What is the Purpose of a Butt Plug & What Does it Do?
Last Updated on October 31, 2024
Couples are always finding new ways to improve their sex life, and anal toys were once sort of that “final frontier” for those who seem like they've “tried everything else”. These days however, the butt plug is a common sexual enhancer for people who take orgasmic pleasure seriously.
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In my daily work with clients, I'm often asked what is a butt plug, (there are a few different variations which you'll soon find out more about). What are butt plugs for (and why men & women would want to use them) is another common query of the curious, and last but certainly not least, what is the purpose of a butt plug and what they do.
It's one of those misunderstood topics where everyone generally knows what it is – but most don't actually know the true nitty gritty details about anal toys and what does a butt plug do.
What is a Butt Plug?
The butt plug is a spade shaped anal toy that inserts into the rectum and “plugs the butt” by placing pressure inside the anus. The butt plug is distinguished by a flared, or “T” shape base.
Butt plugs can be circular, rectangular or curved, but the end is always capped off perpendicular to the insertable portion of the device. It is designed to stay in place and be worn during masturbation, foreplay and/or sexual intercourse to increase pleasure for both men and women. Butt plugs come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.
You're not going to buy one if you don't know what is an anal plug, its purpose or what it does, so before you even start shopping online, consider this the essential intro for everything about the top 10 reasons what butt plugs are for.
I won't spend time covering instructions as that's a different topic all together, so instead this is the general “what does a butt plug do FAQ” for first timers, beginners and those who are simply curious and want to know what the hype is about.
There are many different types of anal toys and if you look at pictures of anal toys, you'll observe that all have a relatively similar appearance. The specialized shape of the base means that the wearer can insert the device into the rectum and keep it in place by pushing the base between the butt cheeks, which naturally clench shut and hold the plug in place.
A lot of people enjoy the sensation of the anal sphincter either being gently penetrated or gently stretched. The anal plug with tail does all of this with a cat tail, fox tail, or bunny tail fluff ball which adds a cheeky and sexy appearance to anal play.
Anal toys that are longer or lacking this flared base are made for repeated penetration and thrusting, giving them qualities close to that of a dildo rather than a plug. By definition again, the dildo is a toy that thrusts in & out, while the anal plug is a toy that stays in 1 place without being moved.
Another common feature is a tapered (narrowed) tip which helps to insert it into the sphincter. Once the tip is in, the anus stretches to accommodate the rest of the toy until it relaxes into the thinner neck. A plug that expands provides maximum stretch safely.
What is a Butt Plug For?
Butt plugs are used for sexual enjoyment. Men use butt plugs for prostate stimulation, women use butt plugs to increase the pleasure and power of orgasms.
At first it may not make sense, but once you understand the anatomy of the butt you'll understand the connection that nerve ending have in the anus & rectum in relation to the intimate pleasure that we feel during sexual arousal and stimulation.
When there is continuous, consistent pressure from behind during sexual arousal, this stimulates the muscles in the vagina and penis which greatly boost the overall pleasure of the wearer.
If we dive into further specifics, the purpose of a man using an anal plug is to stimulate the prostate gland, which when stimulates provides a response comparable to that of a woman's G spot. Prostate pleasure is the number one thing a butt plug does for a man.
Beginner Mini Butt Plug - $8
Introducing the world's smallest butt plug! Let this tiny toy be the first thing you stick in your bum.
Booty Rocker Small Butt Plug - $16
Beginner butt plug is like a "set and forget" orgasm enhancer to easily amplify the power of orgasms.
What Does a Butt Plug Do?
The butt plug adds fullness to the rectum which in turn stimulates nerve endings and increases sexual pleasure. Unlike anal dildos which are meant to be thrust in and out repeatedly, the butt plug stays in 1 place for the duration of use.
What does this do? The continuous pressure enhances the orgasmic build up so that when the climax starts, the muscles in the rear have something to clench around. The vibrating plug adds to the mix with vibration (just when you thought it couldn't get any better, lol!)
Women know this all to well. The feeling or having an orgasm with a dildo in the vagina is simply stellar. Similarly, an orgasm produced from a rabbit vibrator with rotating beads often feels better than sex (but don't let your partner know this little secret, haha) so with this in mind, providing the rectal muscles something to clench around has a similar effect – orgasmic pleasure; fully amplified!
What is the Purpose of a Butt Plug?
The spade shape adds pressure inside the rectum while the thin neck limits sphincter stretch. When thinking about the purpose of a butt plug, we must consider the shape. The standard style features a thin neck & glared belly or midsection. This adds more pressure inside the body without overstretching the rectal sphincter itself.
The purpose of the butt plug is to add a full feeling without distracting you with friction or other sensations. This leaves all your attention to the front – either sex with your partner or enjoying your favorite sex toy.
