Cock rings: steel, silicone or leather, and how to choose

A cock ring is the simplest toy in the drawer and one of the most worn. It makes an erection feel harder and fuller, pushes your package forward and, in steel, adds a weight you feel with every step. But steel or silicone, which size, and how long can you leave it on? This guide compares the materials, lists the sizes of our steel rings and explains how to wear one safely. To find your size in millimetres, use the cock ring size calculator.

What a cock ring does

A ring at the base of the cock lets blood flow in more easily than it flows out. The result is a firmer, fuller erection that often feels more sensitive, and many men find they last a little longer. Worn behind the balls, a ring also pulls them forward and up, which gives the bulge in a jockstrap or tight jeans. It is a sex toy, not a treatment: if you have erection problems, a doctor is the right first stop.

Three ways to wear a ring

• Behind cock and balls: the classic. The ring sits around the base of the shaft and behind the scrotum. This gives the strongest effect and the most visible bulge, and it is how most steel rings are meant to be worn.
• Around the shaft only: a smaller ring at the base of the cock, above the balls. Tighter and more focused, popular during sex.
• Around the balls: a ring around the neck of the scrotum, above the testicles. That is ball stretching, a subject of its own: see the ball stretching guide and ball stretchers.

Steel, silicone, leather or a mix

Our steel cock rings by size

Steel does not stretch, so the inner diameter has to be right. These are the steel rings we stock, from snug to roomy. The band is the width of the ring along the shaft; where two numbers are given, the second is the thickness of the wall.

All of them, plus steel rings with plugs and extras, are in steel cock rings.

Which size do you need?

Most men wear a ring behind cock and balls in an inner diameter of 45 to 55 mm, and a shaft-only ring of 35 to 45 mm. To measure, wrap a strip of paper around the spot where the ring will sit while you are soft, mark the overlap, measure it and divide by 3.14; the size calculator does the sum for you and the size guide covers every other toy. Between two sizes, take the larger one in steel and the smaller one in silicone. Width matters too: a 20 mm band like the Heavy C-Ring presses on a larger area and feels tighter than a 15 mm ring with the same diameter.

Silicone, hybrid and leather rings

For a first ring, silicone is the easy start. The Levelz Wide O comes in sizes from 30 to 55 mm, and the Perfect Fit Xact-Fit two-packs come in numbered sizes, so you can buy one size up or down without guessing. Want steel without the struggle? The Doc Johnson Paradox and the Flexisteel put an open steel ring inside a stretchy silicone band. The Red Leather Adjustable Cockring closes with three snaps and adjusts from 30 to 55 mm, so it opens in a second. More choice is in silicone cock rings.

Your first time with steel

• Take a warm shower first: warmth relaxes the scrotum. Trim the hair where the ring will sit.
• Start soft. Put a little water-based lube on the ring and the skin.
• Slip one ball through, then the other, then bend the soft cock down and through the ring. Check that no skin is pinched.
• Wear it for 20 to 30 minutes the first few times and see how your body reacts.
• To take it off, wait until you are fully soft. Lube again, and go in reverse order: first the cock, then the balls one at a time. Cold water helps.
• If it will not come off, stay calm, lie down, use cold water and more lube. If it still does not move or it starts to hurt, go to an emergency department: they have the tools to cut a ring safely.

Vibrating cock rings

A vibrating ring adds a small motor. Worn with the motor on top, it presses against him when you top; turned underneath, it buzzes against your own balls. The Doc Johnson Vibrating C-Ring has a removable bullet, the OptiMALE Rechargeable Vibrating C-Ring 7 settings and USB charging, and the Bathmate Vibe Maximus 45 combines a ring and a ball strap; Bathmate advises wearing it for no longer than 15 minutes at a time. The full range is in vibrating cock rings.

Safety rules

• Take a ring off at once if your cock or balls turn cold, numb, blue or purple, or if it starts to hurt.
• Never sleep in a cock ring, and never wear a ring you cannot remove by yourself.
• Build up wearing time slowly; snug steel rings are for shorter sessions than soft silicone.
• Talk to a doctor first if you take blood thinners or have problems with circulation or sensation.
• Keep magnetic rings away from pacemakers and implanted devices.
• Clean steel and silicone with warm water and soap or a toy cleaner; wipe leather, never soak it.

Frequently asked questions

Is a steel or a silicone cock ring better?

Neither is better, they are different. Silicone stretches and forgives a wrong size, which makes it the best first ring. Steel gives weight, a firm grip and a look that lasts forever, but only in the right size.

What size cock ring do I need?

Measure the circumference where the ring will sit while soft and divide by 3.14. Most men need 45 to 55 mm behind cock and balls and 35 to 45 mm around the shaft only. In steel, take the larger size when in doubt.

How long can I wear a cock ring?

Start with 20 to 30 minutes. With experience, men wear comfortable rings longer, but take it off at once if anything turns cold, numb or discoloured, and never sleep in one.

How do I get a steel cock ring off?

Wait until you are completely soft, use cold water and plenty of lube, and take the cock out first, then the balls one by one. If it will not move or it hurts, go to an emergency department.

Can a cock ring help me last longer?

Many men find that a ring makes them a little firmer and slows things down. It is a sex toy, though, not a medical aid; for real erection problems, see a doctor.