Beginner’s Guide to Dildos

If you are looking to find out more information about the different types of dildos then you have come to the right place. Buying a dildo or any penetration sex toy for the first time can be a daunting experience. This is why our sex educators and sex toy experts have created a guide to help you buy a dildo.

In this guide our sex toy experts outline the different types of dildos, and their main use.

Anal Dildos

As the name suggests, anal dildos are dildos that are specifically designed for anal use. Of course, they can be used for any other type of penetration too, but they have features that make them particularly well-suited for anal play.

Anal dildos can be realistic, mimicking the aesthetics of the human penis, but they also come in a number of other shapes, sizes and colours.

Doc Johnson Anal Dildo

They often come with a tapered tip that makes insertion easier and many anal dildos have a smaller girth to accommodate beginner users. You can also buy anal dildos in training kits that should help you gradually increase the size of the toy you play with.

Another common and necessary feature of anal dildos is a flared base that prevents the toy from travelling up the rectum. This can be a suction cup base that aids solo- and strap-on harness play or just a wider section of the toy that stops the dildo from slipping in completely.

As with all anal sex, it is always recommended to use an appropriate lubricant when playing with anal dildos, but make sure that your lube and sex toy are compatible to avoid material degradation.

Double Dildos

Double dildos are dildos that feature an insertable head and shaft on both ends. They can be either used solo to penetrate two different orifices or can be used by two people, each inserting an end vaginally or anally.

Double dildos tend to be longer to make both solo and coupled use easier and they are always made of a flexible, bendy material to make sure both ends can be used simultaneously. As with most dildos, double dildos can also be either realistic or non-realistic, so they either resemble a penis on both ends or feature a different shape.

Double Ended Dildo

Double dildos are great for women who want to try double penetration while playing with a sex toy alone. One end can be inserted anally and the other vaginally to provide a full, stretching sensation.

Double dildos are also often used by gay and lesbian couples as it enables them to experience internal stimulation simultaneously and even maintain a level of control over the thrusting and depth of penetration of their partners.

Always make sure to use appropriate lubrication when playing with a double dildo, but don’t forget to check if your sex toy is compatible with your lube to avoid material degradation.

Glass Dildos

Glass dildos are, quite simply, dildos made of glass. The glass that is used to produce these often aesthetically beautiful sex toys is a special, toughened borosilicate glass that makes them body safe and hypoallergenic.

Glass dildos can be used vaginally or anally, and due to their smooth surface and with a spot of lube, they are great for external massage too. Due to the tough material, glass dildos provide a much firmer sensation internally than most other dildos made of silicone and other materials, so they are ideal for experienced sex toy users who know the type of stimulation they prefer.

Sprectrum Ribbed Glass Dildo

These unique dildos come in a huge variety of shapes, sizes and colours and often feature a heavily textured shaft with ribs, ridges, nubs and nodules to provide even more intensity during insertion and thrusting.

Dildos and other sex toys made of glass are ideal for temperature play as they can be heated up or cooled down before play to provide different sensations.
Glass sex toys are also very easy to clean as they are completely waterproof. Glass dildos are also compatible with any type of lubricant so you can use your favourite silicone-, water- or oil-based lubes without any problems!

Large Dildos

Large dildos are dildos that have a length of 9 inches or more or, alternatively, are exceptionally girthy.

These dildos are recommended to more experienced users who like a stretching sensation and know how to work their way up to inserting a larger sex toy.

Large dildos, like all other dildos, can be realistic or non-phallic, and can come in a variety of different colours. Some have suction cup bases that makes them easier to use during solo sessions or to use them with strap-on harnesses.

Doc Johnson Great American Challenge

These sizeable toys can be used anally or vaginally, but it’s a good idea to prepare properly beforehand and work your way up by playing with and inserting smaller sex toys first. Large dildos are often used during BDSM scenes and other fetish play too and due to their stark aesthetic, they also make regular appearances in adult entertainment.

When it comes to extra large dildos, make sure you check the exact measurements to avoid disappointment and always use lubrication. Don’t forget to verify what type of lube you can use with your toy as silicone lubricants can cause material degradation when used with silicone toys.

Non-Phallic Dildos

Dildos that are not modelled after the shape and characteristics of the human penis are sometimes called non-phallic or non-realistic dildos.

These sex toys often feature a variety of textures on their shafts that offer a different internal stimulation than realistic dildos do. Since the design of the toy doesn’t have to follow the aesthetics of a penis, textures can include bumps, ridges, ribs, nubs and nodules. These create extra sensations during insertion and when the dildo is being thrusted in and out vaginally or anally.

Non-phallic dildos are sometimes curved specifically to target the G-spot or the prostate (P-spot) and are often used for strap-on harness play. Non-realistic sex toys are popular with lesbian couples and straight couples who engage in pegging.

Loving Joy Curved Silicone Dildo

These dildos can come in a large variety of shapes, sizes and colours and can be made of many different materials. You can find small, anal beginner-friendly toys as well as extra large non-phallic dildos, so whatever your experience level you can find a non-realistic dildo for your preference.

As with all sex toys, the use of a good quality lubricant is always recommended, but please make sure you check what type of lube is compatible with your dildo to avoid material degradation.