Take a peek at our best selling butt plugs and you'll see a consistent shape common to these all-time best selling anal toys. They have thin necks & wider bellies that help the device stay where originally placed for the duration of masturbation and/or sex.
The purpose of the butt plug is the same regardless of gender. Men and women enjoy the feeling the same way. The man enjoys direct prostate stimulation, but the woman also benefits from indirect G spot stimulation because while something is inside the anus, the vaginal walls are pushed forward.
The resulting effect is the vagina feels tighter which means that the G-spot has more forceful contact with whatever happens to be inside the vagina, fingers, penis, sex toy etc.
What is a Butt Plug for Women?
The cutest butt plugs in pink, purple, sparkling or shimmering, womens anal toys are often tinged with feminine appeal so that she doesn't think of it as overly naughty inserting something into the rectum. The clever marketing is for easing the mind. The jeweled butt plug is my favorite innovation that proves anal plugs can be classy and elegant.
They come in all shapes, sizes, colors and designs too. Metal or glass diamond anal plugs are excellent for beginners since the stems are super skinny to make it comfortable to wear and the small spade shaped body inserts into the anus super easily, especially with a good dollop of thick anal lube gel.
What is the point of a butt plug for women? The purpose is to narrow the vaginal canal making sex or dildo play feel tighter. Of course females still benefit from the same nerve ending stimulation as men since her rectum is also a powerful erogenous zone. The bunny tail plug does all this in highly erotic style, I might add!
What is a Butt Plug for Men?
Black, blue, something with masculine flair to make heterosexual men feel comfortable with engaging in rectal play during sex or masturbation. Of course gay men can choose between those for guys & gals since a fun color is more likely to appeal to him.
What is the point of a butt plug for women? It's all about prostate stimulation. The curved end will easily massage or press on the prostate gland which in turn makes ejaculations feel stronger and more intense all the while making pleasure better thanks to the constant pressure placed on the nerve endings inside his rectum.
Common Anal Plug Features & Materials
No two anal toys are created equal. The anus is a tiny space, so even the most minute feature can have substantial impact to the way it feels. Here is a quick breakdown of various features and the pros & cons of each:
- Vibrating Butt Plugs
Pro: Even the mildest vibrating butt plug produces a tingle that stuns the wearer.
Con: Men often ejaculate too quickly during sex when vibration is present. - Jewels, Gems & Diamonds
Pro: The jeweled anal plug is the most friendly type of anal plug for women.
Con: If the plug is low quality, the jewel can be unglued or fall out of its pouch. - Inflatable Anal Toys
Pro: Experts can get maximum fill without overstretching the sphincter.
Con: Inflatable anal sex toys are delicate and prone to tearing with repeated expansion. - Tail Butt Plug
Pro: The tail is a wildly sexy and highly erotic visual appearance.
Con: It's easy for the tail to get caught on something and pull the toy out of the butt. - Glass Butt Plugs
Pro: Glass plugs are non-porous and the most sanitary. The heavy weight feels highly erotic.
Con: Even though the weight feels good, the glass toy is prone to falling out during use. - Male Butt Plug
Pro: Men & women can both enjoy this as the curve stimulates the prostate & G spot.
Con: Many shapes and sizes are too wild, thick & large for beginners. - Anal Training Butt Plugs
Pro: Ideal for beginner anal training, stretching and to get ready for anal sex.
Con: Extra thin styles are too small for the sphincter to hold inside, they fall out easily.
What Does a Butt Plug Feel Like?
Ever ask "What does a butt plug feel like"? It feels like constant pressure. That's the quickest summary using the shortest description! A smaller girth will produce less pressure while a wide spade shaped plug will produce more pressure.
Another thing you may notice is how firm or solid it feels back there. Even a super soft or flexible material will still provide pressure. If the anal toy you have does not have a thin neck (think the typical spade shape) then you'll feel stretching on the anal sphincter too. If the toy has a thin neck, then the filling sensation inside the anus will counter the sensation of anal stretching.
Many people like what a butt plug feels like and find it a highly erotic experience. Others don't like what it feels like. It is a deeply personal experience so if you want to try it for the first time, I suggest buying a cheap anal toy as your guilt-free test run.
A Quick Note on Health & Safety
I mentioned previously that anal plugs have a T shape to help keep them in place. There is one more (and more important reason) for the anchor shaped base: This shape prevents it from getting sucked further into the rectum.
If this happens, it could be tricky to get it out and may require a visit to a doctor for help in removing it. With that being said, never put anything into your butt that is not designed for this purpose! Stick to store bought anal toys, never attempt to make one yourself.
Proper cleaning techniques are also very important. When it comes to the rectum, dirty bacteria linger there at all times, you want to avoid spreading it around to your other sex toys as much as possible. Check out the article in the link for cleaning tips and advice on how to properly sanitize your adult items.
