Designed to simulate the sucking or tapping sensation of oral sex, clitoral suction toys are a relatively recent addition to the pantheon of sex toy superstars. Suction toys are a bit of an outlier in the industry—vibrators and dildos have a long and occasionally misogynist history as medical instruments used to induce orgasm as treatment for “hysteria” and “women’s problems.” But suction toys are designed specifically to make you feel good. They were created with sexual pleasure in mind—specifically the sexual pleasure of women and people with vulvas.
Over the years, I’ve tested dozens of suction toys solo and with partners of various gender identities, genitals, and sexual preferences. These are the cream of that particular crop, the absolute best clitoral suction toys on the market.
If you’re interested in other kinds of sex toys, be sure to check our guides including the Best Sex Toys, Best Vibrators, and Best Lubes.
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How Do Suction Toys Work?
Photograph: Dariia Chernenko/Getty Images
Clitoral suction toys can be a bit of a mystery if you’re unfamiliar with their ins and outs. Vibrators contain motors that provide the vibration by just shaking, but a suction toy is a little more complex.
They work by modulating air pressure with an internal diaphragm. They all have a mouth, and inside that mouth is a (typically) silicone membrane that an internal motor moves in and out. When you press the mouth against your body, it traps the air in there, keeping it from escaping. The movement of the membrane uses that air to create modulating high and low air pressure. Those changes in air pressure create the sucking sensation suction toys are famous for.