As someone who has tried many shapes, sizes, and types of pleasure products, I feel the need to shed light on glass sex toys, which I believe to be vastly misunderstood. The big hesitation people tend to have regarding the use of glass sex toys is the incorrect assumption about them being so delicate, they stand to break while in use. Well, folks, that’s simply not the case.

“You definitely don’t need to be worried at all about a body-safe glass toy breaking inside of you,” says queer sex educator Andy Duran, education director for sexual-health marketplace Good Vibrations. Assuming the toy is made of body-safe borosilicate glass (that’s the same material used for glass kitchenware), Duran assures you don’t have to worry about one of these toys sending you to the emergency room. That said, do be sure to confirm that the material of the glass sex toy in question is a safe one.

“You definitely don’t need to be worried at all about a body-safe glass toy breaking inside of you.” —sex educator Andy Duran

Beyond being safe to use, sex educator Searah Deysach, owner of pleasure-product company Early to Bed, says glass sex toys offer a number of real-deal benefits. “Not only are they very body-safe, but you can also manipulate their temperature by dunking them in warm or cold water, so they can be cooler or warmer than your body,” she says.

Glass is also smoother than many other common sex-toy materials, like silicone and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic. In fact, with a bit of lubrication, Deysach says glass toys can become completely frictionless. “This is ideal for folks who are post-menopausal because of how delicate the internal tissues become.” Ditto goes for those with vaginal scarring, adhesions, or cysts.

Another benefit of glass toys is heft. Heavier than silicone, she says that the extra weight of the toy is desirable for individuals who crave pressure. And there’s also the hardness. “Hardness, firmness, and rigidity are often adjectives used in people’s fantasy worlds,” says Duran. “Glass sex toys are a great way to play with those sensations and fantasies in real life.” he says.

There is, however, one safety precaution you should know: “Glass sex toys should not be harnessed,” Duran says. Nope, not even glass dildos. Typically, strap-on sex involves a lot of pressure and quick thrusts, he says, and since glass sex toys are super-firm, thrusting into someone too quickly or at a bad angle while wearing one could bruise the internal canal walls, and even injure your cervix or tailbone.

What type of glass sex toy is right for me?

Don’t overcomplicate it! “If there’s an area that you enjoy having stimulated, find a glass product designed to stimulate it,” says Duran. If you know you like having your G-zone attended to, or the A-spot is your jam, opt for a wand, he says. The firm texture of the glass combined with the bulbous end(s) that most wands feature make them perfect for delivering pressure to internal hot spots that are known to respond well, he says. Glass dildos are also a good fit here.

If anal play is what gets you going, plenty of quality glass anal beads, butt plugs, and prostate massagers are on the market. “Just make sure that any anal toy you get has a flared base, which will keep the toy outside the body,” says Duran.

Duran adds that due to their weight, glass toys tend to feel bigger than they actually are, so you may need to choose a less-girthy toy than you’d go for with toys made from a material with more give, like silicone.

Keep scrolling for 5 glass sex toys, recommended by sex educators

Double Trouble Glass Dildo — $24.00

With two ends, each a different girth, this double-ended glass dildo basically gives you two dildos in one, and at an accessible price.

Unlike most silicone double-ended dildos, which are usually 12-plus inches long and designed to pleasure two partners at once, glass double-ended dildos, like this seven-inch Double Trouble, work best when used by one partner at a time, according to Deysach. “What it does give you is two different shapes and sizes to experiment with,” she says.

Mr. Swirly Double Ended Pleasure Tool — $30.00

This 10-inch pleasure tool features a wand-style dildo on one end and a plug on the other. “You could insert one end into the vagina as a vaginal plug or dildo, then have your partner straddle or scissor you to insert the other end into themselves,” says Duran.

Pleasure-seekers who enjoy internal texture will be thrilled to learn this toy also features a raised snaking swirl up and down its shaft. “The ribbing is great for someone who likes the smooth texture of glass but needs just a little extra sensation,” he says.

Hello Kitty Plug — $90.00

“I love how non-threatening this product is; its cuteness helps make butt plugs feel accessible to people who are interested in trying them but afraid,” says Duran. In partnered settings, have the wearer get on all fours, that way the other partner can enjoy the views (plural).

Crystal T-Handle Plug — $40.00

Looking for a plug that’s a little less, well, cutesy? Add the Crystal T-Handle Plug to your shopping cart. Made of totally clear glass, this moderate-sized plug is as simple as a plug gets. A perk of this plug is its handle, which is T shaped, “which makes it a good choice for anyone who wants to wear the plug for a long time, or who wants less material between their cheeks,” says Deysach. For the record: If you’re planning to wear a plug while laying on your back, a smaller base is exactly what you’re going to want.

Quintessence Glass Beaded Anal Slider — $27.00

As a general romp rule, if you enjoy the sensation of something going in your bum and staying there, a butt plug should be your toy of choice. But, if you enjoy the sensations of insertion and exertion, a string of anal beads is a better, says Duran. “The beaded shape forces the sphincter muscle to open and close with every bulb added or removed,” he says.

For anal-enthusiasts who fall in the latter camp, there’s the Quintessence Glass Beaded Anal Slider. Pretty, pink, and petite this five-bead glass string is tops at stimulating all the nerves at the opening of the anus.

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