Butt plugs (tapered toys which are inserted into the arse) are available in a staggering range of shapes and sizes. You can get metal plugs, tail plus, silicone plugs, training plugs, vibrating plugs, inflatable plugs, slimline plugs and more besides.
Figuring out which butt plug is going to be best for you can, therefore, be a little tricky – especially considering that not all butt plugs on the market are bodysafe… or even fit for purpose.
Here, then, is a quick guide to identifying a quality butt plug, some tips on using your purchase, and recommendations for butt plugs for every occasion.
Contents
Our recommended butt plugs for every purpose
Recommended lubes and accessories
Butt plugs to avoid
There are a few important things that all butt plugs should have. These aren’t just aesthetic points, but instead features that are necessary for your safety and enjoyment.
Avoid Butt plugs made of toxic materials
Firstly, anything that you plan to insert into your body should be made from a non-toxic material. That means you should AVOID:
- Jelly ❌
- PVC ❌
- Rubber ❌
- “Flesh-like” materials ❌
And instead choose:
- TPR/TPE ✔️
- ABS Plastic ✔️
- Silicone ✔️
- Stainless Steel ✔️
- Glass ✔️
If the retailer you’re buying from isn’t clear about the material the plug is made from… don’t buy from them. Find out more about buying and cleaning sex toys here.
Butt plugs with no flared base or handle
Secondly, any plug you use should have a flared base or handle. The arse is a powerful muscle, and it can pull things into your body just as effectively as it can push things out. If you lose a butt plug in your arse, you’re looking at a very painful and embarrassing trip to the emergency room to get it back out.
To avoid this untimely fate, pick butt plugs which have large handles or flared bases – things which are too big to disappear into your rectum.
Novelty or joke butt plugs
Lots of companies manufacture joke butt plugs – plugs which feature celebrities, memes, cartoon characters or other ephemera. For reference, here’s a butt plug designed to resemble ex-president of the United State George W Bush.
Just to be clear, joke plugs like these are sold as novelty items. They are not designed to be inserted into your body – they’re not made from bodysafe materials, and not designed to be comfortable or safe to insert. So don’t, no matter how sexy they look.
Using and enjoying butt plugs
If you’ve never inserted something into your arse before, a butt plug is an excellent choice for your first insertion. Most plugs are tapered to make insertion easy and smooth, and have a narrow neck so that the plug will stay in place without you holding it there. Being able to leave a plug in place while you masturbate, fuck, or do other things allows your body plenty of time to get used to it.
I always recommend playing solo the first time you play with a butt plug. When you’re the only person in the room, it takes a lot of the pressure off and you’re free to explore and enjoy without worrying about looking sexy (or, conversely, making a mess).
How do I insert a butt plug?
Get a butt plug. Get some lube (make sure it’s compatible with the plug). Get some privacy. Get a handy towel. Get naked.
Liberally lube the whole of the plug, apart from the base or handle. Liberally lube your arsehole. Give your hands a wipe with the towel before picking up the plug so that you don’t get lube on the handle (doing so will make it difficult to keep a grip on the plug).
Adopt a position where you can reach your arse without having to contort. I recommend lying on your back, knees up, legs spread, hips elevated, and reaching down between your legs.
Press the tip of the plug against your arse. You may have to do a little exploring with your fingers to find the right spot, or else you might have to move the tip up and down or in circles until it’s in the right place.
Apply gentle pressure. Inserting a small butt plug shouldn’t hurt. It helps if you relax, too. Many people find masturbating a good way of relaxing. If you’re as relaxed as you can be and it still hurts, add more lube or adjust the position of the plug until it doesn’t.
The tip of the plug will slip into your body. Keep pushing it in until you feel the neck of the plug snug in your arsehole. If you feel discomfort at any stage, pause and wait for your body to get used to the new sensations before continuing to insert.
Once your arsehole is gripping the neck of the plug you can let go of it.
Stay relaxed. Try masturbating. Try moving. Try tapping on the base of the plug, fucking your arse with the plug, rotating the plug. Experiment, and find out what sensations are enjoyable for you.
Your arse is used to expelling things. It might expel the plug. If it does, that’s not a problem. Pick it up, give it a rinse if it’s messy or there’s lube on the handle. Give yourself a wipe if you’re messy. Start again.
Should I use a douche/enema before using a butt plug?
