Class is in session! You own sex toys – but how often have you thought about the care and feeding of your sex toy batteries? Especially if you’re someone who loves things that vibrate, taking care of your sex toy’s battery will ensure your toy lasts as long as possible – and keeps you from rebuying your sex toy over and over.
So, whether you have a rechargeable toy, plug-in toy, or a sex toy that uses disposable batteries, let’s go over the basics of sex toy batteries – and how to keep your toy’s battery as shiny for as long as possible.
Do Sex Toys Have Lithium Batteries?
You nailed it! The vast majority of rechargeable sex toys feature Lithium batteries. These are the same type of batteries that you’ll find in most rechargeable electronics – like your cell phone, a wireless speaker, a laptop, and others.
That means that the standard Lithium battery care applies to your sex toy. Weird, right?
That also means that you should use the Lithium-ion battery procedures when flying with your sex toy or when ignoring your sex toy for months on end.
If you’d prefer to avoid Lithium-ion batteries in your sex toy (for whatever reason), go with a plug-in option or a disposable/replaceable battery option. We’ll talk more about that below.
How Do I Make My Sex Toy Battery Last as Long as Possible?
Most sex toys are equipped with standard Lithium batteries at this point in the industry, so if you’re worried about your charging habits, the same tips you’d get for your cell phone apply to sex toy charging too:
- Charge it fully before the first use.
- Don’t let it hang out on the charger for long periods after the battery is fully charged.
- Expect some battery potency loss over time as the battery gets older. Unlike cell phones, the majority of sex toys don’t have easily replaceable batteries (a few do though!), so it usually means replacing the toy after the battery is so far gone that it’s unusable.
- Charge it up to full every 90 days or so – even if you aren’t using it.
- Charge it with the correct charger; in most cases, this would be the charger that the toy comes with.
But yeah, for some sex toys, the battery life expectancy just wasn’t there in the first place, unfortunately.
If you know you’re someone who’s hard on sex toy batteries but still wants a rechargeable sex toy, consider investing in a sex toy that offers replaceable batteries. They’re rare, but in an effort to make sex toy recycling as functional as possible, a few companies now offer sex toys with replaceable batteries. At the time of publication, your two big contenders would be any of the Love Not War vibrators (like the Koi or Maya) or the Womanizer Eco Premium air suction toy.
Is USB or Battery Power Stronger in a Sex Toy?
Ugh, I wish there was a clear answer for you for this. But, unfortunately, there isn’t. There’s a whole host of factors that goes into the final “power” of any type of item that uses sex toy batteries.
Things like:
- The Size: Larger toys can fit larger motors – and larger battery capacities to power those motors.
- The Price: More expensive toys can afford to have higher-end motors in them.
- The Material: Super soft, squishy materials will feel “weaker” than hard, rigid plastic vibrators. This is because the vibrations have to “travel” through the squishy bits before you get to feel them on the surface.
- The Brand: Some companies have a reputation for powerful vibrators. Other companies, not-so-much.
If getting the most powerful vibrator is a high priority for you, there are some simple rules you can follow:
Any vibrator that requires power from a wall outlet to be turned on will be the strongest option. These vibrators have high power consumption needs – which can translate to more powerful motors.
Disposable sex toy batteries that are larger in size tend to correlate with more power. A vibrator powered by C batteries is more likely to be stronger than a vibrator powered by AAA batteries.
Rechargeable sex toy batteries are extremely variable in power. I highly recommend reading reviews for any rechargeable sex toy battery toy you want to purchase. Some can be powerful – and some can be really wimpy. Unfortunately, even the battery life of rechargeable sex toys doesn’t directly correlate to the strength of vibrations. So you’re left doing a bit of research here.
Is There a Reason to Use Battery Operated Sex Toys?
Most definitely!
Honestly, as the sex industry continues to grow – and as Lithium rechargeable batteries keep getting cheaper and cheaper, it’s actually pretty hard to find battery operated sex toys. 10 years ago, they were nearly the only option, but now they’re very, very much in the minority.
There are still very good reasons to use disposable battery-operated sex toys though.
- Extend Your Play Indefinitely: There is no charge time on a battery-operated vibrator. If you’re someone who enjoys marathon sessions, you don’t have to stop using your toy when it runs out of juice. With a battery-operated toy, just pop in new batteries.
- Possibly Better for Traveling: Not only does your sex toy not have a lithium battery (which has its own travel concerns), but there’s literally no chance of it vibrating if the batteries are removed. While “Travel Lock” is a functionality that some rechargeable toys have to mimic that security, the budget-friendly rechargeable options may not offer that.
