Anal Trainer Guide: Preparing for Anal Sex, Comfortably

Is anal sex *fun*? It definitely can be — but if you’re new to anal penetration, an anal trainer kit is key for avoiding pain with first-time anal play. The anal canal is lined with nerve endings, which can be either pain receptors or serious pleasure centers! Anal pleasure is possible when you (1) open the anus slowly, (2) learn your limits by not overdoing it, and (3) use a quality anal lubricant. A well-designed anal trainer set is the easiest way to move from “total noob” to “regular partaker” — safely & comfortably.

Every anal trainer toy I’ll discuss next is ideal for stress-free anal expansion, with the goal of moving into full-on anal penetration so it’s fun. The best anal sex is comfortable and pain-free; a delight. Through anal training, you teach your butt to take more as you go. It’s like a gym workout: Lifting weights can feel amazing, but would you jump right from “couch potato” to “pro power-lifter?” No way! The sex toys featured in this trainer guide will help you move from zero experience to the anal equivalent of “can do squats safely.” This is the sex toy guide I needed before I started my own anal play experiments, now refined with 2.5 more years of body-safe product testing.

Last, before we dive in put a teeny, well-lubed plug in: What’s the difference between an anal trainer set and a butt plug? Well, anal trainer sets are usually 3 butt plugs sold together, to allow you to work up. BUT, you can safely train with the right-sized single anal sex toy too: like a smoothly tapered dildo that will move you from anal experience level 2 (= likes a thick finger) to past level 5 (= can take an average-sized dick pain-free) if you insert the anal dildo slowly and don’t thrust too hard to start out.

As we move along, I’ll also cover important matters of butt plug design, like how neck thickness affects retention and ease of long term wear; and how long do you wear an anal trainer plug? Pull out the anal lube and let’s start reviewing the best trainer options!

Best Anal Trainer Toys, Ranked by Experience Level

I’m rating each anal trainer on a 10-point scale for the anal experience level it’ll help you reach. 0 = no experience, 5 = comfortable with anal sex (delivered by an average-size penis), and 8 and up are moving into “anal pro” territory: serious anal stretching and depth play.

All trainer options included here must meet several safety criteria:

• Body-safe materials only, to avoid infection and bacterial growth. Anal toys in particular should be functionally nonporous, sanitizable materials like silicone, glass, or stainless metal which won’t get nasty with long-term use (like TPR/TPE does). Never buy PVC anal toys, because their softened material leaches chlorine into your rectum (and if you go deep enough, into your colon and digestive tract as well). Looking for a DIY anal trainer / anal trainer kit you make at home? NOPE, don’t do it, folks. Use your fingers until you can get objects that are safe to insert in your body. You want a nonporous material that’s designed to not bend, break, or get lost up your ass.
• Any safe anal plug should have a flared base. That way, it won’t get sucked up inside the rectum, which is a vacuum; and will not require (possibly emergency) removal assistance.
• Competitive pricing. I believe that we as consumers deserve fair prices rather than being gouged. So I won’t, for example, be recommending the Pure Romance anal trainer kit, which sells for at least two times what it’s worth, at a shocking $59 for a fairly small amount of silicone.

Anal Experience Levels 0 to 2 / 10, Beginner

Pick #1: Doc Johnson Mood Naughty 1 (set of 3; now $28.99) for women & tight butts vs. Anal Exerciser Kit (set of 3; now $29.99)— Best all-around beginner trainer kit. Mood Naughty experience level: From 0 to 2 / 10. Versus: Anal Exerciser experience level: From 0.5 to 3 / 10. The Mood Naughty plugs are my top pick because I’m a gal with a tight ass, I needed to start really small; whereas my man thinks the 1″ diameter Anal Exerciser beginner kit is already small for a 1st butt plug, while the large is actually a helpful stretch.

