Fan Request – Is There An Affordable Anal Plug?

I recently reviewed the Njoy Pure Plug 2.0 (read all about it here). It’s a fantastic piece of kit, but you don’t have to go to such extreme economic lengths to have a fantastic plug / prostate experience.

Indeed, my first plug… and a favourite of mine… is super affordable. So when a reader reached out (Hi Sean!) and asked if I could review / recommend a more accessible plug, I knew exactly which one to reach for.

And, ultimately, it gave me an excuse to get the Fun Factory Bootie back in (no pun intended). 

How did I come across the Bootie?

Research… a lot of research. I knew I enjoyed prostate play, but I was young and at university so I didn’t know a lot about adult toys… or even about male sexuality if I was honest. 

I had always thought adult shops were mainly about vibrators and toys built for vaginas (how naive)… once I actually ventured into one, I quickly learnt that there were products for me too!

Whilst I didn’t buy anything that first visit – truth be told, I was that excited I knew I would buy half the shop and not be able to walk for days – it did give me the impetus to get online, read some reviews, and learn everything I could about plugs. Up until then, I knew I enjoyed anal play, but had no idea about the prostate so didn’t know exactly why it felt so good!

The Selection Criteria

As I read (and read, and read) online, I realised that there were a couple of hard and fast rules I needed to consider when purchasing a toy.

1. Body safe manufacturing : as many of you will already know, a lot of the budget products are made from ingredients that you probably don’t want in your body. Phthalates, chlorine, some plasticisers, and porous materials to name a few. There’s a pretty good write up available at here which gives some great information. 
2. Flared base : particularly important for anal toys, a flared base stops the product from disappearing inside you and requiring a (potentially embarrassing) visit to the hospital, or requiring assistance from an open minded friend.
3. Size : having had some experience with anal play, I knew what I could comfortably handle. Too small, and what would be the point?… just as important was ensuring my eyes weren’t bigger than my arsehole, leading me to purchase something I might not be able to comfortably use.
4. Design : some toys are made for anal use in general, some are specifically designed for prostate stimulation (I’m looking at you Aneros!) Once I learnt more about the prostate, this was definitely an influence in my decision.
5. Consensus : there’s so many toys out there, I wanted to make sure that my purchase was going to be a positive experience. I didn’t want to lay down my limited university student resources only to end up with a dud toy. So I checked out what others had to say.

Top tip : I always inspect a toy closely for any manufacturing faults when I get them out of their packaging. If you’re buying quality toys from a reputable manufacturer and retailer, you shouldn’t have any issues, but it’s worth checking anyway before use. Damaged toys might be unsafe (at worse), or simply prove difficult to sanitise effectively, or may just not last very long. Whilst Australian consumer law covers you for manufacturing faults (I’m not sure about other countries), who wants to engage with a company’s return policy (or the Office of Fair Trading!) for a used butt-plug? 

The Decision

The Bootie was where I landed. Being a Fun Factory product, I felt safe with the quality I could expect. Online reviews and experiences were favourable, and its price point was great – not so cheap that I had to be concerned about what corners may have been cut in the manufacturing process, but not so expensive that it would end up being a costly disappointment if it didn’t rock my world.

JouJou is the Australian partner of Fun Factory, and they carry an excellent selection of both the Bootie and other great toys. The Bootie comes in three different sizes (small, medium, and large), or you can get a set of all three and be ready for any mood. 

There’s also the ‘Bootie Ring’ which incorporates a cock ring and perineal massager into the design!

Fun fact : I think I may have just found my next purchase 🙂

The Deets

Ultimately I went with the Bootie in large (go big or go home). Given that I’m 6 foot 4, my prostate is further in than the average guy, so I wanted to make sure I was on the money. 

At the time of writing, you can grab the Bootie large for about $50 AUD.

The large version is 11.1cm long, and about 4cm at its widest point. As I said above, it’s made from high quality silicone, which makes it soft enough for extended wear whilst still being rigid enough to make insertion a breeze.

