Booty Basics: Types of Anal Toys

When it comes to gear for your rear, there’s quite a few options out there, and we’re here to get to the bottom of it!

First things first: not all toys are designed for the back door, so you want to make sure that your tools are catered to anal play. There are two main things to look for in an anal toy:

1)     Material: Of course, you’re going to want to only be using body-safe materials for your sex toys (you’re in the right place, all of our toys are expert-picked, paraben-free, and made out of high-quality materials). But, specifically for booty play, you want your toys to be made out of a non-porous material like medical-grade silicone, ABS plastic, stainless steel, or glass (borosilicate or sodalime). This will ensure that cleaning is a breeze and you don’t have to worry about bacteria getting trapped in any of those teeny-tiny pores you can find in materials like jelly rubber or elastomer.

2)     Flared base: For something to be safe for anal penetration, it’s gotta have something to anchor it outside of the body. Your anal toys should have a flared base: a handle or base that’s larger than the insertable part of the toy, or an extra arm that stays outside of the body. This will prevent the toy from going up into the body past the point where it will be easily able to be removed (and may even prevent an embarrassing trip to the ER). And no, strings and chains don’t count – those could also get pulled into the body – so a flared base is essential.

Let’s talk types of toys:

One of the most popular styles of anal toy is the infamous butt plug – a toy that is deigned to be inserted into the body and worn hands-free for stimulation. For many folks, the sensation of fullness is what makes butt plugs so appealing, but they can also have a variety of other features like a curve meant to target the prostate or G-spot, vibration for extra stimulation, or other motorized delights like thrusting, rocking, or even rimming sensations!

For those looking to size up their penetration game, anal training kits are here to help. With a set of graduated plugs – you can explore from the smallest to the largest, setting your own pace to allow your body the time to get comfortable with each size before moving up.

Whether it’s for a solo sesh or pegging play, dildos can be a great tool for penetration that goes a little further (literally) than most butt plugs. Dildos with a flared base are also often able to be used with a harness, so you can strap it on for some partnered fun.

Anal beads are a great tool for leveling up an orgasm through some extra back-door stimulation paired with however you usually love getting off! Anal beads are made up of rounded shapes that are fixed on a stem or cord, typically getting larger as they near the handle (usually loop-shaped for easy grip of the toy. They provide a super unique type of stimulation – a popping sensation against the super nerve-rich opening of the anus when removed from the body. To get the most out of your booty bead experience, take them out as you are just about to reach climax – pulling them out at a steady pace, but not yanking them out too quickly (you’re upgrading your orgasm, not starting a lawnmower!)

Prostate stimulators can have some cross-over with dildos and butt plugs, but the key element is a curve that gives pressure against the front wall of the anal canal – which is where you want to target for that p-spot stimulation. Some toys that are designed specifically with prostate stim in mind will have bases or handles that are designed to make it easy to rock the toy back and forth while it’s inside the body, providing a nice firm, rhythmic pressure for this booty hot-spot.

Last but certainly not least is the biggest booty game-changer there is: lubricant. If you’ve been on our blog before, you’ve more than likely heard us sing the praises of this slick sex sidekick, but for anal play it’s basically an essential (an ass-ential, if you will). Because the butt doesn’t self-lubricate in the way that the vaginal canal can, lubricant is super important to help keep the area hydrated so that it can significantly reduce friction that may cause fissions or tears on that super delicate tissue – not to mention that penetrative play is much more comfortable when there’s some extra glide, especially on entrance.

For silicone toys, make sure you opt for a good cushy water-based lube. For metal and glass, silicone lube can give a great slide. To really make sure your lube is getting where you need it most, try a lube shooter so you can get all that good slick-ness inside the body as well as out.

To learn more about how to put these toys to good use, check out our Booty Basics: Anal 101 blog post. Happy anal exploring, babes!