What Are Urethral Sounding Sex Toys for Men?

Over the years, your VICE shopping mages have explored ball electrocution, slipped Shrek butt plugs up our rears, and let the Vajankle give us a hand with our foot fetish needs. Today, we’re going to probe yet another niche kink for the discerning VICE reader: male urethral sounding, aka the practice of inserting a rod/foreign object into a penis for sexual pleasure. 

So… they’re like horny dowsing rods? Not quite, young wizard. Recreational penis sounding is about introducing new, pleasurable sensations through the male urethra by gingerly dilating or stimulating it with everything from wine stopper-like plugs (more on that in a minute) to 4-inch beaded wands. It’s certainly not a novice BDSM practice, so please approach with caution, but there is plenty of helpful information for the sounding-curious on sexual wellness sites such as Lovehoney, and in sex-positive Reddit forums. 

The urethra is a hotbed of sensitive nerve endings, which is what makes the practice so tantalizing for sexually adventurous folks. Just apply, say, a heaping teaspoon of lube to your rod, and slowly work it up the opening (this is often easier when lying down). Then, enjoy the feeling of having a stretched or enlarged penis. As one Redditor explained about how she got into sounding her boyfriend’s penis, “[His] lovely cock has a larger than normal urethral opening, and since I first noticed this I've always wanted to stick something in it [...] When I slid my tongue ring in his urethra and he got hard, it became even hotter.” Another Lovehoney reviewer fondly recounts their experience with sounding, stating that “In time, I was left shuddering and leaking pre-cum everywhere. The orgasm afterwards was so intense.”  

If this sounds like a great Tuesday night to you, read on. 

When you think of urethral sounding, you probably imagine that classic, sparkling metal rod—and it may feel a little intimidating. Luckily, there are plenty of silicone toys for getting your feet wet. Lovehoney has two flexible sets that caught our eye: a black, handle-equipped trio with varying textures, and a sleek blue set that reviewers praise for comfort; as one customer writes, “I never played with sounds before buying these [...] Once I got going I was amazed how easy even the biggest one slipped in.”

Amazon is home to all kinds of penis pluggers, such as this high-rated set of stainless steel penis rods. For the price of a bougie avocado toast with a poached egg, you’ll receive four rods with tapered tips for exploration, including one that extends nearly eight inches to hit your prostate.

This contraption, aka the aforementioned wine stopper for your sperm, is designed to sit pretty atop your penis before being fully inserted (at a max length of 2.5 inches) while the “caged” portion stimulates your frenulum. As one Lovehoney reviewer explains, “[It] slid in like a snake, perhaps because my milk was beginning to flow [...] Now, I can’t stop using it, looks and feels great.”  

This sounding bundle is like the Caboodles of penis probing, because the German-made kit includes a whopping 14 rods designed to create a pleasurable pressure on your prostate. As one stoked Amazon reviewer explains, “It can make you feel like you're having an orgasm without ejaculating.”

This high-rated set is not only made out of medical-grade stainless steel, but has a flexible design for easy insertion. Plus, as the maker explains, “The beaded style allows for an unparalleled experience, as the beads roll and glide along the walls of your urethra” for a heightened sensation. 

And last but not least, the collaboration we never knew we needed: E-stim toys and urethral sounding rods. Sexual electro-stim fetish is a whole world in and of itself, which is why there’s an entire VICE guide to learning about how to safely zap your gonads. But once you have mastered both E-stim and sounding, you can introduce the sensation of a light electrocution to your prostate with this high-rated device, which packs a variety of jolts and electric current options, including a single speed vibration at the base thanks to its built-in bullet vibe. 

Happy sounding. 

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals?Sign up for our newsletter.