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A butt plug is a butt plug, right?

Wrong!

While anal plugs may seem like a fairly straightforward type of sex toy, there’s actually a lot of nuance to the shape, materials, and features. This is what makes the difference between an okay butt plug, and a great one.

This visual guide to butt plugs will walk you through everything you need to know to make an informed decision.

We covered a lot of this info briefly in our list of the best butt plugs, but we wanted to go more in-depth and provide lots of visual examples.

Let’s get to it!

Disclosure: some of the links on this page are affiliate links, meaning we get paid if you buy a product using one of our links, at no extra cost to you. We never let affiliate programs influence which toys we recommend, and the opinions here are our own. We’ve spent hundreds of hours reviewing and testing toys and this is how we keep the lights on. Read our full affiliate disclosure.

Butt Plug Shapes

Certain anal plug shapes lend themselves to specific use cases. There’s four main parts to the anatomy of a butt plug you need to know about:

1. The tip and shaft
2. The dropoff from the main shaft
3. The neck
4. The base of the plug

The Tip & Shaft

Pointed & Tapered Butt Plugs

This is the most common butt plug shape on the market, and for good reason: a tapered tip and shaft is the best shape for anal beginners.

If you’re an absolute beginner, you ideally want a plug that’s almost triangular in the tip and shaft, as this lets you warm up to the toy and take it at your own pace. The widest point on these plugs is usually right before the dropoff from the shaft to the neck.

A gradual taper allows you to work the plug in and out gradually and slowly stretch your ass to get used to the sensations of anal play. Just be careful that the plug isn’t so long that it bumps into your sigmoid colon (4-5 inches in)!

Our favorite tapered butt plugs:

• Petite Sensations ($20) – bullet vibe base, one of the better small plugs out there.
• Avant Pride Series ($30) – classic silicone butt plugs.
• Anal Fantasy Collection ($15 – 50) – comes in 5 sizes, firm silicone.
• Tantus Neo ($30), Bronco ($50), & Ringo ($60)

Rounded & Bulbous Plugs

For the slightly more experienced anal toy user, bulbous butt plugs offer more stimulation, stretch, and a feeling of fullness.

This shape of anal plug is best for intermediate-advanced users, as the widest point of the toy is often fairly immediate, and you have much less room to warm up and relax your ass.

Rounded plugs are great for extended wear, as the feeling of fullness and weight provides more stimulation while walking and moving about. They’re also better for prostate stimulation, but more on that in a second.

Our favorite bulbous butt plugs:

• SquarepegToys Egg Plug ($30 – $160) – comes in 9 sizes, ranging from small to XXXL. Supersoft silicone.
• nJoy Pure Plug ($50 – 120) – stainless steel. Comes in 4 sizes from Sm to XL.
• Tristan I & II ($48, $58) – bullet vibe optional.
• Bvibe Snug Plugs ($45 – $65) – 5 sizes. Weighted balls for extra stimulation.
• Tantus Planet Dildos Gazebo ($19), Orb ($16), & Keg ($22)

Angled for Prostate Play

Some butt plugs have an angled shape to the shaft, with one clear purpose in mind: prostate stimulation.

These plugs tend to be thicker and more bulbous at the head, so they deliver nice, even pressure on the prostate. There aren’t many vibrating p-spot plugs, but you can use an external vibrator (like a magic wand) for some amazing stimulation.

Ideally a prostate butt plug is between 3 to 4 inches insertable length, as you want it to be long enough to actually hit the prostate, but not so long as to overshoot the target.

Our favorite prostate butt plugs:

• Bootie Plug ($35 – $45) – 3 sizes. Firm silicone is great for p-spot stimulation. Best when used with an external vibe.
• Oxballs Ergo Plug ($32 – $92) – 5 sizes from small to XL. Best large prostate plug.
• Lelo Hugo ($220) – vibrating, remote control, dual vibrators.
• nJoy Pfun Plug ($95) – stainless steel, two bulbs. Great for active prostate play, less great for extended wear.
• Rocks Off Butt Quiver ($30) – silicone with a removable bullet vibe. Great budget option.

The Dropoff

One incredibly important – and often overlooked aspect – is the dropoff from the bulb to the neck.

It’s important to understand how this aspect of shape affects how your anal plug will play, and that you find the right dropoff for your needs.

For 90% of the butt plugs out there, you want a moderate dropoff from bulb to neck, as this helps the plug ‘pop’ into place and gives your sphincter muscles something to grab onto to keep the plug where you put it.

