Most writing about the benefits of sex toys falls into one of two camps: breathless listicles, or clinical papers nobody outside a university library ever reads. This guide sits in the middle. It walks through what peer-reviewed research has actually established about vibrators and similar devices. It also marks how strong each finding is, and where the evidence runs thin.
In this guide
- The evidence, claim by claim
- Prevalence: who uses them
- Sexual function and orgasm
- Pelvic floor and bladder
- Partnered sex
- After 60
- The dependence question
- Risks and how to avoid them
- Choosing a first device
- Our method
- Frequently asked questions
What are the proven benefits of sex toys?
The health benefits of sex toys are better documented than sceptics assume and narrower than marketing suggests. Not all claims in this category carry equal weight. Some rest on representative samples of thousands of people; others rest on a single small survey. Here is the honest breakdown.
| Claim | Strength of evidence | What the research found |
|---|---|---|
| Faster, more reliable orgasm | Strong | Systematic review of 17 studies: use decreases time to orgasm and facilitates multiple orgasms in some women |
| Higher arousal and sexual satisfaction | Strong | Significant improvements on the Female Sexual Function Index across multiple cohorts |
| Improved pelvic floor muscle tone | Moderate | Eight studies reviewed; authors call for more research before clinical recommendations |
| Relief from vulvar pain | Moderate | 80% of women reported satisfaction with vibrator-assisted treatment after four to six weeks |
| Help with mild urinary incontinence | Emerging | Promoted via improved blood flow and muscle tone; evidence base still small |
| Better relationships | Weak / correlational | Partnered users score higher on satisfaction, but causal direction is unestablished |
| Harm to sensitivity or "numbness" | Not supported | No peer-reviewed evidence of lasting desensitisation |
One caveat worth carrying into every article you read on this subject: the single most-quoted statistic in popular coverage comes from a brand-sponsored consumer survey, not a peer-reviewed study. Brand surveys are not worthless, but they are marketing instruments with a commercial interest in the answer. The figures below come from the published literature instead.
How many people use these devices?
More than most people assume, and the numbers rise with age rather than falling. The largest recent dataset comes from the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, which surveyed a demographically representative sample of 3,001 American women aged 60 and over.
In that study, published in Menopause in November 2025, 46.4% reported using a device almost always or always during masturbation. During partnered sex the figure was lower but far from marginal: 5.1% almost always or always, and 38.7% at least rarely. Two-thirds of participants were aged 60 to 69.
A separate 2026 survey of 199 women in Frontiers in Public Health found over 50% used a device during masturbation and 30% during partnered activity. Different populations, different methods, same direction of travel.
Benefits of vibrators: do they improve sexual function?
Yes, and the benefits of vibrators for sexual function are the best-supported finding in the field. The clearest synthesis is a 2023 systematic review in Sexual Medicine Reviews by Dubinskaya and colleagues, which screened the literature from inception to March 2021 and identified 17 original studies.
Eight of those studies examined sexual functioning directly. Across them, use was associated with increased sexual desire, higher satisfaction and better overall sexual function. The International Society for Sexual Medicine summarises the review's finding plainly: women aged 19 to 64 in a prospective cohort "demonstrated significant improvements in arousal, as measured by the Female Sexual Function Index."
The review also reports that use decreases time to orgasm and helps facilitate multiple orgasms in some women. For anyone who has struggled to reach orgasm through intercourse alone, that mechanism matters more than any wellness language around it. Direct clitoral stimulation is simply more efficient at producing orgasm than penetration is for most people with a vulva.
Can they help pelvic floor and bladder control?
There is real evidence here, but it is early and the researchers themselves are cautious. Of the 17 studies in the Dubinskaya review, eight looked at pelvic floor function and six specifically at incontinence.
The proposed mechanism is straightforward: vibration promotes blood flow to the area and encourages muscle tone, much as it would anywhere else in the body. Reported outcomes included improved pelvic floor muscle strength and fewer accidental urinary leaks in women with mild symptoms. None of this amounts to treating diagnosed sexual dysfunction.
