“Anal toys”, “butt plugs” and “training kits” get used as if they mean the same thing. They don’t, and the difference matters most when you’re starting out. Here’s what each one is for, and how to tell a good training kit from a bad one.
The short answer. An anal toy is anything made for anal play. A butt plug is a toy designed to go in and stay put. A training kit is a set of plugs in increasing sizes, used in order so that your body can get comfortable gradually. If you’re new to anal play, or you’ve had a first attempt that didn’t go well, the training kit is the one to start with.
Anal toys
This is the broadest category: beads, vibrators, plugs and dildos, anything designed for anal play. One rule covers all of them. Anything that goes in the anus needs a flared base, wider than the body of the toy, so that it can’t slip all the way inside. That isn’t a preference. It’s the one feature no anal toy should be without.
Butt plugs
A plug is made to go in and stay there. Most have a tapered tip, a wider body, a narrower neck and a flared base, so that once it’s in, it rests comfortably on the neck. Plugs are good for the feeling of fullness, on your own or with a partner. Their limitation is that a plug comes in one size, and if you’re starting from nothing, the step from nothing to that size can be a big one.
Anal training kits
A training kit is a set of plugs in increasing sizes, used one after another over days or weeks so that your body adapts gradually. The point isn’t any single plug; it’s the progression. You start with a size that feels easy, get comfortable, move up a little, and repeat.
The quality of a kit comes down almost entirely to the steps between its plugs. Many kits have three plugs with large gaps in size between them, so each new plug is a big increase on the last. That’s where people stall, or push on before they’re ready. A better kit has more plugs and smaller steps, and the steps should get smaller as the plugs get bigger, because the more you stretch, the greater the challenge of each extra millimetre.
At a glance
| Butt plug | Training kit | |
|---|---|---|
| What it’s for | Fullness and pleasure | Gradual progress, then pleasure |
| Sizes | One | Several, used in order |
| Best for | People who already know their comfortable size | Beginners, anyone returning after a rushed first attempt, and anyone training towards a partner’s size |
What to look for in a training kit
- Body-safe silicone. Non-porous, easy to clean and free from phthalates. Avoid jelly or PVC toys with a strong smell, and treat “body-safe” as a claim to check: has the material been independently tested?
- Small steps, and real measurements. Look for the diameter of every plug in millimetres, not “small, medium, large”. Steps of two to four millimetres are comfortable. Bigger jumps are where kits fail.
- A shape that lets you rest. A tapered tip for an easy start, and a narrower neck behind the widest point so that the plug rests on the neck rather than on its widest part.
- A flared base on every plug. Not negotiable.
- Numbered plugs. So you always know which step you’re on.
Slo.Mo by Pace
The kit we designed to meet that list
Seven solid silicone plugs, each a measured step up from the last, with increases that reduce from 13% to 5% as the sizes grow. A Peak to train on and a Valley to rest in, a number engraved in every base, and silicone independently tested by SGS. A$230, with complimentary express shipping in plain packaging.
Where Slo.Mo fits
We designed Slo.Mo because the kits we found all had three plugs with large gaps between them. Slo.Mo has seven. The increase between plugs reduces as you progress, from about 13% at the first step to about 5% at the last, because the more you stretch, the greater the challenge. Every plug has a Peak to train on and a Valley to rest in, and each new plug’s Valley is narrower than the Peak you’ve just mastered, so every step begins at a size you already know. Each base is laser-engraved with its number, and the silicone is independently tested by SGS.
If you’re working out where to start, the size guide shows every plug to scale and, if you’re training towards a partner, which plug to aim for. The beginner’s guide covers your first session step by step.
