The best sex toys under $50 (that are actually worth using)

This year we're happy, horny, and saving money.
By Bethany Allard  on 
All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission.

Overview

Best wand vibrator

Luna Massage Wand

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Best butt plug

b-Vibe Snug Plug 1

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Best suction toy

Unbound Puff

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After careful hands-on testing, we feature our favorite gear and gadgets as Mashable Selects products in our dedicated shopping guides.


Sex toys are more widely available than ever before, making it tempting to spend a lot of money to build up your arsenal. But it can take a minute to find your preferences, and when you consider that sex toys aren't usually a return-friendly product (though we've found a few that are), the allure of a budget-friendly pick is extra potent.

Whether you're looking to get your first toy ever or have buzzed yourself to infinity and beyond before, we've gathered some of the best budget sex toys out there.

Is it safe to buy cheaper sex toys?

Let's be clear: Budget-friendly does not mean cheaply made. Quality was a non-negotiable when compiling this list. After all, it's not worth saving a few bucks if you're using an unsafe toy (and not in the fun NSFW way) to put on your genitals.

We're betting you want to avoid anything that can easily harbor bacteria, so we chose toys that use body-safe, non-porous materials, like silicone, metal, and borosilicate glass. The greater the porosity of a toy, the easier bacteria can thrive in it, even if you're regularly cleaning it after each use (as you should with any toy).

That's not to say that porous materials like PVC, rubber, TPE, or even some silicone blends are entirely unsafe — it's just that they require a lot of special care to maintain that safety, and should always be used with a latex condom.

Note: The only toy on this list that isn't made from completely non-porous materials is the Fleshlight Quickshot Vantage, but we chose to include it as pretty much all masturbation sleeves use some kind of rubber to provide a comfortable, flexible, and realistic feel. Fleshlight uses their patented SuperSkin material, and while the exact blend materials aren't known, the rubber blend is safe to use, and in the case of the Vantage, easier to clean due to its dual-open-ended design. Still, it does carry a higher risk of harboring bacteria, so you'll want to stay on top of cleaning.

When buying budget, knowledge is power and diligent care is key.

What to expect when buying a budget sex toy

So what's the big trade-off with a cheaper sex toy?

As you might've anticipated, you won't be up to your ears in fancy features like the self-moving rabbits of the Lelo Ina Wave 2, the automatic pulsating of the Womanizer Premium 2, or the orgasm tracking of the Lioness Vibrator 2.0, which all cost hundreds of dollars. You're also less likely to find Bluetooth-activated toys worth using.

Does that mean luxe toys are simply better? Hell no. There are plenty of high-end toys that former Mashable culture reporter Jess Joho described as "a living nightmare."

What you're more likely to find in the affordable sex toy range are features that stick to the basics. That might mean three to five vibration settings instead of 11, or a toy with water resistance instead of full-on waterproofing. Its design might be simpler in looks and function, with one button that serves as an off/on and setting switch.

If you're thinking "none of those things sound like huge cons," it's because they're not. Budget-friendly sex toys can be pretty damn great, too.

Be careful of where you buy your sex toys

As a final note before we get into our picks, we want to address the monopolistic mega-retailer elephant in the room. You can often find pricier toys on Amazon for cheaper prices than you might from brand websites or from online sex shops.

While there are some genuinely great deals on the website, third-party retailers like Amazon don't always guarantee an authentic product, so if a price seems too good to be true, it probably is.

There's no need to run the risk of buying a toy made of lesser materials or that comes with a battery that'll crap out in a few months. Instead, spend your hard-earned dollars to directly support the brands that make the good, affordable toys, or the sex shops that do the hard work of curating them. You might spend a bit more on shipping, but it's well worth the trade-off.

Plus, you're likely to get better customer service, and in some cases, the ability to return a toy you're not too fond of. On this list, we chose a single toy from Amazon — the Luna Massage Wand — because we've hands-on tested it and affirmed that it's a safe, quality toy, and because the only retailer that carries it is Amazon.

With all the housekeeping out of the way, let's get into our top picks for the best budget-friendly sex toys.

Check out our full review of the Luna Massage Wand.

There are plenty of wand vibrators out there that provide an experience that feels nothing short of magic. Though you may have had your eye on the iconic Hitachi or luxe Le Wand, we're especially big fans of the Luna Massage Wand.