A tapered “U” shape on the back of the bulb will also help keep your plug in place, as it forces your sphincter muscles back toward the middle of the neck.

Some plugs have virtually no dropoff, which is great for sliding the plug in and out. This is ideal for active anal play (whether solo or with a partner), but can be disastrous for long-term and extended wear, as this shape is prone to popping out of place.

At the other end of the spectrum, some plugs have a really sharp dropoff. This effectively locks the plug firmly in place once inserted, but can make it difficult or even painful to remove when the time comes.

Use this shape of plug at your own risk!

The Neck

The neck of your anal plug is incredibly important for comfort once the plug is inserted. You want a neck that is thick enough to still be stimulating, but not so thick that’s uncomfortable once fully inserted.

For most plugs, this means the neck width will be about 1/2 – 2/3 of the thickness of the widest part of the bulb. So for example, a 1.5″ wide plug should have a .75″ – 1″ wide neck.

This allows for a decent dropoff to keep the plug snugly in place, without being so thin that you lose the stimulation of the slight stretch around your asshole.

Unfortunately, most sex toy makers only list the width of the widest point of a butt plug, and very few also give you the neck width to compare. You’ll generally have to eyeball it.

There’s also neck length to consider. Your anus actually has two sphincter muscles: the outer one that you can consciously relax, and an inner, involuntary sphincter.

The combined thickness of these two muscles is around an inch, so make sure your plug’s neck has enough space to sit comfortably.

Thin Necks for All Day Wear

There is one area where thin necked butt plugs shine: extended wear.

You really don’t want a butt plug with a neck that’s too thick, as it can get uncomfortable if you plan to keep it in for a long time.

The first 30 minutes or even hour may feel fine, but unless you’re an experienced anal toy user, things can get uncomfortable fast at that point.

A big part of the problem is that lube dries out over time, which starts to cause friction between the neck of your plug and your ass. Think necks reduce (but don’t eliminate) the need for massive amounts of lube, so you can get by comfortably for longer periods of time.

Our favorite thin-necked butt plugs:

• Bvibe Snug Plugs ($45 – $65) – thick body, thin neck, and weighted internal balls for extra stimulation.
• nJoy Pure Plugs ($50 – 120) – despite the bulbous head, these plugs have a great thin neck for extended wear.
• Rosebuds Cristal Princess Plugs ($65 – $130) – 5 sizes, in steel or aluminum. Our favorite princess plug.
• Lovense Hush ($109) – 2 sizes, best vibrating plug for extended wear and public play. Great app.
• Hole Punch House Plug – a great beginner plug for all-day wear.

Thick Necks for Anal Stretching

Conversely, thick-necked butt plugs are good for practicing anal stretching for shorter periods of time. The added thickness provides a good static stretch and lets you really practice relaxing your sphincter muscles around a bigger object.

You can try to leave a plug like this in for an extended period of time, but you run the risk of the plug popping out if you cough or sneeze.

Great for anal stretching around the house for longer periods, but only wear these outside at your own risk!

Our favorite thick-necked butt plugs:

• Vixen Tristan ($48, $58) – optional bullet vibe. Great for stretching around the house.
• Tantus Ringo ($60) – a fantastic trainer and stretcher for those looking to transition from intermediate to advanced toys.

The Base

The base of your butt plug is also an incredibly important, yet often overlooked aspect. Every anal toy needs a wide, secure base to prevent the toy from pulling up into your ass.

Best case scenario: you have an awkward and potentially painful squat over the toilet.

Worst case scenario: you have to make a trip to the ER and get stuck with a costly bill. This problem is more common than you might think, particularly with cheap princess plugs.

Round Based Plugs

Round based butt plug are the biggest offender with accidentally getting pulled into your ass. That means, to be safe, the base of your plug needs to be wider than the widest point on the plug.

Not as wide – wider.

If you were able to successfully take in the maximum girth on the bulb, that means your ass can also take in the base if it’s not a little bit wider.

There are some benefits to round-based anal plugs though:

1. They’re great for double penetration, as the round shape won’t block or occlude the vagina or unnecessarily chafe your partner’s shaft.
2. The round surface area is great for aesthetic features like a gem or a furry tail.
3. You can use them with a strap on harness. Although you’d want a plug at least 4″ to 5″ in length. This is a job better suited to a high quality dildo.

Glass plugs also tend to have a round base due to the way glass blowing and forming works.