There really is nothing more frustrating than trying to get toy placement correct with a product so soft it slips and moves as if it had a mind of its own. And, considering the tightness of the hole which you are aiming for, if there isn’t some strength to the toy you’re going to be stuffing around for ages. 

Additionally, having a little rigidity to the product means that it presses against the prostate with a comfortably firm and consistent pressure… if you’re going to have a toy inside you, you may as well know it’s there!

Speaking of insertion, don’t be scared of the size of the Bootie’s tip. Many anal plugs I’ve seen appear to be more ‘teardrop’ design… which though they may give a feeling of ‘fullness’, but aren’t really designed to target the prostate. The Bootie’s design however, targets the prostate like a heat seeking missile! 

Once you’re over the initial width (which is actually quite easy), the whole toy slides into place neatly… nestling the wide bulb against the prostate to fantastic effect.

The base is also a bit of a departure from the majority of plugs you’ll see in your travels… it’s a flatter, oblong shape as opposed to the round bases on many others. I cannot state strongly enough how much of a game changer this is!

It settles nicely between your cheeks, out of the way and ensuring long term comfort. It secures the toy nicely, and makes removal a breeze. It also means that the toy remains amazingly discrete when in use, no weird bulges in the tightest of pants, or uncomfortable shifting in your seat in the office trying to get a position that doesn’t push the toy further in.

The Bootie holds lube well, however you will want to reapply throughout the day if you’re using longer term… again, water based lube can be absorbed or lose its slipperiness… and the last thing you want is to try and remove a dry toy at the end of the day. That’s when you’ll really understand what I mean when I say that silicone can drag!

As opposed to the behemoth that is the stainless steel Njoy Pure Plug 2.0, the Bootie’s is amazingly lightweight. Again, this makes long term wear easy, and removes any anxiety of it falling out during your walk to your next meeting, or the coffee shop, or during the grocery run.

My Experience

In a word… amazing. My first ever toy, and one I still keep around and come back to again and again.

It’s a great quality silicone that isn’t too ‘draggy’ (important for your bum – see above!), and is super easy to clean and sterilise. I tend to use soap and water, and some toy cleaner, before air drying… but it can also be boiled for about 3 minutes, or placed in the top rack of your dishwasher.

Be aware that you can’t use silicone lube with silicone toys (I know this is in every review, no matter the author, and that’s because it’s important!) 

Silicone on silicone is like inbreeding – whilst it may feel good at the beginning, eventually everything starts to merge into one homogenous mess and you can’t tell one thing from another 🙂

Final word on silicone toys, they can absorb odours a bit. The Bootie is no different, however following a proper cleaning any odours will dissipate within about 24 hours.

Top tip – I love the pjur brand of lubricant products, and they make a number of excellent water based options – including some specifically for anal use.

The Bootie can collect dust and lint however, so make sure you clean it before every use… and store it appropriately.

The pressure on the prostate is fantastic… comfortable, dependable, sexy. Wearing throughout the workday is great, with enough substance to know it’s there without becoming annoying or distracting.

When in use during sex, or solo play, it really takes your experience to the next level. It will absolutely make you leak (if you’re that way inclined), and when you finally come you will go off like a firehose.

Final Words

It’s telling that I keep the Bootie in rotation… even with the number of toys I have (and the significant investment I’ve made in some of them), the Bootie is still a toy that I dust off regularly for fun. It’s still as good today as the day I first bought it, and still rocks my world.

So if you’re looking for a great, well designed, high quality, safe anal plug that absolutely hits the sweet spot for prostate stimulation… I highly recommend the Fun Factory Bootie. Add the fact that it comes in a range of sizes to fit users of differing experience and you really can’t go wrong.

And, for the price point, why waste your time with potentially dodgy items from unreliable online sellers… this could be the perfect opportunity to start your Fun Factory collection 🙂