It’s that time of year again: my inbox is overrun with even more press releases than usual about stuff like aphrodisiac mushroom gummies and panties that protect you from STIs. Happy almost-Valentine’s Day, friends!
If you’re anything like me, you might be scrambling right now to buy Valentine’s gifts for loved ones. As is tradition, I’m helping you out by compiling a list of some of my top picks, in terms of sex toys and other sex accoutrements. I have tested and reviewed literally hundreds of toys, and these are the ones that stand out to me right now as being the nicest, most pleasurable gifts you could get for people whose pleasure you value (including yourself!). Hope you and your babe(s) love these.
Clitoral Pleasure
• The We-Vibe Tango X ($75 at SheVibe, $79 on Amazon) absolutely rules. Rumbly, strong, waterproof, quiet, and equally useful for masturbation and partnered sex. I’m a huge fan.
• The Satisfyer Curvy 2+ ($55 at SheVibe, $43 on Amazon) is a good pressure-wave toy at a great price point. If your partner has only ever tried vibrators before and never ventured into the land of pressure-wave toys, this one’s worth trying.
• The Lovense Exomoon ($99 at SheVibe, $79 on Amazon) is one of my fave clitoral vibes at the moment. It’s powerful, rumbly, petite, quiet, waterproof, and travel-friendly. And it’s particularly on-point for Valentine’s Day because it looks like a pretty tube of red lipstick!
Vaginal Pleasure
• The Njoy Pure Wand ($115 at SheVibe) is probably the best G-spot toy that’s ever been made. It is the tool to have if you want to (potentially) learn to squirt. It also works excellently for prostate stimulation. Relevantly for Valentine’s Day gifting, it comes in a gorgeous black wooden box with a pink satin lining.
• The Fun Factory Stronic Petite ($149 at SheVibe) is a self-thrusting toy that provides gently textured stimulation against the vaginal walls. I’ve been hoping for ages that Fun Factory would put out a smaller Stronic toy, and they finally did – this one tops out at 1.3 inches in diameter, so I find it comfy any time in my arousal cycle.
• The Hole Punch Toys Fluke ($67 at SheVibe) can be used as a vaginal plug or as a butt plug. My favorite way to use it is wearing it vaginally while my partner goes down on me – it intensifies sensations and orgasms a lot, giving me passive G-spot stimulation at all times.
Penis Pleasure
• I absolutely adore the Lovense Max ($119 at SheVibe, $129 on Amazon) for long-distance play with my partner. It allows me to squeeze/vibrate/stimulate their dick from 500 miles away. But it also functions well when used solo.
• The Fleshlight Quickshot Vantage ($35 at SheVibe, $35 on Amazon) is a cheaper and more portable alternative to a full-size Fleshlight. The open-ended design allows you to use it as part of a blowjob or in combination with various other toys and sex acts if you want to. It’s also easier to clean than a standard Fleshlight, and great for exhibitionists and voyeurs because of its translucency.
• Look, I could have put the Magic Wand Rechargeable ($130 at SheVibe, $125 on Amazon) in any one of these categories, frankly, when you consider all the ways it can be used and different attachments you can get. But using it on penises is particularly underrated. When it comes to Valentine’s gifts, it’s nice to get one that both/all of you can use, together or separately, regardless of gender or anatomy.
Anal Pleasure
• If you have a prostate, I strongly endorse the Lovense Edge 2 ($129 on Amazon), a vibrating butt plug. It’s got a prostate-targeting curve, and you can adjust the angle depending on how much pressure you want. It also works long-distance, if you’re into that.
• The Njoy medium Pure Plug ($70 at SheVibe) is my favorite butt plug ever, and is pretty much perfect. Stainless steel is an impressively luxurious-feeling material for a butt plug. This one turns me on easily and quickly, whether I’m combining it with various sex acts or just wearing it around the house.
• If you’re looking for a realistic and/or harness-compatible dildo, the Vixen Creations Mustang ($116 at SheVibe, $129 on Amazon) is one of my all-time favorites. It’s incredibly realistic and hits the prostate (or G-spot) with very little effort, in my experience.
Kink, Etc.
• Shameless self-promotion ahead: My first book, 101 Kinky Things Even You Can Do ($20 at SheVibe, $20 on Amazon) is a top-tier Valentine’s gift for anyone you want to get kinky with. You can flip through it together, talk about the kinks you’re interested in trying, and get some useful ideas from the book about how to incorporate each kink in a safe and satisfying way. This, plus some page flags for highlighting parts you want to talk about or revisit, would be a lovely Valentine’s gift!
• I don’t think there is a sexier harness in the world than the Aslan Leather Jaguar harness ($105 at SheVibe). The leather is buttery and soft, the fit is highly adjustable, and the stability is terrific.
• The Sportsheets Under-the-Bed Restraints System ($46 at SheVibe, $45 on Amazon) is the easiest way to start incorporating bondage into your sex life (or to start doing so more often than you currently are). Installing it under your mattress is quick and easy, and gives you a built-in way to cuff your partner (or have them cuff you) to the bed whenever you want.
• I love the Unicorn Collaborators hand harness ($55 at SheVibe) for times when I want my partner to pound me with a dildo using their full arm strength. It’s also a cool life hack for people who like using dildos on themselves but don’t always have the grip strength needed to do so.
What’s on your Valentine’s Day wishlist this year?