Our favorite round base butt plugs:

• Rosebuds Cristal ($65 – $130) – 5 sizes, in steel or aluminum. Over 20 colors of crystals for the base.
• Crystal Delights ($80 – $130) – small and large bulb sizes, with short, medium, or long stem lengths. Real Swarovski crystal.
• Blush Novelties Spark ($24 – $35)- 3 sizes. A fairly large silicone plug with a round, suction cup base.
• Tantus Planet Dildos ($10 – $30) – 16 unique shapes. Longer shapes are great for use with a strap on harness.

T-bar Base Anal Plugs

Thankfully, most butt plugs utilize a T-shaped base to prevent them from pulling into your ass unexpectedly.

This shape is also ideal for extended wear, as the thinner T-base can sit upright between your ass cheeks for maximum comfort.

We generally prefer T-base anal plugs that have a curved shape to them, as the curve contours to your hip bone and is less likely to stick out or get uncomfortable over time.

Our favorite T-base butt plugs:

• FunFactory Bootie ($35 – $45) – 3 sizes.
• SquarepegToys Egg Plug ($30 – $160) – comes in 9 sizes, ranging from small to XXXL. Supersoft silicone is great for extended wear.
• Anal Fantasy Series ($15 – $50) – best budget option in 5 sizes. Firm black silicone only.

O-ring Bases

Very similar to T-bar base plug, except there’s an O-shape instead of the flat “T”.

This gives your plug an easy to grab handle, which makes these plugs easy to insert and remove. It’s also a great shape for active anal play, as the O-shape is easy to grip even with lubed up fingers.

Unfortunately, this shape isn’t that common and it’s something we wish there was more options for.

Our favorite O-ring base butt plugs:

• nJoy Pure Plugs ($50 – 120) – stainless steel. Comes in 4 sizes from Sm to XL.

Butt Plug Materials

The material of your butt plug is also going to play a huge factor in how it’s best used.

Keep in mind we emphatically DO NOT recommend butt plugs made of the following materials:

• Jelly – contains toxic pthalates and is porous
• TPR / TPE – meaning thermoplastic rubber / elastomer. These are nontoxic, but are porous, which means they can harbor bacteria after use.
• PVC – also nontoxic, but porous
• Latex – also porous, and some people have a latex allergy
• Any soft material that isn’t silicone!

Read more at our sex toy materials guide.

Silicone

The holy grail of sex toy materials. It’s soft, flexible, nontoxic, nonporous, and feels generally skin-like for some added realism.

It’s heat safe, meaning you can sterilize it by boiling or putting in the top rack of your dishwasher (without other dishes, no detergent needed).

Silicone comes in a variety of densities and firmness, rated on what’s know as the Shore Scale. Most firm silicone toys fall into the Shore A scale, with ratings between 0 to 40. While supersoft toys will likely fall on the Shore 00 scale, again with ratings between 0 – 40.

Keep in mind silicone toys can only be used with water-based lube, as silicone lubricants can breakdown the silicone and degrade your toy over time.

Firm Silicone

Most butt plugs are what would be considered firm silicone. Unless a toy says ‘supersoft’ or something to that effect, assume it’s fairly firm.

That’s not to say firm means tough – these toys usually have some give to them. But you generally want an anal toy to have some firmness, as it helps the toy slot into your asshole and stay in place better.

Firm silicone also does a better job of transmitting vibrations than supersoft silicone.

Our favorite medium-firm silicone butt plugs:

• Tantus Planet Dildos ($11 – $30) – 16 styles of futuristic butt plugs at amazing prices.
• FunFactory Bootie ($35 – $45) – 3 sizes. Firm silicone targets pressure on the prostate and transmits vibrations well.
• Avant Pride Series by Blush ($20-$30) – the classic triangle-shaped tapered butt plug.
• Rocks-Off Petite Sensations ($20) and Butt Quiver ($30) – both available with bullet vibe.

Supersoft Silicone

Supersoft silicone is better suited to large and XL butt plugs, or one that you want to wear for extended periods of time.

The material is soft and gummy-like, so it has a lot of give and is quite comfortable on your hole for anal stretching or long-term wear.

Be careful though – super soft silicone is prone to nicks, folds, and creases. Store your super soft toys with extra care, and avoid sharp objects at all costs!

Our favorite supersoft butt plugs:

• SquarepegToys Egg Plug ($30 – $160) – comes in 9 sizes, ranging from small to XXXL. Best large/XL butt plug.
• Oxballs Ergo Plug ($32 – $92) – 5 sizes from small to XL. Available in firm silicone too, but we like the blubbery soft version.

