So you’ve decided to get a sex toy – great! Oh hold on, there’s tons of them out there; how do you know which one’s right for you? Short answer is: you don’t. But here’s a rough list of what you can buy in shops and online, and what they have to offer.

Have a look through, and see what jumps out at you.

Vibrators & dildos

Probably the most famous of the sex toys out there, vibrators and dildos are sex toy 101. Although plenty of women are comfortable using and owning them, a surprising number still aren’t; consequently, they’re still a great way to add excitement to the bedroom. Placing a vibrator over the clit while you’re being fucked is a brilliant way to supercharge an orgasm, and dildos have myriad uses in sex both with a partner and on your own.

As a quick primer, dildos differ from vibrators in that they don’t vibrate, (1which may seem obvious), and as such don’t come in as many varieties. Vibrators come in standard dildo flavour (1a fake cock, essentially), but you also have g-spot vibrators, which have a curved tip for stimulating…well, the g-spot. There’s also rabbits, which are dual pronged to work the g-spot as well as the clit.

In short, whilst a dildo’s a great starting point for some solo masturbation or for that extra little kick during intercourse, if you really want to experiment and get some major thrills, invest in a vibrator. We’d always suggest going for a rabbit for that added clitoral stimulation, and a beaded one like the Eden 8 function butterfly can create amazing sensations.

Anal toys & lube

First up, get some lube. You can get it (1along with all sorts of other great stuff, from here or here) but it’s always worth having to hand. For oral and vaginal sex, it’s a nice way of adding flavour or a little excitement to the bedroom, but for anal, it’s nothing short of essential.

We’ve got plenty of articles on how to get started with exploring anal sex but the key is to start slowly. You can get dildos and vibrators specially designed for anal play, but there’s also plugs, probes, beads and prostate-specific anal toys.

Each of these will stimulate in a different way, but be sure to check they’re easily cleanable (1they’re going up someone’s ass, after all), and that they have a widened end, so they can’t disappear up there; you really don’t want that.

Fetish play

There are thousands of fetishes out there, but for the purposes of this article, we’re talking mainstream, like bondage or sensory deprivation. While this may sound extreme, all it really means is tying someone up and blindfolding them. The idea behind this is that it allows for domination play, and accentuates your remaining senses to provide a bigger, more focused orgasm.

Getting a little more experienced, you’ve got ball gags and floggers, as well as handcuffs, for that more intense sense of restraint

Sources & references

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