Cock rings are something men can wear that will help them maintain a longer erection, and yes, they really do work. Vibrating cock rings add a vibrator to a cock ring. However, not all of them are intended to work as a cock ring. The purpose of the ring is to hold the vibrator onto the penis, without quite enough tightness to be very effective as a cock ring.
First, you need to understand how a traditional cock ring works. You put it on before you get an erection. This might seem a little counter-intuitive, but that is the proper way to use them. You also want to put them on before you apply any lube, otherwise they might slide around a little. You want the ring to ride all the way up to the base of the penis. The blood flows into the penis, but it does not flow out, hence a longer erection. Generally, you don’t want to wear a cock ring for longer than 20 minutes at a time.
If you shave around the base of your penis, then you will not wind up pulling out hairs when you remove the ring. I am clean shaven, but I have heard others report that this can be quite painful.
With a vibrating cock ring that has a clitoral simulator, you wear the ring with the vibrator part on top. These cock rings provide a gentle stimulation which she should be able to feel through your penis. If you are all the way inside of her, you will bring the vibrator up against her clitoris. Rocking your hips gently against her instead of thrusting will keep the vibrator in contact with the both of you and should feel pretty good to her as well. Another and even better way to use this is with her on top, making it easier for her to maintain contact with the vibrator. Some women find the addition of a clitoral stimulator on the vibrator to be a plus, others feel that it does nothing for them.
An alternate way to wear a cock ring is to put it on over and past the testicles. In this case, you would want the vibrator at the bottom against the testicles where it will provide some scrotal stimulation, but it will reduce the amount of vibration in the penis and is better for use during masturbation than with a partner.
Condom makers began packing one of their condoms with a vibrating ring. It is a perfect fit since they already make a disposable product, and the ones from condom makers tend to include one of their condoms. It also makes a lot of sense as a combination in that one of the complaints men have about condoms is the reduced amount of stimulation and a problem with losing their erection. A vibrating cock ring used with a condom can provide extra stimulation, and help maintain an erection both at the same time.
However, none of the condom manufacturers I looked at who make vibrating rings even mention the concept of a cock ring and its ability to maintain an erection. This creates some confusion, as it does not take a lot of restriction for a cock ring to function. A tighter fit works better as a cock ring, but is slightly less comfortable. When you see an emphasis on how comfortable the product is, it will also probably be less effective as a cock ring. When a cock ring works, you will feel a little restriction, but it should not be so tight as to be uncomfortable.
Most of these devices will work as effective cock rings for most people, but there are enough variables that they will not all work for all users. For example, there is the factor of penis size. A smaller penis is going to need a slightly smaller ring size or one that is less stretchy. A larger penis may find the ring too tight, although a little tightness is okay if you are looking at maintaining an erection. You just don’t want so much tightness that it feels unpleasant. This really is one of the advantages of cheap disposables- you can keep trying different ones until you find what works best for you.
While the term “vibrating cock ring” has largely been replaced with just “vibrating ring”, that is because they are now more widely available. You can find them in drug stores, in Walmart, in Target, and I saw one just the other day in my local grocery store.
We looked at several vibrating rings. For the most part, we found them to be very similar in operation. Most use inexpensive Chinese made vibrators. My personal feeling is that the wider bands did a better job as a cock ring than the narrower bands did, and much to my surprise, the ones with the beads in the ring seemed even more effective. For me, the type of band that encircles the cock, the actual cock ring part, is what makes a difference.
When they say that they are disposable, they really mean it. There is no easy way to replace the battery without destroying the device. You can use it multiple times, but when it dies, it is done. Some are rated at 40 minutes of vibration, although some offer just 30 minutes, and all of the ones we looked at from condom companies were rated at just 20 minutes. These are nowhere near exact numbers, and in testing several brands we found that all of them lasted much longer than their rated amount of time.
I actually don’t see any great advantage in having them be disposable except for one- they are really cheap. Not everyone likes cock rings. Not everyone likes the sensation of their penis vibrating. Since there is some variety in the cock ring part, with thinner, wider, and beaded rings, you can also inexpensively try several different types and see which type of band works best for you. These give you a chance to try it and see if you like it and what you like for very little investment. If you love it, you may want to go out and purchase a more expensive permanent one.
