What Is A Cock Ring – How To Use One For Stronger Erections & Orgasms

As a woman, you’ll find many sex toys created to enhance your pleasure, whether you’re going solo or with a partner. One such option is the cock ring, which can provide additional stimulation to both you and your partner. Your partner can also use it alone to heighten sensation during his solo sessions

Using a Cock Ring for His and Her Pleasure

There are generally two uses for cock rings: to prolong orgasm and to increase the girth of a penis.

This is accomplished by either pulling the balls away from the body by wearing the ring around both the shaft and balls or by preventing the blood from leaving the penis by wearing the cock ring around just the base of the penis [1]. Restricting blood from leaving the penis can help to achieve a stronger erection more quickly, which makes cock rings a great option in addition to or instead of medication that’s intended to aid erections. The FDA and some medical institutions even recommend cock rings for men who can get but not keep their erections [2] [3].

Get more tips for having sex with an older man.

This is also great for you, of course, because your partner’s erection remains harder for longer, and he might even feel larger to you [4]. Cock rings with vibrators or protrusions that extend toward your clit can also heighten external sensation for you. More clit stimulation techniques here. A cock ring is typically a small circle, but other design options exist.

Many men experience more intense orgasms when wearing a cock ring around both their cock and balls.

One technique that enables men to experience orgasm without ejaculation involves pulling the balls away from the body right before orgasm, and cock rings can imitate this. Although your man might not become multi-orgasmic because of a cock ring, he might experience better orgasms (more tips on pleasuring your man here).

Plus you can even try this technique on your man when you are just giving him a hand job (tips here) or blow job (tips here).

However, he might simply wear a cock ring because you enjoy it rather than his own personal pleasure. You can test whether your partner might enjoy a cock ring by placing your fingers firmly around the base of his penis during sex.

Types of Cock Rings

Here’s a brief rundown of the types of cock rings.

• Circular, stretchy: made from silicone, jelly or another elastic material. These things are great for beginners.
• Circular, rigid: stone, glass, metal and other hard materials have no stretch, so you must pick carefully,
• Straps: wrap around the shaft and secure, usually by snaps.
• Lasso/adjustable: can be made more snug or loose with a sliding adjuster. May have more than one loops for shaft and scrotum.
• Figure-8/multiple rings: have multiple compartments for penis and balls. You may even be able to fit a vibrator through one compartment for additional stimulation.
• Triple cock rings: usually rigid. The widest ring sits at the base of the penis and scrotum while the balls slip through the bottom ring and you push the penis through the upper ring.
• Cock sling: a wider ring with loops for both the penis and testicles. The ring for the balls is known as a ball stretcher.

Cock rings often have attachments such as clitoral stimulators, sleeves, cages, or anal probes/butt plugs.

More advanced styles can be used for bondage (more on bondage in this post).

What About Cock Rings That Vibrate?

Sex toy makers don’t just make basic cock rings. They’ve developed penis rings to stimulate both partners by adding vibration.

A small vibrator attached to a cock ring can be pleasurable when worn in certain positions, including missionary and cowgirl. You can also turn the cock ring around so that it will stimulate your clit during doggy style. These cock rings are made of stretchy, elastic material and use a small vibrator. Although some rechargeable cock rings are available, most use small non-rechargeable batteries.

This produces a small and buzzy vibration that not every woman – or her partner – likes, but you might find it enjoyable if you need more stimulation than simply having your man rub against you. Some vibrating cock rings have multiple modes, but some of them only have a single setting.

Other variations include cock rings that have two vibrating bullets across from each other to stimulate your clitoris and his perineum, the space between his balls and anus. These usually only work during positions like missionary…Speaking of missionary.

You can even find vibrating cock rings at the local drug store made from condom manufacturers. These are typically made for single-use only and will permanently die once their initial charge runs out. These are affordable and great to test out whether a cock ring is for you, but you’ll want to upgrade to a reusable penis ring if you find that you do like the sensation.

When choosing a vibrating cock ring, the same material considerations count as when it’s the non-vibrating kind (see below). However, size and shape of the vibrator can also change your experience.

Keep in mind that a small vibrator that runs parallel to the ring may not reach your clit. Vibrating cock rings with a perpendicular vibrator or one that’s surrounded by a soft animal or stimulating shape extend further to provide more direct clitoral contact. Remember that a cock ring might not come into contact with your clit as your partner pulls away when thrusting.

What Are Cock Rings Made Of?

Cock rings are made from a variety of materials, including those that are stretchy and those that are rigid. What a cock ring is made of can affect the sensation and whether or not you like it.

Stretchy materials such as silicone, rubber/PVC and elastomer are more forgiving, and your partner might be able to wear the same ring in both configurations.

It’s a good idea to choose a stretchy ring for your first time because it’s adjustable. When it comes to these materials, silicone is the safest because it’s nonporous. You can sterilize silicone cock rings via bleaching and boiling so you’re not transmitting diseases or infections between partners or uses. PVC “jelly” cock rings are porous which means they have tiny holes and can collect bacteria no matter how well you clean them.

Often, this jelly material is softened by a chemical known as phthalates, which may not be good for your [5].