Metal Anal Plugs

Stainless steel and aluminum sex toys look sleek and sexy, and they’ve gotten incredibly popular in recent years.

However, be warned:

Many foreign manufacturers have been known to use cheaper heavy metals like nickel or copper, and simply plate them with a thin layer of steel or chrome plating. And given the rectum can absorb heavy metals, we only recommend buying metal butt plugs from reputable manufacturers and not from Amazon.

Read out full guide to the best metal butt plugs for more info.

Stainless Steel

Steel is a great material for anal plugs for a few reasons:

1. It’s heavy (heavier than you think). These toys have some serious weight, which adds extra stimulation during use
2. It can be used with silicone based lubes, which are thick, silky, and long-lasting
3. It can safely be heated or cooled for exciting temperature play
4. It’s firm, which is great for targeted prostate stimulation

Stainless Steel also looks so damn sexy, and adds a luxury flair to any toy. Maybe that’s why so many princess plugs are steel and not silicone…

The one downside is that steel toys aren’t cheap, and going to cost 2x – 3x as much as a similar-sized silicone toy.

Our favorite steel plugs:

• nJoy Pure Plugs ($50 – 120) – The best of the best. Comes in 4 sizes from Sm to XL.
• Rouge Gem Plugs ($45 – $55) – Best budget stainless steel jewel plug. Smooth or rippled body.
• Rosebuds Cristal ($65 – $130) – Best steel jewel plug. 5 sizes and over 20 colors of crystal.

Aluminum

Identical to the properties of steel plugs, except for the weight. Aluminum is for users who want a metal butt plug, but don’t want to have to do anal kegels to hold it in place.

Aluminum can also be anodized, which means you can get some exciting and vibrant colors instead of the sleek silver-chrome color of steel toys.

Aluminum is a bit less popular than steel, so there aren’t as many great options out there unfortunately.

Our favorite aluminum butt plugs:

• Crowned Jewels Upminster ($50 – $70) – comfy silicone base for long term wear. 3 Sizes.
• Doxy butt plug ($50) – A great bulbous shape. Smooth or ribbed texture.
• Rosebuds Cristal ($65 – $130) – This one again! We love the variety available on these, and there are 5 unique anodized aluminum colors.

Glass Butt Plugs

Glass anal plugs are also similar to metal plugs in most properties:

• They’re equally firm and nonporous
• Can also be used with silicone lube
• Can be heated and cooled for temperature play (some caveats, see below)
• Heavier than silicone, but not as heavy as stainless steel

There are two common kinds of glass butt plugs: borosilicate glass and annealed glass (borosilicate or soda lime).

Glass sex toys are a complicated subject, but are generally body safe if you stick to solid shapes and always inspect your glass toy before use.

Borosilicate Glass

The most common kind of glass sex toy. Borosilicate glass is much more durable than the everyday soda lime glass used in drinking glasses.

It’s also generally affordable for sex toys, and so most budget glass toys are made of borosilicate glass. It is prone to internal stress patterns, meaning if you drop it or hit it on something hard those stress patterns could cause your toy to crack or shatter.

This is why it’s important to always inspect your glass toys, and to stop using them if you observe any visible dings or cracks.

Our favorite borosilicate glass plugs:

• Icicles No. 26 ($30) – classic tapered shape with round base. Great budget glass plug.
• LoveHoney Full Bloom ($30) – 2 sizes. Cute floral base in pink glass.
• Chrystalino collection ($24 – $28) – over 10 unique plug shapes in small – medium sizes.
• Loveplugs Large Transparent ($50) – the best budget large glass plug.

Annealed Glass

Annealing is a process where the glass toys are cooled at a very precise rate over a longer period of time, which reduces internal stress patterns and makes for a much more durable glass butt plug. Some people report dropping these toys onto tile without any scratches or nicks.

The catch is:

Annealing is a time-consuming process that requires special equipment, meaning annealed glass toys are going to run 2x – 3x the price of a standard borosilicate glass toy. Annealed glass plugs can be either borosilicate or soda lime glass.

But if you want a high quality glass plug that will last for years – annealing is 100% the way to go.

Our favorite annealed glass plugs:

• Hedonic Glass  ($80 – $110) – custom sizing and work available. Cute floral bases.
• Crystal Delights ($80 – $130) – small and large bulb sizes, with short, medium, or long stem lengths. Real Swarovski crystal.
• Luscious Playthings ($45 – $70) – 90+ shapes and color combinations available. Best affordable annealed glass toys.

