How to Use a Male Masturbator: Your Complete Guide

How you intend to use your toy can really affect which one you choose.

For example, if you want to bring something extra to foreplay or oral sex with your lover, you may prefer to choose a short, see-through pocket stroker or a stroker that doesn’t resemble another person’s body part.

Take it from customers who’ve used a pocket stroker with a partner. IslandGirl55 says:

“It's simple, comes pre-lubed and is ribbed on the inside, and also causes a suction as though you’re being given an actual blowjob. Gave my man great pleasure.”

Strokers are generally more discreet than other male masturbators and are not anatomically modelled, making them universally appealing and non-intimidating. The inside of a stroker features a textured canal that stimulates the penis while the outside is often ridged to ensure a good grip around your piece during use.

Many strokers, like the Tracey Cox Supersex Supertight Clear Stroker are reversible and offer two completely different textures in one male sex toy for double the fun.

Conversely, if you mostly want to use your masturbator for solo fun, you might prefer to use a realistic male stroker modelled on a real person’s body so you can explore some of your naughtiest fantasies.

If you’ve envisaged getting your kicks from a realistic male stroker, try THRUST Pro or Doc Johnson toys. No matter which kind you pick, they’re all gloriously textured and super-satisfying to use. Meanwhile, if having a realistic male stroker or masturbator doesn’t appeal to you, take a look at strokers by Lovehoney or TENGA.

For more information on choosing the right male sex toy for you, take a look at our quick video explainer below.

First things first, you’ll need lube.

Most male masturbators are full of thrilling textures that stimulate your penis more effectively than just using your hand, but to get the most from them, you’ll need the slippery stuff. Strokers can be much tighter than a real person’s anatomy, and will be most comfortable when used with lubricant.

Lovehoney customers agree. Ryansstuff says:

“Lube is needed to be able to use it comfortably. First time I have bought one of these and it feels amazing!”

Some male masturbators have self-lubricating cores that you can activate with water, but most of them will require you to supply your own water-based lube. Since the majority of strokers are made from real feel material, they’re not compatible with silicone or oil-based lubricant.

Something like the Lovehoney Enjoy Water-Based Lubricant is ideal. Liberally apply lube to both the inside of your stroker and to your hard-on. Once adequately lubed you can begin to penetrate the entry.

Start by working it around the head of your penis. If properly lubed this should provide a deliciously slick and stimulating sensation. When ready enter the stroker and enjoy! From then on how you get to the finish line is completely up to you.

Just like vibrators, male masturbators are fantastic toys to share with a partner, and they’re especially great for oral sex or foreplay. They can also be used for mutual masturbation, or at times when you want to be intimate together but don't feel up to full sex.

Slide a shorter pocket stroker down your length while your partner peforms oral sex to add enhanced texture to the event. Even better: opt for a see-through sleeve so you both get an intimate view of the action.

Alternatively, you can hand your lover your favourite male masturbator and ask them to see if they can please you in a whole new way with it.

Plus, if your lover gets tired while giving you a hand job, a stroker will ease their task and you'll love your stroker even more when your partner's working it for you.

Happy customer Ninja 92 agrees:

“He loved how it felt around him, and I loved being able to give him that pleasure! It's been used a few times since, in conjunction with oral, joint masturbation, or to get him to a second orgasm quite soon after his first.”

Stamina training or edging is a technique where you bring yourself close to climax then stop stimulation. It’s a way of teaching your body to sustain a high level of arousal without actually climaxing, so that you can then last longer when enjoying intercourse or play with your partner.

Some strokers are specifically designed to help with stamina training. They usually have a consistent, highly pleasurable texture along their internal length and can typically fit the full length of your penis inside. Stamina training may also help if you struggle with premature ejaculation during sex by helping to get your penis used to consistent stimulation.

Take it from Lovehoney customers who’ve used strokers for stamina training. Jack Reviews says:

“It has really helped me last longer with my partner. Using this toy up until I'm about to burst then waiting a little and repeating has amazed me in both the intensity of my orgasm but also how long I last.”

A stroker like the Fleshlight Flight Pilot Male Masturbator is perfect for enjoyable edging practise.

Our customers couldn’t agree more:

"My first Fleshlight. All I can say is wow! It leaves me shaking every time I use it." - Cumbrian couple & Average

If you’ve dabbled with the idea of a male masturbator but have found yourself asking, ‘What is a pocket pussy?’, then allow us to explain…

Realistic male strokers or pocket pussies are essentially male masturbator toys that have been designed to look and feel just like real women. They have fantastically authentic detailing and internal textures to give you an enhanced realistic experience.

Realistic strokers come in different styles including vaginas, asses and mouths. So, if, for example, you’ve always wanted to explore anal sex but don’t have a playmate who’s interested in doing so, an ass-style male masturbators is here to help.

You can find realistic male strokers that are modelled after real porn stars, as well as more generic, realistic shapes to enhance your experiences.

Fleshlight and Doc Johnson have partnered with a number of famous porn stars to create male masturbators that are actually moulded from their vaginas and butts, so they’re a great option to explore if you have a favourite sexy star you’d really love to take home for an evening of fun.

And there are certainly some satisfied customers, like Pinkcookielover, who says this about the Riley Reid Utopia Fleshlight:

“She's a massive turn-on for me, so fantasising about having sex with her and being able to with the realism of the Fleshlight modelled on Riley's vagina and the real-like feel...”

This THRUST Pro Mini Ella Realistic Pocket Pussy is a great option for beginners thanks to its un-intimidating size. But don't let that fool you, its super-tight canal is filled with textures for explosive stimulation.

Enhance your experience of using a male stroker by adding some vibrations to your sensual sessions. You can do this by including a separate bullet vibrator or by building one into the toy itself.

But we’ve got a super tip for you: if your toy is open-ended, or has a hole in the base, you can pop almost any bullet vibe into it to enjoy enhanced sensation. You can thank us later.

Lovehoney customer MrsK1991 recommends the toy, saying:

“Getting MrK going was never going to be an issue with Andi. He loves how tight she is, how good it feels with the ribbing on the inside, and when we use a bullet. Wow!”

Plus, while we’re here, if you’d like to learn more about male vibrators, check out our in-depth guide on the topic.

Please note: bullet vibrators are for external use only. Not for anal use.

All sex toys should be cleaned after you’ve finished using them, but male masturbators need special care, especially realistic male strokers as they’re usually made of realistic-feeling material.

After you’ve finished a play session, be sure to wash out your masturbator with warm water and very mild soap. You may also be able to turn a stroker inside out to get the detailed texture super clean.

After washing, shake off any excess water and spritz all over with anti-bacterial sex toy cleaner, then leave your toy to dry. Once it’s dry, you’ll need to apply a layer of renewer powder to restore the skin’s soft, supple texture.

You shouldn’t use any powder other than sex-toy-specific renewer powder. Things like baby powder and talcum powder often contain oils and other materials that will break down your toy, shortening its lifespan.

Satisfied Lovehoney customer DannyB1504 can’t praise our sex toy cleaners enough, saying:

“The cleaner is great, has a fresh smell, and a few squirts is all you need before giving your toy a wash! And the powder is another brilliant must-have as when the toy is dry, putting a light sprinkling of this on makes the toy feel new and supple again.”