As any respectable wand vibrator should, the Luna packs a powerful punch with its 20 vibration patterns and eight intensities. "The highest," as Mashable Sex & Relationships reporter Anna Iovine wrote in her review, "can probably take you into another dimension within seconds if you'd like." Like we said — as it should!

What's particularly impressive about the Luna's ability, though, is that it doesn't come with $60-plus price tag, which is less common in the world of wand vibrators. It's also much smaller and lighter, at under 8-inches and 4.7-ounces, which especially helps with wrist fatigue for those longer sessions. You'll also get the battery life to enjoy that perk, with a full charge getting you 1.5 hours of use. (You might notice these stats are a tad different on the wand's Amazon page, but we're going off of our reviewers actual experience of using the toy).

If you're anticipating spending a few minutes to find the setting you like best, worry not — the Luna remembers your last used setting, and starts off from there, so you won't have to search for long. Plus, there are separate buttons for the intensities and patterns, making finding what feels right even easier.

All in all, this wand comes with features and a performance way above its price range, and is a great pick for wand newbies and experts alike.

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Read more about the b-Vibe Snug Plug.

It's not terribly difficult to find a butt plug for under $50. b-Vibe's options aren't the absolute cheapest, but they provide an experience that's more than worth the price.

For starters, the Snug Plug is weighted, meaning it provides a unique pressure and sense of fullness that a non-weighted plug simply can't. This holds true even for the Snug Plug 1, which is the smallest, lightest, and least expensive of the line. Though the size is beginner-friendly, the 55 grams can still satisfy fans of anal stimulation. In other words, it'll keep things interesting for a while.

b-Vibe's main wares are butt plugs, and it shows in the thoughtfulness of the design. The silicone exterior is soft, smooth, and easy to insert (though you'll want to use plenty of lube, as you would with any plug). The thin 0.4-inch neck of the toy is not only comfortable upon insertion but for long-term wear for those who want to feel that sense of fullness for a while. Since there's absolutely nothing discreet about a butt plug, the included storage case is a welcome addition, as is the guide to anal play that provides newbies a nice jumping-off point.

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Air suction vibes are not everyone's cup of tea, but for people who they are — well, they make for a really delicious cup of tea.

Unbound's Puff came onto the scene when there were already some really good options out there, like the Satisfyer Pro 2 and Womanizer Premium. While we're still fans of those, we're particularly fond of the Puff as our budget pick because of its performance, but also because of Unbound's excellent return policy.

You can return your toy, opened, within 90 days of receipt. You'll get store credit instead of a refund you get with unopened toys, but that's still an incredible trade off, as Unbound offers a nice variety of quality toys.

While the security of that return policy is beyond nice, we're still pretty confident in the Puff's ability to please. It's adorable, easy to hold, and comes packed with five different intensities — though you probably won't need to get to the fifth to get you there. As someone who's tried out the Womanizer Premium and Unbound's Puff, I can't really say that the former is offering anything sensation-wise that the latter isn't. Considering the $151 price difference, it's clear which is more of a bang for your buck.

The Puff is also small enough to not hold with hands, which allows you to get creative with positioning. A full charge will give you two to three hours of use, and it's fully waterproof and submersible for up to three feet for 30 minutes. As with most air toys, it's super quiet, making it especially great for anyone with roommates.

Unbound also ran a small survey and found that this toy is still enjoyable for those who've experienced bottom growth while using testosterone, though it's not for everyone. As a general note, the biggest con of this toy is that it can't swap the ring size for different bodies, and 0.5 inches wide, might be too small for some.

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Fleshlight's more classic sleeves will run you around $70, but for people who enjoy saving some money and prefer their sex toys a little less anatomically realistic, the Quickshot Vantage is a worthy alternative.

Calling this toy a masturbation sleeve is basically a misnomer since it lends itself so well to partnered use. The dual open ends and 3.5-inches of insertable length make it easy to use the sleeve during oral sex, which isn't possible with most other sleeves on the market, even those from Fleshlight.

As for the sensations, Fleshlight's patented SuperSkin material has made them The Brand of penis sleeves for a reason — it's ultra soft, and as many reviewers note, is as close to feeling like a real human as a toy can get. Though the diameter of the sleeve may not make it ideal for girthier folks, you can use the toy without the removable clear case, which allows for some flexibility (and some ways to mix up how you use it for folks who can use it with the case on).