- Super-Duper Discreet Storage: A sex toy that needs to recharge needs to…well…recharge. It needs to sit out somewhere to do that. A battery-operated toy doesn’t have that issue. Unless someone is monitoring how many batteries you’re buying, there’s no reason to ever leave your toy out of hiding.
- Lower Priced: The components required to make a sex toy rechargeable can be pricy. Leave out those components, and you end up with sex toys on the lower end of the price spectrum.
Regarding price: there’s an odd spot in the world of sex toys where the toy you’re looking for costs enough money to be rechargeable….but not enough money to have a large rechargeable battery. This may mean that your rechargeable toy only has a 30 minute battery life. (“Standard” battery life on most rechargeable sex toys runs in the 1-2 hour range – though some toys have batteries lives up to 5 hours!)
If you’re shopping for sex toys on a budget, take this into account with how long your play sessions last. 30 minutes might be a warm-up – or it might be 4 orgasms for you. If you happen to be in the latter camp, you might actually want to spend less and get a battery operated option because you’ll be able to instantly replace the batteries to keep going.
No matter what, though: remember to remove the batteries from your sex toy when you aren’t using it! Especially with the humid conditions sex toys go through (like your body and the cleaning), battery leakage can definitely be an issue if you try to store your sex toy with the batteries in it.
Sex Toy Batteries: Pros and Cons
Disposable Battery Operated Sex Toys
Pros:
- Always ready-to-go: just pop in a fresh set of batteries
- 100% vibration-free travel guarantee. Just ensure the batteries are out.
- No need to leave the vibrator out at any time to charge.
- Some of the lowest priced sex toys out there. Can cost you more in the long run, though, if you have to keep buying disposable batteries.
Cons:
- Constantly purchasing disposable batteries can be expensive
- Many battery-operated sex toys don’t work with rechargeable, “disposable” battery options
- May require obscure watch batteries which are hard to find
- Tend to be some of the lowest price sex toys out there; this also means it may not last very long.
- Need for a removable battery compartment makes it easy for “waterproof” vibrators to get water damage
Lithium-Battery Rechargeable Sex Toys
Pros:
- Never worry about needing to buy disposable batteries
- Easy to find: most sex toy batteries use this method
- No hassle of cords
- “Waterproof” toys are much less likely to leak
- Its waterproof capabilities can make them easier to clean than other options
- Might be equipped with “Travel Lock” to avoid accidental vibrations while traveling
Cons:
- Can run out of juice mid-use with no way to continue playing
- Tend to be pricier than other sex toy batteries options
- Most batteries can’t be replaced. This puts your toy on a lifespan that matches the usability of the battery lifespan.
- Might not be equipped with Travel Lock – which can mean vibrating luggage while traveling
Wall-Outlet-Powered Sex Toy Batteries
Pros:
- Extremely powerful
- No need to ever think about buying batteries or recharging a vibe
- Tend to be hardy, durable toys
- No need to leave the vibrator out at any time to charge
Cons:
- Dealing with cords can be annoying
- Limits your play location; you must be by a wall outlet
- Tend to be some of the loudest and largest vibrators
- Never, ever waterproof. Can even be difficult to clean.
- Pets are attracted to cords and chewing.
- Storing a toy with a gigantic, long cord attached can be a lot more unwieldy than the other options.
Sex Toy Batteries 101: Recap
Sex toy batteries can be powered one of three ways. Via:
- Disposable batteries
- Wall outlet power
- Rechargeable batteries
Really, pretty much all sex toys fall into those three categories! Your big sex machines need a wall outlet – and the tiniest, cheapest bullet vibrators use watch batteries.
There also are the sex toys powered by “you” – like a dildo that you have to thrust yourself or a sex “machine” that requires momentum to function.
There are benefits – and annoyances – about each type of sex toy power, but you’ll likely find that you prefer some methods for some reasons – and some other methods for different reasons.
Most aggravatingly, however, is the fact that most sex toys with rechargeable batteries will slowly degrade over time – just like any rechargeable battery. As very few sex toys allow for a replaced rechargeable battery, this leaves you out the cost of purchasing a new sex toy when the rechargeable battery dies.
(I will say that some of my favorite sex toys, that I’ve paid good attention to their batteries, are still running strong after 7 years. Other “meh” sex toys I reviewed and left in the sex toy graveyard are dead to the touch after 3 years.)
There are things you can do that will help you expand the lifespan of your sex toy’s rechargeable battery – though keeping up with it if you have more than a sex toy or two is easier said than done.
