Gay Sex Toy Guide: 11 Types of Gay Sex Toys

A sex toy is any object or device made to enhance sexual pleasure or facilitate an orgasm. When safely used, sex toys can bring an entirely new element to a sexual encounter. Penis owners can use sex toys and props to enhance various sexual activities, including penetrative and non-penetrative sex (like oral sex and dry humping). These sex toys and props include vibrators, wedge pillows, harnesses, butt plugs, anal toys designed to train sphincter muscles and deepen prostate stimulation, mutual masturbation sleeves, and restrictive wear, like cock rings.

When shopping for toys and props, purchase ones made of body-safe materials that are non-toxic and non-porous; health-care professionals caution against toys made of jelly rubber or PVC, which can cultivate bacteria or leach chemicals. Here are the most common types of sex toys for penis owners:

1. 1. Anal beads: Anal beads consist of several beads of progressive sizes attached to a cord, which you can place inside your or your partner’s anus then slowly or quickly extract them to amplify an orgasm.
2. 2. Anal plugs: Anal plugs are designed to stimulate the nerve endings in the anus. When choosing a plug, select one with a flared base to ensure that the toy doesn’t accidentally slip inside your or your partner’s anus during anal play. Since the anus doesn’t naturally lubricate itself, anal toys require a lot of lube. Clean your anal toy after each use to avoid introducing harmful bacteria into your or your partner’s body. Inflatable or expandable models (plugs you can adjust before or during penetration) or graded kits can function as training for more ambitious anal play and comfort during anal sex.
3. 3. Ball chains: While plugs function as continuous, static pleasure, anal toys like ball chains—anal balls of varying sizes connected by a cord or “chain”—pair the sensations of a plug with motion as they are removed.
4. 4. Ball stretchers: Ball stretchers are weighted rings worn around the scrotum during penetrative sex—similar to a cock ring for testicles. Ball stretchers are a component of BDSM play, designed to elicit pain and pleasure simultaneously.
5. 5. Cock extenders: Cock extenders are available in a few different formats. They can feature a dildo attached to a cock ring, a sleeve that fits over the penis, or a hollow strap-on.
6. 6. Cock rings: Cock rings restrict blood flow to the penis, resulting in a tightening sensation, and are sometimes used in concert with a penis pump, a device that stimulates the penis by using suction to create a vacuum. Cock rings are available in a range of materials for different levels of comfort, from silicone to stainless steel. Vibrating designs add extra stimulation.
7. 7. Double-sided dildos: Double-sided dildos offer simultaneous penetration for partners both looking to bottom. The double-sided suction cups make it easy for either partner to use their toy of choice by securing it to either end. This type of dildo is ideal for couples with different penetration preferences.
8. 8. Goose-head dildos: The tapered, bulb-like tip of goose-head dildos mimics a hand’s initial insertion into the anus and is considered a training method for fisting.
9. 9. Mutual masturbation tools: These tools are designed for non-penetrative mutual masturbation. The stretchy, silicone sleeves have open ends, which allow both partners to insert their penis for hands-free stimulation.
10. 10. Sounding rods: Sounding rods are thin, slightly curved rods designed for insertion into the urethra. These rods can be used as part of BDSM or fetish play.
11. 11. Vibrators: The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system located in front of the rectum, between the bladder and the penis. Surrounded by thousands of sensitive nerve endings that generally go untouched, the prostate (the “P-spot”) can produce intense orgasms. Two-pronged prostate massagers target the prostate and the perineum, or taint; bullet vibrators, or “butt bullets,” feature an egg-shaped device that can be inserted into the anus and deliver buzzy sensations via remote control.

Craving a little more intimacy? Grab a MasterClass Annual Membership and learn more about open communication with your partners, experimenting in the bedroom, and being your own best sexual advocate with a little help from Emily Morse (host of the wildly popular podcast Sex With Emily).