The Good Vibrations Guide to Sex (44 page)

There have been significant improvements in design and motor-strength, but expect some degree of confusion when donning one of these (so many straps), and prepare for the likelihood that you’ll want to press on the vibe to get the desired stimulation (thus defeating the “no-hands” feature!).

VARIATIONS:

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Butterfly:
The original, and probably the best-known, models are Joni’s Butterfly and the Venus Butterfly, but hummingbirds, dolphins, and bunnies have all been pressed into service as clit vibes. Thanks to our friend the microchip, these vibrators are substantially more compact than the original bulky models, and offer up stronger vibrations.

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Panty/G-string and egg combination:
A more secure panty or G-string sports a small internal pouch, into which you insert a small vibrator. Look for leg and waist straps that are adjustable. In general you’ll find that this ensemble sits more firmly on the clitoris than do vibrators attached to elastic straps.

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Remote:
You wear one of the above versions of the toy, and your partner operates the controls.

HOW TO USE: Regardless of which model you use, the idea is to adjust the straps around your thighs or waist, and position the vibrator directly over your clitoris. If there’s a battery pack, it can be tucked underneath one of the straps. This toy combination is particularly ideal for folks whose hands tire holding vibrators, or who have limited mobility. An adventurous few report wearing no-hands vibrators underneath clothing to a nightclub or loud party where no one can hear the buzz!

Because the vibrator is small and covers only the clitoris, you can wear these toys during penetration (if yours has a single, thong-style strap, simply move the strap aside).

Vibrating Sleeves

WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE: These are basically male masturbation sleeves with a vibrating egg tucked inside to create vibration. They’re made of vinyl, jelly rubber, or cyberskin, and some have little nubs inside, for additional stimulation. Outwardly, these vibrators take on all manner of appearance. Some are plain tubes, others are sculpted to look like a pair of sucking lips or a vagina.

VARIATIONS: Some simply vibrate; others also move up and down in a simulated sucking motion. Some are attached to pumps (similar to blood pressure pumps), which add suction; some vibrate just the tip of the penis; and some are waterproof.

Masturbating with vibrating sleeve

HOW TO USE: You can squirt a bit of lube inside to make the sleeve more comfortable, particularly if you’ll be thrusting in and out. Insert your penis and turn on the vibrator; most have a variable speed, so that you can control the intensity of the vibrations.

Vibrating Cock Ring with Clitoral Stimulator

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE: These are cock rings with a small bullet vibrator mounted on one end. The vibrator is attached to a battery pack by a cord. Originally these were only made in hard plastic (necessitating the use of ample lube), but you can now find more comfortable versions made of stretchy rubber or cyberskin.

VARIATIONS:

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Removable bullets:
Instead of the vibrator being fused to the cock ring, there’s a loop or pouch into which a vibrator is inserted. This gives you the option of choosing from a wider variety of vibrating eggs, including cordless models.

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Anal attachment:
This version features a vibrating anal plug attached by a separate cord to the same battery pack as the cock ring and bullet vibrator.

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Latex:
A pouch for the scrotum is attached to the base of the cock ring.

HOW TO USE: For solo sex, place the cock ring around the base of your penis with the bullet on the bottom to enjoy testicular vibrations. The latex model is designed especially for solo play; the snug feeling of the latex combined with the vibrations can be especially pleasurable. For vaginal intercourse, place the cock ring around the base of your penis with the bullet on top. This vibrates the penis, and in certain positions the bullet vibrates the woman’s clitoris—though some find problematic the fleeting, start/stop vibration during thrusting. You can also flip the cock ring around to make the vibrator stimulate the testicles instead of the clitoris during partner sex. During anal intercourse in certain positions, the vibrator can also provide stimulation for both partners.

My husband bought a clip-on vibrator that went on his penis (near the base) that had a cylindrical bit that rested against my clitoris (you could turn it around for front or rear entry). It had a hand control that one or the other of us could use to vary the intensity of the vibrations. This was amazingly effective. Because of the speed control it was brilliant for controlling my progress toward orgasm. If I operated the control I could push the intensity of my sensations higher and higher, just holding myself short of orgasm each time (by alternating between slow and fast) until eventually I’d have a blinding climax.

Love the cock ring vibrator—I swear I’m having a whipped cream ejaculation!

I have a hard time experiencing clitoral stimulation during intercourse, so my partner and I tried cock rings with vibrator attachments. Unfortunately, those vibrators are still too big/awkward to be pleasurable. If you’re doing a lot of close, hard fucking, that vibrator ends up being more painful than pleasurable.

This type of toy can also be adapted quite nicely for use with a dildo and harness. You can try it the same way (placing the cock ring around the dildo on the outside of the harness) so that the receptive partner gets her clit stimulated. Or for direct self-stimulation the harness-wearer can place the cock ring around the dildo, between the harness and her own clit. Either way, you end up with a vibrating dildo!

Vibrating Strap-on Dildos

WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE: This is a vinyl or jelly rubber vibrating dildo (attached to a battery pack), which can be strapped on with elastic leg straps, enabling the wearer to penetrate a partner. There are usually nubby bits, on the bottom of the dildo portion, that the wearer is supposed to enjoy.

VARIATIONS: A slightly more secure variation has the vibrating dildo (attached to a battery pack) built into some latex briefs, but sizes can be problematic. Neither all-in-one toy holds a candle to the combination of a harness with a hollowed-out silicone dildo and a egg/bullet vibrator. You’ll end up with a secure fit, a quality dildo, and a stronger vibration.

