The Ultimate Guide to Buying and Using Kegel Balls

After our fiasco with my first set of kegel balls, we realized that there really isn’t that much information out there to actually know what the hell to do. We decided to scour the Internet to find the best information, and also tried numerous kegel balls to bring you the Ultimate Guide to Buying and Using Kegel Balls.

If we missed anything, leave us a comment and we’ll do our absolute best to get you an accurate and useful answer.

Note: both women and men can do kegel exercises, but in this article we discuss kegel exercises for those with vulvas and vaginas. Do NOT, I repeat do NOT, insert anally.

First Things First:

Kegel exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles (pubococcygeus or PC muscle). These muscles are not only involved in orgasm, but they support your uterus, bladder, small intestine and rectum. Many factors can affect the strength of your PC muscle including any surgeries in the area, giving birth, gastrointestinal issues that cause a lot of straining, respiratory issues that cause chronic coughing, or just simply being overweight. If you find that you occasionally leak urine or stool while sneezing, laughing or coughing, you might have a medical reason to start doing kegel exercises. You might also enjoy doing them to strengthen your orgasms or to just enjoy the sensation of kegel balls rocking around inside of you.

Where are my pelvic floor muscles?

You shouldn’t do this often, but in order to find your PC muscle, you can stop your urination midstream. The muscles you use to stop the flow are the same muscles you’re going to want to work out with kegel balls. Do not workout your muscles while urinating – it can actually have a negative effect on your ability to properly empty your bladder. So instead of working out on the loo, buy yourself a pair of kegel balls and work out in bed, at the office, or out doing your errands!

If you are having trouble finding your PC muscle with the pee-method, try placing your finger up your vagina and “squeezing”. If you feel muscles tightening around you finger – you’ve hit the jackpot! If you still don’t feel it, try the same with multiple fingers or a partner. If you look deep enough into a properly positioned mirror, you can sometimes actually see your muscles contract.
Lelo Kegel Diagram – Guide

Taken from Lelo.com

Exercises:

There are many ways to do exercises without purchasing any accessories. Many vagina owners start with basic squeezing exercises. Get into a comfortable position whether that is lying down, sitting or standing. Squeeze your pelvic floor muscles for 2-5 seconds and release your muscles for 10 seconds. Repeat the exercise ten times, up to three times a day. If that is too easy for you, you can try squeezing them for longer, up to 10 seconds. You shouldn’t really be doing more than 3 reps per day. Your Kegel exercises should focus on your PC muscle only, which means you should not be flexing your abdomen, thigh or butt.

The best part about kegel exercises is that you can do them anytime, anywhere, and it is your little secret. In a boring business meeting? Do a set of 10 to help pass the time and reap the benefits. (The benefits tend to kick in within 4-6 weeks once they’re part of your daily routine).

Kegel Balls:

Kegel balls add an extra intensity to kegel exercises. They are available in a wide variety of sizes and weights, so you can customize your experience to what works for your body.

Although you can continue to workout your PC muscle with kegel balls inserted, many vagina owners wear them for pleasure or adventure. Some find the sensation to be incredibly pleasurable, some find them to be a prolonged ‘warm-up’ to a sexual session, and others find it to be a fun little secret when out-and-about the town.

Some kegel balls are solid and meant to intensify the exercises described above. In this case, repeat the information above with your kegel balls inserted (squeeze, release, repeat). These are often referred to as Ben Wa balls, and can either come with or without a removal string.

Some kegel balls are designed to do all of the work for you – this is known as a duotone system. When the smaller interior weighted ball rolls towards your vaginal wall, your PC muscle contracts (you probably won’t feel this). You can wear these for hours at a time, just make sure you’re moving around or the weighted balls won’t move. It’s lazy, but effective. A popular brand are the Lelo Luna Beads.
Lelo Luna Beads Official Picture – Guide

Taken from Lelo.com

However you want to use kegel balls is up to you. You do you. However, there are some things you should know if it is your first time using kegel balls.

Material:
Remember that this is going up your vagina, so you need to make sure it is made of safe material: metal, glass, jade, ABS plastic, 100% silicone. Make sure any string attached to the balls (meant for easy removal) is made of safe materials as well. The internet seems to believe silicone or hard plastic is easier than metal or glass to hold inside.

Cleaning:
Depending on which material your kegel balls are made of, you can refer to our sex toy cleaning guide. Kegel balls are not really a sex toy, but need to be cleaned in the same way.

Lubricant:
Often added lubrication is needed for insertion. Same guidelines apply – don’t mix silicone lube with silicone material. Otherwise, pick a lube that feels good for you (and safe for your body, please).

Size:
Although smaller balls might weigh less, it is actually easier to start with larger balls. Just think about how your muscles are going to grip onto the ball to prevent them from falling out – it is easier to stop something that is larger. As a reference, Lelo Luna Beads have a 35mm diameter.

Alternatively, if you have a small internal size, the larger kegel balls may hurt to insert. In this case, there are ‘mini’ kegel balls that have a smaller diameter. As a reference, Lelo Luna Beads Minis have a 29mm diameter.