Here is a sampling of what is currently on the market. They tend to be less than $10.
One of the earliest disposable cock rings I was aware of was the Vibrating Johnny, designed by the guy who started Condom Depot. Before long, they were all over (including no small number of direct rip-offs of the Johnny even using their very distinct logo). These have been popular items on the market for years, and even though it uses the narrower band than what I prefer, they have a large following and are intended to be used as cock rings. I did get my hands on a couple of the knock-offs, and what I noticed is that the clitoral stimulator part is made wrong. In the original, there are ten tiny little finger-like protrusions (think sea anemone) in a circle and a little tongue-like protrusion in the center. The tongue is parallel to the wide part of the vibrator, which makes sense. In the knock-offs, the tongue is sideways (rotated 90 degrees), which sort of defeats its function. To turn it on you pull out a notched plastic slider. You do need a fingernail to do this.
This is another company that was in on the game very early. Their ring is thicker and has seven beads in it, which I like. The tickler part for clitoral stimulation is similar to the Vibrating Johnny with a tiny tongue in the center, but the little fingers are spread out wider in two slightly staggered rows encompassing the width of the vibrator instead of in a circle. It is rated for 30 minutes. I thought the ring felt too loose when handling it to do anything as a cock ring, but it did work okay when I actually tried it. This was looser than some of the others we tried, and some may prefer a tighter fit. I noticed that they do not even mention its use as a cock ring on their web site, and if that is your primary interest, you might want to compare it with others. It is highly rated, awarded Best Ring by Women’s Health Magazine. It has a slider switch that I fund easy to use even with fingers slick with lube. They also have the ColorPop Quickie which comes in blue, green, orange and pink
Trojan Vibrations Intense Pleasure Vibrating Ring
I do not know if Trojan was the first condom company to package condoms and vibrators together, but with the introduction of this in 2005 they were certainly one of the earlier companies. The condom company vibrators included here all have a short use rating of just 20 minutes. Still, in all of our testing these products last much longer than their rating. It has a button that you press on the side to turn it on, which is very easy to use with the downside that it is also easier to accidentally turn on. It does not have a clitoral stimulator, but their Hot Spot does. It is black, has a thick band, and has a soft almost clitoral shaped extension for clitoral stimulation. It is one of the more unusual looking rings, like something you might find in an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus to keep the Queen amused in her eternal slumber.
This combo is quite reasonably priced, and you can find it for under $5. The box and ads state 2 count in the box, but what that actually means is that you get a single vibrator and a single condom. It has a big easy to access button but you do have to hold it down until it clicks. It has a fairly thing ring. Their Ring of Bliss does not come with a condom, but it does come with a flame shaped extension intended for clitoral stimulation. Some women like this extension and some do not. It is much larger than the typical tiny finger extensions, and will take a little effort to figure out how to use and position. Once you figure it out, though, it provides more and more reliable clitoral stimulation than any other ring I have seen. It is also a more powerful vibrator than many others, and with that in mind, the easy to access button can be pushed for intermittent vibration or locked on. Most rings are pretty dull design wise, and this purple show-off really stands out.
Lifestyles Amuse Vibrating Ring
Unlike the other condom companies, they do not pair their vibrators with their condoms. Instead, they package the rings four to a box, and since I have seen these for as low as $10, it is a pretty good deal. They have a beaded very stretchy ring which in my experience works fairly well as a cock ring, even though they do not promote that aspect. It has very tiny nubs, and some people find the button to turn it on a little difficult to use because it is so small.
Lovehoney Oh! Vibrating Cock Ring
You get two to a pack at a very low price, making this one of the better deals out there. The 1.25 inch ring expands to 5 inches. It has a dial that you turn to increase the intensity of vibration. This might be a bit tricky to turn if your fingers are slippery with lube. It is rated at 35 minutes, but this will be impacted by the intensity setting you use. They have a nice thicker very stretchy ring which is designed to help maintain a stronger erection.