The Best Beginner-Friendly Anal Sex Toys for Pleasure and Comfort

Anal sex is on the rise, with more people of all genders and sexual orientations giving it a try. The International Union of Sex Workers found in their research that the number of adults who have tried anal sex is on the rise, up from 31% in 2001 to 40% in 2022. Millennials, like the ones The Pomegranate Institute is chock full of, are the generation most likely to explore with giving and receiving anal penetration (73%), analingus (45%), and pegging (18%). 

Our article A Beginners Guide to Anal Sex is the most popular article on our website, and, delightfully, becoming one of the ways people find our practice.

So in the spirit of giving the people what they want, we’re here to talk about beginner friendly sex toys to try first if you’re thinking of trying anal sex.

It’s ok to try stuff

As a pleasure-positive sex therapist, one of the things we say the most often is that you’re allowed to try stuff, just for the sake of trying stuff. You’re allowed to try stuff you think you’re really going to like, and you’re allowed to try stuff you’re not so sure you’re going to like. Trying something doesn’t mean you’re declaring an allegiance, picking a team, or making a statement about who you are as a person. 

Save the spontaneity for another time

Spontaneous sex can be great, but spontaneous anal sex? Not so much. If you want to give anal sex a try, it’s best to set yourself up for success. Maybe “practice” is as far as you get, because you find something in that bucket you really enjoy, and maybe it paves the way for having a pleasurable experience with anal penetration in the future.

Here’s 10 of our recommendations for things to try

Plugs 

Anal plugs for beginners are a great way to start exploring anal play because they’re straightforward and easy to use. They’re designed to sit inside the anus, without moving around a lot. This means once they’re in, you can go about the rest of your business! For some people, this means getting frisky and just exploring the sensation of being slightly full, and for others it means doing chores around the house and realizing that having something up your butt is actually pretty uneventful. 

Plugs we recommend for beginners include:

Jeweled heart metal buttplug She’s cute, she’s whimsical, and she’s only 2.5 inches, the perfect toy for beginners. Since this one is made out of zinc alloy, it’s safe to use with silicone lubricant, easy to clean, and you can pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes, or in a bowl of warm water for temperature play. 

Lovehoney Classic Silicone Beginner's Butt Plug This plug has a flared base for peace of mind, and the flexible but firm texture of silicone is great for beginners. Silicone toys need to be used with water-based or oil-based lubricant.

Beads

Anal beads are great for beginners because they’re friendly looking and the retrieval ring makes it easy to control how far in they go, while making sure they can’t go to far or get stuck.

Lovehoney Classic Silicone Anal Beads 10 Inch These silicone beads are nice and flexible, and their relatively narrow circumference is a great way to experiment with smaller sizes.

Lovehoney Sensual Glass Iridescent Anal Beads These are made from borosilicate glass, which makes them waterproof and compatible with all types of lubricant. The rigid texture and gentle arch are a great way to explore what angles work best for you, and they’re just so pretty!

Wands 

Wands are great for solo play, and for starting to incorporate anal stimulation with a partner. They’re stable enough to be moved around with one hand while performing oral sex. Using them while having penetrative sex takes a bit more coordination, but if you’re feeling adventurous, go for it!

Njoy Pure Wand Made out of stainless steel for a sleek and heavy feeling, wands are great for exploring your G and P spot.

Sets

If you like being efficient with your sex toy purchases, sets can be a great option! They give you flexibility as you get more and more comfortable, so you can find the size and configuration that work best for you. 

b-Vibe Rechargeable Anal Training and Education Butt Plug Set has an anal douche, lube applicator, and three different rechargeable plugs that measure 3.5, 4, and 5 inches around. 

For even more options, the They-ology Wearable Dilator has 5 different sizes. 

Dildos 

If your goal is to receive penetration from a partner, dildos can be a great way to work up to a length and girth that resemble that of the strap-on or penis of the penetrating partner.  Make sure the dildo you’re using has a flared base as is compatible with the type of lube you like to use (remember, like degrades like, so silicone lube isn’t compatible with silicone toys). 

The Avant D14 Heart of Gold Dildo is harness compatible, and has a strong suction cup that allows it to be mounted to most smooth surfaces (like your shower wall), made out of silicone and curved in a way that supports G and P-spot stimulation, we love its multitasking abilities! 

If you like your sex toys hyper-realistic, the Lifelike Lover Classic Realistic Dildo 6 Inch is Lovehoney’s staff pick.  It comes in 4 different colors, has 5 inches of insertable length, and is nice and flexible. 

DP Strap Ons

These toys are designed to facilitate double penetration, they can be worn attached to the shaft of a penis, or a strap on. Some people use them to train up towards a threesome and some people like the full sensation the toy produces. 

The Lovehoney Double Fun Vibrating Rabbit Double Penetration Strap-On is a real workhorse, the rabbit ears vibrate against the clitoris, the strap-on is attached with both a cock and ball ring, and there is a six inches of insertable length. 

The Double Penetrator Cock Ring Anal Vibrator Strap-On has a unique spine feature that allows the shaft to be manipulated into exactly the right angle, but once its set, it will generally stay at that angle during sex.  This toy can also be adjusted for vaginal penetration (where the penetrating partner is using their penis to perform anal sex, and using this strap-on to penetrate the vagina). 

Double ended

Double-ended toys are great for instances where both partners enjoy receiving anal stimulation, or if one partner wants to receive vaginal stimulation while their partner receives anal. 

Strap-on-me Slim Silicone Strapless Strap-On Dildo 6 Inch is a great option for folks with vulvas who don’t love a harness.  There’s a “pony” (not sure where this name comes from, but that’s what they call it) that sits inside the vagina, while the shaft sits inside the partner receiving penetration. 

Together 2.0 Vibrating Double takes double penetration and elevates it with technology. The toy will sense muscle tone changes in one partner, and change the vibration to match the intensity for the other.  The toy can be used for both vaginal and anal stimulation.

Sex toys can be a great way to add novelty and curiosity to your sex life, whether that's with a partner or solo.  We hope this article gives you lots of good ideas of things to try, but if you want to talk to a pleasure-positive sex therapist about how to have good anal sex, reach out! We love helping the adventurous and inquisitive folks of Massachusetts build healthy, fulfilling sexual relationships and navigate their personal intimacy journeys.