe (this exact model also has the fluttering wings to stimulate the clitoris but it’s our favourite thruster!) 

Combination products are very popular as well, often these products will have a phallically shaped portion for insertion as well as a vibrating bit for stimulating the clitoris or perineum at the same time. Many people find these overwhelming while others can’t live without dual sensations! 

Other combination products could be ones that are designed for couples’ usage. Some are specifically for heterosexual couples; some can be adapted for other usages easily. Our favourite for a couple would be the We-Vibe – Special Edition Tease + Please since it features two toys in one box! The sucking vibrator known as the Womanizer Premium is pretty specific to clitoral stimulation but is widely regarded as one of the most powerful orgasm givers there is (if you don’t want that part, give it as a gift.) Coupled with the We-Vibe Sync which allows you to stimulate either the clitoris and g-spot or the anus and perineum while still being penetrated, how cool is that? 

Toys don’t have to be for stimulation of just one place, however, what you should consider is what area you want to be stimulated in the most by this particular toy. Here, we’ll go over the most common (singular) areas where you’d like to be stimulated by a product so that way you know what to look for when you go to buy!

• Clitoral 
• G-Spot 
• Vaginal 
• Nipple 
• Breast
• Penis
• Perineum
• Testicular
• Sphincter 
• Anal
• Prostate
• Partnered 

With the wonderful advent of modern-day technology, we couldn’t forget to mention some other options that now come with your toys! Things you should ask are: 

• Does it connect to my smartphone?
• Does it connect to my partner’s phone? (one of our favourite options)
• Does it have a compatible application with it?
• Does it require hands to use or is it hands-free?
• Does it have Bluetooth pairing?
• Can I sync it with music?
• How many vibration/thrusting settings does it have?
• Does it have a unique charging cable? (Don’t want to lose that!)
• Is it discreet?
• Does it have an ergonomic design?
• Is it made from both sustainable and body-safe materials?
• Can it stimulate more than one area? Hint: think vaginal & clitoral or penis & perineum or two partners at once

That’s all we have for you today on sex toy functions. We’ll be back soon with the third part in our series Choosing a Lubricant. 

Get out there, get on there and get off there!

Elaine S. Turner

Sex Coach, Clinical Sexologist & Sexuality Educator

Sydney, Australia

August 2020

Works Cited:

Gillespie, C. (2020, August 06). 5 Popular Sex Toys and How to Use Them to Feel the Most Pleasure. Retrieved August 06, 2020, from https://www.health.com/sex/how-to-use-sex-toys

A Guide to Sex Toys. (2018, April 17). Retrieved August 06, 2020, from https://sexinfoonline.com/a-guide-to-sex-toys/

Turner, S. (2018, September 27). The health benefits of sex toys (S. Jarvis MBE.D., Ed.). Retrieved August 06, 2020, from https://patient.info/news-and-features/sex-toys-health-benefits-for-women-men