Plugs and Beads: How to Get Started With Anal Sex Toys

Interested in getting started in the world of anal sex toys? We don't blame you! The anal region is packed with so many nerve endings capable of orgasmic pleasure—and that's before you even include the prostate! Needless to say, there's a lot of amazing sensation to be had when you explore the possibilities of anal.

Getting started is easier than ever with anal beads or anal plugs. While anal beads and plugs are different in their own ways, both of them can make fantastic first anal toys for people who are new to exploring the booty.

How to Get Started with Anal Sex Toys

While anal pleasure isn't too different than other types of sex, it does require a few special considerations—especially if you're entirely new to it.

First off, lube is a must—and we mean "real" lube. Saliva doesn't cut it here. You need actual lubricant designed for sex. The butt doesn't have any lubrication, and as you can imagine, objects dragging along the sensitive skin of the anus can be downright painful without lube.

With lube, however, that same sensation can become orgasmic. Add a bit of lube and then add some more. While you'll learn the "sweet spot amount" of lube the more often you do anal play, in the beginning, it's always best to add too much onto your beads or plug than too little. There are virtually no negatives to having too much lube—while there are a lot of negatives to not having enough.

Patience is a must too. The anus is a ring of muscle, and as such, it needs to open up slowly to prevent injury. Going too quickly can literally tear the muscle - and we promise that isn't good!

Having patience is vital when playing with your backside. Insert the toy very slowly. Feeling some pressure during insertion is normal; any sharp pain is not. Don't push the toy in too quickly. Allow the body to slowly adjust to the toy's size as you slide it in.

If you feel like you're going too slowly, it's probably the right speed—or you could go even slower. As you get more experienced, you'll get familiar with this process and learn when you need to slow down or speed up. For now, go as slow as possible.

When playing with anal toys, we recommend a pretty simple process—one that will become entirely second-nature as you continue to explore your booty:

• Carve out at least an hour, preferably two
• Arouse yourself thoroughly
• Get out the lube and use your fingers on yourself
• Lube up the toy thoroughly
• Very, very slowly insert the toy into the body
• Enjoy the rest of your play session
• Remove the toy (slowly!), wash it, and let it dry for next time!

Basic Safety for Anal Play

Unlike the vagina, the butt doesn't have an easily-accessible "endpoint". This means that small, slim toys without a base can very quickly get beyond a point where they can be easily removed. As you can imagine, that isn't particularly fun to deal with—especially when moments before, you were probably enjoying yourself.

For that reason, all anal toys need a flared base or wide retrieval area. Essentially, all anal toys need a base that hangs outside the body in some manner, like the wide looped handle on the Satisfyer Love Beads and Booty Call plugs.

This means that, when you're done with your pleasure, you can easily remove the toy. This also saves you any unplanned trips to the emergency room to get some inaccessible toy removed from your butt.

Remember, the butt doesn't lubricate itself. This means you have to BYOL—Bring Your Own Lube. There's a huge selection of lubricants for sex out there, and it's required for anal sex. (No, saliva is not enough).

Add some lubricant to your anal toys before inserting them for a smooth, comfortable experience. Without lube, you will experience a painful insertion—and potential anal tissue tearing and damage. Lube makes anal sex safer and more pleasurable. It's hard to argue against that!

While we're talking about lube, let's make sure your anal lubricant is only lubricant—no numbing agents allowed here! Not only will it numb the pleasure, but numbing lubricants can make it harder to feel any pain - and anal sex shouldn't have any pain!

This means that you essentially "cut off" your body's natural warning system that you're doing something incorrectly which can quickly lead to injury that was easily prevented. Regular sex lube, without any numbing agents, is more-than-enough for orgasmic anal pleasure.

What Does Anal Play Feel Like?

How your brain and body interprets sensations will vary from person to person. That's what makes our bodies so amazing! They're each unique, and they each have their own likes and dislikes.

That being said, a lot of people describe initial anal penetration as full of "pressure". Pressure is entirely normal. You are putting some pressure onto the rings of anal muscle in order to "open them up". What you want to watch out for is "pain" —especially sharp pain. That means your toy is too large, you don't have enough lube, or you're going too quickly. Pain is your body's way of warning you that something wrong is happening. Don't ignore it. Don't worry—those anal sex toys will be there tomorrow if you need to take a break and try again another day.

If you're brand-new to anal, this sensation may feel like you need a trip to the bathroom. No worries! As long as you've gone recently, that's unlikely the case. Since your body has only used these nerve endings for defecation in the past, that's what it automatically associates with stimulation of these nerves. As you engage in anal play more often, that automatic mental association will disappear.

If you only felt pressure with no pain, took things slowly, and used lots of lube, you'll probably reach a point where the anal toys are fully inserted. This is where the "pressure" will slowly start to translate into a feeling of fullness—probably fullness from a part of the body that you're not used to.

This can be extremely pleasurable, and if you choose to thrust the toy in and out (slowly and carefully!), you'll also involve the anal entrance nerve endings—which like movement. If you have a prostate, you can also involve that area of packed nerve endings. Essentially, there's a lot of pleasure to be had once the toy is inserted!

Anal Plugs Versus Anal Beads?

Some of the most beginner-recommended toys are anal plugs and anal beads. Why? Because they tend to be slim in thickness and length—and they tend to be designed for easy insertion. Both anal plugs and anal beads can also be slipped inside the body and be left there hands-free.

This makes a lovely first introduction to anal for someone who wanted to continue their masturbation session with some bonus orgasmic anal sensations. While anal beads and anal plugs are both consistently-recommended for beginners, they still have their differences.

Anal beads, for example, are especially great choices for people who enjoy the sensation of the initial anal penetration. Since each one of the "beads" is a larger diameter spread out throughout the "string" they're attached to, each time the butt gets to a bead, it needs to stretch open to slip the bead inside. This provides that initial penetration, stretching, and pressure sensation over and over again.

What you choose to do with the beads when they're fully inside the body is up to you. Some anal enjoyers like to remove the anal beads and re-insert them all over again. Others like to pursue other sexual activities - and slowly remove all of the beads right at the point of orgasm for added orgasmic enjoyment. However you choose to explore anal beads is the right way - just make sure you keep the "pull handle" at the end of the anal beads chain outside of the body.

On the other hand, anal plugs are very different. While anal beads are designed to provide constant pleasure as you insert them and remove them, anal plugs are specifically designed to be slid into the butt and then "left there".

What you choose to do while that anal plug is in there is entirely up to you. Some people love the secret thrill of wearing an anal plug while doing other activities—like grocery shopping or running errands. Other people love the hands-free approach of adding extra stimulation to their masturbation session, so the anal plug gets inserted before the usual masturbation activities.

For another use, a butt plug can also be a fantastic "warm-up" toy for other anal activities later that day. Since the plug gently stretches the muscles by staying inserted, it will make the insertion of larger toys later in the day a bit easier. (Don't worry! The muscles go back to their usual tight state shortly after removing the plug!)

So which one is right for you? It depends on what you're looking to get out of your anal play experience—and which one is providing more of what you're looking for! If you're looking for an anal toy that's easy to slide in (and do other activities), an anal plug (like the Satisfyer Booty Call plugs) is probably great for you. If you love the sensation of the initial penetration of anal muscles, anal beads (like the Love Beads) are a much-better fit.

So which side do you fall under? Do you think an anal plug or anal beads would be a better fit? Of course, you won't know until you try, why not give both a go and see for yourself!