Clit Pumps Are Sexy, Useful, & Very Underrated

Back in her Hannah Montana days, Miley Cyrus sang: “Get up, get loud, start pumpin' up the party now.” Because my brain is broken from years of Disney Channel marathons, my mind automatically drifts to this bubblegum pop song whenever someone mentions clit pumps, an inclusive and, in my opinion, underrated sex toy. These suction devices are used for temporary genital growth, and to increase blood flow to the clitoris — a great way to make sex and masturbation feel awesome. As Cyrus sang, "Gotta make this party grow, together we can make it blow, right through the roof."

Clit pumps consist of a cylinder (typically made of plastic) and a pumping mechanism (usually a hand pump). They may come with a few different sized cylinders, so play around to find your best fit, suggests Lisa Finn, a sex educator at Babeland who uses she/they pronouns. "Some people on testosterone will see increased blood flow to that entire area so they may have more engorged mons pubis," they say. "So [cylinders with broader bases] may fit a little bit more comfortably."

The cylinder is meant to cover the clitoris. (This makes it different from a vulva pump, which covers the entire labia.) As you pump, blood is drawn into the clit. This mimics the body's natural arousal response, where blood rushes to fill the tissue of the vulva making it more sensitive to touch and other sensations, explains Myisha Battle, a certified sex and dating coach.

Aesthetics are another major reason people use these toys. Pumping makes the clit visibly engorged, which can look, well, pretty sexy. Transgender, transmasculine, non-binary, or gender non-conforming people may use pumps to experience temporary genital growth, Finn adds. "A lot of people find the idea of having a more pronounced clitoral head — or having their clit feel more phallic in shape — really hot," they say. "It can be important for someone's 
gender affirmation, to have something that feels more like a phallus that's a part of the biological body, instead of something like a dildo."

"Being able to cause a visible erection through pumping can feel empowering to certain [transgender and gender nonconforming] TGNC people (and also to non-TGNC people for that matter)," confirms Dulcinea Pitagora, PhD, a sex therapist known as the Kink Doctor who uses they/them pronouns. Some products, such as Babeland's Trans Masc Pump are designed specifically for queer, transmascluine, and non-binary bodies.

But a clit pump can be a helluva a fun toy for anyone with a clitoris, who enjoys intense clitoral stimulation, says Dr. Pitagora.

Clit pumps are safe, as long as you’re following the directions that come with the product, and don't use it on areas with tissue damage. There is a small risk of vulvar tissue or even blood vessel injury, but this is very rare. To minimize even that tiny risk, before you test one out, make sure you know where the release valve is. This valve will quickly release the pressure if your pumping ends up getting a little too enthusiastic. You can also put lube around the clit before using the pump to make it more comfortable.

If you plan to have your partner use the pump on you, play around with it solo first to get familiar with the amount of suction you're comfortable with, and establish a safe word so you can quickly end the experiment if you feel any sort of discomfort, Battle says. “A clit pump is designed for arousal, meaning it should be removed prior to any sexual play,” Battle says. “It is also designed for external use only so the pump shouldn't be used inside the vagina.”

As Battle says, “Clit pumps are the underdogs of the pleasure product world." If you're curious, swipe through to find a pump that works for you.