Mood Naughty plugs have a narrow neck for comfortable wear. You see, if your anal-opening muscles can close up around a thinner plug neck, you’ll get used to having an object inside your butt, without wanting to push it out—like the rectum is naturally inclined to do. Mood Naughty size small is very tiny, while size large is petite still. Skipping straight to the thrusting dildos listed in the “Beginner-Intermediate” section, next, is much easier if you’ve progressed to the (thicker) size #3 of the Anal Exerciser Kit, 1.5″ diameter. All 6 anal plugs in these 2 sets have bases in an “anchor” or “T-bar” flared shape that sits nicely between the ass cheeks.

The only caveat about Mood Naughty 1 plugs is that they are harder to wear anally if you’re getting it in vaginally (= having penis-in-vagina sex / vaginal dildo play) while plugged. If you are a woman who’s looking to wear a butt plug during sex, consider Pick #2, next.

Pick #2: Luxe Explore plug set (Now $23.99; check price here) — For wearing during vaginal penetration. Luxe Explore experience level: From 0 to 2 / 10. The Luxe plugs have a circular base, so they won’t drag against a penis / ballsack that’s penetrating the hole next door like the front of the Mood plugs, above, might (depending on how tight the wearer’s pelvic floor spacing is, as that length varies just like human height does! These circle-base plugs are streamlined, slightly wavy shapes that follow the same size progression from “tiny” to “below average girth” as you move up, from size small to size large in this trainer kit.

Anal Experience Levels 3 to 5 / 10, Beginner-Intermediate

This is the stage where you can wear a (well-designed) plug comfortably for over an hour, and you’re ready to graduate to anal penetration (= real anal sex).

Pick #1: First anal thrusting dildos. The Neo Elite 7.5 Inch suction cup dildo (now $29.99) is tops if you only can afford ONE anal trainer toy. Neo Elite 7.5″ experience level: From 2 to 5 / 10 girth ranking as you work downward; vs. 6.5 / 10 ranking for length if you take all 7 insertable inches. Why is this the best training dildo? Because the Neo Elite 7.5 Inch’s head is small and squeezable, then you move up to average girth (and slightly wider) as you take more length. The Neo Elite 7.5 Inch is 7 inches insertable, but you do not need to insert the full length the first time (or ever, unless you’re sitting down on its strong suction cup base!) Remember: Thrusting anally is more stressful on the sphincter muscles than stationary plug wear, so do go slow at first, use plenty of lube, and stop if you’re uncomfortable. Soft silicone dildos are favorites for anal because of that squishy gentleness outside, so true of the Neo Elite 7.5’s soft glide.

Or, the Avant D15 (now $30.99) is slightly smaller, both at the head (1 inch diameter for Avant D15, vs. 1.2 inches for Neo Elite 7.5″) and in terms of insertable length (5 inches for Avant D15, vs. 7 inches for Neo Elite 7.5″). I like this shape for both (a) hands-free anal because it is short and more comfortable to sit on, plus strong suction cup; and (b) pegging, where I gave a new partner his first strap-on experience with it recently. We started slow, just easing the Avant’s first 2 inches in and out, then worked up to full-length penetration over the course of half an hour. (If strapping-on anally for the first time, be sure to ask your partner for feedback while it’s going on!) The Avant D15’s silicone is very silky-smooth and medium-soft: meaning, it’s both easy to get in and good-feeling. Avant D15 experience level: From 2 to 3.5 / 10.

Pick #2. Learning to stretch WIDE, plus pleasurable wear. The Egg Plugs by SquarePegToys are an 11-size lineup (each sold separately; starting at $29) you *need* if you wanna try wearing a butt plug around comfortably during the day. Working or doing errands or Netflix-&-chilling, whatever: the Egg Plugs will sit inside your butt and delivery a squishy, squeezable stretch at your opening & in the lower anal canal. Choose your size carefully when selecting an Egg Plug; I recommend size small for a good full feeling after moving up from Mood Naughty 1 Large, above. Egg Plug full-series experience level: From 3 to 9 / 10 (depending on which size you choose). These are beautifully spaced for moving without irratation from one Egg Plug size to the next: about 0.3 inches diameter increase, which is perfect. You may start using the SuperSoft silicone in the Eggs and enjoy it so much, you don’t want any other anal trainer toys. SquarePegToys’ are the original Egg Plugs, often copied but never equaled: the real-deal Eggs are a creative design that’s still handmade of platinum silicone in the United States, NOT knocked off cheaply in China.

