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Sex machines tend to evoke a bit of trepidation. There’s just something about the word machine being in the same sentence as sex that can cause a lot of unnecessary thoughts. The reality is that even small, typical vibrators are technically machines, so you really shouldn’t sweat the terminology. Instead, embrace what sex machines can add to your sex life; they can elevate pleasure in ways you may not have conceived before. Not sure where to start? I’ve got you. We’ve 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 toy guides, including the Best Sex Toys, Best Vibrators, Best Clitoral Suction Toys, and Best Lubes.
Updated September 2025: We've added the Cowgirl Rodeo Rumbler, Lelo F1S V3, and fresh advice.
Why Would You Want a Sex Machine?
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 on your own.
- Accessible adventures. Sex takes a lot of physical work. Over time and, for a variety of reasons, human bodies sometimes struggle to do physical work. If you have a physical disability or chronic injury/pain, sex machines can help perform some of the labor sex requires, leaving you and/or your partner(s) free to connect in less strenuous and more intimate ways.
- Stimulating specificity. Everyone’s body is different, and not everyone experiences pleasure in the same way. One person may enjoy penetration, while another person can only have an orgasm via clitoral stimulation. Some people are highly sensitive to the slightest touches, while others require intense sensations to reach their pleasure peak. Sex machines can offer a variety of sensations that are difficult to achieve with typical sex toys.
- Exciting experimentation. Novelty is a mainstay of many healthy sex lives, and for most people, it’s hard to get much more novel than a sex machine. Not only is the idea of using a sex machine fresh in itself, but many of our picks provide a lot of creative options for having sex in positions or dynamics that aren’t possible otherwise.
What to Look for in a Sex Machine
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.
- Vibration. There are lots of sex toys that vibrate, and some sex machines offer the same type of sensation. In fact, for those who want to skip penetration altogether and focus on enjoying external vibrations to achieve climax, that’s absolutely something you can get from a sex machine. A perfect example of this is riding the Motorbunny Buck sans dildo or grinding against The Cowgirl Rodeo Rumbler.
- Penetration. If you prefer the feeling of penetration, sex machines have a lot to offer for you. Whether you prefer vaginal or anal penetration—or both at the same time—it’s good to have some sense of how much penetration you enjoy, what sizes you prefer, and how deep you like penetration to go. This is important, because many sex machines can be customized with stroke length, attachment size, and how powerful the motor is.
- Positions. While many sex machines can be customized, you still want to know what positions are best for you. If you have limited mobility and need to keep things simple, then you want a sex machine that fits that need. If you’re as limber as a Cirque du Soleil acrobat and can hold certain positions for an extraordinary amount of time, then that’s also something to take into consideration before making your purchase. Sex machines are often a big investment, so it’s important to be realistic with how you’re most comfortable now and not what you hope you’ll be capable of in the future.
- Noise. A typical sex toy can be noisy, and that goes double for a sex machine. If you live in a house off the beaten path where no one can hear your sex machine that sounds like a racing car revving its engine over and over again while you use it, then great! If you’re an urban dweller with neighbors above, below, and beside you, then you may want to opt for a sex machine that’s designed to be on the quieter side. While there’s no shame in using a sex machine—or any sex toy, for that matter—apartment-living etiquette requires at least some level of decorum. So, choose wisely and responsibly, to avoid being ousted by the co-op board.
It’s always difficult to objectively test sex toys. This is because sexual pleasure is a very long and beautiful spectrum. I understand that what I might enjoy with a partner might be cringeworthy for someone else. But as someone who has tried a lot of sex toys and has had partners of both genders, I’ve done my best to be both open-minded and objective.
When I test any sex toy with partners, I make sure we keep the lines of communication open throughout and during the aftercare stage. I pay attention to not only what they’re saying during different modes and intensities but also the sounds they make that often speak louder than their words. Then, of course, I look at the following factors:
Motor strength and speed. The motors in sex machines can provide vibration, thrust, or sometimes both. In devices that simulate penetration, the stroke length and speed can also be critical factors.
Resistance and stability. Penetrative machines have to be stabilized to provide enough resistance so the motor doesn’t just push the device away from your body. When testing sex machines, I examine how easy it is to put them in a stable position that’s comfortable and safe for the user.
Customizability. Since every body is unique, how well a sex machine can conform to your comfort is of paramount importance. Devices that are only fun if you squat in a particular position or arch your back in just the right way will lose points over machines that can be adjusted to fit your favorite positions.
Best Sex Machine Overall
Courtesy of Motorbunny
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 has 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 ($249) 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.
Best Grinding Sex Machine
Courtesy of The Cowgirl
The Cowgirl
Rodeo Rumbler Grinding Sex Machine
If you’re someone who doesn’t find penetration pleasurable, then the Cowgirl Rodeo Rumbler Grinding Sex Machine may be the best option for you. Place the Rodeo Rumbler on a flat surface and either sit or lie on the device—whichever is most comfortable for your mobility—and let the five powerful vibration modes send deep rumbles throughout your entire vulva. When you’re ready to intensify things, you can turn on the clitoral tapper—which also has five modes—to make sure your clitoris is the focal point of the entire experience. With the tapper, you can start small, teasing yourself as a sort of foreplay, then work your way up to stronger taps, or go all in from the beginning, enjoying the intensity of pure clitoral bliss.
I love this vibrating hump for solo play, which is easy and hands-free thanks to the three-button remote control, as well as partnered play. Unlike other sex machines that take up a lot of space, sometimes interfering a bit with intimacy, the Rodeo Rumbler is small enough that it feels like an organic fit in bed with my partner and me. Although it takes two hours to charge for each hour of run time, I consider it a fair trade-off because of how uniquely satisfying the ride is with this device. It’s also waterproof and has an anti-slip grip base so you can avoid any sex-related injuries.
Best Thrusting Vibrator
Courtesy of Lovense
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 and 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.
Best Thrusting Machine
Courtesy of Lovense
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.
An Upgraded Thrusting Machine
Courtesy of Lovense
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.
Best Sex Machine for Penises
Courtesy of Lelo
Although sex machines usually conjure up thoughts of large penetrative devices, that’s not always the case. After all, a sex toy doesn’t have to be big and wield a dildo to be classified as a machine. I’d be remiss to totally skip over sex machines for penises—especially because that’s exactly what rechargeable masturbators are.
If the F1S V3 sounds like a fancy car, that’s because this thing is the Cadillac of masturbators. According to my partner, who has the penis in the relationship, this machine simulates blow jobs so amazingly well that he experienced brief moments where he was able to drift off and think it was, to use his words, “an interesting twist on the real deal.”
Unlike other masturbators that require thrusting, the F1S V3 lets the user lie back and enjoy themselves while this handheld machine does all the work, from low teasing hums to intense pulsations. If the eight modes aren’t enough and you need to turn things up a bit, you can connect your phone to the LELO app for more options and hands-free stimulation. Because you can get two hours of playtime out of this bad boy—after two hours of charging—you definitely want to make sure you load up on your favorite water-based lube.
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