How to Choose the Right Adult Toy for Your First Experience
17 January 2025
Ready to kick off the new year with new experiences in the bedroom? Exploring sex toys for beginners is a great place to start! But if you’re feeling nervous or unsure about buying or using a sex toy for the first time, don’t worry, that’s normal — it can feel overwhelming with the sheer volume of options that are available across the numerous different types of sex toys, but that’s what Sexyland’s Fun Specialists are here for! This guide will give you everything you need to know and what to consider when it comes to how to choose the right sex toy for you.
How do I choose the right sex toy based on functionality?
There are different types of male and female sex toys that stimulate different parts of the body and provide a variety of sensations to suit anybody’s desires. Consider your personal preferences and ask yourself what your expectations are so you can narrow down your choices between female sex toys and male sex toys, as well as what you want your toy to do for you.
- What part(s) of your body do you want to stimulate? — sex toys are most commonly associated with genital use, but there are lots of versatile toys that can stimulate other erogenous zones all over the body, inside and out, and for any gender. Some of the most popular female sex toys stimulate the clitoris and/or G-spot while male sex toys usually target the penis and/or prostate. Everyone can enjoy toys designed to stimulate the anus or nipples. Many adult toys for beginners are external, but it’s completely valid and normal to want something penetrative too! If you want something penetrative, consider what sizes and textures you’re comfortable with putting inside your body.
- What sensations do you want to feel? — did you know that sex toys for beginners go beyond just good old-fashioned vibration? There are many types of sex toys with different stimulation styles out there to experience, like thrusting, gyration, rotating beads, suction, warming, and even cooling!
- Will you be using this toy solo, with a partner, or both? — theoretically, you could give any female or male sex toys designed for individual use to a partner for them to use on you, but there are also sex toys designed specifically for couples that pleasure both people at once!
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Do you want a toy that looks anatomically realistic or not like a sex toy at all? — you might like the idea of realistic sex toys that look and feel like parts of the human body (such as masturbators or dildos), or you might prefer discreet designs that look totally nonchalant. Both preferences are valid and there are lots of options for both categories!
What should I consider when setting a budget for my first sex toy?
Most of the adult toys marketed for beginners start at quite affordable prices, because quite understandably, it’s rare for someone to want to drop a whole heap of cash on something they aren’t sure yet that they’ll like. Still, it’s also worth considering investing in a higher quality toy to ensure your first experience is a good one that keeps you coming…back for more that is!
The price will affect things like:
- material quality — higher-quality materials are body-safe and won’t harbour germs as easily as lower-quality materials, they’ll feel better against your intimate areas, and will also last longer so you can enjoy your toy for longer. They’re also usually easier to clean (and yes, you do need to clean your sex toys!)
- additional features and functionality — a multi-functional toy can deliver more than one stimulation type to give you a variety of sensations to enjoy without needing multiple toys filling up your bedside drawer. Some toys also have remote controls or app-compatibility to spice up short- and long-distance play, solo or with a partner!
- overall user-friendliness — regardless of whether you’re a sex-pert or a total beginner when it comes to adult toys, the experience of using one is about more than just crossing the finish line. Think about how smooth the process of actually using it during playtime is going to be, and maintenance after the fun is done; are the buttons in convenient locations? Is the toy comfortable to hold? Is the toy quiet during use? Is the toy waterproof so you can enjoy it in the shower or tub and clean it easily? Is the battery life long enough for you to enjoy a proper self-care session? Does the battery require charging or being replaced? Questions like these are how you can find the most comfortable and well-designed toy for you!
What are the different types of sex toys?
Once you’ve got your answers to the questions above, the next thing to consider is what type of toy will best meet your criteria. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of the different types of sex toys for beginners:
Female sex toys
Vibrators are among the most popular female sex toys and are usually straight or curved rods made of body-safe plastic, silicone, and even metal in some cases. They can be used internally and externally, though those with curved shapes are better suited to internal use as they can reach the G-spot, which is about 2–3 inches inside the vagina on the front wall. Rabbit vibrators can stimulate the G-spot and clitoris at once, resulting in incredible blended orgasms!
Our top beginner pick: Leto Vega Tapered Glassy Vibrator
These female sex toys are great for vulva-havers who prefer pleasure concentrated on the clitoris, which is one of the body’s most sensitive external pleasure zones. These toys are usually small in design so they can focus the stimulation (usually vibration, suction, or high-speed licking) on a precise area like the clitoris or even the nipples.
