These Stainless Steel Sex Toys Will Add a Whole New Element to Your Solo (or Partnered) Play
Stainless steel pleasure products can seem super intimidating because they're heavy, often more expensive, and don't have a vibrating motor — but let me tell you, they're SO worth the learning curve (pun very much intended).
Remember, most of us didn't get excellent sex education, and we certainly don't learn how to use pleasure products of any kind. So, it makes sense that seeing a big old hunk of metal might leave you thinking, "I'm going to put that where? How?!"
Just like you can learn skills for more effective communication, you can learn how to use different pleasure products. As my friend and fellow sex educator Gabrielle Kassel has said, "if you're snoozing on stainless steel sex toys, you're low-key sabotaging your sex life." (Just read her review on this stainless steel wand and you'll totally get it.)
ICYDK, stainless steel gets its name because chromium and other alloying elements such as nickel are added to steel to make it corrosion resistant, according to ThermoFisher Scientific. That's what makes it so great for, say, piercings — and also, yep, sex toys.
Stainless steel pleasure products/sex toys have loads of benefits, like:
They require less maintenance than other sex toys. Most motorized toys require charging, have charging ports that need to be otherwise taken care of, take time to clean, and need to be stored separately from other toys of that same material (don't ever let silicone toys touch each other, because it can degrade the material). The necessary maintenance for stainless steel toys? Clean them, store them in a cool, dry place (and, if you want, polish them).
They're usually last you a lifetime. A toy with a motor or battery will eventually die or not be able to hold a charge. Meanwhile, these toys last forever, just don't lose it!
They're super easy to sanitize and keep clean. This is because they have no pores, nooks, and crannies where germs and bacteria can hide. You can clean it with soap, toy cleaner, in the dishwasher, or boil them. In fact, they're so easy to sanitize with boiling water, they're the best toys to share with play partners. (See: How to Clean Your Sex Toys)
They enhance communication during use with partner(s). Because finding the right spot with them takes a little more finesse, using one can get you get really vocal about what you want and need from a partner(s).
They can be used with any type of lube. FYI, that isn't for all toys. For example, you can't use silicone-based lube on a silicone toy because it can cause the material to break down.
They're great for giving massages. Honestly, this may be my favorite benefit! Give your fingers a break and massage your partner (or yourself) with one of these babies.
They can also be used as a home invasion weapon! Just kidding… kind of!
These benefits are also make them different from other types of toys. Glass and stainless steel are the more durable, hygienic, and easy to care for types of sex toys/pleasure products, period.
While other types of toys like vibrating bullets or rabbits are designed to stimulate with buzzy or rumbly sensations and clitoral-suction toys are to simulate externally, stainless steel products are different because there's no motor, which may mean you don't know what to do with this thing, or how it might bring you pleasure.
But I promise you, they don't have to be scary. Shift your mindset into getting curious about how stainless steel can be incorporated into your sexual routine — such as these fun ways to use stainless steel toys.
Temperature play: Whether you put your stainless steel toy in the freezer, set it on ice, drop it into hot or warm water, or let it be the temperature of your room, you can play with the temperature because of the way stainless steel conducts heat. Temperature play is all about contrast; cold floods the body with a rush of new sensations that can be incredibly stimulating, while heat helps relax muscles.
Gravity play: Gravity play is essentially using stainless steel toys to add pressure and weight to your experience without a lot of effort. Gravity + a well-designed steel wand + your hands or a partner's = weighted pleasure. Your internal pleasure spots love to have pressure put on them, and there's no better way than letting gravity and steel combine to bring you to orgasm. Gravity does most of the work, so again, just relax.
Solo or partnered: While some stainless steel pleasure products are made specifically for solo use and some are made specifically for partnered use, many are versatile. You can use them alone or with another person or people.
Note: Don't forget to use lube! It's still steel; make the insertable portion as slippery as you can. I recommend Cake Tush Cush (Buy It, $12, hellocake.com) for vulva-owners and Cake Backslide Slide (Buy It, $24, hellocake.com) for penis-owners.)
When you're all done playing with your stainless steel pleasure device(s), you can clean it super easily by plopping it in the top rack of your dishwasher, boiling it for one minute, or washing it with warm water with mild soap or toy cleaner. I recommend SweetVibes Foami (Buy It, $12, sweetvibes.toys).
5 Stainless Steel Sex Toys to Try
LeWand Bow
Why I Love It: It's a smaller wand that's great for vaginal exercises — specifically kegels, for those who are wanting to strengthen their pelvic floor. The weight of the wand is great for vaginal and anal play and weighs 1.1lbs (compared to the LeWand Contour, which comes in at a whopping 4.4!) There are bulbs at each end that are great for back massaging (told ya!) and pointed pressure on your internal parts. The more bulbous end with the ridges is best for vaginal exercises, while the smaller end is for more targeted stimulation.
Who Should Try It: Stainless steel beginners who want their first toy to be versatile and fantastic.
Minerva Vibrating Necklace
Why I Love It: It's a necklace and a vibrator that has eight different speeds! It's one of the only stainless steel toys that isn't used for gravity or internal play but rather for external buzzy sensations, while still having the option for temperature play, too!
Who Should Try It: Someone who likes fashion and pleasure, is newer to sex toys, wants to try a combo-type toy, and/or likes wearable sex toys.
LeWand Arch
Why I Love It: It's G-spot and A-spot heaven. One side has a flattened tip for solo play, and the other is weighted, rippled, and bulbous for partnered gravity play.
Who Should Try It: Vagina-owners and their sex partners! This wand is particularly excellent for partnered play but only for vaginal use.
njoy Pure Plugs
Why I Love It: Most butt plugs are silicone because they're bendy and better for wearability. I love these stainless steel plugs because of how dense and heavy they are. They stimulate nerves in the anus and around the opening that don't typically get stimulated by non-stainless steel butt plugs. (Related: How to Use a Butt Plug for Beginners)
Who Should Try It: Anyone who has tried a butt plug before and likes it.
njoy Eleven
Why I Love It: This is the wand for those intense sex sessions where you're craving girth and pressure. This is a BIG toy. (Related: The Best Dildos to Add to Your Collection)
Who Should Try It: Experienced sex toy users who want the biggest, heaviest, and most intense stainless steel wand on the market.
Rachel Wright, M.A., L.M.FT., (she/her) is a licensed psychotherapist, sex educator and relationship expert based in New York City. She's an experienced speaker, group facilitator, and writer. She's worked with thousands of humans worldwide to help them scream less and screw more.
