Good Vibrations Magazine

Double penetration is a huge fantasy for many women and men — we need only to look to its prevalence in erotic videos to find that out. Called “DP” in the adult video industry, double penetration has become a common variation shown in porn, and one that video consumers increasingly expect and want. But how common is it off-screen?

First, let’s be sure of what we’re talking about. In its most commonly referred-to form, double penetration is the simultaneous penetration of a woman vaginally and anally. What the porn industry calls “DP” means there are two men involved — that both of the phallic instruments are real, live cocks. While that can be a delicious fantasy, it’s somewhat less common for most women to try it in private life, if only because most of us don’t have threesomes with two men on a regular basis. But there’s much more to “DP” than just a single sex act.

For example, another kind of double penetration is vaginal or anal penetration mixed with oral sex (simultaneous oral with vaginal/anal penetration). And men can enjoy receiving double penetration as well, don’t forget, enjoying anal and oral receptivity at the same time. Since simultaneous vaginal/anal penetration is the most common act thought of when the term “double penetration” is used, that’s what I’ll be talking about here.

While the “gold standard” in porn may be two men on one woman, sex toys give us a world of possibility for enjoying this much-fantasized act, whether we’ve got male partners or female partners, two partners, one, or we’re enjoying ourselves alone.

Double Penetration with Sex Toys

First, the basics: if you’re going to involve your butt, we recommend reading our Ten Rules of Anal Sex and our Exploring Anal Sex Handy Shopping Guide. The simplest rules, however, are the most important: go slow, stop if you feel pain and use lots of lube.

Second: be sure that nothing that goes in your butt then goes directly in your vagina, since infection can result. Since latex or jelly rubber toys can’t be sterilized, if you’re going to use a toy in your anus that you might later use in your vagina, simply cover it with a condom. Silicone toys can be sterilized, so after you use one in your anus you can use it in your vagina as long as you boil it first. See our Toy Care and Cleaning Guide for more information.

Some companies sell toys specifically designed for simultaneous vaginal/anal penetration. These usually take the form of two joined dildos with a handle. These aren’t actually ideal for double penetration play, for two reasons: size and angle. It’s likely that you have different preferences as far as size and shape goes when it comes to your vagina and or anus. Buying one double-shafted toy means you won’t be able to select just the right tool for the job; one side or the other is likely to be too big or too small. And when it comes to angle, keep in mind that neither the vagina or the anus points straight back; they’re both curved, and the curves vary from woman to woman. Keep in mind that toys like our popular Nexus and Nexus Junior are excellent for two partners to share, but not really designed for a single person to enjoy. The Double Daisy can be adapted for that purpose (by bending it over — with a little muscle), but most people don’t find it ideal.

Your best bet, then, if you’re interested in playing with double penetration, is to select two different dildos or plugs. When selecting your toys, keep in mind that the vagina and anus occupy fairly close quarters, so if you select, say, the Sean Michaels Dildo and the Prince, things are going to get a little snug. That may be exactly what you want, but if you’re just getting started in double penetration, you’re likely to be satisfied with something smaller than you’re used to in both places. Also, with both anus and vagina feeling full (and a fairly small amount of tissue between them), veins or ridges may feel much more prominent than they would otherwise. Therefore, a smooth toy may feel better. Excellent choices for dildos are the deliciously smooth Silk toys, which have a variety of sizes and can be sterilized because they’re silicone. Also, since they can be sterilized, if you buy one size of Silk and discover that you’d prefer that size in your anus rather than your vagina — or vice-versa — you can sterilize it and switch! Other smooth dildos include the Bobbi Sue, Buzz, Treasure Chest and Champ. Each of these models has a flared base, which means that it can be safely used in your anus.

If you’d like to use a plug for your anus rather than a dildo, however, there are some excellent choices. The Slim Jane, Lava Plugs 1 and 2, Shapely Plug, Sapphire Plug, Little Flirt and Big Flirt are all great options to use for the back end of double penetration. If you’re using as much lube as we recommend, though, none of these plugs is likely to stay put for long. The best plug for hands-free pleasure is the Tristan, which can be particularly helpful since you’re likely to have at least one hand full.