A douche (or enema) is a tool used to inject water into the arse. This water can then be expelled. Done several times this has the effect of cleaning the arse, and minimises the possibility that you’ll have to deal with mess while you play.
Douches come in a couple of different flavours. I recommend the classic squirty bulb douche if it’s your first time.
You don’t need to douche before playing with a butt plug, but you may wish to if you like things squeaky clean. Of course, shooting a quart of warm water into your butt isn’t exactly natural; if you douche too aggressively or too often you risk drying out the natural moisture of your arse, so take it easy.
How long can I leave a butt plug in for?
Pretty much as long as you like. Leaving a reasonably-sized, bodysafe plug in for several hours won’t have any negative effects on your body. Using a very large plug, or leaving a plug in for a very long time might leave you a little achey or uncomfortable.
Of course, if a plug is causing you pain or discomfort, you should remove it. Most of the time, though, plugs aren’t painful. They tend to feel snugly filling, and might even provide pleasurable stimulation.
Many people wear butt plugs for a few hours before engaging in anal play, to help them loosen up ready to take something bigger. Some people wear them while doing housework to make a boring chore more enjoyable. And some people only ever insert things in their arse when they’re playing. It’s up to you.
Our recommended butt plugs for every purpose
Below are a range of butt plugs for every conceivable purpose. Pick the one that suits you and your anal goals.
Best butt plug for anal beginners
If you’ve never inserted anything into your arse before, you should start with something small to check that you enjoy the sensation. A slimline buttplug made from a relatively soft material like silicone is perfect.
Lovehoney make this ultra-petite little black silicone number, the teeny-tiny size of which is great for anal virgins. In fact it’s so diminuitive that some might find it too small. Many newbies will also quite easily be able to handle the small and medium version of the same plug.
Some retailers also sell anal play “kits”. These can be fun, since they give you a few different shapes to play around with. Here’s one from Lovehoney which includes a few different toys and a basic douche.
Finally, there’s this Tracey Cox plug which, as well as being rather modest in size, also has a smoother overall shape with no distinct “neck”. This means it won’t stay in place very well once inserted, but that it may be easier to insert and remove for a first time anal player.
Best butt plugs for anal training
Anal training is the process of engaging in progressively more intense anal play over the course of several sessions. Doing so can allow you to take (and, indeed, enjoy taking) larger things in your arse, and also help you relax and enjoy anal play more in general. A lot of people do anal training with toys before trying anal sex.
Butt plugs are great for anal training, since you can leave them inserted for relatively long sessions, giving your body plenty of time to adjust.
I recommend picking up a set of graduated butt plugs so that you can work up from small to large. Lovehoney carries a few different graduated sets, so you can take your pick from black silicone, bejewelled plugs, or a rainbow of glow-in-the-dark plugs.
Bondara stocks this five-piece kit which comes with three differently-sized plugs, a vibrating probe and a douche, allowing for a great deal of anal experimentation.
And finally, if you’re finding anal training very difficult, you might benefit from this dilator kit. Unlike plugs, these dilators are super small and have a constant girth, making insertion a lot easier.
Best butt plug for anal masochism
Anal masochists love the feeling of being filled or stretched to the point that it’s uncomfortable. They might also enjoy rough or painful anal penetration.
For sheer size, you have plenty of ultra-girthy plugs to pick from, including this bomb-shaped Doc Johnson plug, or this plug which is modelled after a human hand… pretty much to scale.
An inflatable butt plug is also a good choice, since it allows you to increase the girth of the plug while it’s inserted. Here’s an extra-large one from Cock Locker.
And, finally, a heavy stainless steel plug from NJOY might be up your alley. The weight and hardness of these plugs makes them rather strict, as (unlike silicone plugs) they have no give or squish to make taking them easier.
Best butt plug for buttgasms
If you’re looking for anal stimulation and pleasure rather than just penetration, a vibrating plug is probably the way to go.
A simple vibrating plug like this one is pretty cheap and cheerful, but you can also opt for something a little more sophisticated. The Nexus Ace (available in small, medium and large sizes) can be controlled using a tiny remote, allowing you to enjoy it under your clothes.
You can also find butt plugs that both vibrate and inflate, allowing you to enjoy both stiumlation and a feeling of pleasurable fullness.
Finally, some butt plugs are designed to “anchor” in place by expanding once inserted. These can provide pleasurable sensations that go beyond those offered by a regular vibrating plug… particularly if you have a prostate to play with.
