27 Masturbation Techniques You'll Probably Wish You Learned Sooner

"I take a soft blanket and lay it down on my bed, usually folded a few times to make it thicker. Then I set up porn on my laptop and lay on my stomach with my dick against the blanket. Then I move my hips back and forth or up and down so my dick will rub against the blanket until I orgasm! It kinda gives me the sensation of actual sex because I'm doing the movements with my body, rather than using my hand." —20/male/gay

"I lie on my stomach with my arms at my sides and my head turned to one side. My legs are bent at the knees, so my feet are up in the air. I develop a fantasy in my head, and as I start to get turned on I rock/rotate/grind my hips/clit into the bed and do it with increasing intensity until I come. The orgasm is equal parts fantasy and friction." —39/female/lesbian

"I use my girlfriend's vibrator on and around my balls. The vibrator really amplifies things. Wish I would have known about that when I was in high school." —30/male/straight

"I am a big fan of balls. I always give them a lot of attention first — cupping them, tugging them, rolling them around in my palm. Doing this always helps me come." —24/trans female/bisexual

"I lie down, relax my legs entirely, and then twist them together. Then I squeeze my thighs together while pointing my toes a little and using my knees to shift my weight up and down. I keep squeezing my vagina, and then I eventually orgasm."

—18/female/straight-ish

"I really like to tease myself by only upping the vibration level on my vibrator every few minutes, one notch at a time. By the time I'm ready to come, I come HARD."

—24/female/lesbian

"Take your little finger, pass it through a cooling lubricant, place it on your clitoris, and move your pinkie over it from one side to the other. Masturbation just got even better."

—19/female/bisexual

"Lately, I've been experimenting with milking my prostate. Hard to believe it's something some guys will never experience. So far I've only used my fingers and my fiancé's small vibrator, but I'd love to use a male toy built to stimulate that special spot (both on my own and in the bedroom with her)." —32/male/straight-ish

"I like to slowly drag a string of anal beads between my legs. They hit my clit, but they're also an interesting sensation between my butt cheeks, too." —22/female/bisexual

"Something about seeing myself come makes me wildly horny. Sometimes I ride a dildo while sitting in a chair in front of the mirror, so it's like watching myself in cowgirl position. Other times, I'll lie down in front of a mirror."

—27/female/bisexual

"I usually enjoy watching myself get hard and get off over my webcam and pretending like people are watching. I'm not enough of an exhibitionist to actually stream it anywhere, but it helps turn me on."

—30/nonbinary/pansexual

"Since I'm too chicken to actually buy nipple clamps, I use a bobby pin on each nipple, just enough so it hurts a little. They actually make it easy to tug on if I want a little extra sensation. Then I pour body oil all over the front of me. I've noticed as I get older that it's perfectly normal to try new things. Rubbing the slippery oil on myself, combined with the sensation of my nipples being pinched, sets me right off." —33/female/bisexual

"My nipples are more sensitive than my penis, so while I masturbate with one hand, the other plays with my nipples. If I'm really turned on, I have been known to cum from just nipple play. Is that weird?!" —30/male/gay

"I typically read stories on Literotica or Reddit. I like to build up to it, so I usually resist touching myself until I'm soaked. Then I'll use a dildo, vibrator, or my fingers (or a mix of all three) — usually slow and steady at first, then sped up to go along with what I'm reading or watching." —25/female/straight

"I used to start with a lot of nipple stimulation, but I lost all feeling in them when I had a double mastectomy for my transition. Now, I use lube to wet my clit and use a Bad Dragon toy with a knot on my pussy so that it slams hard against my entrance. I jack my clit manually and use my toy while reading kink fanfic or looking at porn on Tumblr." —24/FtM/queer

"I push on the head of my penis a lot with my right hand. Sometimes I trace the rim of my foreskin, and sometimes I use a middle finger to anally stimulate myself. Sometimes I stop myself before I orgasm and take a short break in order to build up tension." —23/male/bisexual

"Try not to come too quickly. When you feel it start to pop, STOP. Wait until things have calmed back down, and then do the whole thing three or four more times." —27/male/straight

"It took me forever to figure out how to masturbate because all the solo porn I'd seen was just women daintily rubbing their clits or gently fingering themselves, and that did nothing for me. I have to get rough and ugly. We're talking two vibrators, both revved up to the highest vibration. One goes on my clitoris, and the other one goes inside of me, and I hit it HARD with my palm with a steady, fast rhythm so it's like getting fucked. It probably looks rather aggressive and frightening from the outside, but it works."