When exploring simultaneous anal/vaginal penetration, keep the angle in mind. You may need to adjust the position of your body and the toys to make sure that the two toys hit all the right spots.

Using Harnesses

Another helpful tool for double penetration is the harness. The Thigh One On, as far as I’m concerned, is the goddess’ gift to kinky girls. It’s designed to be fastened around a partner’s thigh, providing an excellent way to use those quadriceps. But it can be fastened to a couch, bedpost or other solid object, and can be a great boon if you’re trying to fill all those special places at once. The Shag Rug can be affixed to the base of the dildo (over the harness) to provide additional clitoral stimulation — which may really blow your mind.

And if you’re exploring double penetration with a male partner, the Double Trouble Harness can give him distinct pleasure of having two penises — the strap-on harness allows him to use a dildo while leaving his cock free through the lower ring. Again, you’ll run into questions of angle, since the angle of a dildo in a harness — not to mention his penis — isn’t nearly as adjustable as that of a dildo in your hand. But who knows? Anal and vaginal angles vary from woman to woman, so you might find that the angles are just right!

Double Penetration with Partners

Speaking of partners, having one or more of them opens up even more possibilities for double penetration. First, even if you’re not going to involve a male partner’s anatomy, when it comes to DP four hands can definitely be better than two. Try these tips when playing with a partner:

• Lie on your stomach so you can use your hand to control the dildo in your vagina while he or she uses one in your anus — or, if he’s male, uses his penis to penetrate you.
• Alternately, you can lie on your back with your hand tucked behind, giving you control over the rear dildo or butt plug while your partner enters you from the front with a toy or a penis.
• If you know you want to be penetrated anally by your partner, have them lie on their back and sit on top. On top, you control both the anal penetration (with your own movements) and use your hand to play with a dildo or vibrator vaginally. This way, you call the shots on all fronts, can rock back on his/her cock while playing with your pussy, and choose the movement and rhythm you prefer.
• Lying on your side can make things even easier.
• If you’re using a Thigh One On, your partner can slide his or her thigh between your legs to give that dildo — anal or vaginal — more thrusting power. And there’s nothing that says you can’t use two of these harnesses next to each other. The previous cautions about angles still apply.

If you’ve actually got two partners, so much the better! If you’re using sex toys, that gives you not four but six hands, not to mention at least four thighs, to work with. If you’ve got two partners and you’d like them to penetrate you either with strap-ons or (if they’re male) with penises, keep these points in mind:

• Remember that while the positions used in erotic videos can provide some great ideas, those positions are designed so the camera can get the best possible angle. Unless you’re using your camcorder to make your own sexy videos (which is certainly an option), you’re going to be much more interested in what it feels like than what it looks like. Also, many of the porn positions are difficult or tiring to sustain; move around until you find the position that will be comfortable enough for you to relax and get off.
• Keep the relative body size of your partners in mind. Certain positions (crouching over a partner who’s underneath you, for instance) will give you more mobility and control over the penetration while still allowing a second partner to get in on the action.
• Thrusting when two partners are involved in simultaneously penetrating you can become either a daunting challenge or a synergistic, ecstatic experience. Make sure all three of you are working together to move your bodies in a way that maximizes everyone’s pleasure.
• Most importantly, remember that the most critical rules of anal sex apply — appropriately enough — doubly here. Go slow, stop if it hurts and use a lot of lube! It’s quite possible that you’ll need to use more lube than you normally would, because there’s likely to be a lot of extra friction.

Lastly, keep in mind that double penetration is such a huge erotic fantasy precisely because it’s something acrobatic and challenging. If it proves not to be something that works for you — or your partner(s) — in real life, it can still remain a cherished fantasy. Certain bodies just don’t fit together in certain ways, so be open to experimenting and trying new positions and styles.

Have fun!