Best butt plug for novelty
There are lots of options if you’re looking for something amusing in the butt plug department.
You can go with something fun-looking, like a butt plug with a pom-pom tail attached, or a classic jewelled butt plug if you’re feeling fancy. This heart-shaped glass plug and flower-shaped glass plug are also pretty cute.
If, however, you want something a little different on the insertable end you can try this dick-shaped plug, this pretty galaxy-patterned fellow, this vibrating “ass berry” from Rocks Off, or any of a range of monstrous butt plugs stocked by Uberkinky.
Best butt plug for humiliation
For humiliation purposes, I’d recommend a piggy tail butt plug, or perhaps a similar puppy tail plug. These pert little numbers not only make the wearer look adorably animal, but also preclude the wearing of underwear or other clothing. No modesty here, please, we’re British.
Tunnel plugs are also worth considering. A tunnel plug is a hollow plug – once inserted it holds the arse neatly open, giving the wearer an unrivalled feeling of vulnerability and openness… and allowing their lover to amuse themselves by spitting into their arse, fucking their arse, or whatever else comes to mind.
Best butt plug for sharing
If you want to use your anal play toys with several different partners (or if you’re looking for hard-wearing, easy-to-clean toys to stock a dungeon or other shared play space) stainless steel and glass are the way to go.
Both these materials are easy to clean, will last through a lot of rough treatment, and can be completely sterilised between each use.
NJOY make excellent stainless steel plugs (available in small, medium and large sizes). Uberkinky’s own stainless steel plugs are extremely similar, but are less expensive and a little less heavy.
When it comes to glass butt plugs, stick with borosilicate glass. Glacier make a range of different designs from small and svelte to large and scary. Lovehoney also have several good quality glass plugs.
Best tail plugs
Most tail plugs aren’t strictly modelled after a specific animal, but generally resemble the tail of a fox, wolf, or other carnivorous quadruped. DOMINIX Deluxe makes a range of decent, reasonably-priced and elegant tails, all of which are faux fur.
If you want something a little different you can find tails that evoke a pig, a puppy, a unicorn, a fox, or even a tentacled sea monster.
Best electro butt plugs
If you enjoy electrical play and anal play, there are several plugs on the market that’ll help you combine your interests.
ElectraStim make metal butt plugs in both small and large sizes that are safe and suitable for electro anal play… with the added advantage that they’re easy to clean and sterilise.
They also make a bi-polar silicone electro butt plug. This is a bit more forgiving than its steel counterpart, but still delivers a delicious shock.
Best glass butt plugs
Glass butt plugs are, generally speaking, cleaner, safer and cheaper than most people expect. You can find heart-shaped glass plugs and flower-shaped glass plugs almost anywhere… but unless you’re in love with the look of these I’d advise picking up something by Glacier.
Glacier make a range of different designs from small and svelte to large and scary. Lovehoney also have several good quality glass plugs.
Best steel butt plugs
NJOY are widely accepted as the makers of the best stainless steel plugs around. Their products are pleasingly heavy and elegant enough in design that other manufacturers make a point of copying them.
You can pick up an NJOY stainless steel butt plug in a small, medium or large size. They’re not cheap, but they’re worth the investment.
Recommended lubes and accessories
While picking up your dream butt plug, you might also want to grab a few other useful extras.
Lube
For any play involving anal penetration, you need lube. Specially formulated anal lube will remain slippy for longer, meaning that you won’t have to reapply it during a long play session.
However, most ordinary lubes will still work just fine – just make sure any lube you use is compatible with any toy you use. Here’s a little more about picking the right lube for your body and your toys.
Toy cleaner
You don’t need specially formulated toy cleaner to clean your sex toys – you can find more about getting your sex toys nice and clean here.
That said, you might like the scent, texture or convenience of a dedicated toy cleaner or toy cleaning wipes. If so, a foaming toy cleaner like this one usually gives good results.
Storage bags
Assuming your butt plugs are made of a safe, non-toxic material, you should be able to store them quite easily all jumbled together in a box under your bed – no special storage measures needed.
However, keeping them in satin storage bags (small or large) will keep your plugs clean and relatively lint-free, and will help protect glass or steel plugs from knocking into one another and getting scratched.
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I’ve just come across this article. Very helpful. I wish I’d read it years ago when I first started training my butt for friends to use.