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If you already have a favorite vibrator or dildo and are looking for something new to bring into the bedroom, you may want to consider exploring the world of air-suction (or air-pulse) sex toys, which are designed to mimic the sensation of oral sex. “Air-pulse toys result in intense orgasms that are different from a clitoral orgasm that you would get with a regular vibrator,” says Samantha Bard, a co-owner of Williamsburg’s Shag. She explains that the toys are used externally, designed to surround the clitoris, and emit pulses of air or sound waves to stimulate it and nearby nerves, “resulting in a much fuller — and possibly quicker — orgasm.” This indirect clitoral stimulation, she adds, can be “a much subtler and deeper sensation” than that of direct stimulation with a vibrator. Because no two clitorises are sized alike, though, Bard notes that “you want to make sure the mouth of the toy you’re purchasing is a good fit.” To find the best air-suction sex toys, I asked Bard and nine more experts about their favorites. Their recommendations below include air-suction toys with various-size mouths, an air-suction toy that’s ideal for partner play, and even a couple that stimulate the G-spot. And as the Strategist’s in-house “sex”-pert (I write all of our sexual-health stories from vibrators to lube), I’ve also been in the process of testing out their top picks and have included my thoughts on some of the products below.
What we’re looking for
Material: Most of the toys in this category are made of silicone. Of course, not all silicone is created equal. At the minimum, you’ll want to choose a toy that is made using body-safe silicone, which is nonporous. Nonporous toys are less likely to harbor bacteria or viruses and are therefore more hygienic (although you still should wash your toys after each use). Medical-grade silicone is a great option, as in addition to being nonporous it meets the standards for use in medical devices. Both body-safe and medical-grade silicone tend to have a better, more luxurious feel on the skin.
Intensity levels: The more levels of intensity a toy has, the more opportunity there is to experiment to find what works best for your body. Keep in mind that the feeling of a suction-style sex toy tends to be quite intense, so if you are more sensitive, you may only need to play around with the lower levels.
Waterproof versus non-waterproof: If you prefer to take your toys into the bath or shower, you’ll absolutely want a toy that is waterproof.
Best overall air-suction toy
Material: Medical-grade silicone | Intensity levels: 14 intensity levels | Waterproof versus non-waterproof: Waterproof
According to erotic educator Taylor Sparks, the founder of Black-owned intimacy shop Organic Loven, Womanizer has “perfected the air-pleasure technology” in the years since it introduced its first air-suction toy in 2014. “Womanizer has led the way by offering several intensities, vibrations, sizes, and prices” in its range of air-suction toys, she says. Shan Boodram, author of The Game of Desire, agrees. “The incredibly orgasmic Womanizer introduced what I like to call the beam-me-up-Scotty effect on the clit,” Boodram explains. Of all of the brand’s products, we heard about the Womanizer Premium most. Sex expert and intimacy coach Davia Frost calls the deep, internal sensations it provides “an experience,” adding, “If I close my eyes, it’s almost like I’m feeling this sucking sensation throughout the whole clitoris.” Sexologist Marla Renee Stewart, co-author of The Ultimate Guide to Seduction & Foreplay, adds that the Womanizer Premium works for lots of different people, because it comes with two easy-to-swap stimulator heads of different sizes. And as one Strategist tester (guilty as charged) once said, “While it is pricey, if it ever broke, I would go without groceries to buy a new one. It has become that essential to my life.” The toy only starts working when it touches skin, and it has a whisper-quiet motor, making it a great choice for those with thin walls or roommates. Plus it’s completely waterproof for those who like the option of taking their toys into the bath or shower. The updated Premium 2 has 14 intensity levels you can manually switch between as well as an autopilot mode that cycles through its various levels.
If you’re using the Womanizer Premium 2 or any air-suction toy for the first time, our experts have a few universal tips. First: “Add some lube,” according to sex educator Kenneth Play, the creator of the Sex Hacker Pro Series and co-founder of intentional sex-positive community Hacienda Villa. (A reminder that if your toy is made of silicone, you’ll want a water-based lube.) Play adds that the toys “work best when they form a complete seal,” instructing users to “try different angles to find the right amount of pressure and suction.” And Sparks notes you should “start with a light suction, as the clitoris has 8,000 nerve endings and it’s important to know how much you can and want to handle.” Bard agrees: “My tip would be to take it slow – people often want to go to the quickest speed right away, but if you start low you can build on the intensity to achieve a profoundly rich feeling.”
