A good place to start when it comes to shopping for a thrusting dildo vibrator is to consider who will be using it—AKA, consider the anatomy! While some toys work well for vaginal and anal play, some are specifically designed for one or the other.
“You'll also want to consider the length of the thrusting toy you’re considering, as the movement makes them go further into the body,” says certified sex educator Javay Frye-Nekrasova, MEd, a Lovehoney sex educator commonly known as The Millennial Sexpert online. “If you are using them for vaginal penetration it is important to consider the length as the vaginal canal only gets so long and if you are choosing super long toys and not experienced with them you could hurt your cervix,” she says. Meanwhile, if you are using a toy for anal penetration, you don’t want to choose one that is so long that it passes your “third sphincter” unless that is a sensation you are actively seeking.
Next, think about the girth of the body part(s) or toys you most enjoy receiving during penetration play, says Dr. Queen. “When it comes to insertion play, size does (often) matter — though not always in the way people might assume,” she says. “Bigger is only better for people for whom that is true, while for others smaller is far more pleasurable.” If you have a regular ‘ole dildo at home that you like, consider getting a thrusting one in that same size. Meanwhile, if your penetrative experience is primarily with fingers, remember that one finger is about .75 to 1.0 inch around, while two fingers are typically 1.5 to 2.0 inches around.
Next, think about what kind of sensations you already know you like. If you know you prefer buzzier (less intense) vibrations to rumbly (more intense) vibrations, you’ll want to make sure that the vibrational functionality of the toy offers that particular type of sensation. Similarly, if you enjoy deep-deep thrusting, you’ll want to make sure that the thruster you opt for has the reach you desire.
Finally, think about the general look of the dildo that will be going in and out of you. “Many thruster dildos are non-representational (meaning, not very penis-y looking), while many others are meant to look like penises with flesh-like coloration,” says Dr. Queen.
Oh, and also worth mentioning: Some thrusters work thanks to magnets. “It's not recommended that people with pacemakers use them,” according to Dr. Queen. So, if you fall into this category you’re going to want to opt for an extending thruster, or thrusting sex toy machine, instead, she says.
At the end of the day, there are no bad thrusting dildo vibrators, per say (assuming that the toy is made of body-safe silicone material, that is). (FTR: This is the material all of the options on this list are crafted from). However, there are thrusting dildo vibrators that are better suited for your particular anatomy and tastes than others.