It is important to note that as good as the SuperSkin material feels, it is made of a rubber blend, which as we mentioned in the intro, is a porous material. This is standard practice for penis sleeves, but it does require that you thoroughly wash and dry your sleeve after each and every use. Thankfully, that dual-ended design and removable case make this process much easier than a single-entrance sleeve. Just beware that it is more prone to bacteria than fully silicone toys, so you want it to be completely dry before you put the caps on either end and store it.

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Dildos might be the most versatile sex toy out there, and therefore, one of the hardest toys to make a single recommendation for. Some people like anatomical ones, some people want a suction toy for solo use, some people simply just want to peg.

However you use them, there's a 99.99% chance a dildo is going to be inside you or your partner at some point, making it absolutely essential you get a quality product. In 2023, we are not sticking dubious items inside ourselves. With that, the Tantus Silk Medium dildo is a decently universally flattering choice.

Unlike many other budget-friendly dildos, Tantus offers a choice that isn't, to put it delicately, a veiny, huge penis, which — shocker — isn't everyone's vibe with dildos. (Though absolutely no shade to the people who do enjoy that look). It's made of 100% silicone and slides in with incredible ease. For some, the lack of texture might be a drawback, but for beginners and anal use, the smooth interior can give you the frictionless experience you desire. It's stiff, but not completely inflexible, and can fit into harnesses without an issue.

At 5.25-inches long and 1.1-inches wide, it's not the biggest one out there, though the brand does offer larger options if you don't mind spending a bit more. Ultimately, the Silk Medium was one of the most do-it-all dildos we could find with a quality that we trusted. Plus, Tantus offers a lifetime warranty.

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Topics Sex Toys

How we tested

Satisfaction with sex toys is highly dependent on personal preferences. That's why we made an effort to keep an open mind about how well features performed, even if they weren't a personal favorite sensation. This list was also compiled from the opinions of three different former and current Mashable Sex & Relationships writers.

Out of the five toys on this list, three were hands-on tested directly: the Luna Massage Wand, the b-Vibe Snug Plug, and the Unbound Puff. We selected these toys from a general knowledge and expertise of what's popular, and chose them as stand-outs based on our experience with other toys we've used (though not directly tested for this roundup). The remaining two toys, the Fleshlight Quickshot Vantage and Tantus Silk Medium, were selected after researching brands' reputations, checking out other reviews, and comparing them with similar toys.

Whether toys were hands-on tested directly by us or not, here are the factors we considered when choosing the best budget-friendly sex toy selections:

  • Price: We chose $50 as our affordable price range to make sure we weren't sacrificing quality for the sake of affordability. While there are good toys to be found at lower price points, we found that this allowed for toys that could still be considered affordable, but perform similarly to toys in the $75 and up range.

  • Feature-to-cost ratio: It's great if a toy is budget-friendly, but if it only performs a single function, the reason behind its cost makes sense. With that in mind, we selected toys that could be used in versatile ways, like our Fleshlight pick, or had a notable range of settings, like the Unbound and Luna picks.

  • Material: As we mentioned in the intro, we only chose well-made toys made out of body-safe materials so 1. they don't fall apart within a few months of use, and 2. don't run the risk of causing infection or harm.

  • Brand perks: We selected toys from brands we trust to make a product that lasts. Whenever possible, we also chose from brands that offer warranties or return policies, so that you get some quality reassurance if you're not satisfied with a product.

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Bethany Allard
Shopping Reporter

Bethany Allard is a Los Angeles-based shopping reporter at Mashable covering beauty tech, dating, sex and relationships, and headphones. That basically means she puts her hair through a lot, scrolls through a lot of dating apps, and rotates through a lot of different headphones. In addition to testing out and rounding up the best products, she also covers deals for Mashable, paying an especially obsessive amount of attention to Apple deals and prices. That knowledge comes in handy when she's covering shopping holidays like Prime Day and Black Friday, which she's now done for three years at Mashable.

She graduated from New York University with a B.A. in Journalism and English Literature. You can follow her on X @betallard and reach her by email at [email protected]. In her free time, you'll find her playing her Switch, hanging with her cat Mila, or cooking something new in her kitchen.


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