Having bought dozens of dildos in my life, I have started to develop an understanding of what key aspects to look into when shopping for a dildo. The different shapes, the different materials, price ranges, sizes, colors… it can all seem confusing at first. I have felt lost in a world of dildos myself at one point. However, with time, I learned how to buy dildos, and now I even highly enjoy the process. I hope that with the help of this guide, you also will not find the process of choosing a new dildo daunting anymore. It should be fun, not a chore, after all!
How to Buy a Dildo
Buying a dildo really isn’t difficult at all once you start to notice some key differences in the types of dildos, and once you learn what your body wants. Each person’s body is vastly different from others, and this is why it’s very difficult to give any concrete recommendations on which is truly the “best dildo”. Rather than just finding the highest rated product and ordering it, you should first learn what you truly want out of a dildo. This is where understanding the different types of dildos available comes handy:
Different Types of Dildos
In the last few years, more dildo variations have popped up than ever before. I’m sure that making sense of it all seems impossible at first. However, in this paragraph, I will highlight and compare them against one another to help you out:
- Realistic Dildos resemble the penis of a real man, bringing about the most lifelike sex feeling achievable with a dildo.
- Unrealistic Dildos don’t aim for realism. They can take various shapes and forms, such as a dragon dildo. They are super fun, but not exactly realistic.
- Big Dildos are thick, girthy, and they tend to be very difficult to insert fully. They should only be considered by experienced dildo users.
- Small Dildos are much more accessible than big dildos. They are easy to hide, easy to wash, and inserting them requires very little effort. Small dildos make excellent beginners dildos.
- Silicone Dildos are the most luxurious types of dildos available. Silicone tends to be the most expensive to produce, but at the same time, it’s the best-feeling dildo material.
- Glass Dildos may seem crazy at first, but they are actually surprisingly newbie-friendly. As a bonus, they look incredible – like true pieces of art.
- Metal Dildos are not for the faint-hearted. They are fully rigid and rather difficult to insert. I only recommend them for experienced dildo users.
- Double Ended Dildos are dildos which can be used from both sides. They are perfect for couple’s use and a super fun way of spicing up your sex life.
- Strap-On Dildos/Pegging Dildos are meant to be used on a partner, together with a strap-on harness. This combination allows both men and women to wield a penis and penetrate their partner with a dildo.
- Dildo Molding Kits are used to replicate your partner’s penis. Stick their penis in the mold, and voila! You have an exact copy of their penis in the form of a dildo.
- Squirting Dildos are the next-generation forms of realistic dildos. Not only do they feel real, but they also have the ability to ejaculate.
- Vibrating Dildos tend to be a blend between vibrators and dildos. They try to combine the best of both worlds, but not always effectively.
- Anal Dildos are usually slim and small, and they are designed to fit snugly into the anus. Anal dildos are excellent at preparing yourself for anal sex.
Whew! That was a mouthful! I hope this sheds some light on the endless types of dildos out there. Now that you are familiar with their differences, let’s delve even deeper and go over the whole process of choosing yourself a dildo.
How to Choose a Dildo
Choosing a dildo correctly involves five simple factors. In order to find the perfect dildo for yourself, you should think about what you need in terms of:
- Price
- Material
- Size (Length and Girth)
- Design & Shape
- Harness Compatibility
Now, let’s go over these five steps in greater detail.
Dildo Price
None of us likes to waste money. When it comes to choosing a dildo, the pricing should be one of the first decision points you consider. Naturally, your budget will depend on a large number of factors, so all the recommendations I will give to you will be quite general.
I would advise you to pick a budget which you are comfortable spending. Don’t take out loans in order to invest in the $499 RealCock 2, and don’t sell your car to finance your collection of dragon dildos. Dildos may be super fun, but they will be useless if you don’t have a roof over your head. This may sound farfetched, but I actually personally know someone who is in debt because of their sex toy collection.
For those of you who have the money to spend on a luxurious dildo, but are unsure of whether it’s actually worth it, then your experience level comes into play.
If you are already experienced, and you already have a beginner’s dildo, then upgrading to a high-end dildo such as the RealCock 2 might be well worth the money.
If, however, you have never owned a dildo before, then I would advise you to stick with something more mid-range, around the $50 price mark. Dildos at this price point are high-quality, but they will not break your bank. I have highlighted some of the best options for you in my beginner’s dildo review.
Dildo Material
When it comes to the material used to craft your prospective dildo, there are very few options worth spending your money on:
- Silicone is the best and most high-quality dildo material available. It feels super realistic, it’s nicely flexible and it’s incredibly durable. In addition, silicone dildos are the easiest to clean, as all dirt washes right off. If it fits into your budget, then a silicone dildo is the way to go.
- TPE or Thermoplastic Elastomer is another material which is becoming more and more popular lately. It’s cheaper to produce than silicone and feels considerably softer. They are my second favorite material for dildos, right after silicone.
- Glass is a super fun dildo material, and while it does not exactly feel realistic, it more than makes up for the lack of realism with its design and looks. Glass dildos are gorgeous.
- Metal is not a commonly used dildo material, but some manufacturers have managed to pull it off. As you would expect, metal dildos can be rather difficult to insert, though, so I can’t exactly recommend them to most of you.
- Rubber is already a no-go dildo material for me. When I first started purchasing dildos, I liked their cheap pricing, but when I got my hands on a silicone dildo, I never used a rubber dildo ever again. They just don’t feel as good, and they tend to become dirty very easily.
- Plastic is even worse than rubber. Thankfully, plastic dildos are not very common, but if you do see one up for sale somewhere, stay far away from it. Plastic can break, and it leaves dirt stains inside the material after only a few uses.
There are also a few other materials advertised, such as “RealFeel” and “CyberSkin”, but they still tend to be a mix of these very same basic types of dildo materials. All that’s different is that they have more flashy advertising. I’m not saying they are bad – CyberSkin dildos feel fantastic, but it’s not as innovative as the name would suggest.
Dildo Size
The size is another highly important point of consideration when it comes to choosing a dildo. And, as was the case with the price point of your dildo, your experience level is a key indicator of how big you should go with the size of your dildo.
Those of you who are already experienced with sex toys, and are known to overcome BIG obstacles, might want to check out the biggest and baddest dildos in the world. They are super difficult to insert, but once you do build up the nerve and strength to get the inside of you, the feeling of accomplishment is unparalleled!
However, those of you who are beginners to sex toys and dildos, in particular, should stick to smaller sized dildos. They are an excellent starting point and while they may not provide that same feeling of fullness and stretchedness that large dildos provide, it still makes more sense to start slowly and move your way up in size.
A dildo which you can’t insert is a useless dildo, wouldn’t you agree? Therefore, pick a size which you know you can handle.
Dildo Design & Shape
The design and shape of dildos vary highly from one another. Therefore, it’s generally a good idea to make up your mind regarding the shape of the dildo before even looking at specific products.
Do you want a dildo with a realistic design, which resembles a real penis? In this case, you are in luck because most high-end dildos are meant to mirror the design of the natural penis. They mimic the feeling you get from regular intercourse, and some of them feel so astonishingly lifelike that you will find yourself forgetting that it’s not a real penis inside of you.
Or, do you want an unrealistic design from your dildo? Non-realistic dildos can be highly effective as well, in certain cases. For example, anal dildos for men require a very specific slim shape in order to fit into the prostate point. The natural shape of a penis is too thick and girthy for accurate prostate massaging. However, a slim dildo, while unrealistic, can stimulate the prostate with pinpoint accuracy. Same goes for women – in order to hit that ever-so-sweet G-spot perfectly, an unrealistic dildo shape is often the way to go.
There are lots of other shapes and designs out there, and every dildo is unique. However, I believe that before all else, you should decide whether to choose an unrealistic dildo or a realistic one. After deciding that, and realizing what exactly you want your dildo to do, the rest of the decision-making process should become a tad bit easier.
Dildo Base
This is not really as crucial of a detail in choosing a dildo as the beforementioned, but nonetheless, it’s worth a consideration. After all, there are quite a few different base structures for dildos out there, and they all have very different purposes in mind. The two which I think are the most important, though, are:
- Suction-cup Dildo Bases – Suction cups are a personal favorite of mine. I love a good dildo session in the shower, and suction cup dildos are super comfortable in regards to this. You can just stick the dildo on the shower wall, and pound away. True bliss! Most high-end dildos tend to have suction cup bases, but it’s still worth to check before deciding on buying a specific dildo.
- Flared Dildo Bases – If you think that you might want to use your dildo on a strap-on harness, then it’s definitely worth buying a dildo with a flared base. They can be strapped into harnesses very easily, and they allow for comfortable dildo pegging.
There are some other options out there, such as ball-based dildos, but they tend to be a minority, and it’s not really that important whether a dildo has a balled base or a regular base. In my opinion, much more important is the prevalence or lack of a suction cup. I would even consider it a dealbreaker for me at this point if a dildo has no suction cup whatsoever.
How Old Do You Have to be to Buy a Dildo?
This question gets tossed around rather often on the Internet, and it seems like the most common answer is “you are not old enough to be playing with these toys anyway”. While this might be true in terms of legality, it’s definitely not true in terms of a girl’s needs.
Every girl’s body is different, and some girls mature quicker than others. There may be 16-year olds out there who are nowhere near ready to start buying dildos, but at the same time, there are many similarly aged girls who are definitely ready to start experimenting with sex toys.
As you need a credit card in order to shop for sex toys online, you really can’t buy dildos online until you are 18. A local adult toy shop might be your best bet, but they do check for IDs every now and then as well. As a last resort, you could also turn to some homemade dildo options if you can’t get your hands on a real dildo.
Whether or not you specifically are ready for dildos or not – I can’t say. But, I think it’s ignorant to say that everyone under 18 is a child who should not explore their body yet. I myself starting using dildos when I was only 15, and I don’t feel traumatized in the slightest.
