The Best Penis Pumps to Pump Up Your Dick Size

All kinds of weird innovations have been developed to make dicks bigger and harder: pills, creams, scary surgeries, daily penis-stretching exercises and more. Most of them are suspect at best and wildly dangerous at worst, but there’s some evidence that one type of cock-augmenting product — penis pumps — might actually give you the raging boner you’ve been looking for.

What Do Penis Pumps Actually Do?

According to Yonah Krakowsky, a urologist and sexual medicine surgeon at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, penis pumps work by applying suction to pull blood into the penis. This helps create a better, harder erection than you might be capable of getting on your own, especially if you suffer from erectile dysfunction. “Pumping is a safe and effective treatment for people with penises who have erectile issues,” Krakowsky says.

More controversially, it’s also thought that pumps can boost your dick size. Krakowsky says that using a pump regularly can create a mild-to-moderate increase in length and/or girth over time (we’re talking fractions of an inch, or maybe an inch or two, tops). It can also help prevent a reduction in penis size that sometimes follows a pelvic surgery like a prostatectomy. Chris Kalev, co-owner of pump company L.A. Pump, further adds that regular pumping can help with the penile “atrophying” or “shrinkage” that is a natural side effect of aging for some people.

Some trans guys also use clitoral pumps to encourage that area to grow, especially in combination with testosterone treatments. This can be a useful tool in the fight against gender dysphoria.

All that said, there are many people who use pumps simply because it feels good to apply suction to their most sensitive zones, and sticking your dick into a product meant for that purpose is far safer than, say, sticking it into a vacuum cleaner or the suction pump of a public pool. Sensitivity can be heightened and orgasms can feel more intense after pumping, because of the increased blood flow to the area.

How to Measure Your Dick for a Pump

“It’s very important to get the right size of cylinder,” Kalev says. A cylinder that’s too small can be uncomfortably restrictive, and raises the risk of damaging your junk. A too-big cylinder, on the other hand, can try to suck your balls and scrotum into the tube along with your member. Kalev also says that psychologically speaking, an overly roomy cylinder can make you want to pump your dick up bigger than is strictly safe, in order to fill the tube.

To measure for a penis pump, first make sure you’re erect, and then measure the circumference of the widest part of your dick with a tape measure. (If you don’t have a tape measure, you can use a string or shoelace, and then lay it flat against a ruler to find the correct measurement.) Some penis pump companies offer sizing charts to help you figure out which cylinder has the right diameter for you. If you’re between sizes, it’s better to size up than size down.

For length, Kalev recommends getting a cylinder that’s 2 to 3 inches longer than your fully erect penis as it’s always nice to have room to grow.

If you’re having trouble getting a good seal with a pump you already own, or you’re finding that it digs into you during use, you might need a silicone pump sleeve. It’s a flexible piece of silicone that slips over the base of the pump, to help create a tighter seal and keep the pump from pressing into you uncomfortably.

Penis Pump Safety Basics

1) Safety Features. Kalev and the FDA both recommend pumps that give you some idea of how much pressure is being exerted on your junk — whether that’s via an attached pressure gauge or a built-in vacuum limiter. These are surprisingly hard to find in commercially-produced pumps, so shop carefully. You’ll also want your pump to have a vacuum release valve, so you can get out of it in a hurry if you need to.

2) Low and Slow. Pumps can exert a lot of force, and if you use ‘em wrong, they can cause nerve damage, ligament damage, bruising and other effects you definitely don’t want. “It’s like anal sex — when you go too hard or too fast, or you don’t use lube, and you feel pain, that’s your body saying ‘Stop!’” says Kalev. This isn’t a “no pain, no gain” situation! You should also stop immediately if you feel numbness or tingling, or if you see anything concerning, like bruising or blood vessels popping (yikes).

3) Use Sparingly. Kalev tells his customers to start by pumping for 15 to 20 minutes, a few times a week. Krakowski adds that leaving a cock ring or pump on for too long can cause permanent erectile difficulties and even necrosis. “It’s the same as leaving a tourniquet on your arm too long,” he says, in that using a penis pump and/or cock ring for too long deprives your tissues of oxygen and can cause incurable damage. Proceed with caution if you value your dick.

4) Read the Instructions Carefully. Before you start, make sure you know all the key features of your pump, how to use it and how to release the pressure quickly. It might seem self-explanatory, but it’s wisest to read the instructions anyway — your penis will thank you.

5) Lube Up. Unless you think you’d love the sensation of your dry dick skin sliding against a dry acrylic tube (in which case, you do you, I guess), you’re gonna want to lube up the area before you pump. Kalev recommends water-based lube because it’s easier to clean off afterward, though a silicone-based option like Uberlube will last longer without needing to be reapplied.

