As long as there have been penises, people have been sticking them in things. Some of those things are slightly less advisable than others, and there may be a few pillows you will never look at quite the same.
However, there are toys made specifically to enhance the process of masturbating with a penis. Those assigned male at birth can use plenty of tools to make themselves feel good. A prostate massager might be right up your alley if you have a prostate.
Those searching for external stimulation might wonder what their options are for sex toys. Luckily, this is where the humble masturbation sleeve comes in handy.
Keep reading to discover everything you ever wanted to know and more about these unique adult toys.
What Other Names Do Masturbation Sleeves Go By?
The term “masturbation sleeve” may or may not be new to you, but chances are that you have heard of similar products. To quote Shakespeare, “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
Was Shakespeare specifically writing about masturbation sleeves? Who’s to say? We aren’t historians.
People with penises usually use masturbation sleeves to pleasure themselves in a way that is difficult or impossible to reach with hands alone. However, not all products used to stimulate the penis qualify as a masturbation sleeve.
This toy differentiates itself by featuring an internal tunnel typically as long or longer than a penis. The penis is inserted into the tunnel, and boom, you’re masturbating. Masturbation sleeves are sometimes designed to simulate a vagina, anus, or mouth, but not always.
Although we will most often call this device a “masturbation sleeve” throughout this article, the toy is also known by many other names. If you hear the terms “sex sleeve,” “stroker,” “intimacy sleeve,” “pleasure sleeve,” or “penis sleeve,” they are all the same thing as a masturbation sleeve.
What Do Masturbation Sleeves Look Like?
Depending on the kind of masturbation sleeve that you want, they can look a bit different from one another. Some resemble human anatomy but likely have a solid plastic tube around the silicone.
Others look more like a can, and others still could be stretchy, flexible tubes. Some sleeves are a combination of a few of these.
Certain sleeves envelop the entire length of the penis, while others just cover part of it. The options are nearly endless, so there’s something out there for everyone.
The materials that sex sleeves are made of can vary significantly, especially depending on the price and quality of the item. You should also remember that the outside of a masturbation sleeve only tells half of the story.
In all likelihood, it’s much more important how the sleeve looks and feels on the inside. In that way, masturbation sleeves remind us of a crucial lesson: it’s what’s on the inside that counts.
Can You Use a Masturbation Sleeve With a Partner?
Hearing the word “masturbation” might lead you to believe these toys are only for solo play, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. There are indeed a bunch of ways to use this toy on your own, but it’s far from the only way.
Here are a few ways that you can use this toy, both alone and with someone else.
How To Use a Masturbation Sleeve Alone
When you are using a masturbation sleeve while on your own, you can completely tailor the experience to your own needs and desires. You can take as much time as you want, or you can just get on with getting off.
The sleeve is a tool to facilitate your pleasure, and it is completely up to you how you want to do that. While you’re masturbating, your own pleasure is your only priority.
Obviously, this changes when you’re with a partner. There are advantages to both situations, and there’s so much joy to be had in each, but some days a little me-time is just what the doctor ordered.
How To Use a Masturbation Sleeve With a Partner
The idea of knowing yourself and going at your own pace still very much applies when you are having sex with someone instead of masturbating. You can use a masturbation sleeve as part of foreplay or as the main event. It just depends on what you both want.
Remember that no form of sex is better than any other form. There are many ways to have sex other than just penetrative, penis-in-vagina action.
Get creative with one another, and figure out what feels good to both of you. The sex sleeve can factor in as heavily or as little as you want, and it can vary from session to session.
What Is the Advantage of Using a Masturbation Sleeve?
There are so many ways to masturbate, so you might wonder what makes using a masturbation sleeve, or sex toys in general, so special. The truth is that there are plenty of advantages to using a sleeve, but we’d like to take the time to highlight a few of our favorites below.
They Help You Get in Touch With Your Body
We are in the midst of a sex toy renaissance, and frankly, it’s about time. By using sex toys, we can get in touch with our bodies in new ways that might have been inaccessible in the past.
By getting to know our bodies better, we can come to a new understanding with ourselves — emphasis on come.
If you’re just discovering what you like for the first time, sex toys can help immensely in unlocking the secrets to your own pleasure. Even if you have yourself pretty well figured out by this point, there is always more to discover. You never know what you might find by using a new toy.
Never forget that the most important relationship we have is with ourselves, so take the time to get to know yourself, free of judgment and expectations.
Masturbation Sleeves Offer a Safe Form of Sex
As we mentioned, masturbation sleeves are as fun to use on your own as with a partner. If you are not sure about your or your partner’s STD status, a sex sleeve can provide an exciting alternative that’s safe for everyone.
Whether you use a sex sleeve during mutual masturbation or your partner uses it on you, there’s so much to enjoy together. Rather than rushing into something and potentially acting unsafely, you can instead expand your sexual repertoire both alone and with a partner.
Look at this as an opportunity to get creative and discover what you like. That way, this can be an equally liberating and educational experience. We realize that maybe the word “educational” doesn’t sound very sexy at first glance, but it helps when the research is masturbating.
Who Uses Masturbation Sleeves?
This question has a short answer and a slightly less short answer. The short answer is this: generally, masturbation sleeves are used by people with penises. The slightly less short answer is a little more complicated, but not by much. Anyone who wants to use a masturbation sleeve can use a masturbation sleeve.
Sex toys are often considered more common for people with vulvas than people with penises, but this does not have to be the case. Anyone with any genitals can get a great amount of joy and pleasure out of using sex toys.
As well as being tools for pleasure, sex toys can also be tools for communication. They can facilitate conversations with ourselves and others about what we like and why our pleasure is so important.
What Kinds of Masturbation Sleeves Are There?
In addition to aesthetic differences in masturbation sleeves, there is a lot of variation in how they function. If you prefer one that resembles a vagina, anus, or mouth, that narrows it down only slightly. From there, you can determine if you want one that is electric and can vibrate, whether it has ridges on the inside, and so much more.
You can choose one that feels similar to a person on the inside, or you can go with something different altogether. Everyone likes something different, and that’s awesome. This is perhaps the aptest occasion for the phrase “different strokes for different folks.”
Different Strokes for Different Folks
Yes, we used the same joke twice, but in our defense, it’s a really good joke. Every part of the process of picking out and using a masturbation sleeve should be done with your pleasure in mind.
If you already know what you like, it’s time to discover something new. If you’re still figuring it out, that’s great too. Either way, let the self-discovery begin!
Sources:
Orgasm Study Reveals Why the Prostate Really Is the ‘Male G-Spot’ | Inverse
Penile Length and Circumference Dimensions: A Large Study in Young Italian Men | PMC
The Role of Masturbation in Healthy Sexual Development: Perceptions of Young Adults | Research Gate