Tag: anal beads

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Buying Guide: The Best Anal Beads for Anal August 2024

Published on by Amy

I have no idea where the idea of “Anal August” originated, and I have to assume it was initially a marketing ploy to promote either sex toys or content. Regardless, it seems to be here to stay and virtually every sex toy retailer I work with is running some kind of related promotion. This means it’s a pretty good time to buy anal toys! Choosing the best anal beads, butt plug, prostate massager, or other anal toys for your needs can be a minefield, though, with thousands of products of varying quality flooding the market.

That’s why I’m going to be running a series of anal-themed buying guides throughout August to help you. Today we’re looking at anal beads.

What Are Anal Beads?

Two sets of silicome anal beads on a yellow background for a post on the best anal beads

In a nutshell, anal beads are sex toys made up of a string of beads (anything from 3 beads up to 10+) that go up your butt. They usually end in a base, ring, or similar handle. This is both for safety (more on this below!) and to make it easier to hold and manipulate the beads. Most anal beads are tapered, with the smallest beads towards the tip and the largest beads towards the base. There are exceptions, though.

Unlike butt plugs – which are designed to be inserted and then left alone for a period of time – anal beads are designed to be inserted and removed repeatedly, much like you would with a dildo. Most people prefer to do this fairly slowly and gradually rather than hard and fast thrusting, but you can experiment to see what feels best to you. In this way, the beads stimulate the sensitive nerve endings around the entrance to your butt as well as those inside. If you are someone who has a prostate – that’s most people who were assigned male at birth – then anal beads can also be a great way to stimulate this incredibly sensitive and pleasurable area.

Some people say that using a set of anal beads during sex or masturbation and then pulling them out at the point of climax intensifies their orgasm.

What to Look For When Choosing the Best Anal Beads for You

Black anal beads lying on a bed, for a post on the best anal beads

First and foremost, it is important to make sure the anal beads you are choosing are safe. There are three main things you should look for to help you choose safe anal beads:

  1. A body-safe material such as silicone, glass, or stainless steel. Avoid toxic materials such as jelly, PVC, rubber, and soft plastics. It is particularly important to avoid porous materials (including TPE and TPR) for anal toys as it is impossible to get them completely clean. In addition, avoid toys where the beads are threaded together with string or similar. This, too, is impossible to sterilise and can be a vector for introducing bacteria and potential infection to your body.
  2. A flared or otherwise large base. This is extremely important for any anal toy. Without it, the toy can get lost or stuck inside your body, which can be a serious medical emergency.
  3. Beads that are well-made. The material should be free from any rough or uneven areas and there should be no cracks, tears, or other damage.

After that, it’s largely a matter of preference. Do you prefer girthier or slimmer toys? Longer or shorter ones? Softer or firmer textures? Silicone beads are softer and more flexible than glass or metal, but harder materials can provide more intense sensations. They also offer other fun possibilities such as temperature play. Do you want your anal beads to have a vibrating option?

How to Use Anal Beads Pleasurably and Safely

Black anal beads, pink anal beads, pink rabbit vibrator and black butt plug. For a post on the best anal beads

Using anal beads is pretty easy, but once you’ve selected your toy there are a few things you need to be aware of to ensure you have a safe and fun time.

First, adequate lubrication is essential. A water-based lube is best for use with anal toys, especially if the toys are made of silicone. You might want to choose a thicker, gel-type lubricant for anal play.

It’s also important to start slowly. Anal play can be intense, but it should not be painful. If something feels wrong, stop or adjust. And never, ever force something inside before your butt is ready. This can tear the delicate tissue and lead to pain, bleeding, and ongoing complications.

Finally, hygiene is even more important when it comes to anal sex toys. I recommend sterilising your toys between uses (the boiling method is best for silicone toys.) At a minimum, wipe them with a body-safe sterile wipe and then give them a good wash with soap and water. Never use a toy vaginally or orally after it has been used in a butt until it has been fully sterilised. Check your toys before you use them and, if there are any rips, tears, cracks, or other damage to the material, retire them.

About This List

Glass and metal anal beads, stainless steel anal beads and glass anal beads

This is by no means meant to be a comprehensive list of all the quality anal beads toys out there. There are thousands – tens of thousands, probably – of variations of these products available, and the best anal beads for you will always be a somewhat subjective decision. Instead, this is designed to help guide you towards some of the versions that might suit you depending on your requirements.

Everything listed here is from a manufacturer/retailer I trust, and links are affiliate links. This means I make a small commission on your purchases at no additional cost to you. I do not work for or claim to represent any of these companies, and any purchase you make is a contract with them and not with me.

Everything I recommend here is made of a body-safe material and is, to the best of my knowledge, safe for normal use. Where possible, I have tried to provide options at a range of price points. Products in lists are ordered from the cheapest to the most expensive.

With that said, let’s get going.

