Cock rings are a great addition to your bedroom arsenal. But how do you use one?
A cock ring is a circle-shaped piece of material that restricts blood flow back out of the penis, giving you a harder cock for longer.
If you’re new to these handy tools, read our Cock rings for dummies article for all the basics. And if you’re stuck on which one to get, go ring shopping with our 10 types of cock rings list.
There are a couple of ways to wear one, so let’s get into the mechanics of how to use a cock ring.
How to wear a cock ring?
Putting a cock ring on your shaft
While you’re still soft/semi-hard, slip the lubricated cock ring over the tip of your cock and slide it down to the base of your shaft above the balls. This is the easiest way to put on and wear a cock ring, but it can make it harder to roll a condom all the way down — the cock ring ideally shouldn’t be touching the condom. It also runs the risk of getting too slippery with lube or other gooey fluids and sliding off before the action starts.
Putting a cock ring around your balls
While you’re still soft or semi-hard, lift up your penis and slide your balls through the ring, one at a time. Once they’re both through, slip your dick through as well so the ring sits all the way behind your scrotum. This position will keep the cock ring securely on and holds it further back, so it won’t slide off or get in the way of putting on a condom.
Use protection
Whether it’s an undetectable viral load, PrEP or condoms (using the advice above), make sure you have an HIV prevention method in place when having sex using a cock ring. Using condoms or doxy-PEP (if you’re taking using it) can also help prevent some STIs.
Taking off a cock ring
Medical advice suggests that you should aim to be wearing your cock ring for no more than half an hour and only once every 24 hours, but we all know that guys wear them for a lot longer than that.
A sensible rule of thumb would be that if you are feeling uncomfortably constricted it’s a good idea to take the ring off. Be prepared with everything you need to remove the cock ring BEFORE you put it on. Make sure you lubricate your penis and the cock ring before putting it on. This will make it easier to slide it off. Have a pair of scissors handy for soft rings (be careful!), while other rings have a built-in release like Velcro or snap-fasteners. Especially for metal, glass or tough cock rings (not for beginners!), seek medical attention if your erection lasts longer than 4 hours, or is very red or swollen.
And that’s how you put some bling on your thing.
If you’re new to cock rings and want to learn more, check out our other content on the topic: