Jump To...
The rise and rise of male sex toys
Ten years ago, you’d have been hard pressed to find a guy admitting he owned a few sex toys. Today, there are all manner of toys on the market designed for men to use, and more and more guys have toys on hand to either spice up their solo sex life or use with a partner.
What kind of male sex toys are there?
We’re not just talking about prostate toys, although there are plenty of butt-plugs, dildos, and vibrators on the market that will give guys prostate stimulation. These days you can also buy sheaths, designed to fit over the penis and stimulate it with different textures. There are even vibrators designed to bring a guy to orgasm by gripping his penis and stimulating it in just the right way.
Don’t believe us? Check out the Pulse – a vibrator for men which can also be used for couples’ play. If you’re tempted to pick one up, add the code PULSEINTRO at the cart to get £8 off.
What’s the controversy?
As there always has been with anything sexual, there’s controversy. Some people think that male sex toys are somehow less acceptable than female ones. An article by online feminist magazine Jezebel met with controversy earlier this year when it described men who use sex toys as ‘lonely fucks’. Obviously this is nonsense.
Annie Edmonds, an erotic author, recently published an enlightening interview with sexologist Dr Kat about the benefits of male sex toys. Dr Kat explains that:
“Male sex toys in particular are useful in helping a man take ownership over sex toy use, so that it isn’t all about just female pleasure.”
As well as women touting the benefits, there are plenty of sex-positive men out there willing to take on a media that frowns on male sex toy use. Bloggers like Mr Will (of the excellently titled website ‘Mr Will’s House of Thrills‘) has reviewed everything from butt-plugs and penis pumps to the ‘Pulse’ vibrator mentioned above.
Here in the UK, intrepid journalist Gareth May wrote for The Debrief on his first experience with this male sex toy. His conclusion?
“this is the first non-human experience to give me ‘sex legs’ (you know that post coital walk where you can’t feel your legs and as a result you strut about like a drunk flamingo? That.)”
Better male sex toys
Perhaps the change is partly down to the fact that, these days, there are much better male sex toys on the market. Ten years ago if you’d asked about male sex toys it would have conjured images of blow-up dolls with shocked expressions. Now, male sex toys are sleeker and more stylish, with many (like products from the Tenga range) looking less like a seedy sex shop accessory and more like something you’d find on the Starship Enterprise.
Have you ever used a male sex toy, or had a partner who has used one? Although in the past there might have been awkward smiles, or embarrassment about the topic, we’re clearly becoming more open about the fact that sex toys aren’t just for women: if you’re horny and in need of stimulation, there’s bound to be something that can help you get off.