Best Basic Silicone Anal Beads

Basic silicone anal beads are ideal if you’re on a budget or just exploring anal beads for the first time. There are countless options on the market in this category, but here are a few I trust:

Best Glass Anal Beads

Glass is a fantastic material for sex toys. It is smooth, rigid and unyielding and also allows you to play with temperature by warming it up or cooling it down if you want to.

Best Metal Anal Beads

Metal, like glass, is rigid and perfect for temperature play. Some people also find its aesthetic incredibly sexy! Stainless steel is the best material for metal sex toys, though other metals (aluminium is a popular choice) can work for most people as long as you don’t have an allergy, and may be cheaper.

Best Vibrating Anal Beads

Vibrators aren’t just for clits. Adding vibrations to your anal beads can take your butt pleasure to an entirely new level. Here are some of the best vibrating anal beads currently on the market in my opinion, including both close-range and remote control options.

Best Long Anal Beads

Sometimes you want a little (or a lot) extra depth! These are some of the best anal beads measuring at least 9″ in length.

Best Girthy Anal Beads

If girth matters as much or more to you than length, you’ll love these girthy anal beads.

Best Slimline Anal Beads

On the other hand, perhaps slimmer anal beads are more comfortable and pleasurable for you. If so, these are some of the best anal beads with a diameter of 1″ or less.

Best Curved Anal Beads

Curved anal beads are a particularly great choice for directly targeting the prostate, which is located a couple of inches inside the rectum (below the bladder) towards the front wall.

Best Anal Beads Sets

Perhaps you’re new to anal beads and not sure what you like yet, or maybe you’re just in the mood for different things on different days. The best anal beads sets offer toys in a range of sizes.

Best Anal Beads Under £20/$25

Depending on the features and materials you’re looking for, anal beads – like all sex toys – can be expensive. However, they needn’t be if you’re just after something fairly basic. Sadly, a lot of cheap sex toys on the market are poorly made or use unsafe materials. Here are five of the best anal beads retailing for under £20 or $25.

Pink anal beads on display in a sex toy shop

Hopefully this guide has helped to demystify the buying process and help you to choose the best anal beads for you! What buying guides do you want to see from me in the future?

Lovehoney Sex Toy Advent Calendar Day 17 header - anal beads

Lovehoney Sex Toy Advent Calendar Day #17: Anal Beads

Published on by Amy

Welcome back again, lovely readers, to my day by day review of Lovehoney and Womanizer’s 2022 Sex Toy Advent Calendar. If you’re just joining us now, have a read of the full series here. And if you decide to buy one (or anything else from Lovehoney) using the affiliate links in this post helps to support my work at no cost to you.

Sex Toy Advent Calendar 2022 Day 17: Anal Beads

Silicone anal beads

Product Info

  • Material: Silicone
  • Colour: Black
  • Body safe? Yes, silicone is non-porous and non-toxic, making it fully body-safe
  • Waterproof: Yes
  • Size: 6″ total length, insertable length 5″, widest bead 1.2″ in diameter
  • Lube-compatible: Yes, water-based only
  • Cleaning: A body-safe sterile wipe, antibacterial soap and water, a 10% bleach solution, boiling, or dishwasher

Pros

Cons

  • Quite long – may feel intimidating to beginners

Verdict

A lovely set of anal beads. They score top marks for body-safe materials, flexible shaft with firm beads, and the ability to turn them into a vibrating toy by adding the bullet vibe from this kit (or any other bullet in your collection.)

Thanks to Lovehoney for sending me the 2022 Couples’ Sex Toy Advent Calendar, which retails for £130 and contains £374.99 worth of products, to review. All views are mine. Affiliate links appear in this post and shopping through them helps to keep the site going! US readers can buy it here.

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Lovehoney Sex Toy Advent Calendar Door #15: Silicone Anal Beads

Published on by Amy

Update 04/03/22: this product is seasonal only and has been discontinued. Individual components may still be available.

Here we are in the third week of the Lovehoney “Best Sex of Your Life” advent calendar. Don’t forget to check out the rest of the series! There have been a few hits, a few misses, and a few in-betweens so far.

Let’s see what we’re starting week 3 with…

Door #15: Silicone Anal Beads

Black silicone anal beads

Behind Door #15, we have a set of silicone anal beads.

  • Material: Silicone.
  • Colour: Black.
  • Body safe? Yes. Silicone is hygienic (essential for anal toys in particular), non-toxic, and non-porous.
  • Power: No inbuilt power but it pairs with a bullet vibrator (see more further down).
  • Waterproof: Yes, submersible.
  • Size: 6″ in total length, 5″ insertable. Beads range in diameter from 0.9″ to 1.2″.
  • Lube compatible: Water-based or oil-based lubes will work.
  • Cleaning: Sterilise with a 10% bleach solution or by boiling.
Woman holding black silicone anal beads

I’m impressed with today’s offering. These anal beads are made of soft and silky matte silicone and are well-designed to make for easy and comfortable insertion, even for complete beginners. Remember to always use tonnes of lube for anal play and if anything hurts, stop immediately. Anal can feel intense, but it is not supposed to hurt.

