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Hi Emily, My fiancé and I have a great relationship and one of our favorite things to do is travel. My question is, what are the rules for flying with sex toys? We fly a lot and have been talking about purchasing a few toys to bring with us on our adventures, we just haven’t been sure how to go about it. What toys travel well? What might get us busted and embarrassed in a long airport line? For example, I’ve had my eye on the Magic Wand for a long time. This may sound silly, but I’m not sure if I can only fly with it in my checked bag or if I can carry it on with me. I checked online, but couldn’t find much on the TSA website (no big surprise there). Can you help us get more pleasure out of our adventures abroad? Elizabeth
Dear Elizabeth,
I LOVE this question! It’s summer, which means that everyone’s working out their traveling plans. With all the stress-inducing logistics of getting from the airport to your destination, I think it’s only fair that you deserve to be having as much fun as legally possible. And we all know that one of the best parts of every vacation is vacation sex! So why not bring some extra stimulation to enhance your adventures?
Like a lot of people, you’re naturally nervous about having your most intimate sexual secrets exposed in an International Terminal as the TSA follows that mysterious buzzing sound into your carry-on. Worse yet, what if they open your suitcase and now all your fellow travelers know that you’re REALLY into anal play. But are they going to arrest you for having too much fun?
Here’s the answer: no. Unless you’re flying in Alabama (which still has some bans on buying toys in state), you are certainly, legally allowed to travel with your sex toys. You can take sex toys through security (ask me about the time I was coming home from a sex toy convention in Vegas with multiple suitcases full of buzzing bunnies, wands and dildos)! Yes, you can even carry the master of all personal massagers the Magic Wand through security either tucked into your bag or walking through the terminal waving it like a fairy princess! (Although you may not want to draw that much attention.)
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One thing a lot of people worry about is the device turning on mid-travels. I’ve learned some creative ways to pack my toys to avoid in-flight luggage shifting inadvertently bumping the button and turning on my fully charged or battery-operated buddies. The easiest solution is The Boot Trick: tuck the toy into a boot to keep it secure. You can also wrap your toys in bubble wrap or put a cardboard tube around the part with the button (like a toilet paper or paper towel tube). Another easy fix is to take the batteries out, and replace them when you get to the hotel. For toys that use a charger, just leave them running before you pack to drain their battery and recharge them when you reach your destination.
As far as travel-friendly toys go, Fun Factory makes all their vibrators with a travel lock function specifically designed for this purpose. Here are a few of my don’t-leave-home-without-the-fun favorites:
1. The Amorino This travel companion is considered one of the top-rated G-spot/dual stimulation toys on the market. It has an insertable shaft plus external nub for clitoral stimulation. But one of my favorite features is the yellow band! This adjustable strap twists to change the angle, shape and sensation, since there’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all pleasure. Complete with a clitoral nub this waterproof and anal-friendly vibrator is rechargeable, whisper quiet and transmits six levels of intense vibrations up and down your lady parts for a whole new sensation.
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2. The Womanizer Deluxe For the ultimate discretion, you can choose a sex toy that doesn’t look like a toy at all! This innovative German-engineered toy recreates the sensation of oral sex using multi-intensity levels of indirect clitoral stimulation. Not only is it incredibly quiet, it actually looks more like a bedazzled ear thermometer than a device. The TSA will have no idea what they’re waving through.
The Magic Wand Want to skip all the fancy bells and whistles and just pack a powerful orgasmic punch? The Magic Wand is a classic that keeps people coming…back, again and again. It’s a bigger travel companion, but my Boot Trick is an easy solution to save on space. Plus, you’ve got options! You can choose between the OG version with an electrical cord or the new rechargeable model.
The bottom line is this: No matter where in the world we travel, we can keep our sex lives interesting and fun without worrying about “getting caught” or doing something illegal. Rest assured that by bringing one of these vibrators along with you you’re not doing anything wrong. At the very worst, there could be an awkward exchange if a TSA agent isn’t quite sure what they’re holding. But in my EXTENSIVE experience, they’re always a good conversation starter! Just keep your sense of humor. Happy travels!
Emily Morse is a sexologist, host of the Sex With Emily podcast, and cofounder of the intimate care line Emily & Tony. She has a doctorate in human sexuality and is the author of Hot Sex: Over 200 Things You Can Try Tonight and a weekly cohost of the nationally syndicated radio show Loveline With Dr. Drew Pinsky.
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This article originally appeared on Glamour.