The honest caveat, in the authors' own framing, is that further research is needed before this becomes a clinical recommendation. A vibrator is not a treatment for pelvic organ prolapse or moderate-to-severe incontinence, and anyone with those diagnoses should be working with a pelvic floor physiotherapist rather than a retailer. If pelvic floor strength is your main goal, dedicated kegel exercises and kegel balls are the better-evidenced starting point.
What happens when you bring one to partnered sex?
The measured outcomes are positive, though the evidence is correlational rather than causal. A 2025 study in The Journal of Sexual Medicine by Sansone and colleagues surveyed 361 women aged 18 to 36 about how they used these devices.
Fifty-nine per cent used them both alone and with a partner; 41% used them solo only. Those who used them during partnered sex scored higher on the arousal and satisfaction domains of the Female Sexual Function Index, and reported more intense orgasms with a partner than alone. Notably, the researchers found no significant differences in anxiety, depression or other psychological outcomes between groups.
One finding in that paper deserves quoting in full, because it reframes the whole conversation: 58% of participants said it was easier to reach orgasm through masturbation than through partnered activity. A device introduced into partnered sex is often not adding novelty so much as closing a gap that was already there.
The researchers also noted that partnered use is "more affected by the couple's dynamic or existing stigma" than solo use. Which is to say: the obstacle is usually the conversation, not the hardware. Our guide to couples toys in Canada covers how to raise it without it landing as criticism.
Are the benefits different after 60?
The benefits appear to hold, and in some respects the case strengthens. This is the gap most popular coverage leaves open, and the Kinsey Institute data fills it directly.
Among the 3,001 women aged 60 and over in that sample, higher-frequency users were significantly more likely to report always or almost always reaching orgasm — during masturbation and during partnered sex alike. The pattern held across both contexts.
There is a physiological logic to it. Declining estrogen after menopause reduces natural lubrication and can thin vaginal tissue, which makes friction less comfortable and arousal slower to build. A device that increases blood flow and shortens the runway to arousal addresses that mechanically. Pairing one with a good lubricant, rather than pushing through vaginal dryness, is the practical version of this finding.
Can you become dependent on a vibrator?
No, not in the sense the worry usually implies — there is no peer-reviewed evidence that use causes lasting loss of sensitivity. But a 2026 study in Frontiers in Public Health did examine the question seriously, and its answer is more interesting than a flat reassurance.
In that sample of 199 women, 4.5% reported complete reliance on a device to reach orgasm, and nearly 30% said it played a significant role. Women who perceived a necessity for one scored lower in the arousal, lubrication and orgasm domains — but, critically, perceived necessity was not an independent predictor of overall sexual function.
The authors read this as "a functional adaptation to reach physiological thresholds rather than a marker of global sexual impairment." In plainer terms: the device is not causing a difficulty, it is compensating for one that already existed. The ordering matters. If you can only reach orgasm one way and that bothers you, the useful step is widening your range of stimulation, not removing the thing that works.
What are the real risks?
The documented risks are not about sensitivity or dependence. They are about materials and hygiene — and both are almost entirely avoidable.
Porous materials are the main concern. Jelly rubber, PVC and some TPE blends contain microscopic channels that cannot be fully sterilised, so bacteria persist through cleaning. Some softened plastics have also historically contained phthalates. Non-porous medical-grade silicone, borosilicate glass, stainless steel and ABS plastic avoid the problem entirely, which is why they are worth paying for. Our body-safe materials guide breaks down how to identify each.
The second risk is shared use without a barrier. Anything that moves between partners, or between anal and vaginal use, can transfer bacteria and sexually transmitted infections. Use a fresh condom over the device between those uses, and wash it properly afterwards — our cleaning guide covers the method per material.
One pairing rule is worth memorising: use a water-based lubricant with silicone devices unless the manufacturer explicitly confirms otherwise, because silicone lubricant can degrade a silicone surface over time.
Where to start if you have never used one
Match the device to the mechanism you are actually after. If the research above points at clitoral stimulation as the efficient route to orgasm, an external device is the sensible first purchase — not an internal one. Start with lower intensity than you think you need, use lubricant, and give yourself an unhurried first session alone before introducing it to partnered sex.
