Cock Rings

A basic ring works through gentle restriction: it slows the blood flowing back out, so many men find their erection feels firmer and lasts longer. A vibrating ring adds a small motor that stimulates you and, during sex, your partner as well. Many men start with a stretchy basic ring and add a vibrating one later.

Measure the circumference at the base when soft, around the shaft only or around shaft and balls, and divide by 3.14 for the inner diameter. For a fixed steel or leather ring, choose the size closest to that; between two sizes, take the larger one. Stretchy silicone and adjustable straps are more forgiving if you are unsure.

Twenty to thirty minutes is the usual guideline, especially with a fixed ring. Stretchy silicone is more forgiving, but the rule is the same: take it off at once if you feel coldness, numbness or pain or see discolouration, and never sleep in one. Choose a ring you can remove quickly, even when you are fully erect.

Silicone and rubber stretch, are comfortable for beginners and easy to put on and take off. Steel feels heavier and firmer and gives a stronger sense of restriction, but needs an exact size. Leather and neoprene straps with snaps or buckles are adjustable and the quickest to remove. Every material works with water-based lube.

Put it on when soft. For a ring around shaft and balls, slip one testicle through first, then the other, then the shaft. A little water-based lube helps a stretchy ring slide on. Adjustable straps and snap rings are simply closed around the base. Take the ring off gently afterwards, one part at a time, in the reverse order.