Best (less expensive) air-suction toy
Material: Medical-grade silicone | Intensity levels: 6 intensity levels | Waterproof versus non-waterproof: Waterproof
The Liberty, which was designed in collaboration with singer Lily Allen, is essentially a scaled-back version of the Womanizer Premium at a more affordable price point. The main difference between the two is that the Liberty has six intensity levels instead of 12, but if you’re looking for a starter air-suction toy, that may be plenty for you. When we tested it, one user described the toy as being “very intense.” We wrote that it comes with a cover that attaches magnetically and makes it look more like “an avocado and less like a sex toy.”
Best (even less expensive) air-suction toy
Material: Body-safe silicone | Intensity levels: 11 intensities | Waterproof versus non-waterproof: Waterproof
For an even more affordable option, Satisfyer’s air-suction toy clocks in at less than a quarter of the price of the Womanizer Premium 2. The unique toy can be very enticing. Jacq Jones, a sex educator and the owner of Sugar, says, “One of my co-workers had to make rules for herself on how often she could use the Satisfyer.”
Best air-suction toy with a small nozzle
Material: Body-safe silicone | Intensity levels: 8 intensity levels | Waterproof versus non-waterproof: Waterproof
This air-suction toy comes recommended by three of our experts and costs less than either of the Womanizer toys above — but buyers should know it only has one nozzle and that nozzle is on the smaller side. “It’s one of our best-selling toys and the only air-suction toy that has earned a place in my bedside drawer,” says Zoë Ligon, the founder of Spectrum Boutique. Bard explains that “the Sona was Lelo’s first suction toy and is still a good option with different speeds.” Like the Womanizer toys, it offers different vibration levels and patterns. One anonymous Strategist staffer who has used it adds that the toy’s ergonomic shape makes it easy to switch between the various levels as you explore, adding that the Sona consistently led to intense orgasms.
Best air-suction toy with a large nozzle
Material: Body-safe silicone | Intensity levels: 8 intensity levels | Waterproof versus non-waterproof: Waterproof
Sila, Lelo’s latest air-suction offering, comes recommended by two experts for anyone who may need a larger nozzle. “They have increased the size of the mouth to fit more people,” Bard says, “and perfected the technology in terms of creating a deeper, more intense sensation.” Play recommends this toy for its nozzle, which he says is “bigger and broader,” describing the stimulation its larger size provides as “a slower, more sensual build up to orgasm.”
Best (less expensive) air-suction toy with a large nozzle
Material: Medical-grade silicone | Intensity levels: 5 intensity levels | Waterproof versus non-waterproof: Waterproof
Dame, another brand we love for its well-designed sex toys, makes this more affordable air-suction device with a larger nozzle that two experts told us about. “It’s compact, easy to hold, and has a more inclusive mouthpiece in terms of size,” explains Play. Sex and confidence coach Jennifer Doan agrees: “It has a much wider opening, meaning that a large variety of clitoris sizes and body types are able to use it.” Doan adds that the Aer is powerful. When she took it for a spin, she could only handle the lowest of its five vibrational patterns and settings. “Each is more intense than the last,” she explains. “So if you’re someone who enjoys a toy that packs a punch, this one’s for you.”
Best (even less expensive) air-suction toy with a large nozzle
Material: Body-safe silicone | Intensity levels: 11 intensity levels | Waterproof versus non-waterproof: Waterproof
For an even more affordable air-suction toy with a large mouthpiece, sex blogger and sex toy critic Cy Smash suggests the Satisfyer Curvy 2+. As she explains, it “has a roomier air pulse tunnel, and for under $40, it’s hard to beat the quality-to-cost ratio.” Smash adds that it’s her “top pick for transmasculine people with some bottom growth.”
Best air-suction toy for partner play
Material: Body-safe silicone | Intensity levels: 12 intensity levels | Waterproof versus non-waterproof: Waterproof
The We-Vibe Melt “creates a smooth and seamless pulse,” says Bard, who adds that one of its most attractive features is that the toy is compatible with an app you can use “to customize patterns and share it with a partner who can control it from across the bedroom — or anywhere in the world” (as long as you have a smartphone). That’s one reason sex blogger and toy critic Cy Smash calls it her “favorite air-pulse toy for partner play.” The other? “The fact that it is compact with a narrow rim” that doesn’t take up too much real estate on the vulva, which Smash explains leaves “plenty of room for penetration.” But because the Melt’s nozzle is on the smaller side, Smash cautions that “you may want to consider something else if your clitoris is bigger than, say, a chickpea.”
