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Sex machines are one of those devices that sound a lot more intimidating than they really are. If you’ve heard of them, it might have been in an eye-catching endcap at the adult toy store next to the more typical vibrators you’re there for. However, they can be an exciting addition to your sex life or an accessibility tool for people who can't do all of the manual labor that sex requires. But which do you buy? You definitely do not want to buy a thrusting machine of poor quality. Don't worry, I tested an array with a few partners to find the best sex machines that are safe yet stimulating.
Be sure to check out our other sex-related buying guides, including the Best Sex Toys, Best Vibrators, and Best Clitoral Suction Toys.
Updated September 2024: We added the original Motorbunny, added new advice info, and updated links and prices throughout.
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Sex is a very human activity that doesn’t seem to mesh well with something that can be described as a “machine.” However, there are several reasons why a full-size machine might be appealing as a way to either augment your sex life with a partner or enjoy yourself on your own.
The Motorbunny Buck (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is my favorite sex machine I’ve tested. It’s a saddle-style machine that also features a penetration component. Most rideable machines rely primarily on vibration to be stimulating, but the Buck is the only one I’ve encountered that can thrust and vibrate simultaneously. If that were all it could do, it would be enough to earn top marks, but there’s so much more to this device.
Motorbunny sells a wide selection of attachments that can tailor the machine to your desires. I’ve tested this machine with partners who prefer penetration and partners who are more partial to clitoral stimulation, and the Buck had tools and configurations to satisfy everyone. It comes with a right-angle wedge so you can use this machine while lying on your back or your hands and knees, in addition to the default upright riding position, which one partner found to be a godsend for her back. Along the bottom, there are four bondage eyelets (two on each side) for attaching ankle and wrist cuffs, or even creating some interesting shibari ties. And that highlights what I like so much about the Motorbunny Buck. Even in little ways, it’s designed for experimentation and creativity. Rather than doing one thing well, it does almost everything well. It comes with a price to match, but if you’re going to spend four figures on a sex machine, then it’s hard to find anything more satisfying.
Motorbunny sells a travel backpack ($269) with a large section that fits the saddle perfectly, and a fold-up top section to store all the odd-shaped attachments you’d want to avoid bending to fit into a small pocket. I’ve tried this bag and it’s made of durable materials, and even has a removable velcro logo so you can carry the machine incognito.
The thrusting motor is rather quiet. So quiet, in fact, that you might be able to use it without anyone else in the house hearing you if you're quiet enough. The vibration motor, on the other hand, sounds like it was taken straight off a jet. At its highest vibration settings, it's so loud that the people I've tested with have a hard time shouting enough to be heard over it. If you have neighbors—especially downstairs neighbors—be prepared to get a noise complaint if you use this too much.
If penetration isn't as pleasurable to you as vibration, then the original Motorbunny may be a better fit for you. Like the Buck, it's a saddle-style machine that you can sit on top of, or use the right angle wedge (sold separately, $60) to use it on your back. Although, in my experience, sitting atop the Motorbunny is the better experience.
This machine has some intense vibration, and you can choose between more flat attachments that you grind against, or use attachments with dildos. The dildos won't thrust, but there is a twirling motor that rotates the dildo in a kind of cone-shaped pattern. Motorbunny even includes several internal insertion rods—two sizes each of solid plastic rods for a more rigid experience, or springs that give the dildo more flexibility—so you can customize the feel to exactly what you prefer. Like the Motorbunny Buck, the vibration motor is extremely loud, but since it lacks the penetration features, it's less likely you'll be able to use it without disturbing the neighbors.
One of the best attachments, for my money, is the Bunny Slope. It's a large, wide, ridged attachment that's comfortable for a wide range of body types. This is a huge, welcome innovation, as many sex toys—and sex machines especially—can sometimes be designed for only a specific body type and not quite fit others. The large area of the slope ensures a lot of contact, and it's easier for people with mobility issues to climb on and stay on.
Calling the Lovense Gravity a “sex machine” might be a bit of a misnomer, but it’s worth including on this list because it’s a great halfway point between a more traditional vibrator and a proper sex machine. It’s a small, handheld dildo with an array of strong vibration patterns and the simple magnetic charging contacts that most Lovense vibrators come with. What sets it apart is its built-in thrusting motor. It’s not the most powerful, but it can provide a solid amount of automated penetration without much effort. In my testing, the Gravity could perform between 100 to 130 thrusts per minute, though if it met much resistance, the motor slowed down and could grind a bit. You should always use plenty of lube, especially with a device like this.