Furthermore, these are more likely to break down chemically, leaching chemicals and eventually falling apart. What about more rigid cock rings… Typically wood, metal, stone and glass cock rings are better for more experienced users. There is no stretching, so you’ll have to measure exactly.

If you are looking for a rigid cock ring, then uou don’t want to use one that’s too small because it can cut off circulation, potentially destroying your penis. Metal and glass will both warm to body temperature and can be warmed with water. Wood isn’t naturally as cold as glass or metal from the start and is available in different varieties to suit your aesthetic senses.

Metal penis rings are also available in different colors. There are a few other material options, and some of these are available with different designs. For example, you’ll find leather cock rings that attach with a snap, and some of those extend down the shaft of the penis with multiple straps in what is known as a “cage” or “sheath” consideration.

Picking and Putting On A Cock Ring

The first thing to do is to measure the penis that the cock ring will go on (you can skip this if you use a lasso style ring).  You can use a fabric tape measure or just a piece of string around the base of the fully erect penis (or around the penis and scrotum). The total length is the circumference.

Although some sites list the circumference, many list the diameter of the ring. Divide your measurement by 3.14 (Pi) to find the approximate diameter. Choose a ring with a similar diameter. While you can go a little snugger with a stretchy ring, rigid rings must be more precise.

Fit is very important with a cock ring. You want it to be snug enough to stay in place and provide the necessary stimulation without being uncomfortable. Because there are two ways to wear a cock ring, you’ll need to measure them separately. Obviously, a larger cock ring is necessary to fit about the cock and balls, while a cock ring with a smaller circumference works better when worn only around the shaft.

Obviously, a ring that’s too small will be uncomfortable and can possibly become stuck. This is why it’s important to measure the girth of your partner’s penis when erect for sizing. You’ll put on a cock ring when he’s become erect.

If he’s too soft, the ring might come off, but it might be impossible to get it on once he’s erect. You can make application and removal of a cock ring easier by using a bit of lube, but you don’t want to use too much because it might not stay in place.

Related: What’s The Right Lube For You?

For rings with multiple rings/loops/compartments, you generally follow this order.

1. Slide the ring around the base of shaft and balls.
2. Carefully push the balls through any ring(s) specifically made for them.
3. Then push the penis through the remaining ring.

Safety Considerations

Cock rings aren’t intended to be worn for the long-term.

Most cock rings will come with warnings not to wear more than twenty minutes at a time, so consider them intended for a single sex or BDSM session.

Remove a cock ring immediately if your partner begins feeling any discomfort or numbness.

If you cannot remove a cock ring, apply lube or even an ice cube to shrink his erection and slide the ring off.

Related: What You Need To Know About Boners

Ignoring these safety considerations can lead to an uncomfortable trip to the hospital or worse.

Seek medical attention if you cannot remove a cock ring and it’s preventing blood flow.

What a cock ring is to you might differ from the next couple. Sex is a personal experience that varies, so one partner may love wearing a cock ring while another might find them awkward or uncomfortable.

Resources

If you want to read a bit more about others’ experiences and advice for using cock rings, check out the following links.

• Mel Magazine discusses cock rings along with their history.
• Lovehoney has a similar guide with video.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ #1 – Are cock rings safe to use?

A cock ring that is properly sized and not worn long-term is generally safe.  There are plenty of case studies about damage from improperly-sized cock rings and cock rings that have been worn too long [6] [7] [8] [9] [10].

FAQ #2 – How long can you wear a cock ring?

There’s no cut-and-dry answer to this, but you should use common sense. It’s accepted that you can wear a cock ring for a single sex session (no more than 20 minutes) [11]. While some people wear cock rings more often, you definitely want to remove it if your man experiences any pain, numbing or discoloration.

FAQ #3 – Can you use a cock ring with a micropenis?

Most circular cock rings have specific diameters, and they may be too large for someone with a micropenis. Enter the lasso cock ring. This isn’t a closed circle. Instead, a cord is folded in half and each end is slipped through an adjusted. With a lasso cock ring, you can adjust the ring as small — or large — as you need. You can even trim off the excess so it doesn’t bother you during use.

FAQ #4 – Are cock rings all they’re cracked up to be?

We cannot realistically promise that using a cock ring will blow your mind and forever alter your sex life. Some people like them and find they do help with erection issues. Others like cock rings with attachments such as vibrators to stimulate their partners or anal probes/plugs.

Some people actively dislike cock rings. For many people, they don’t really do much either way and they would rather skip the whole thing. Working out might even be a better solution to increasing cock size.

FAQ #5 – How do you choose the right cock ring?

Size is the most important aspect. Like we suggested above, a lasso style ring fits a variety of sizes and can give you an idea of what you like. You’ll find cheap jelly and silicone rings to try out sizes. Beware that jelly can tear over time, though. If choosing a circular ring, use a fabric tape measure or a piece of string to measure your partner’s erect penis.

Once you have established that you enjoy cock rings, you can look into investing a little more if you’d like. Rigid materials such as glass and steel certainly look attractive, but correct sizing is absolutely essential!

FAQ #6 – Are cock ring sizes standard?

You might see multipacks of cock rings that suggest sizes such as “small” or “large.” But there’s no standard for what “large” means. It’s better to measure the cock ring so you know for sure because people aren’t always good at guessing size by sight alone.