A variety of vibrator styles, sizes, and materials can be both inspiring and a little daunting. Finding the perfect vibe may require some self-loving homework. Answering these few simple questions can help cut through the information overload and prevent buyer’s remorse.

What do you want to use it for?

Do you want to use it on your clitoris? Do you want to put it in your vagina or anus? Because just about anything that vibrates feels good on or around the clitoris, phallic shaped vibrators suitable for penetration can also be used outside the vagina if the vibration is strong at the tip. Do you want both the full feeling of penetration and that all-important clitoral buzz? Dual-action vibes mean never having to choose one feeling at the expense of the other.

If you intend to use a toy for anal insertion, make sure it has a flared base so that it doesn’t slip all the way in. While there are vibrating toys made especially for anal use, most are not, so its best to get one specifically designed for anal play, if that’s what you fancy.

How strong do you want your vibration to be?

If you have never used a vibrator before, this is a tough question to answer with certainty so prepare to experiment! If you masturbate with a firm rub on the clitoris rather than a light touch, you are more likely to appreciate a strong vibration. Pick a toy with a variable speed control so you can play around until you discover just what amount of vibration starts your motor. After some initial investigation, you’ll be ready to home in on your vibrating dream date.

How much do you want to spend?

Though the Silver Bullet is the least expensive vibrator we sell, its quite strong and very good-looking. Some people like to start with a few of the cheaper ones and test them out. But if the deluxe, spinning, fluttering dual-action Japanese vibrator is within your budget, and you have a sense that it will float your boat, by all means skip the preliminaries and go for it.

How big do you want it to be?

Discreet purse-size toys like a “pocket rocket” hold a lot of appeal for those on the go. But if your vibrator is never going far beyond your bedside drawer, size may not be a concern. If you plan to use the vibe for penetration, the girth of the toy may be just as crucial as the vibrating intensity. If you are not sure how much girth you want, go smaller rather than larger so you will know your new toy will fit. But remember, the vaginal wall was built to stretch!

The final criterion to use is your own aesthetic. Say you have whittled the choices down to two or three contenders, and considered all the available information. Now its time to cast rational thinking aside and pick the one that tickles that sexy part of your imagination. It may be the prettiest one, the kinkiest one, or the most comforting and familiar one. Desire and aesthetic are deeply personal and entwined; so pick the vibrator or vibrators that speak to you.

Product Usage Guidelines
Never insert any product to the point that it cannot be easily controlled and removed. If you lose a toy in your vagina most often you can just straddle a toilet and relax your muscles ~ coughing or sneezing will help expel a toy from the vagina. If you lose a toy in the anus you MUST visit the ER for removal.

Always clean sex toys before and after use, never sharing toys if not cleaned before hand and never putting anything into the vagina after it’s been in the anus (unless you use a condom and remove the condom before inserting into the vagina). Easy tip: Keep vaginal toys and anal toys separate and use only in those areas.

Make sure you don’t use a silicone lube with a silicone toy. It will melt and fuse together!

If pain or discomfort occurs during toys use, stop immediately.

Do not use toys on broken or irritated skin.

Do not store your vibrator with the batteries in it. The batteries may corrode and damage your toy.

Never use your electric or battery-powered vibrator in water unless it was specified “waterproof.”

Water may damage the motor or result in electric shock!

Cleaning Your Toys

Temptations Parties sells two great toy cleaners (Mighty Tidy and ViroFree) that sanitize and sterilize and work on all toys, but for added information I have listed other ways to clean your toys. Of course you can use soap and water to clean your toys, but soap can dry our your skin and will do the same to your favorite toys depending on what its made of, plus, not all soap is antibacterial. If your toy is not waterproof you will damage the toy by submerging it in water ~ just don’t submerge the battery pack. You can also dab on hydrogen peroxide for a super clean feel. Never submerge electric toys!

Silicone: Vastly superior to rubber or vinyl dildos, silicone warms up quickly, retains body heat, is non-porous and easy-to-clean. Cleaning: Run it through the dishwasher or boil it on the stove (3-5 minutes) and viola! ~ your toy is sterilized. To keep the silky feel and refresh your toy, sprinkle with cornstarch.

Jellies: These dildos are made of a translucent, soft, and flexible substance that looks like it contains air bubbles. Cleaning: This material is a non-porous form of rubber that can be cleaned with mild soap and hot water. To keep the silky feel and refresh your toy, sprinkle with cornstarch.

Cyberskin: This material is soft and supple, and looks and feels remarkably like skin. Cleaning: Rinse with hot water (avoid soap or harsh detergents); to keep the silky feel and refresh your toy, sprinkle with cornstarch.

Latex: Use only water-based lubes on latex, as oil-based substances will break it down. Most toys are not made of pure latex but a combination of latex and jelly or silicone. Cleaning: Latex is non-porous and easy to clean with soap and water.

Plastic: Hard plastic toys are very easy to clean. They have smooth surfaces. Cleaning: Soap and water.

Leather harnesses can be cleaned with a damp rag, and nylon webbing harnesses can go in the wash with the rest of your laundry.

Oil products destroy latex! That means oil-based lubricants, massage oils, butter, olive oil…anything containing oil. Use only water-based lubricant with latex.

Rabbit vibrators have become the most popular vibrator on the market today. This is in large part because of the publicity from the popular HBO series Sex in the City and the Oxygen Network’s Talk Sex with Sue Johanson show.

Rabbit vibrators are named after the two-pronged bunny ears that vibrate at high speeds to stimulate the clitoris. The rabbit ears have a light teasing feel - almost like a high-speed feather or tongue. Rabbit vibrators are attached to a long shaft for dual vaginal penetration and clitoral stimulation. Many models also feature two separate speed controls - one for the vibrating shaft and another for the clitoral stimulator. Some of the higher-end models have rotating tips and pearls inside of the shaft for extra stimulation.

After the rabbit came out there were many other “animals” that have followed. You might now find a Pearl Panther, Seahourse, and a Dolphin vibrator. They have the same concept but differ slightly in what they offer.

So something that we get asked a lot is what are Cock Rings and then people ask why would you want one that vibrates.

First, cock rings are small rings made of silicone, jelly, or cyberskin material and this makes them very stretchy. A cock ring should fit snugly over the base of the penis so that it restricts blood flow so a man can stay harder for a longer amount of time.

Some cock rings have a bullet or eff vibrator with them. The vibrator attached to the cock ring can be positioned for several different uses. The man can point it downward to stimulate his balls or he could place it to hit a woman’s clit during sex. Some cock ring vibrators have dual stimulators - one for the clitoris and one for a woman’s butt. That’s what makes these vibrating cock rings very popular. The are a very different kind of sex toy.

Have you heard about the vibrators called Ohmibod? Who hasn’t heard of them? Ok, if you are one of the few who haven’t heard of this line of vibrators then you need to check out their brand. They are the new generation of vibrators that combines great design with your favorite music on your MP3 player or cell phone. The microchip allows it to vibrate to the beat and rhythm of your music.

There’s nothing else like this out there. They have even come out with a vibrating egg called BodiTalk Escort and a vibrator called BodiTalk that sync up with your cell phone. They also have a G-spot vibrator called Gspot that syncs up with your MP3 player.

Sinclair Institute has started carrying the Ohmibod Vibrator so purchase one, try it out, and tell me how you like it. I think you will be impressed with it. The one thing I will suggest is to use newer music because the older music tends to not have the beats that are needed for these. What’s fun is having all kinds of different music and going along with the beat, literally.