Dear Birdie,

I wanted to get myself a new vibrator (I’ve only ever owned a small silver one that I got as  a joke when out with a friend), but I’m not sure what all the different toys are for.  What does it mean when a vibrator is “g-spot” or otherwise?  How do you use one of those egg shaped ones?

Thank you!

Need Advice

Dear Need,

It is a bit confounding how many different types of toys there are out there, isn’t it?  When I was just a wee lass making my first purchase of a vibrator, the only real options were whether you wanted a tiny five inch basic beige vibrator or if you wanted a behemoth ten inch basic beige vibrator.  Nowadays you can get just about every colour under the sun, different materials, more shapes than you can shape a dildo-shaped stick at, and a plethora of vibrating, buzzing, spurting add-ons.

I’ll spend some time this week going further into depth with the different types of toys out there for a bit of a whistle-stop tour of categories, but in brief:

Dildos are non-vibrating toys which are phallic shaped for penetration.  These can be made as stand-alone toys (ie, with nothing extra, intended for use just with a hand) or with suction-cup bases (for attaching them to some surface for hands-free use) or with a base that allows them to be attached to harnesses or other implements of fun.

Vibrators, in the most general sense, vibrate.  Simple, huh?  They can be phallic shaped for the traditionalist or shaped like just about anything under the sun–I’ve personally gotten to know vibrators that were shaped like jolly penguins, friendly fish, and even a sea shell.  I loved that seashell.

When a vibrator is called “g-spot“, that generally means that it has a curve in it so that it is easier to insert and press against the sensitive spot just a few inches in on the roof of the vagina.  Because of that curve, though, they can also be a lot of fun to use on men’s prostate glands or for more specific vibrations on the clit.

An egg vibrator is…egg shaped and it vibrates.  Seriously, for such a complex group of toys, they really do try to help out with the names, don’t they?  You can use an egg any way you like–same as with any toy, really–but they are primarily meant to be inserted.  The idea is that you can put it against your g-spot or wherever feels best and then set the vibration going.  Eggs with cordless remotes can be a fun partner toy or you can have fun with it by putting it in and then going about your normal business–using it just as a gentle distraction during your chores.

Check back throughout the week for a bit more information, but hopefully that has given you enough to go on to start shopping.

Best wishes,

McBirdie

Related

• Dear Birdie: Is there a trick to cock rings?
• What Does It Do?: Egg Vibrators Explained
• Dear Birdie: Is it bad that I’ve never masturbated?
• What Does It Do?: G-Spot Vibrators Explained
• Dear Birdie: “Why do men act so horribly when they don’t get their way?”