Anal toys are one type of insertable anyone can use, regardless of gender, which is why it’s one of the fastest-growing product categories to date. There’s so much variety and selection — and so little accurate understanding of anal play — that customers need extra guidance while they shop.
It’s essential for you and your staff to get personal about butt stuff and ask some serious questions to help your customers make the right choice. Walking them through the following considerations will help your customers buy the right tools to get the most out of anal play.
Anal play can be a sexy, rewarding and adventurous way to take orgasms to the next level.
Measuring for the right size. A common mistake shoppers make is selecting a toy that’s too big for them. Using something called the Finger Method is a surefire way to measure yourself and choose the most comfortable sized toy.
While in private, lube up and insert one finger into the anus. If that’s comfortable, but you know you can take more, upgrade to two fingers. Go up three fingers only if your body comfortably allows. Note how many fingers feel right for you.
If one finger is most ideal, select a narrow toy that equals one finger in width. If two fingers are most comfortable, pick a two-finger width toy, and so on. Keep in mind that it’s absolutely possible to train your way to wider and larger anal toys, so start small and work your way up.
Shape is key. No matter how you’re using it, all anal toys must have a flared base and/or a safe and easy way to prevent the product from entering the anus. Unlike the vagina, there is no “wall” at the back of the rectum — any product that enters the anus without a wide base to keep it in place has the potential to get lost inside of the colon and will require professional help to retrieve it. As many sex educators like to say: “Without a base, without a trace!”
If the user has a prostate, they need anal toys shaped specifically to reach and stimulate the prostate, usually with some kind of curve or angle to allow for P-spot massage.
There are a few features that should be noted specifically for prostate play: toys shaped like the Silicone Wavy Prostate Exerciser by Trinity Vibes are great for beginners. It has prominent handles, so it won’t slip inside the anus, and the narrow part at the bottom makes it easy to comfortably adjust the toy and locate the right spot. A thin base means more control.
Be cautious of dual-purpose toys that are combination G-spot/prostate stimulators. The G-spot and the P-spot are at different depths, angles, and locations. The vast majority of the time, these combination toys are G-spot stimulators repurposed as prostate toys, which means their angles might not be enough to reach the prostate — and there usually is no flared base to prevent a trip to the ER.
People without prostates don’t need a toy with special P-spot stimulating angles and simply require an insertable with enough girth and length to offer the pleasantly full feeling many enjoy from anal play.
An example of a classic anal toy is the Jewel Butt Plug collection from Master Series; these chrome-plated steel plugs are smooth and easy to insert and feature a lovely glittery gem on the outside of the flared base for a lovely sparkle. Butt plugs like these can be worn during sex for extra stimulation, before anal sex to prep for something larger to enter, or for extended lengths of time before or after sex.
Sensation options. Another decision shoppers need to consider when buying an anal toy is what types of sensations they want to experience. If they want something mechanized, there are more options available than ever before.
In addition to vibration, as one may find on the Tom of Finland 5-Speed Silicone Vibe, many toys offer something extra. Warming, electrical stimulation, rotation, or oscillation are a few options. Here are some examples:
• E-stimulation — The Electrify Your Prostate Silicone Estim Kit from Zeus Electrosex can offer hands-free prostate milking. It can also be turned up to deliver painful sensations, which is suitable for those into BDSM.
• Inflatable — Inflatable butt plugs like the Expand Inflatable Anal Plug from Master Series are ideal for those that want to slowly increase the size of what they can take anally over time. This process is what we like to call “anal training.” It’s also a great choice for those that want to feel incredibly full. It goes in easily like a smaller toy but can be increased to the size of an “extreme” toy once it’s inside.
• Rotating — In addition to vibration, the Maverick Rotating Vibrating Silicone Prostate Stimulator from Prostatic Play adds a circular motion that mimics a manual prostate massage.
One note about vibration and prostate play: Always ask shoppers what their experience level is with anal. If they consider themselves beginners, we recommend they wait to try sensation toys until they’ve gotten accustomed to the feel of anal plugs and toys without motors or bells and whistles.
It is possible to injure the prostate if too high a vibration or electricity level is used. Any of these sensations will feel great, sure, but it’s essential that users get familiar with their bodies before introducing more intense products.
Material choices. Anything can be an anal toy if it can safely fit, is made of non-absorbent materials, and has a flared based. Safety should always be shoppers first thought, though it often isn’t, so it’s helpful to ask them about any allergies or material sensitivities they might have.
Fortunately, many common sex toy materials are hypoallergenic and non-porous, especially ones used for anal play, which also means they are body-safe and easy to disinfect. Metal, glass, silicone, ceramic, stone, and wood are all great materials for anal play, and borosilicate glass is recommended for anyone who enjoys the look and feel of glass toys.
The Asvini Glass Penis Anal Plug from Prisms is a popular shape made of borosilicate and can offer a nice, firm fit while allowing for temperature play if the user likes it. For silicone toys, be sure to recommend only high-quality silicone like the material used to create Pathicus Nine Bulb Silicone Anal Beads from Master Series.
Purposes. There are many reasons people enjoy anal play; some love it because it offers them a quicker orgasm while others go for multiple sensations at once, with the anus being one of them. Some even incorporate anal play into other fetishes, like pet play or medical scenes. Let’s look at a few fun options:
• Trailer hitch-style toy — A trailer hitch-style toy is a combination cock ring anal stimulator. The Tom of Finland Stainless Steel Cock Ring with Anal Ball sports an insertable ball connected to a steel cock ring, which offers simultaneous stimulation while helping keep the penis harder for longer.
• Anal-training sets — These make it easy for users to start small and safely work their way up to something bigger. With a variety of graduated sizes in each kit, they gently dilate the anus over time so it can increasingly fit in larger toys. The 5-Piece Anal Trainer Set from Trinity Vibes is a classic example that will take users from a one-finger width toy and work them up to more than three fingers.
• Prostate Play — The Flexible P-Spot Massager from Master Series is a classic prostate toy that’s ideal for beginners. Rather than using vibrations, the user can contract and release their anal muscles to manipulate the toy.
• Enema play — Those into medical play may enjoy something like the Aqua Shot Deep Shower Enema Cleansing System from CleanStream. It has a deep penetrating nozzle designed to hit all of the right spots and get you cleaned out for more anal fun.
• Extreme toys — The Claw Expanding Anal Dilator from Master Series goes in small for easy insertion, but once inside, it opens to double its size.
bull; Pet plugs — The Bad Kitty Silicone Tail Anal Plug from Tailz is perfect for pet roleplay. And if kitties aren’t your thing, the Tailz collection offers many options like puppy, bunny, pony, and more.
Techniques. The last thing you may need to assist shoppers with are particular techniques. Prostate play is advanced, so you may want to recommend a good book or video. Procedures like enemas and anal douches require some practice and learning, too, but it’s possible to walk shoppers through the steps before they buy. This goes for anal beads, too.
We get a lot of questions about anal beads and how best to enjoy them: Lube them up and insert the balls one at a time until you feel “full.” Then hold them in while receiving sexual stimulation and, when orgasm starts to build, pull them out. This greatly enhances orgasm.
Anal play can be a sexy, rewarding and adventurous way to take orgasms to the next level. Although the incredible variety of toys available can be intimidating, you can help shoppers narrow down their choices by walking them through important factors to consider — and offer some safety tips, too! — and create lasting relationships with the people who patronize your store.
