Dildo vs Vibrator:
What's The Difference Between Them

Written by: Angela Watson | Updated: April 2nd, 2021

A Reliable Dildo Makes For Great Company

A dildo in the most basic sense is any toy shaped generally like an erect penis that is used for sexual stimulation through insertion; vaginally, anally, or orally. That being said, a quick browse through your local sex shop, or online for those who are a bit more timid, any search will quickly demonstrate that not all dildos need to be shaped exactly like a replica of a human's penis from a biologically accurate standpoint.

The Potential Of Raw Vibrator Strength

A vibrator is a sex toy that, as you guessed, vibrates. It is usually used externally on the clitoris or penis, however, it is safe to use them internally in the vagina and anus as well, depending on the model. The clitoris has nerve endings that are particularly tantalized by vibrations, making vibrators one of my favorite toys for when I really want to get going. 

Can Anything Go Wrong Using Dildos Or Vibrators?

A consideration when making your purchase is to confirm that the materials of your sex toy of choice, vibrator or otherwise, are completely body-safe. Silicone, glass, and stainless steel rank as the easiest toys to keep safe more or less forever. The main thing that can make a toy dangerous is it being a porous material. This simply means there are microscopic holes in the material that are more or less impossible to clean. Using some toys like this for a short period of time isn't a major risk, I just can't recommend using a dildo with a shelf life or an expiration date.

Unsafe materials can include jelly, rubber, PVC, and vinyl or other types of plastics Typically porous materials are not a very good choice as they can often "remember" different things and become discolored in a way that suggests they can hold onto certain things as well as give a great environment for bacteria to call home. Silicone toys that are body-safe (be wary of extremely cheap silicone) are often chosen for state of the art vibrators while a good dildo really doesn't have to be that advanced of a material, so there's a wide variety of great options.

Whenever using sex toys (with or without a partner) lubrication is very important. Choosing the right lubricant for the right type of sex toy and intended use is extremely important for reducing the risk of injury and infection. Water, silicone, and oil-based lubricants are great choices for their respective purpose, but keep in mind that some toys cannot be used with certain lubricants. For example, oil-based lubricants will degrade latex over time. This can affect certain types of toys, especially realistic feeling ones and even latex condoms. 

How To Know Which Is Best For You

There's a lot of simple questions you should ask yourself before committing to either entry level choice in stimulation. If noise level is a deal breaker for you then you should consider using a dildo for pure simplicity. The only way to get found out is either if you give yourself away with your covers or breathing. Or if you dropped it on the floor, I suppose. For certain models I am also of the opinion that a vibrator can never truly break, it just becomes a dildo if it doesn't hold a charge any more.

That being said, I completely understand why a lot of women are willing to risk getting found out by accidentally indulging a bit too much on a given toy. A large percentage of women have let me know personally and been found in a few different studies to absolutely need clitoral stimulation if they're to cross over the edge into orgasm any kind of quickly.

A benefit of female sex toys that often isn't spoken about is that since it isn't a human being there's a lot more fun you can have with it knowing that. Nobody is born with a penis that can vibrate to the beat of Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees or one that has a few extra ridges for posterity. But a vibrator can be made in hundreds if not thousands of different ways. I've been reviewing different toys for about three years now, about once every few months I still manage to find something that uses a motor to achieve a different kind of stimulation. 

Dildos are always reliable and don't have the downside of any complexities. A dildo doesn't require instructions. Not many even come with a new phallic friend in my experience besides a few that try to be funny.   You'll never have to worry about a dead battery, and dildos are one of the few toys that can get away with being either glass or stainless steel. The reason why that is an attractive feature is because those two materials can be easily boiled between uses as well as dried, while nearly every other common sex toy material requires something that amounts to a miniature version of cleaning the dishes.

Understandably, a lot of people are nervous to go in person and visit their local sex shop when they aren't even sure which toy is worth it's salt. Those who make sure to do their homework can make sure they aren't buying a toy that is unsafe or really just not as great as its cracked up to be. One of my top tips would be that any toy that is very reluctant to tell you what it's made out of probably isn't made out of something you want in your body. Enough information on the topic has been read now that I think these companies are adapting in response, so watch out!

Another thing that I find really helps visualize the possible experience a dildo or vibrator might bring is watching YouTube videos where I can get a sense of how big the toy actually is in physical terms. Not only that, most people try somehow to show off how strong the toy is in ways that are a lot better to see than the vague descriptions like "10 configurable settings". Don't get me wrong, some of the descriptions are great now that I understand what they're trying to get at better, but I can't say I've always guessed how a toy would work correctly 100% of the time.

No matter what you settle on yourself, remember to shop safely and have fun!