From our shelves: we are a retailer, so treat this as a labelled aside rather than part of the evidence above. These three are in stock at Red Pleasures as of 1 October 2026, and each maps to one of the mechanisms discussed.
- Rechargeable Waterproof Vibrating Wand Massager – plusOne — $67.38 CAD. Broad-surface external stimulation, body-safe silicone head, rechargeable and waterproof. The least intimidating entry point if you are unsure what you respond to.
- Rechargeable Bullet Vibrator – Waterproof Silicone Massager – Je Joue — $78.38 CAD. Pinpoint rather than broad, for people who want targeted clitoral stimulation. Only the teal colourway is in stock, and only five units.
- Sync O Rechargeable C-Shape Couples Vibrator in Purple – We-Vibe — $175.20 CAD. Designed to stay in place during partnered intercourse, which is the scenario the Sansone study measured. The priciest of the three by some distance.
How we approached this guide
We prioritised peer-reviewed sources and representative samples over consumer surveys, and we have labelled the strength of each claim rather than presenting all of them as settled. Where the research is thin, the table above says so. Products are mentioned only in the clearly marked aside, at live store prices, and only where stock was verified the day this was published. Red Pleasures is an Ottawa-based retailer offering discreet shipping across Canada and the USA. We sell these devices. That is exactly why the evidence and the sales pitch sit in separate sections.
FAQ
What are the main benefits of sex toys?
The best-evidenced benefits are faster and more reliable orgasm, higher arousal, and greater sexual satisfaction. A 2023 systematic review of 17 studies also found improvements in pelvic floor muscle tone, with early evidence for mild urinary incontinence and vulvar pain relief.
Are sex toys good for you?
The health benefits of sex toys are specific rather than general: research supports sexual-function and pelvic floor gains, not broad wellness claims. Improved blood flow and muscle tone are the documented mechanisms. They are not a treatment for any diagnosed condition, and anyone with pelvic pain or incontinence should see a clinician.
Can using a vibrator cause loss of sensitivity?
No. There is no peer-reviewed evidence that vibrator use causes lasting desensitisation. Temporary numbness during a long session resolves on its own. If sensation feels dulled, lowering the intensity and varying the type of stimulation generally restores it.
Do sex toys help with menopause symptoms?
They can help with the arousal and lubrication difficulties that follow declining estrogen, by increasing blood flow to the tissue. Kinsey Institute data from 3,001 women aged 60 and over found higher-frequency users were significantly more likely to reach orgasm. Pair one with lubricant.
Is it a problem if I can only orgasm with a vibrator?
It is common and not a dysfunction. A 2026 study found 4.5% of women reported complete reliance, and the authors described it as a functional adaptation rather than sexual impairment. If it bothers you, widen the range of stimulation you practise rather than giving up what works.
Will a sex toy hurt my relationship?
The evidence points the other way. Women using devices during partnered sex scored higher on arousal and satisfaction, with no difference in psychological outcomes. Researchers found the main obstacle is stigma and couple dynamics, not the device itself.
What material is safest?
Non-porous materials: medical-grade silicone, borosilicate glass, stainless steel and ABS plastic. Avoid porous materials like jelly rubber and PVC, which cannot be fully sterilised and may contain phthalates. Non-porous surfaces can be cleaned properly between uses.
Can partners share the same device?
Only with a barrier. Sharing without one can transfer bacteria and sexually transmitted infections. Put a fresh condom over the device between partners, and between anal and vaginal use, then wash it according to its material before storing.
Which lubricant should I use?
Water-based lubricant is the safe default, especially with silicone devices, because silicone lubricant can degrade a silicone surface over time. Check the manufacturer's guidance before pairing silicone with silicone, and avoid oil-based products with latex barriers.
How many people actually use them?
Kinsey Institute research found 46.4% of American women aged 60 and over use a device almost always or always during masturbation, and 38.7% at least rarely during partnered sex. A separate 2026 survey found over 50% of a younger sample used one during masturbation.
Shop the full collection: Clitoral vibrators at Red Pleasures
Related reading: How to choose your first vibrator · Kegel exercises and kegel balls · Body-safe materials explained · How to clean them safely
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