Our top beginner pick: Sexyland Rose Vibrator
These are essentially mini vibrators and their compact size makes them great travel companions. Vibrating bullets are best for external stimulation that’s concentrated around small erogenous zones like the clitoris and nipples while egg vibrators are designed for internal use to stimulate the inner walls of the vagina.
Our top beginner pick: Pretty Love Blanche Ribbed Silicone Bullet Vibrator
These slim and compact vibes fit in the wearer’s underwear to stimulate the vulva, clitoris, and sometimes the vaginal interior, depending on the shape. They’re almost always remote controllable and/or app-compatible for the wearer or a partner to operate hands-free, making them super-convenient to use once they’re in place.
Our top beginner pick: Winyi Caroline Remote Control Silicone Panty Vibrator
Male sex toys
Masturbators
Also known as 'strokers', these sleeve-like toys simulate the feeling of penetrative sex for people with penises. They come in a variety of designs, including realistic entrances shaped like a vagina, mouth, or anus, as well as non-gendered openings and are usually made from TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) or TPR (thermoplastic rubber) to emulate the realistic fleshy feeling of another person (though silicone strokers do also exist for the most hygienic and easiest cleaning). They’re often lined with interior textures for extra stimulation and can be motorised to produce vibrating, suction, thrusting, and even rotation sensations, or completely manual for the user to stroke up and down by hand.
Cock rings
These stretchy rings fit around the base of the wearer’s penis and restrict blood flow away from their erection to keep it harder for longer and intensify their orgasm! They’re available in non-motorised and vibrating designs, and there are also models with protruding sections to stimulate a partner’s clitoris for more pleasurable couples’ use.
Prostate stimulators
While anyone can use a prostate stimulator, AMAB people with prostate glands will get the most pleasure out of them. These sex toys are inserted into the anus and have elongated, angled heads to help reach the ultra-sensitive P-spot, which is sometimes called ‘the male G-spot’. The sensation of a prostate orgasm is different to that of a penile orgasm, and even if you don’t orgasm, the sensation of massaging the prostate massage feels amazing! The non-motorised versions usually rely on sphincter muscle contractions to rub against the P-spot while the motorised models vibrate, thrust, and even run rolling beads over the sensitive area to concentrate the stimulation right where you want it…
Gender-neutral sex toys
Wands are typically known for their high-powered vibrations and are suitable for all-over body use, taking care of tired muscles just as well as your orgasmic pleasure needs. Some wands have attachments available that fit over the wand’s head to deliver different sensations, such as G-spot or penis-stroking pleasure. They can plug directly into wall power for non-stop vibrations at maximum strength, or wand vibes can be cordless, lightweight, and rechargeable instead!
Our top beginner pick: Sexyland Switch Double-Ended Wand Vibrator
These toys are designed to go inside the anus and provide a deliciously full feeling back there that many folks can’t get enough of! Anal sex toys are also a great way to get yourself ready for anal sex with a partner as they can help you stretch and relax yourself before the real thing. Butt plugs have tapered tips for easy insertion and flared bodies to put the perfect pressure on the anal walls while anal beads provide a ‘rippling’ sort of sensation that massages the entrance and walls when you push and pull them in and out of your body.|
Our top beginner pick: Booty Call X-10 Silicone Anal Beads
These phallic toys are designed for internal vaginal or anal use (depending on whether the shape of the base is flared to be anal-safe) and can be stationary objects or have various functions like vibration, thrusting, rotating, and even squirting if you love the sensation of being filled! Many of them also come with suction cup bases for hands-free fun, either mounted to a firm, flat surface for solo riding in all your favourite positions, or with a partner if you slip the suction cup into a strap-on harness!
Our top beginner pick: Dillio 6" Twister Dildo With Suction Cup
These gender-neutral vibrators fit over the user’s finger and are great for solo or partnered use since you can simply direct the vibrations wherever you point your finger, making them one of the best sex toys for beginners!
Our top beginner pick: Neon Vibes The Nubby Vibe Textured Silicone Finger Vibrator
If you’re ready to explore the different types of sex toys and find new ways to incorporate them into your private playtime, the Sexyland Fun Specialists are here to make the first-time adult toy shopping process easy and enjoyable! Whether you're visiting one of our adult stores or browsing online through our Live Chat, we'll help you find the perfect toy just for you 😘
