Sex Toys for Men: An Honest Buyer's Guide

Buying Guides

The best sex toys for men fall into four main types: strokers (male masturbators), cock rings, prostate massagers, and penis pumps. Which one is right depends on whether you want a better solo session, a firmer and longer-lasting erection, or a brand-new sensation to share with a partner.

I'm Emily. I spent the better part of a decade behind the counter of an intimacy shop, and the question I got asked most, usually in a near-whisper right by the register, was some version of "okay, but what do you actually recommend for a guy?" So here's the honest version, no sales pitch, the way I'd tell a friend over coffee.

The four main types, and what each one actually does

Most of what you'll see comes down to four families. Once a customer understood the difference, the choice basically made itself.

• Strokers (male masturbators): a sleeve you slide onto yourself, usually soft TPE or silicone, sometimes inside a hard case. Some are simple and open-ended, some are enclosed with textured chambers, and the higher-end ones add suction or vibration. This is the category guys reach for most, and a solid male masturbator is where I sent almost every first-timer.
• Cock rings: a stretchy ring worn at the base that gently traps blood flow, so erections feel firmer and often last longer. The vibrating kind does double duty during partnered sex. Browse cock rings if firmness or stamina is the goal.
• Prostate massagers: curved toys designed to reach the prostate for a deeper, fuller kind of orgasm. Not just for one crowd, plenty of straight guys are curious, and they're the most misunderstood thing I sold. They live over in anal toys.
• Penis pumps: a cylinder that uses suction to draw blood in, used for temporary firmness, sensation, or as part of an erection-support routine. Honest and practical, they sit under penis pumps.

How to choose your first one

Forget the marketing. Start with one question: what do you actually want to feel differently? That single answer narrowed it down faster than any spec sheet.

• Want a better solo experience? Start with an open-ended or lightly textured stroker. They're forgiving, easy to clean, and you can't really do it wrong.
• Erection not as firm as it used to be, or you finish sooner than you'd like? A stretchy cock ring is cheap and genuinely helps a lot of guys.
• Curious about something completely new? A beginner prostate massager, small and smooth with a flared base, opens a door most people didn't know was there.

My rule at the counter: buy simple first. I watched too many nervous first-timers spend big on a bells-and-whistles gadget with an app, get overwhelmed, and leave it in a drawer. The people who came back happy almost always started small and worked up. If you want a shortcut, our best sellers are best sellers for a reason, they're the ones people actually finish the bottle of lube on.

Materials and body safety (the part I never let anyone skip)

This is where I got a little strict, and I'd get strict with you too. Your body is porous in places, and cheap materials can hold bacteria or leach stuff you don't want near you.

• Body-safe and easy to trust: medical-grade silicone, ABS hard plastic, and stainless steel. Nonporous, easy to clean, and they last for years.
• Common and fine with care: TPE and TPR, the soft stretchy stuff most affordable strokers are made from. It feels amazing and lifelike, but it's porous, so it needs thorough drying and it won't last forever. Treat those as replaceable.
• Lube matters: use a water-based lube with silicone toys. Silicone lube can degrade a silicone surface over time, and oils break down TPE. When someone told me their new toy "got sticky and weird," it was almost always the wrong lube.

If a product page won't tell you the material, that told me everything I needed to know about the product. Real ones are proud to say what they're made of.

Using them with a partner

A lot of guys assume these are strictly solo. Some of the best sales I ever made were to couples who realized a toy took pressure off, it wasn't a replacement, it was a teammate.

• A vibrating cock ring is the easiest couples add-on there is. He gets firmness, she gets buzz right where it counts, nobody has to change anything else.
• A penis pump used as part of foreplay can be a confidence thing as much as a physical one.
• Prostate play with a trusting partner and a lot of communication is, honestly, what turned a lot of my regulars into evangelists.

Cleaning and storage

The unsexy part that decides whether your toy lasts a year or a month. Here's the version I taped to the back wall.

• Wash before and after every use with warm water and a fragrance-free soap or a dedicated toy cleaner.
• Dry strokers completely, inside and out. Trapped moisture in a TPE sleeve is the number one reason they go bad early. Some come with a drying rod, use it.
• Store toys separately, not touching each other, ideally in a cloth bag. Some materials react when they sit skin to skin in a drawer.
• Check batteries and charge ports. A rechargeable motor left dead for months sometimes won't come back.

The mistakes I saw over and over

• Skipping lube. Nearly every stroker needs it, and friction without it is how people decide the whole thing "isn't for them."
• Wearing a cock ring too long. Twenty minutes max, and take it off if anything feels numb or cold. Start with a stretchy silicone one, not a rigid metal ring.
• Buying by price alone. The five-dollar mystery-material bin was where returns came from. Spend a little more once instead of twice.
• Going too big, too fast with anal. Slow down, use way more lube than you think, and only use toys with a flared base so nothing can get lost. I'm serious about that last part.

FAQ

What kind of sex toy should a man start with?
A simple stroker (male masturbator) is the easiest, most forgiving first toy for most men. If your goal is firmer or longer erections instead, a stretchy cock ring is a cheap, low-risk place to begin.

Are sex toys for men safe to use?
Yes, when you choose body-safe materials like silicone or ABS plastic, use the right lube, and clean them properly. The main risks come from porous materials that aren't dried, cock rings worn too long, or anal toys without a flared base.

Do cock rings actually work?
For many men, yes. By gently slowing blood flow out, a cock ring can make an erection feel firmer and last a bit longer, and vibrating ones add sensation for both partners. Keep it on 20 minutes or less and remove it if anything feels numb.

Can using a stroker too much cause problems?
Occasional soreness or a grip that's tighter than a partner's is the usual complaint, easily fixed with more lube and a lighter touch. Listen to your body, vary your routine, and there's no evidence normal use causes lasting harm.

Are prostate massagers only for gay men?
No. The prostate is anatomy every man has, and plenty of straight men and couples explore it for a deeper kind of orgasm. Who you're attracted to has nothing to do with whether you enjoy it.

How do I clean and store these toys?
Wash with warm water and a gentle, fragrance-free soap before and after use, then dry completely, especially soft TPE sleeves. Store toys separately in a cloth bag, away from heat and direct sunlight.

Written by Emily Roth. Updated September 2026.

If you're feeling ready, start simple and start with something you'll actually use. Take a slow look through our male masturbators, pick the one that matches what you're curious about, and go easy on yourself. Everybody starts somewhere.