You can use these beads on their own, or pair them with the bullet vibrator behind Door #1 (or any small bullet in your collection – it pairs particularly well with the We-Vibe Tango!) The silicone transmits vibrations well along the length of the beads and into the tip, even on lower settings.

Blush Nocturnal bullet vibrator and silicone vibrating anal beads
Feat. the Blush Nocturnal bullet vibe

Anal beads are versatile. They can form the main event of a play session, or you can wear them during sex or masturbation for added stimulation. Some people swear by pulling them out at the point of climax, claiming that this increases orgasmic contractions and increases pleasure. Your mileage may vary but if that sounds fun to you, why not give it a go?

The Best Sex of Your Life sex toy advent calendar retails for £120. Get 10% off by using my code “AFF-COFFKINK10” at checkout (valid on any Lovehoney order). These calendars tend to sell out, so grab yours early if you want one!

Thanks to Lovehoney for sending us the Best Sex of Your Life couples’ sex toy advent calendar to review. All views are our own. Affiliate links appear in this post and shopping through them helps to keep the site going!

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[Toy Review] Lovehoney Sensual Glass Irridescent Anal Beads

Published on by Amy

It’s Sex In Full Colour month at Lovehoney in celebration of LGBTQ+ Pride month. So during June, I’m going to be bringing you a series of reviews of fun, playful products to bring a little additional colour and sparkle to your sex life.

Today’s review is also a first for me, as I’ve never reviewed a set of anal beads before. In fact, I’ve never even tried anal beads before! Read on to find out how I got on when the Lovehoney Sensual Glass Irridescent Anal Beads landed in my review pile.

Dare to Gleam…

The Irridescent Anal Beads from Lovehoney are made of borosilicate glass (the same stuff that Pyrex cookware is made from.) Borosilicate is hard-wearing, body-safe, and easy to clean.

Irridescent Glass Anal Beads from Lovehoney

Measuring a total of 7.5″ in length, this set of beads offers 6″ of insertable length and a convenient loop handle. The toy’s seven beads are very gently graduated in size, getting a little larger as you move from tip to handle, and the whole shaft is slightly curved.

The glass shimmers in different colours as you move it and it catches the light. The pink, yellow-gold, and blue shades are eyecatching and unusual. The product description refers to the design as “oilslick” and yes, it really does look like spilled oil in sunlight. It’s almost impossible to capture the full effect on camera (at least with my level of photography skills) but this toy is so, so beautiful.

Comfort and Experience

So I was a little nervous about trying the Irridescent Anal Beads. Glass toys tend to be intense anyway because they’re so rigid and unyielding, and glass anal toys particularly so. But the rounded tip and smooth glass made them a breeze to insert and super comfortable to use.

Glass Irridescent Anal Beads

The great thing about anal beads is that you can insert them as much or as little as feels good for you. I found that the entire length was a bit too much to be pleasurable, but going to the fourth or fifth bead was perfect. Your mileage may vary, of course.

The loop handle makes these beads ergonomic and easy to use and manipulate, however far you want to insert them.

Whatever you do, remember to use tonnes of lube. Sliquid Sassy is my anal lube of choice but any thick, body-friendly lubricant will work with a glass toy.

Some Fun Ways to Use Anal Beads

As with any sex toy, the only “correct” way to use anal beads is the way that is safe and feels pleasurable to you. The first time you play with them, I suggest just inserting them and seeing how they feel. You can wiggle them around to get some additional stimulation, which I hear is particularly good if you’re someone who has a prostate.

With that said, here are a couple of other fun and creative ways to play with anal beads:

Play with temperature

Run your Irridescent Anal Beads under some warm water or put them in the fridge for a few minutes before you play. Glass retains temperature, so you’ll be able to enjoy a warming or cooling sensation.

Pull them out at the point of orgasm

This is the main reason many people swear by anal beads. If you pull them out just as you reach orgasm, they can intensify the contractions and give you a more powerful or longer-lasting climax. This won’t work for everyone, of course, but give it a go if you’re curious!

Verdict

I’m a convert! These glass anal beads are ideal if you’re experimenting with anal play for the first time and looking for an easy, safe toy. They’re also ideal if you’ve tried silicone or other soft anal beads and are looking for something a little more intense.

The Lovehoney Sensual Glass Irridescent Anal Beads retail for a bargain £32.99 ($39.99 US). You can a discount on your entire order with the code “AFF-COFFKINK10” at checkout.

Thanks as ever to Lovehoney for sending me this toy to review. All views, as always, are mine.