Since this is a handheld vibrator, you’ll have to provide most of the resistance, though it does come with a large suction cup for mounting to a wall or surface. This suction cup wasn’t overly sturdy, but it’s serviceable. It's surprisingly loud for a vibrator when the thrusting motor is engaged, but still much quieter than most full-size sex machines. If you’re iffy on sex machines, the Lovense Gravity is a great place to start and the best thrusting vibrator I’ve tried.
The popular perception of sex machines (thanks mainly to porn) is usually a dildo on the end of a long rod attached to a motor. That visual might be intimidating, but Lovense made it downright cute with the Lovense Mini Sex Machine (8/10, WIRED Recommends). A smaller, compact version of its flagship product, the Mini has a powerful motor in a small package, with easily adjustable legs that allow you to position the device at the best angle.
Most sex machines—including Lovense’s larger flagship sex machine—are large and heavy, and can be cumbersome to set up, but the Mini reduces almost every pain point, including the price. At $399, it’s the least expensive machine you’ll find on the market without sacrificing much power. In my testing, it could reach up to 280 thrusts per minute, though its low weight meant it was a little more likely to slide on smooth surfaces. That trade-off is worth it for the portability though. The thrusting motor was also surprisingly quiet. Someone might still overhear you from the other side of a closed door, but I doubt anyone would hear you in a neighboring apartment. Unless you're trying to be heard, anyway.
The whole machine comes in a box about the size of a toolbox, with a convenient handle. I highly recommend holding on to this box for storing or transporting the machine, but even if you choose not to, the machine’s parts are small enough to fit inside an Ikea-sized cube cubby, and at 7 pounds, it's light enough to carry wherever you want.
The Lovense Remote app also adds many features ideal for long-distance couples. You can control the speed and pattern of thrusts from anywhere in the world, and built-in text and voice/video call features let you do it all from one app. You can even create and share a Zoom-style link to let someone take control of your device and set the link to expire after a set duration or a certain number of uses.
Lovense’s original sex machine is larger and more powerful than the Mini, but it has some attractive features to offset the extra weight (and cost). The motor on this machine can exceed 300 thrusts per minute, so if intense penetrative stimulation is your thing, this upgrade might be worth it for you.
The Lovense Sex Machine also supports two rods, one on each end so multiple people can use the machine at the same time. It comes with two interchangeable dildos. One is a typical 5.43 inches, while the other is a larger 6.3 inches. Lovense sells additional attachments, so if two people want to use the machine but both prefer the same size attachment, you might need to buy an extra one. That aside, it comes with everything you need for two people to play together.
The full-size sex machine weighs about 25 pounds, compared to the 7 pounds for the Mini, but that extra weight is a perk. The machine stays firmly in place, no matter what surface it’s on or how high you turn the motor. It supports more positions, including pointing the machine straight up, but the legs require an Allen wrench to adjust, so it takes a bit more setup than the Mini. The motor is louder than the one on the Lovense Mini—which makes sense, it's also bigger and more powerful—but it's still not jet engine-loud. If you want to be discreet, just make sure no one else is home when you use it, but you probably won't wake the neighbors.
It's a bit of an investment compared to its smaller sibling. However, it’s worth mentioning that Lovense also has a fairly robust software suite for content creators if you plan to make that investment literally.
Since people’s needs will vary, it’s important to have an idea of what you hope to get out of a sex machine before you buy one. There are a lot of different factors you can consider based on how you experience the most pleasure.
It’s always difficult to objectively test sex toys because everyone has different preferences; what’s pleasurable for one person might be deeply upsetting to someone else. While neither I nor anyone can objectively test for every body type, I am polyamorous and have partners who are generously willing to volunteer to help try out whatever I happen to be testing.
When testing with partners, I take care to note what types of stimulation they prefer and test a sex machine’s performance at those specific tasks (it would be unreasonable, for example, to judge a machine that excels at penetration harshly because someone who doesn’t enjoy penetration tried to use it). When possible, I also look at more objective factors, including:
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