HOW TO USE: If you don your strap-on correctly, you can penetrate your partner with a vibrating dildo—definitely a unique sensation. However, if your lover has a tight grip on the vibrating dildo, the flimsy elastic leg straps will end up being mercilessly pulled out like a rubber band waiting to snap! The vibrations are also focused primarily in the base of the vibrator, which is nice for the wearer, but essentially defeats the purpose for the receptive partner. Using a vibrating dildo in a harness ensures the wearer a secure fit and allows for much more control over the action. In addition, a silicone dildo will transmit vibrations far better than vinyl or jelly rubber do.

One variation in this product line combines a strap-on dildo with a vibrating cock ring and clitoral stimulator. A man can slip his penis through the cock ring, clitorally stimulate his partner, and penetrate her both vaginally and anally—all at the same time! Similarly, a woman could wear this toy in a dildo harness to double-penetrate a female partner. The dildo portion of this toy is made of jelly rubber with a highly flexible spine, allowing you to mold it into the perfect position. Such ingenuity leaves us breathless!

Vibrating Double Dildos

WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE: Two dildos joined at the base are attached by a cord to a battery pack. There are usually two controls, one for each dildo, enabling you to vibrate the dildos separately or simultaneously.

VARIATIONS: Length (typically fourteen inches) and diameter (one-and-a-quarter inches) may vary.

HOW TO USE: Lying in a scissors position, two women can accommodate each end of the dildo vaginally, or a coupling of either sex can play with anal/anal or vaginal/anal penetration. Once the dildo is inserted, you can grasp its center and move it in and out, or you can leave it in one place and focus solely on the vibrations. We recommend using lots of lube for anal play, and remember, don’t switch ends or move your toy from anus to vagina unless you’re using fresh condoms. If you find this model unsatisfactory, you may want to consider using a first-rate double dildo, called the Nexus (see the Dildos chapter) and slipping a cock ring vibe around the center to add vibration.

Vibrating Nipple Toys

WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE: These tend to fall into two camps: nipple clamps or suction toys. With the clamps, two little bullets attach to your nipples with adjustable, vinyl-padded clamps, and are connected to a variable-speed battery pack. Suction toys are usually shaped like small cups and are attached to a hand pump (which provides suction) and a battery pack vibrator.

HOW TO USE: Use these for nipple stimulation if you want to free up your hands or if you wish to experiment with a new sensation.

I orgasm by just touching my nipples, so nipple teasers are the best!

“Personal Massagers”

A number of other battery-powered toys have appeared in mainstream stores recently. These are marketed, much like their electric counterparts, as “personal massagers.” You won’t find any that are phallic-shaped, but you will find them in almost every other imaginable size and shape. We’ve see some resembling paperweights and pens—the perfect desk accessory for the overworked executive! The smallest one we’ve seen looks like a spark plug—you’ve probably seen this advertised as the “Pocket Rocket.”

The good news is, these are often better made than adult novelties, and many can’t be beat for portable clitoral stimulation. Most are quite small and innocuous-looking (though they pack a punch), so you won’t be embarrassed when the X-ray machine picks them up at the airport. The bad news is, styles tend to come and go, so the toy you purchase today may not be around tomorrow. One exception is the Natural Contours vibrator line. Candida Royalle (see sidebar) designed this line specifically for women, and her most popular vibrator, the Ultime, offers simultaneous clitoral and G-spot vibrations.

Anal Vibrators

A vibrating butt plug has brought the most enjoyable intensity to sex.

I was lying on my back. She put a well-lubed battery vibrator in me while stimulating my penis. I got instantly hard, approached orgasm very quickly, and sprayed come all the way up my chest—which was common at 16, but not at 47!

Anal vibrators are popular sex toys for masturbation as well as partner sex; they can stimulate the anal opening and rectum in men and women, in addition to the prostate in men. You can use an anal vibrator to penetrate a partner, or an individual can “wear” one. As you probably noticed in the previous sections, many vibrators come with anal attachments—anal stimulation is a popular complement to other types of stimulation. Anal vibrators come in a variety of sizes and shapes. They tend to be either long and slender, or slightly diamond-shaped. Some models have a flexible spine, which allows you to mold the plug into any angle you desire. Others are set on handles, so that you can reach yourself or a partner with ease. To date, there are no electric toys designed specifically for anal use (though you can adapt a coil vibrator—use suction to affix the concave attachment to the base of a plug). Most anal vibrators run on AA or C batteries, are attached to a battery pack, and are made of vinyl or jelly rubber. Silicone manufacturers have started producing hollowed-out anal plugs, which usually hold a bullet vibrator.

If you’d prefer to be free of the cord and battery pack, you can use a variety of cylindrical battery toys as anal vibrators, or can slip slender sleeve attachments over them. If you’re going to use one of the vibrators described in the previous section anally, make sure it has a flared base or a branch on it so that it won’t slip into the rectum. If it lacks some kind of base, make sure it is at least seven inches long and keep a good grip on it. Also remember to change condoms on toys that go from anus to vagina.

Vibrator Shopping Checklist

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Purpose:
What part (or parts) of your body do you want to stimulate? Is it for solo play, partner sex, or both?

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Intensity:
Electric vibrators offer stronger vibrations than battery ones.

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Durability:
Electric vibrators and brand-name battery vibrators last the longest.