The Easy Guide to Strap-On Harnesses, Compatible Dildos and O-Rings

Choosing an engagement ring for you partner is possibly one of the hardest things you'll ever have to do - will it fit? Will it look right? Is it the right cut? Will she know I got it out of a Kinder Egg?

Choosing an O-ring for your strap-on harness however, is a lot easier and LoveHoney is here to show you how!

Harnesses and O-Rings

Most strap-on harnesses (apart from the Vac-U-Lock ones) come supplied with an O-ring.

However, this is often interchangeable so you don't have to be stuck with the one size and limited to which dildos you can use with it.

When you've decided which harness is right for you (read our Guide to Strap-On Harnesses) take a look at the supplied O-ring size that is listed in the description. The O-Ring diameter is usually listed, so you can get a dildo that will fit at the same time as you get your harness.

Let's look at the Sportsheets New Cummers Strap-On Starter Kit, for example. In the description, you can see that it has an O-ring diameter of 1.25 inches and an O-ring circumference of 3.9 inches.

What this means is that the O-ring has an internal diameter (the length inside the O-ring, from one side to the other) of 1.25 inches and it has an internal circumference (the measurement around the inside of the O-ring) of 3.9 inches, so your dildo will have to be of those measurments (or slightly less) to fit.
 

Dildos

Once you've established the size of the O-ring, you can then go about finding a compatible dildo. There is a section on the site entitled harness dildos so you know where to start!

Now, in some cases, the O-ring will slide down the shaft of the dildo and sit against the testicles. In other cases, if the dildo has a suction cup or flared base, the O-ring will need to be attached to that.

The benefit of a dildo that requires the O-ring to rest against the testicles is that it has a much tighter grip on it and won't fall out during use. However, if you're using a particularly heavy dildo with your harness, you may find that the dildo comes away from your body allowing you less control over it.

The advantages of using a dildo that has a suction cup or flared base for the O-ring to be attached to, is that they're much easier to use. Just bend the suction cup or base inwards and slot it through the O-ring and the dildo will be held close to the body throughout sex. The disadvantage however is that the fit can be a little loose, meaning that  your dildo may fall out during a particularly vigorous session!

So, an example of a compatible dildo for the Sportsheets New Cummers Strap-On Starter Kit is the Tantus Charmer Silicone G-Spot Prostate Dildo. It has an O-ring diameter of 1.25 inches and an O-ring circumference of 3.9 inches (a perfect match for our harness O-ring size) and it has a flared base meaning that we can just slip it through our O-ring.

Cock Rings

But what if you find a dildo that you absolutely love but it doesn't fit the O-ring you have? First of all, take a deep breath, make yourself a cup of tea and don't panic. We stock a wide range of cock rings that will fit  your dildo and harness and work just as good, if not better than, a regular O-ring.

Cock rings come in all kinds of materials, sizes, flexibility and function so you're sure to find one that fits. We recommend purchasing a pack with a few different sizes in such as the Spartacus Skin Safe Nitrile Cock Ring Set or the BASIC Sex Toys Get Hard Cock Rings Set so you have a selection on hand for trying out new dildos straight away!

You might also like to use a vibrating cock ring for extra sensations during your harness fun. Simply attach your harness straps to the cock ring, slide it onto your dildo then turn the vibrations on so you can both enjoy the excitement!
 

Last But Not Least

Here are a few final tips to ensure that you get the most out of your strap-on experience:

- Attach your harness straps to the O-ring before you put it onto your dildo - this will make the whole experience much easier!

- If you are struggling to get your O-ring onto your dildo, try using a little water-based lubricant on the sex toy and it should slide on cleanly.

- Metal O-rings are much more secure but are not at all flexible, so you will have to compromise over ease of use versus secure hold!