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Most of the way we interact with and interpret the world is through our senses—touch, smell, sound, taste, and sight—and they play a huge role in the way we experience pleasure. And yet so many people don’t take advantage of all their senses during their sexual experiences. Sensation play is just that: the act of stimulating your senses in different ways to heighten or experiment with different types of pleasure.
Because our senses have an incredible ability to invoke memory, fantasy, eroticism, and more, there are tons of possibilities when it comes to engaging with sensation play. We can experiment with stimulating more than one sense, use sensation play to toy with our pain threshold, or even deprive ourselves or our partner(s) of one or more senses in order to heighten the experiences of the others.
“There is so much to explore when it comes to sensation play, and it can not only be an exciting and creative way to change things up in the bedroom with a partner, but it can also help us learn more about our bodies and our desires,” pleasure coach and certified Tantra practitioner Tyomi Morgan tells SELF. It also helps us take orgasm and penetrative sex off the pedestal and connect to pleasure in more experimental and explorative ways, which makes sex better and less inhibited for everyone.
With the help of Morgan and some other stellar sex educators, I rounded up the best products to tease and satisfy the senses, as well as some tips for use. I also threw in some of my own recs as a sex educator myself. Below, find some must-have products and services that will level up your sensation play.
1. Candles
Wax play involves dripping hot wax onto various areas of the body and toying with the balance of pain and erotic pleasure. It can both feel great and look incredibly hot, and is sometimes combined with some sort of sensory deprivation play, such as wearing a blindfold. Of course, as with any sexual or intimate interaction, but in particular with sensation play, remember to practice good communication, establish a safe word or sign, continually signal verbal and nonverbal consent, and check in frequently with your partner(s).
2. Paddles and floggers
Impact play, which is the practice of striking or being struck repeatedly by a hand or toy, is another way to engage in sensation play. Again, it toys with the tension between pain and pleasure. Most often this is directed at the butt, thighs, back, or chest. For safety, it’s best to use toys designated for impact play, such as paddles and floggers, which come in a variety of materials, sizes, styles, and price points.
For a quality paddle that won’t let you down, Kassel recommends the Tantus Plunge ($45, She Vibe). It’s a sleek silicone paddle, and its handle doubles as a dildo!
Floggers can be especially fun because you can try gentler, teasing touches as well as rougher strikes. If you’re not looking to spend too much and want a variety of color options, try the Savage X Fenty Kitty Whip ($23, Savage X Fenty).
3. Wartenberg wheels
The Wartenberg wheel is easily one of the most recommended, most raved about toys for sensation play. This handheld spiky pinwheel can be used all over the body. You can use it to apply different levels of pressure, from light and gentle, almost like a tickling sensation, to deeper and more painful-in-a-good-way. The spikes are sharp enough to leave marks on the skin, but not sharp enough to break skin unless pressing very hard.
Grab my favorite wheel, the Spike by Unbound ($17, Unbound), which features three rows of pinwheels with a cute millennial pink translucent handle, or opt for a classic stainless-steel wheel like the Entice Passion Wheel ($20, Shop Nox).
“This is another touch-based sensation play toy that is great in conjunction with a blindfold or simply having your partner keep their eyes closed,” sex educator and therapist Shanae Adams, L.P.C.C., tells SELF.
4. Temperature play
Another sensation play technique is temperature play. Most often, people use stainless-steel or glass sex toys, like dildos, anal beads, or plugs, which can retain temperature safely. Kassel suggests either heating them up by dropping them in a pot of hot (not boiling!) water for a bit, or cooling them down by throwing them in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes. If you’re in a hurry, running a toy under hot or cold water works too.
Either way, make sure to use precaution when checking your toy’s temperature before use (it never hurts to touch it with the back of your hand to make sure it didn’t get too hot). Once they’ve reached your desired temperature, you can use them both inside and outside your body to explore how those sensations feel.
If you’re interested in stainless steel, you can’t go wrong with the Le Wand Arch ($140, Le Wand) or the Njoy Pure Wand ($110, She Vibe). Going for glass? Try a versatile double-sided glass dildo ($30, Lovehoney).
5. Audio erotica
If you love aural stimulation or want to try to explore it more, there is no better time than now. Audio erotica and sexy audio stories are more prevalent and popular than ever before. No matter your gender and sexuality, there is something out there for you. Audio erotica can help you engage all of your senses, as it often tells a story and really immerses you in that story.
For all your audio erotica needs, try Dipsea, a sleek and stylish app full of professionally recorded stories and guided erotic exercises, or Quinn, a website that features a variety of amateur erotic storytelling. You can also check out these other audio porn apps and websites for more options.
6. ASMR
If you are someone who is drawn to ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response), it can be a fun thing to incorporate into your sex life. Erotic ASMR differs from erotica in that it’s based in sensual sounds instead of storytelling. Think noises like whispering voices, sheets on skin, heavy breathing, and other sex sounds.
People who enjoy ASMR often describe a physically tingly feeling as a result, which may translate sexually. You can try putting on erotic ASMR in the background when you’re masturbating or having sex, or if you love the sound of whispering voices, have your partner whisper naughty things into your ear.
Looking for erotic ASMR? Audio Desires is an audio erotica website that has a robust section with erotic ASMR audio clips.
7. Flavored accessories
Sure, we don’t exactly leave our mouths and tongues out of sex most of the time, but deliberately playing with taste is an underutilized sensual technique. There are quite a lot of things we can do to tease our taste buds. You can make a spread of sensual foods for you and your partner to feed each other or eat off each other’s body, incorporating touch as well. You can also add some flavor to your fucking with flavored accessories, like massage oils, dusts, condoms, and nipple balms.
Looking for something sweet and fruity? Try Royal’s top-rated strawberry-flavored condoms ($8, Royal) for oral sex. Bedroom Kandi’s nipple balm ($14, Bedroom Kandi) comes in a bunch of flavors that people of all genders can enjoy. Just remember to follow the directions on whatever you’re using (and making sure nothing goes in or around your genitals or anus that’s not supposed to in general, like food) to avoid any issues. No need to add a yeast infection to your playtime.
8. Blindfolds
As we’ve mentioned, blindfolds and playing with our sense of sight can be a fun thing to explore sexually. It can create an intense sense of anticipation. “Not knowing what is going to happen next and relying on the other senses to feel into the experience is both exciting and arousing,” says Morgan.
You can’t go wrong with a KinkLab padded leather blindfold ($28, Spectrum Boutique), which feels as sleek and sexy as it looks.
9. Nipple clamps
Another extremely popular form of sensation play is nipple play. Beyond just tugging, nibbling, biting, and the like, there are also nipple clamps, which pinch and apply pressure to the nipples.
Nipple clamps feel great on their own, but you can also tug on and manipulate them to toy with different levels of pressure and types of sensation. Try a simple classic pair like the Dominix Deluxe Adjustable Tweezer Nipple Clamps ($17, Lovehoney).
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