Weight:
There is no real recommended ‘starter’ weight, however there are so many different variety of kegel balls out there, you should have a reference point.
First, if the retailer/manufacturer does not specify the weight – do not purchase!!! Learn from my mistakes and find out what the weight is BEFORE trying to put them in your vagina. Not checking can result in a huge waste of money.

Lelo Luna Beads seem to be the crème de la crème when it comes to kegel balls. When you purchase them, there are four options. Two lighter balls and two heavier balls. You can use the balls solo or as a pair, which means you can progressively increase the weight as your muscle strengthens. As a reference point, the pink (lighter) balls each weigh 28 grams. The blue (heavier) balls each weigh 37 grams. As a true beginner, you can start with 28 grams and work your way up to 74 grams.

If you’ve never used kegel balls before, I would highly recommend purchasing a system like the Lelo Luna Beads where you can adjust the weight. If you want one set, then aim for somewhere between 30 to 75 grams.

If you’ve used kegel balls before, or are a pro at 75 grams, then I would obviously recommend other heavier kegel balls. Kegel balls come in all sorts of different weight – the Maia Twissty Balls are 200 grams (and 100% silicone).

Remember that you don’t want to hurt yourself. Like any physical activity, you need to start low and work upwards. You wouldn’t go to the gym for the first time and try lifting 200 pounds, so don’t overdo it with your PC muscle. Slow and steady wins the race (and when the race involves your vagina, you want to win).

One Ball or Two?
This depends on your internal size and your designed kegel weight. If you have a small internal size or are just starting to use kegel balls, you might want to start with one ball. Better to start small and work your way up.

If you have a medium or large internal size, or if you’ve done some kegel exercises before, you can probably start with two balls. Just remember that you’re doubling the weight, so if it doesn’t feel right, switch to one.

Some sets of two balls weigh less than some sets of one ball – so make sure to check the weight.
Lovehoney Main Squeeze Double Kegel Ball – Guide

Taken from Lovehoney.com
Lovehoney Main Squeeze Single Kegel Ball – Guide

Taken from Lovehoney.com

How to Insert:
1. Use lubrication on the balls to help insert them. Remember though – the easier they go in, the easier they fall out – so use lube but don’t overdo it.
2. Often people like to lay down for their first insertion, but you can be in any position you want. It is similar to inserting a tampon or reusable cup, so you might want to try inserting the kegel balls while in a similar position. Push the balls gently into your vaginal opening.
3. Once they’re in, you can sit up and move around or you can keep lying down. It is totally up to you!
4. If they are painful at any time, do not keep inserting! You can try again with more lube, in a different position, after a relaxing moment – but if they continue to hurt, don’t force it. They might be an inappropriate size/weight for you at the moment.

Side Tips: It helps if you empty your bladder prior to insertion and cut your nails so you don’t stab yourself (yes, it happened to me).

Can It Get Lost?
Kegel balls will not get lost inside of you – there is nowhere for them to go. If they go too far up, then you or your partner can remove them manually, you can jump up and down or you can squat and push them out – like if you were pushing to give birth, just a lot less painful. Ever poo with a tampon in and feel the tampon coming out? Ya – that’s what you’re aiming for in this case. Sets that include retrieval cords help avoid any issues and seemingly make the balls easier to remove. Do NOT insert anally – even if there is a retrieval string – this is how they will ‘get lost’ and you’ll have a very awkward and uncomfortable trip to the doctor.

Ben Wa balls (solid kegel balls) come without a removal string. Some have a drilled hole in the balls in order to add your own string. From what I understand, you can use waxed or unwaxed dental floss, string or a 100% Silk thread (extra strong). These would be a one-time usage for hygienic purposes. A 30cm piece seems to be recommended.

Kegel Balls and Menstruation:
There doesn’t seem to be a reason to avoid using kegel balls while menstruating, except for the resulting mess that may occur upon removal. If you are comfortable and safe using a re-usable cup (like the Moon Cup) with your particular form of birth control, then there shouldn’t be any issues with kegel balls.

If anyone has any more information on this, please email or comment below. Particularly interested about IUDs and Kegel Balls. There doesn’t seem to be any online information about this and my doctor doesn’t have a clue.

Kegel Balls and Pregnancy:

Honestly, there are so many different aspects of pregnancy and health to consider. Check with your doctor. Don’t read online advice about this.

Kegel Barbells:

You may not have heard of kegel barbells until right this moment. I hadn’t heard of them until researching this post. Kegel barbells are typically designed with one end slightly wider than the other. You do not completely insert the device into your vagina, instead, you insert about one third of it, and you get to watch the other two thirds move in and out as you do your exercises. It is recommended to lie on your back with your knees bent meaning that exercises with barbells typically take more time and concentration than kegel balls. Don’t forget to use lube for insertion if you need to. Start with a lighter barbell and work your way up – just like if you were using a weight barbell at the gym.

Other Resources:

There is a lot of garbage on the internet about kegel balls, and a whole lot of incomplete information. This guide was put together by literally scouring the internet and piecing things together. Below are the only two resources that I am happy to recommend.