Anal Beads
Anal beads are a set of linked beads designed to go into the butt. Anal beads simulate the initial sensation of penetration - where the hole gradually opens up then gradually closes back up. Since you repeat this process for every single bead on the strand, anal beads really lend themselves well to people who love that movement of the anal entrance.
Anal beads of the past were plastic beads strung together on a cotton string. Since we've come pretty far in our knowledge about cleanliness and bacteria, it's pretty hard to locate anal beads like that anymore. Most modern-day anal beads are sets of silicone beads attached together by thinner layers of silicone.
Most anal beads come in graduated sizes. This means that the anal bead you insert first will be the smallest - while the anal beads later in the chain will be larger. This is especially helpful for those new to anal because it lets you choose exactly how far you go. There's no reason that you have to insert every anal bead on any given anal bead chain. You can insert it half-way - or just stick to the first bead if you want.
Anal beads can be used in the same way as butt plugs. You can pop as many in as are comfortable and then ignore them. However, for most people, anal beads are a bit more active. One common way to use them is to pop them all in - one by one - then gently tug the chain to pop them all back out, one-by-one. Some people like to pop the entire anal bead chain into their butt - then gently pull the chain of beads out of their body right at the point of orgasm to add even more sensation to their climax. It just depends on how YOU want to use it!
Some other great articles to help you learn more about anal beads:
Anal Dildos
We really should just call this "dildos", but "anal dildos" seemed more on-theme. Almost every dildo can be become an "anal dildo". All a dildo needs is that flared base we talked about before. As long as it has a flared base, it's ready and safe for anal play.
Anal dildos can be a load of fun if your interest in anal play includes pegging or eventual anal intercourse. Unlike some of the other anal toys out there, however, anal dildos are designed to be actively used. You can slide it in and lay back, but you'll likely find that your muscle contractions push the toy out unless you're actively holding it in place.
That's why anal dildos are really your best anal toy if the idea of "thrusting" and "fucking" is high on your list of anal play. You'll want to actively move the dildo - in and out of your body - to get the best sensations from an anal dildo.
And if your eventual goal is intercourse (whether with a silicone penis or a biological penis,) anal dildos can help you do a bit of the "prepwork" to help your body get ready for the sensations of penetration.
Prostate Massagers
Do you know about the prostate? It's a very sensitive spot - similar to the g-spot - located inside of the butt on people who have penises. Not only can the prostate be responsible for hands-free orgasms and some serious pleasure, but the prostate is also, simply, another erogenous zone that can add more pleasure during sexual enjoyment.
Unlike anal dildos or butt plugs, prostate massagers are specifically crafted to hit the prostate. For some manufacturers, this means a prostate massager design that's specifically curved for contact with every inch near the prostate, and for other manufacturers, that just means a massager that features a curved shaft with a full-coverage tip that's going to make great contact with the prostate.
Most prostate massagers are also designed to be slid inside of the body - and then left there. Through the internal contractions that happen during pleasure (and subsequently move things around inside of you), the prostate massager "rubs" the prostate - no hands required!
While some people have heard about prostate massagers and get very excited about the idea of hands-free orgasms, I always recommend some patience with these hands-free toys. Achieving hands-free orgasms with a p-spot massager isn't usually a "first time" experience, and most people may need to practice for months (or years!) to learn to reach that point. Not only do you need to strengthen the muscles that move the plug (so they don't get exhausted before you orgasm!), but you need to retrain your body to find this new type of sensation orgasmic. That can take some time.
Some other great articles to help you learn more about prostate massagers:
Anal Vibrators
Think of anal vibrators like any other type of anal sex toy - except they're equipped with vibrations. Anal vibrators can really be a huge category because it encapsulates any other type of sex toy that just happens to be equipped with some vibrations as well. Lucky for us, if you're looking for the most sensation possible, being able to easily view all anal vibrators means you can quickly find the toys that provide the most sensations.
Just like anywhere else on your body, your pleasure spots can really, really enjoy vibration. Even pressing the tip of a vibrator up against the anal entrance can feel amazing - and that's long before you even insert anything! Adding anal vibrations to an already-amazing anal toy can take your experience up a notch.
So if any of those toy types really appealed to you - but you'd like to get even MORE sensation from it - don't forget to see if it's available in a vibrating version. There are even vibrating anal beads at this point. The world of sex toy manufacturing really keeps giving us all of the pleasure products we could ever want.
Picking Your First Anal Toy
Now that you know what types of toys exist, which one should you choose - especially if this is your first toy!?!
Well, the "type" doesn't really matter; go with whatever speaks to your soul. The size, on the other hand, definitely matters. Most newbies to anal play assume that the depth is what matters - like you should select a 5" long dildo instead of an 8" long one.
That isn't so much the case. Diameter and width are what matter for your first anal toy. While the body is used to objects deep inside (because of how the butt operates), it's not-so-used to having the hole stretched open and kept open. That's why you'll want to pay attention to the diameter and width of your first anal toy to make sure that it's something your body can comfortably take.
Have you tried inserting any fingers into yourself before? If so, measure the circumference or diameter of those fingers to get a good idea of where your "starting point" for an anal toy would be.
If you haven't tried anything inside the butt before, I'd recommend something that's 1" or smaller. Anal toys come as small as 0.5" in diameter - and for people with extremely tight butts, that's definitely a plus. For a lot of people, though, the uber-slim items might be TOO small. I always recommend giving your fingers a try first, but if you haven't, be prepared to buy a toy or two to really "figure out" where your anal preferences lie.
And most importantly, be patient, have a good time, and have some serious, pleasurable fun!
