Remote control

Trying one for the first time

Start small. A vibrating egg from INTENSE or WOMANVIBE is the usual first pick, because it does one job well and the remote has only a handful of buttons to learn. Look for body-safe silicone and a soft retrieval tail, which makes removal easy and stops the egg from sitting too deep. If you'd rather keep everything external, some of our mini vibrators come with a wireless remote and need no insertion at all.

Hands free when you're on your own

Solo, the remote mainly solves a practical problem. Once the toy is in place, you can switch patterns without reaching down and losing the moment. Dual models with suction or rotation belong here. They combine internal and clitoral stimulation, and the rotating ones behave much like our rotating vibrators, except the controls sit in your hand instead of on the shaft. Prefer a lifelike shape? Several realistic vibrators also come with a remote.

Handing a partner the buttons

This is where remote toys really earn their place. One of you wears an egg or a plug, the other decides when it starts and how strong it gets. A simple radio remote usually reaches a few metres, which covers the next room or the other side of a dinner table. For real distance you need an app toy. These connect over Bluetooth nearby or over the internet, so a partner in another city can take over. You'll find them among the high-tech vibrators.

For anal play, pick a vibrating plug with a flared base, since anything without one can slip further in than intended. If you share a toy, use a fresh condom for each partner and wash it with soap and water between sessions, as the NHS recommends.

Quiet enough for a night out

Eggs and wearables are built for leaving the house, and most remotes are small enough to pass for a key fob. Remote kegel balls work the same way and double as pelvic floor training. Our tip: test the toy in a silent room first. A hum you can't hear at home with the telly on can carry in a lift or a quiet restaurant. Check the remote's battery before you go out, too, as most run on a small coin cell. Lost the remote altogether? Pretty Love sells replacement remotes for its toys, so the vibrator itself doesn't have to go.