Do you ever wonder why someone may like one cock ring over another? It’s pretty common for someone to try different rings, but one will become their favorite. Wouldn’t life be easier for the salesperson if everyone had the same favorite?
Cock rings have evolved a lot from the days of the old stretchy ring. As a designer of rings, I have developed my own way of thinking of them. I basically break them into several categories. But before I throw categories at you, there are also two different ways a cock ring can be worn, depending on whether it is intended for the penis only, or to be worn at the base of the penis but behind the scrotum too.
Trial and error is what I think it comes down to for cock rings, we can make recommendations based on some key desired outcomes, but at the end of the day, it’s like mattress shopping, you just need to lie down on it to know if you like it.
For shaft or penis-only rings, referred to shaft rings from this point on in this article, these are generally a bit stretchy and simply go around the penis. If it is a fitted ring for the penis, then it is important that it can be stretched to get it off in case it does restrict too much once the penis is erect. More on this particular condition below — but first, the shaft ring really isn’t something I see many people asking for. I think men with very large penises have more of a desire to use this kind of ring — at least that is an empirical analysis perspective. Typically, most men wear the cock ring behind the scrotum. This way there is a bit more sizing flexibility and generally it is more secure, as the ring is way out of the way. Just to clarify that point, a shaft ring is impeded by the location of the scrotum, which, unlike some people may think, is not behind the penis. The scrotal sack can run up the underneath of the penis an inch or more. This means that the shaft ring can’t be at the very base of the penis on a lot of men.
I think we all see more and more rings on the shelf sized to be the more traditional cock ring which goes behind the penis/scrotum — herein referred to as a cock ring. I can easily break most of the rings on the market into these categories: fitted rings, stretchy rings, torso-fitted rings (one of my inventions), and finally, adjustable restrictive rings. Of course there are combination cock rings with ball stretchers, and butt plugs, etc. Since there is a lot of design consideration involved in making a good cock ring, I will focus on the cock ring only.
I have had the pleasure of doing some training around the country on our products and I find that eyes are usually glued to me when I discuss the concept of a fitted ring versus a stretchy ring. Until recently, a fitted ring wasn’t available for the majority of men, simply because the sizes readily available were not on the market. Now that this has changed, I can tell you that a fitted ring is always going to be superior to a stretchy ring. The principle of the stretchy ring is simple — create a constant restriction in any state of arousal. I consider all stretchy rings to be “binding” — that is, you cannot get relief from them. They are always choking your member. This can be effective for helping attain and maintain an erection. Many people swear by these rings, because you don’t need an erection for them to start to have a benefit. As soon as you put one of these little stranglers on, it will start to do its job.
Sounds perfect, right? Not really, most guys will find binding cock rings become uncomfortable very quickly because of the constant tension and friction to the skin. They grab hair, and when the guy is getting close to orgasm, he may find it too tight, making his ejaculation uncomfortable. I’m not a doctor, but I would say you never want to fall asleep with a typical stretchy on.
Material selection is a factor here; there is a relationship between material type and quality, durometer (hardness), amount of material, and inner diameter that all play a factor in the performance of the ring. A carefully engineered ring gets the combination right and will do its promised task with the least discomfort. But remember, what one guy finds uncomfortable, another may find perfect. This is where it really does become difficult to recommend one ring over another to a customer. Individual tastes will play a big factor. For some, a really tight ring is desirable, others will want something softer, with less tension. Most guys should start with a stretchy ring that is very soft and not very restrictive. Sending someone home with a tight fitting ring could leave a very bad “impression” on the fella.
As an cis man — meaning I have a penis, I have experienced the effects of a ring that is too tight and trust me, once you go through that, you will have a new respect for the designers of rings who make their product stretchable in a crisis situation when it turned out to be too small. For those who don’t know the risk of using metal rings, should a metal ring be too small, once the blood starts being restricted and the penis get hard, it can literally choke your penis and require emergency intervention, a huge needle and a visit from the fire department at your hospital’s emergency department to cut it off (not your penis, only the ring!).
For those cis-men who are still reading and haven’t declared they will never sell another cock ring, you may already know that a properly fitted, great cock ring is a wonderful thing. Not only will you like the new harder erection, but your partner will almost immediately notice it. Most of the customer reviews for cock rings I read usually start off with something like this “My wife loves this cock ring….” Let’s talk about fitted rings, because as long as it can be stretched on and off, this is actually an amazing ring for most people. And most men have never experienced the freedom that a fitted ring brings. What makes this wonder-ring so good? A fitted ring does not bind you, so it doesn’t look like it is causing pain or leaving a permanent mark on you. It will gently restrict the blood flow, but also will not be pulling every hair it comes in contact with. Since they are not stretched when worn, they don’t need to be whipped off the second you have orgasmed because they don’t continue to restrict blood flow when the erection dissipates.
Trial and error is what I think it comes down to for cock rings, we can make recommendations based on some key desired outcomes, but at the end of the day, it’s like mattress shopping, you just need to lie down on it to know if you like it.
Steve Callow is the inventor, designer and CEO of Florida-based Perfect Fit Brand. Established in 2011, Perfect Fit is the manufacturer of innovative, high-quality and easy-to-use sexual health aids and sex toys for the full gender and sexuality spectrum. Callow founded the company based on the principle that sex toys should not only look and feel great, but must, above all, perform.