Okay, now that you’re all pumped up about pumps, let’s talk about some of the best ones… 

Manual Penis Pumps 

L.A. Pump Deluxe Penis Enlargement Package

This kit comes with everything you need to get started on your pumping adventures: a hand pump, a custom-sized cylinder, connectors, vinyl tubing, detailed instructions and a bottle of water-based lube. The pump itself has a pressure gauge, so you can make sure you’re staying within a safe zone — it goes all the way up to 30, but Kalev recommends you go no higher than 10 on the dial at the absolute most (and he himself tends to get uncomfortable around a 4).

You get better control over the amount of pressure with a manual pump than with the battery-operated kind, because you can introduce pressure a tiny bit at a time, rather than relying on pre-programmed modes that might push you to your limit pain-wise before you even know what’s happening.

Blush Novelties Performance VX6 Male Enhancement Penis Pump System

Like the above model, this pump has a gauge so you can monitor the pressure you’re exerting, and a quick-release valve for safety. However, it also has a pistol grip that can be easier to hold onto and squeeze, especially if you have any hand-strength issues.

Blush makes pumps of various different lengths, but offers hardly any variety when it comes to girth — so if your penis circumference is much bigger or smaller than 6 to 7 inches around, you’ll be able to get a better fit with the L.A. Pump option.

Battery-Powered Penis Pumps

CalExotics Optimum Series Advanced Automatic Smart Pump

This rechargeable pump has an LCD screen that shows you how much pressure is being applied, as well as an air release button for when you need freedom fast.

There’s a “smart” mode in which the pump will slowly ascend to whatever pressure setting you choose, and then slowly release the pressure, all over the course of 20 minutes. If you want the positive effects of pumping regularly, but don’t want to have to do much to make that happen, this pump could be just the “set it and forget it” solution you need. Automated pumps like it are also great for people who have a hard time physically squeezing the handle of a manual pump.

L.A. Pump Hush Pump

This pump is battery-powered rather than rechargeable, so you’ll have to keep some AAAs around. But on the plus side, it’s quiet, petite and portable. The display gives you a reading of how much pressure is currently on your dick, and there’s a quick release button too. Also, unlike a lot of pumps of this type, it has a built-in vacuum limiter, capping the pressure at a safe level so your risk of injury is lower.

Admittedly, this is just the base unit, so you’ll need to get a cylinder to use with it. But it can connect to lots of different types of L.A. Pump cylinders, including those made for nipples, butts and vulvas, making it a versatile pick if you think suction could become a big part of your sex life.

Water Pumps

Bathmate HydroXtreme

No, “hydro pump” isn’t just a Pokémon move… it’s also a popular style of penis pump. These products use water pressure instead of air pressure to achieve the desired effect. This has its pros and its cons: On the one hand, water pumps can be more gentle and pleasurable than the air-based kind, but on the other, you have to use them in the shower or bath, or you risk spilling water everywhere (and maybe having to explain to your roommate how you ruined the living room couch).

It comes in a few different lengths, but you can’t customize the girth-to-length ratio, so those of you with long-and-skinny dicks or short-and-thick dicks might struggle to find a good fit with the Bathmate.

Online reviews vary widely, with some users claiming it boosted their dick size substantially, and others saying it does nothing or hurts. In any case, the HydroXtreme costs $299 to $349 (depending on size) and doesn’t have a pressure gauge to help you stay at a safe level. So unless you really really want to experience water pumping, it’s probably not the best investment.

Pumps for Trans Guys

New York Toy Collective Trans Masc Pump Deluxe

This pump was designed specifically to help transmasculine and non-binary folks achieve comfortable clitoral growth, both in the short-term and in the long-term — and if the great reviews are anything to go by, it succeeds at that. This “deluxe” kit includes three different cylinder sizes, so you can find the right one for your current anatomy and size up later on if you need to.

The pump has a quick release valve but no pressure gauge, so make sure to start slowly and pace yourself — again, suction is fun but it’s not worth permanent nerve damage.

L.A. Pump Clitoral Enhancement and Enlargement Cylinder and Deluxe Pump

If you want more precise control over the pressure being exerted — and a better sense of when you might be overdoing it — then get a pump with a gauge like this one. The cylinder is available in five different sizes, so if you want, you can start with a smaller one and get a larger one if you experience enough growth to need it.

L.A. Pump also makes a cylinder specifically for trans guys, but my friend Billy Lore — a sex educator and trans porn performer — tells me that its base is a bit too chunky to be comfortable if you have fleshy outer labia or if your clit doesn’t protrude much. And so, he still prefers the clit cylinder over the one for trans men, even after five years of growth from testosterone and pumping.