Pick #3: Glass anal beads — for more pressure. The Chrystalino Stretch ($29.99) is honestly easier to insert than any silicone plug because hard materials don’t bend / fold when you’re easing them past tight sphincter muscles at the anal opening. Plus, the hard material delivers tons of *pressure* (for more intense P-/G-spotting) and is super-slick. Glass glides! The Stretch anal bead dildo’s 6 inches insertable length works up from a slim 1 inch width to a more intermediate 1.3 inch width at the bottom bead. Chrystalino Stretch experience level: From 2 to 4 / 10 as you work down the 6-inch length. Or, for prostate and even more tapered, the Chrystalino Planets ($29.99) is a personal favorite: I love how the rounded bumps gently curve, for lots of feeling while thrusting this dildo. Or you can use the top 2 beads for a slow & steadier prostate pressure OR milking massage. Chrystalino Planets experience level: From 2.5 to 5.5 / 10. Remember, borosilicate glass is safely shatter-resistant.

Pick #4: Vedo Bump ($43.99 for non-remote; $60.99 for remote control vibration changes) — Best vibrating butt plug. Bump experience level: 3 / 10. The Vedo Bump / Bump Plus have some *kick* with their vibing power, and happily feature a tapered shape that lets you ease the plug body in. Finally, the T-bar base is comfortable to sit on. I strongly recommend the Bump Plus, for $17 more than the original Bump, because the Plus version’s remote control makes it so much easier to change speeds while you’re sitting on this powerful plug. You also get 6 adjustable power levels for all the vibration functions (1 steady function + 7 patterned rhythms), which is twice as many steady vibration speeds as in the normal Bump. The Bump Plus is discreet enough to wear around if you’re not in a very-silent public setting; you need a little ambient noise, like traffic or conversation, to fully hide the volume on high intensity. It’s a convenient plug to sit and rock on too, with about 4.7 inches insertable length and a well-made anchor base.

Anal Experience Levels 6 to 10 / 10, Intermediate – Analgape

Pick #1: Forto Spade F-60 (sold separately, starting at $19.99) — Width stretching warmup. Forto Spade full-series experience level: From 5 to 7.5 / 10. These spade anal plugs taper quickly into the thickest point. They’re short and stocky, meant for width stretching without messing with deeper anal / colon training. These plugs are hard, which does make them easier to insert, but not as comfy as picks #2–4, next, to wear around as you go about your day. (See the Egg Plugs or Oxballs Ergos for best extended wear!)

Pick #2. Blunt Plugs by SquarePegToys (sold separately, starting at $29) — For truly expansive anal prep. ⬅️🍑➡️ Any number of SquarePegToys silicone products are serious anal stretching, but the Blunt Plugs make a pathway toward truly wide play. Why? Because they’re so evenly spaced between sizes: they get just big enough to offer more anal expansion, but aren’t such a huge jump that you’ll overextend yourself. Blunt Plug full-series experience level: From 2.5 to 9 / 10 (depending on which size you choose). The difference between the Blunt Plugs and the Egg Plugs discussed above are that Blunt Plugs have thicker necks, which means these Blunts will keep your hole (anus + surrounding sphincter muscles) OPEN more fully than the Egg Plugs. The Blunt Plug is best to insert and wear for about half an hour prior to anal sex with a partner, as the thick neck does make it tougher to keep in place well as you move around. (You may want to just sit down on your Blunt Plug anal stretching plug.) Believe me, when you pull it out, you will be open and ready to go. Add a little more lube and then…

SquarePeg’s SuperSoft is extremely flexible, so the Blunt Plugs have a slick but fleshy feel once you’re warmed up. You can also use them as thrusting toys, move them in and out to get your hole ready and your sphincter muscles prepped for taking an anal sex partner. SquarePegToys was the first maker of 100% extra-squishy silicone sex toys (in 2006), a landmark innovation in the body-safe toy arena that many fantasy toy makers followed — and all SquarePeg products are hand-crafted and the best-quality US silicone still today.