Butt Plug Features

There are also a handful of additional features you can get in a butt plug beyond just the physical shape of the thing.

Examples include:

• Vibrating plugs
• Aesthetic features (gems and tails)
• Inflatable butt plugs
• Hollow plugs and unique shapes

Vibrating Anal Plugs

There are two types of vibrating butt plugs:

1. Removable bullet vibe – most of these come with their own standard silver bullet vibe, but we recommend upgrading with a powerful bullet vibe like the We-Vibe Tango.
2. Dedicated internal vibrator – generally more powerful. Some of these are even have a remote control or bluetooth phone app connectivity.

The bullet vibe kind are going to be more budget-friendly, but they also generally lack the advanced features and speed settings you get with a dedicated internal vibrator.

Our favorite vibrating butt plugs:

• Bvibe Rimming Plug ($150) – powerful internal motor and rotating beads that (sort of) simulate rimming.
• We-Vibe Ditto ($130) – We-Vibe is known for their deep, rumbly vibrations.
• Rocks-Off Petite Sensations ($20) and Butt Quiver ($30) – both available with bullet vibe.
• Lovense Hush ($109) – 2 sizes, best vibrating plug for extended wear and public play. Great app.
• Lelo Hugo ($220) – vibrating, remote control, dual vibrators.

Gemmed & Jewel Plugs

Gemmed princess plugs have taken off in popularity over the past decade. And hey, we get it – they look damn sexy and add a kinky visual flair to anal play.

Unfortunately they tend to be the problem when it comes to plugs getting pulled into the ass, as mentioned above. Some princess plugs have the added layer of cuteness with the heart-shaped base, but that’s even worse than the common round base in terms of getting pulled in.

They’re also not the most stimulating shape, or even that beginner friendly. But what they lack in physical stimulation, they more than make up for in visual sex appeal!

Our favorite jeweled princess plugs:

• Rosebuds Cristal ($65 – $130) – Over 200 size, color, and material combinations. Our favorite princess plug.
• Crystal Delights ($80 – $130) – small and large bulb sizes, with short, medium, or long stem lengths. Real Swarovski crystal.
• Rianne S. Booty Plug Set ($40) – 3 pc silicone anal trainer set with faux gemmed base.
• Rouge Steel Princess Plugs ($45 – $55) – best budget stainless steel jewel plug. Smooth or rippled body.
• Temptasia Bling plugs ($15 – $20) – heart-shaped jewel base in 3 sizes. Best budget option.

Read our definitive guide to the best jewel and gem plugs here.

Animal Tail Butt Plugs

Our favorite tail butt plugs:

• LovePlugs Collection ($35 – 55) – pretty much every conceivable type of faux fur tail plug, ranging from 12″ – 32″ in length.
• Crystal Delights Tail Plugs ($80 – $150) – faux and real fur tails available. Super high quality annealed glass.
• Rosebuds Cristal Horse Tail ($100 – $120) – stainless steel, available in 3 sizes.
• Squarepeg Toys Puppy Tails ($60 – $150) – 5 different models available, multiple sizes, and based on the amazing Egg Plug.

Read our full review of the best tail plugs here.

Inflatable Butt Plugs

To be honest, there really aren’t any inflatable butt plugs out there that we can strongly recommend.

Most inflatable anal plugs are made of PVC or latex, which are problematic materials like we mentioned above. There are a few inflatable silicone plugs out there, but all of them have design flaws that we think make them less-than-ideal to use.

Our favorite inflatable butt plugs:

• Anal Fantasy silicone inflatable plug ($45)
• CalExotics Inflatable ($29 – $32) – two sizes, small and large.
• LoveHoney Vibrating Inflatable ($27) – we used this in the past before we understood the problems with porous toys. We loved this plug, but it is latex so you should know going into it that it’s going to be a short-lived toy due to the porous nature.

Wrapping Up

We hope this visual guide to butt plugs helped you find the right butt plug for your needs.

If you have any questions, be sure to let us know if the comments!

And to reiterate, this site is run off of affiliate sales. If you do decide to buy one of our favorite plugs listed in this article, we’d really appreciate if you bought through our link.

It helps us keep the lights on and keep producing in-depth content on the best sex toys.

Thanks for reading!

In this guide, we’re going to look at everything you need to know to make an informed decision on buying your first anal sex toy, including:

• Sex toy material
• Choosing the right length and girth
• The best shape for anal sex toys
• Other important features (like a base)

[Read more…] about Anal Sex 102: How to Pick Your First Anal Sex Toy