Realistic Dildos

Realistic dildos are modelled after the shape and characteristics of the erect human penis, so they provide a realistic experience during use, as if being penetrated by an actual phallus. They can be used for both vaginal and anal penetration and some people even like to use them orally.

These dildos come in a large variety of sizes from 4 inches all the way up to extra-large, 15-inch monster dildos. Most realistic dildos are skin coloured, so they come in white, brown, black and so on, although these are sometimes dubbed as vanilla, caramel and chocolate. You can also find realistic dildos in unrealistic colours like hot pink, red or blue, these offer a fun option if you like the realistic shape but prefer a funkier colour.

Loving Joy 6 Inch Realistic Dildo

Lifelike dildos often feature a bulbous head and are usually modelled after circumcised penises, although uncut dildos are available too. Raised veins along the shaft – if present – serve both an aesthetic and a functional purpose as they make the dildo appear more lifelike and also provide internal stimulation during insertion and thrusting. Some realistic dildos come with testicles primarily for aesthetic reasons, but balls can also provide some clitoral stimulation when the entire shaft is inserted vaginally.

Like other dildos, realistic dongs can come equipped with a suction cup that makes them harness-compatible and ideal for solo play too.

It’s important to use a lubricant when playing with sex toys, so make sure to check what lube is compatible with your realistic dildo to avoid material degradation.

Strap-On Dildos

Strap-on dildos are dildos that can be used with a strap-on harness for strap-on sex. Strap-ons are often used by lesbian couples as well as straight couples for pegging and can include both realistic and non-phallic sex toys.

The best strap-on dildos are often shaped to target the G-spot or the prostate to make their use even more pleasurable. Dildos are most often kept securely in harnesses by an O-ring, so strap-on dildos usually come with a suction cup that adds variety to the ways they can be used.

Many strap-on harnesses come with a bullet pocket that sits just above the clitoris, this offers vibrating stimulation to the wearer of the strap-on so the experience can be satisfying for both partners.

Fetish Fantasy Classic Strap-on Dildo

Some strap-on dildos are hollow to allow for the insertion of a flaccid penis. These sex toys can help men with erectile dysfunction and men recovering from surgery to have sex the way they are used to (hip thrusting) and provide a pleasurable experience to their partners. Some of these hollow strap-on dildos are equipped with vibrations to offer even more stimulation to both the wearer and the receiver.

We always recommend the use of a good quality lubricant with any sex toy play, so make sure you get a lube that is compatible with your strap-on dildo to avoid material degradation.

Strapless Dildos

Strapless dildos are dildos that allow for strapless strap-on sex so there is no harness required to keep the dildo in place. These sex toys have two different insertable ends – one smaller, bulbous egg-shaped end that is inserted in the vagina or anus and keep the longer shaft in place so the wearer can penetrate their partner with it.

Popular with lesbian couples, strapless dildos offer simultaneous stimulation of both partners and the potential for skin-to-skin contact that harnesses prevent. It does take some practice to master the use and proper control of a strapless strap-on and sometimes people like to use a harness with it anyway, just to add further stability to the shaft. This can be especially important when the strapless
sex toy is used for pegging as increased control is required for anal penetration.

Simply Strapless Strap-on Dildo

Strapless dildos come in a big variety of shapes, sizes and colours, but most often the shaft resembles a simplified penis with a bulbous head and a veinless, smooth shaft. The bulb end is usually egg-shaped to make it easier keeping it in with the wearer’s pelvic muscles. Of course, there are also strapless sex toys that have a textured shaft with ridges, or the bulb end is equipped with rabbit ears to provide clitoral stimulation for the wearer. Most strapless strap-ons offer vibrations and some even have multiple engines to provide stronger sensations to both wearer and receiver.

Lubrication is especially important when using strapless dildos for the comfort of both partners, so make sure you buy an appropriate lube that is compatible with your strapless sex toy to avoid material degradation.

Vibrating Dildos

Vibrating dildos or realistic vibrators are vibrating sex toys that are shaped like or modelled after an erect human penis. These sex toys can mimic the realistic sensations of being penetrated by an actual phallus with the added benefit of having powerful vibrations that increase stimulation and can help users reach an orgasm.

Most vibrating dildos are controlled by either a twist-and-go base that lets you increase and decrease the intensity of the vibrations or with a button control panel that may control other features of the dildo too – like thrusting or warming.
Realistic vibrators are really popular sex toys as they combine the realistic feel of dildos with the technical innovations of vibrators. Like non-vibrating realistic dildos, vibrating dildos sometimes feature veins and testicles for both aesthetic and functional reasons, however, most come without a suction cup.

Loving Joy Bully Boy Realistic Vibrator

Vibrating dildos can be used vaginally or anally, solo or with a partner, and they often come in a variety of sizes which makes them very versatile sex toys popular with a wide range of different people.

We always recommend the use of a good quality lubricant with any sex toy, so make sure you get some lube with your vibrating dildo and don’t forget to check whether your choice of lubricant is compatible with your toy, to avoid material degradation.

If you have any more questions on the different types of dildos then feel free to contact us and one of our sex educators and experts will get back to you as soon as possible!