Photographed by Ashley Armitage.

Sex toys can certainly make it a lot easier to reach orgasm during sex or while masturbating. But don't sleep on your favorite vibe's ability to ramp up the pleasure and anticipation during foreplay, as well. That's right, foreplay is a great time to break out sex toys.

In my opinion, foreplay is seriously underrated — and there's evidence that I'm not alone in that thinking. One 2004 study of 152 cis straight couples found that both men and women wanted about twice as much foreplay as they were actually getting, and a 2017 study found that both straight and queer cis women were more likely to orgasm if the encounter included deep kissing, manual genital stimulation, and oral sex. (That said, manual stimulation and oral sex can be seen as either sex or foreplay, depending on how that particular encounter plays out.)

Most sex toys that are used during sex can also be used during foreplay. It’s all about how you use them. Think: lower settings, lighter touches, and covering many erogenous zones instead of focusing on just one. You might, for example, run your favorite bullet vibe over your nipples during foreplay, then turn it to its highest setting and hold it against your clit during sex.

There are some foreplay-specific sex toys out there, too, such as feathery ticklers, sensual massage candles, and floggers for impact play.

If you're interesting in incorporating sex toys into foreplay, here are some suggestions to get you started.

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