Best air-suction toy that stimulates the G-spot
Materials: Medical-grade silicone | Intensity levels: 14 intensity levels, 10 vibration modes | Waterproof versus non-waterproof: Waterproof
Those who are already familiar with air-suction toys or simply more adventurous when it comes to trying them might prefer one that can provide both external and internal pleasure, which is exactly what this device from Womanizer promises. It not only delivers the external air-pulse stimulation the brand has perfected but has a vibrator you can use internally to stimulate the G-spot. Bard recommends it for those who crave “earth-shattering, blended orgasms,” because “there are multiple speeds and modes for both air-pulse and vibration, and it just hits all of the right spots simultaneously.” The updated Duo 2 has 14 different intensity levels that you can manually switch between, which is two more than the original model. The other newer feature is an Afterglow setting: After climax, one short press of the minus button will set the toy back to its lowest setting to ride out the end of your orgasm.
Best (less expensive) air-suction toy that stimulates the G-spot
Material: Medical-grade silicone | Intensity levels: 12 intensity levels, 3 vibration modes | Waterproof versus non-waterproof: Waterproof
The latest toy added to Womanizer’s lineup is the OG — the brand’s first Pleasure Air G-spot vibrator, which combines air-suction tech with vibrations in a single wand. Unlike the Duo, which provides air suction to the clitoris and vibrations to the G-spot, the OG uses both air suction and vibrations internally. It’s waterproof and features the Afterglow setting as well as Smart Silence, so the toy only starts when it touches your skin. When you move it away from your body, it automatically switches to standby mode.
Best (even less-expensive) air-suction toy that also stimulates the G-spot
Material: Body-safe silicone | Intensity levels: 5 intensities, 5 vibration modes | Waterproof versus non-waterproof: Waterproof
For a more affordable combination toy, I suggest the AirVibe from sex-toy brand Bellesa Boutique. It’s roughly half the price of the cost of the Womanizer Duo and Womanizer OG and combines G-spot vibration with suction on your clit for powerful blended orgasms. It also has a flexible yet firm body, which makes it easier to position.
Best air-suction toy for travel
Material: Body-safe silicone | Intensity levels: 12 intensities | Waterproof versus non-waterproof: Waterproof
Lelo has recently released a miniature version of its best-selling Lelo Sona 2, which happens to be perfect for travel. Like the Sona 2, this compact air-suction toy comes with 12 intensity levels and is completely waterproof, but takes up significantly less room in your carry-on. It also has a travel lock so it won’t accidentally turn on at inopportune times.
Best (less-expensive) air-suction toy for travel
Material: Body-safe silicone | Intensity level: 11 intensities | Waterproof versus non-waterproof: Waterproof
Sparks says that, as an erotic-arts educator, “traveling with my own personal sex toys is a must.” While all the toys on this list are tiny enough to travel with, she says this one is particularly good because it has a “travel cap that keeps it very discreet” should a TSA agent (or anyone else) rifle through your bag. The toy, she adds, is “small enough to fit in the palm of your hand” and has “11 whisper-quiet programs,” two things she says make it suitable to use before you even arrive at your destination. “It’s perfect for long flights when a bathroom pick-me-up is needed,” Sparks says.
Our experts
• Samantha Bard, co-owner of Williamsburg’s Shag
• Shan Boodram, author of The Game of Desire
• Jennifer Doan, sex and confidence coach
• Davia Frost, sex expert and intimacy coach
• Jacq Jones, sex educator and owner of Sugar
• Zoë Ligon, founder of Spectrum Boutique
• Kenneth Play, sex educator, creator of the Sex Hacker Pro Series, and co-founder of intentional sex-positive community Hacienda Villa
• Cy Smash, sex blogger and toy critic
• Taylor Sparks, founder of intimacy shop Organic Loven
• Marla Renee Stewart, sexologist and co-author of The Ultimate Guide to Seduction & Foreplay
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