—25/female/bisexual

"I didn't want to spend the money on a sex toy, so I put lube in a condom and then used that to jerk off with. It felt so good. Just trust me on this one."

—29/male/straight

"I get hand lotion, mix it with some petroleum jelly, and put it in a plastic baggie. I put the baggie on my cock and wank for five minutes. I like to edge myself, so I then stop, wait a little, and then continue wanking until I come."

—29/male/straight

"If you have a very sensitive vulva, the feeling of fingers on the labia can hurt. I almost always masturbate over my panties, with my open hand. That way I'm protected, and the fabric produces a warmth that makes it even easier to come."

—20/female/bisexual

"I lie on my back with my legs apart in kind of a diamond shape; knees furthest apart and feet together. Then I put a finger on either side of my clit and rub back and forth until I come. Works every time."

—26/female/straight

"I usually use just my thumb, index, and middle finger to jerk off, but I will alternate to a full fist as well. They're pretty different sensations, and switching it up helps."

—27/male/gay

"I typically watch porn of some sort from one of those well-known tube sites. I usually draw it out for quite a while. When I come, I will often time it along with the money shot in whatever scene I'm watching."

—32/male/straight

"When you squeeze the clitoris with two fingers, you'll feel a little 'nerve' inside of it. At first, you may feel some discomfort, like when you mess with your funny bone, but after that passes it feels really good. Since I discovered this, it's the only way I can masturbate."

—20/female/bisexual

"I usually start by drinking a full glass of water (it puts slight pressure on your clit to have a full bladder) and look up a few erotic stories. After I'm turned on, I begin. I'm intersex, so my vagina is a little unique. The only way I've found to get myself off is to put my legs around a blanket or pillow and hump away. I hump vigorously until I finish."

—21/intersex woman/lesbian

"When I'm really treating myself, I lather myself all over in oil, smoke a bowl, and go to town with some lube." —23/male/gay

"I like to really pamper myself when I masturbate. Candles, mood music, the whole bit. It's especially important to work myself up by massaging my whole body with oil before I even touch myself down there." —27/female/pansexual

"When I really want to get going, I suction-cup a dildo to the side of the tub and use a vibrator to stimulate my clit. A+.”

—23/female/bisexual

"My favorite place to masturbate is in the shower with the shower head. I turn down the lights and start my shower hot so the bathroom is nice and steamy. I change my shower head setting so the flow is steadier and cooler. I keep that shower head on my clit. The pressure from it feels amazing, and I can orgasm in less than five minutes."

—27/female/straight

"If I'm jacking off in my room, I'll use my non-dominant hand. If I'm in the shower, I'll use my dominant hand but backwards and lean against the wall so the hot water hits my back but doesn't wash the soap off of my junk. I'll also squeeze the head of my penis repeatedly until I get off. It helps get a nice motion going. Just before I come, I turn to let the shower run over my penis. Feels great. If I'm not in the shower I'm just your regular, old porn-and-sock kinda guy."

—25/male/bisexual

"My trick for 200% pleasurable masturbation may seem unconventional, but I've been doing it ever since I can remember, and it's wonderful. You lie on your stomach on top of your arms. Then, with one hand, you press against your vulva with the base of your thumb. You can let your other hand help out, or you can just move your pelvis and enjoy the orgasm. I prefer doing this in panties. Depending on the fabric, it can be extra delicious."

—18/female/straight

"Doing kegels works great for me. It helps me take things more slowly and really intensifies my G-spot orgasm when I have one, which is amazing."

—27/female/straight

"Try out new ways to feel pleasure, and don't forget the other parts of your body. For example, I love to use my vibrator along the inside of my thighs or on my nipples before moving to my genitals. There's always something new to try that you might end up loving."

—18/female/bisexual