Pick #3: Oxballs Ergo plugs (sold separately; starting at $32) — Best *wearable* super-stretching plugs. Oxballs Ergo plugs are amazing anal tools that are in close competition with the SquarePeg Eggs: The main difference: the Ergos are bulkier in the middle than the Egg Plugs, also therefore a bit harder to get in. They will make you feel very full, though. And they come in 5 plug sizes between XS and BIG, vs. the Egg Plugs’ 9 sizes and the Blunt Plugs’ ELEVEN total size options. The widest gap is between Ergo sizes XS and S: you may need an intermediate toy (like the Neo Elite 7.5″) when working up to size Small. Ergos now come in 3 different firmness options, in case you like harder pressure; however, the “Super Soft Smoke” & Eggplant colors are most popular due to their squishy comfort. Oxballs Ergo experience level: From 2.5 to 7.5 / 10 (depending on which size you choose).

Pick #4: Pig-Holes by Oxballs (starting at $56) — “Tunnel” anal spreader butt plug. Speaking of partners, for wide or anal gape play, a hollow tunnel plug is massively helpful for keeping your butt OPEN as it’s penetrated. The Oxballs Pig-Holes cut down on friction around your sphincters, the muscles that keep the anal canal closed normally — so if someone (or something) is thrusting in and out, the Pig-Hole-wearer’s butthole will stay open wide. That can make the stretching experience feel easier and less stressful on those muscles, particularly with fast thrusting. Pig-Hole experience level: From 6 / 10 and up! Also depends on exactly how thick the object going inside the Pig-Hole is 😮

More Anal Training Tips

Anal sex is very safe if you are listening to your body and acting on what it tells you: Be there, and be aware, and you’ll be safe.

Three keys to anal training: 1. Use lubricant. 2. Stop if you feel pain (not just “Hmm, that’s a little odd.”). And overall, 3. Listen to your body’s signals and how you feel during anal play. All those anal nerve endings send a clear message if you’re stressing them out, which is why you should never use a desensitizing cream like Anal Ease (also spelled Anal-ese or Anal Eze). The latter contains a numbing agent, benzocaine, which blocks the pain signals your butt should be sending to your brain so you can avoid anal tearing. Likewise, avoid stretching or deep anal play while drunk or on drugs that alter sensation.

What is the best anal lubricant? Sex lube is so important for butt stuff because the rectum doesn’t (usually, in most people) lubricate itself well. It doesn’t naturally get wet with arousal. Water based lubricant is safe with all sex toys and very easy to clean — but also dries out pretty damn quick. Silicone lubricant, in contrast, is super-slick but difficult to clean off silicone toys in particular. For a happy medium with most levels of anal play, I recommend Sliquid Silk hybrid lubricant. It’s a thicker hybrid base without problem ingredients, so it lasts longer. It is A-OK to use with all body-safe sex toys, like every trainer kit discussed above or anything in Peepshow Toys’ non-toxic anal toy collection.

I highly recommend a Lube Applicator Kit (like this, $25) for dispensing lube into the rectum before you start (1) pegging or (2) having other vigorous anal sex play. Much better coverage, and easier to get the lube all up in than if you’re just putting it on the toy / the penis that’s penetrating.

Before you start: An anal douche is a tool you may use to feel more prepared or “clean.” I strongly recommend against anal douching, which washes out good anal bacteria. The butt’s got its own microbiome, and disrupting that balance leaves your butt more prone to infection.

The safest size increment to move up from one anal toy to the next one is about 0.25 to 0.3 inches diameter (width) more. It’s just enough stretch to extend but not overwork, for most people most of the time.

When anal training, let your butt rest the next day if it ever feels over-extended! Like a good workout at the gym, your muscles may need 2 to 3 days to recover and rebuild if you’ve worked that anal opening hard. Play safe & have fun!