The Dos and Don'ts of Buying a Sex Toy

The Dos and Don'ts of Buying a Sex Toy

Five easy steps to help you find that perfect toy

As cliché as it may sound, you need to be able to please yourself before you can expect others to please you. And if you're not that comfortable going solo between the sheets, you might want a little (battery-operated) help to get your groove on.

That said, walking into a sex store with the purpose of purchasing your first vibrator can be a really intimidating experience. Sex stores tend to carry a lot of products and  the plethora of funny shapes, bright colours, funny sex toy names and weird sounds can be overwhelming. We’ve broken down the toy shopping process into five easy steps to help you find that perfect first toy.

1. Find a store that you are comfortable with. The days of sex stores being dimly lit, creepy places located in shady locations are long gone. There are now tons of excellent stores and websites that are designed to be women and couple friendly. Do a bit of online research to find a website that you feel comfortable with. Asking questions about the vibrator you’re about to purchase has the potential to be totally awkward so, you’ll want to find a website where the staff is friendly, approachable and knowledgeable.

2. Decide what kind of stimulation you’d like. When it comes to the kind of experience a toy offers most toys fall into one of three categories: external stimulation (clitoral), internal stimulation (designed to be used inside you) and dual function which offers a combination of external and internal. Most women need some external stimulation to have an orgasm so, a toy that offers this is a good place to start. If the idea of purchasing something that looks like a brightly colored penis totally freaks you out (or you think it may intimidate your partner) start with a small vibrator (often called a “personal massager”) that fits in the palm of your hand. If you would like more “bang for your buck” (pun intended) look at one of the dual function vibrator so that you’ll have more options down the road. A classic example of a dual function toy would be Charlotte’s infamous “Rabbit” vibrator from Sex & the City. Remember how much she enjoyed that?

3. Materials. When you are purchasing a new toy, it’s very important to make sure that the product is body safe. Unfortunately, there are many toys out there made of materials that contain phthalates and other toxic chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other health problems. Protect your girl parts and make sure the toy you are buying is labeled as “body safe and phthalate free”. When it comes to texture, the harder materials tend to transmit vibrations stronger whereas softer materials tend to feel more like skin. If you can, touch the display model and choose a toy that you like the look and feel of.

4. Quality and Price. There’s a wide range of good quality toys on the market with all different price ranges in mind. You don’t need to break the bank to find a toy that makes you squeel. Here are a few questions you should keep in mind when you are shopping: How quiet is the toy? (You want to make sure that using this toy won’t make your roommates or neighbors think that you’ve suddenly taken a liking to creating late night woodworking projects). Does the toy come with a warranty? (Sadly, toys do break. Higher quality toys tend to be backed by a warranty. The last thing you want is for your toy to break right before you’re about to have a killer orgasm). How is the toy powered? Is it battery operated? Does it plug into the wall? Does it self charge with a wall plug-in like a cell-phone? Figure out what works best for you and go from there.

5. Have fun! Reserve a quiet moment for a play-date with your new toy (either solo or with a partner), pour yourself a glass of wine and enjoy. Read more at www.29secrets.com