What is temperature play?

by Clean Satisfaction November 3, 2021

Whether you're looking to heat things up or cool things down, temperature play can be a new way of engaging your senses in the bedroom. Changing the temperature of an item against the skin stimulates more than just that area of skin.

3 ceramic dildos in various shapes and sizes stand in a row on a pink table. They all have a teal and green patterned painted on them, and a plant flows from a wicker pot on the right.

Temperature play can affect how you experience your senses. For example, using a dildo at body temperature will typically stimulate using the texture and movement of the toy. If you chill or warm that same dildo, not only will you experience the texture and movement, you will also experience new sensations from the temperature of the toy itself.

There are typically two sides to temperature play; hot and cold. Cold temperature play is usually more fun in summer (depending on what you're into), and you can utilize a chilled toy in more ways than one. Placing a cold item on the skin can raise goosebumps all over the body, not just at that particular point. Before stimulating any intimate areas with the cold point, try running this chilled tip over the back, down the chest and stomach, and up the inner thighs.

Four ceramic butt plugs in various sizes stand in a row on a pink table. Colourful drip patterns flow from the tips to the white bases.

The sensation of the cold pressed into the skin may take a moment to get used to at first, but we encourage you to take your time to enjoy it and lean into the good sensations that arise. Because of this, we would also recommend starting out with the toy being placed in a glass of cold water, rather than jumping straight into ice water, which may be too much of a shock at first.

Using a warmed toy against chilled skin will have a similar effect and may cause a rush of warmth to flow around the body. If playing solo, a warmed toy can also have the effect of feeling similar to another person being present. A warmed toy is typically a sensation that isn't unfamiliar if you have had experiences with other people. However, when coupled with a chilled toy, the true impact of a warm toy can really be appreciated as the difference in sensation is significant.

When exploring temperature play with an adult toy, a ceramic, glass or metal toy is recommended as these materials are ideal for retaining the temperature for longer periods of time. You may want to alternate between hot and cold sensations while playing, and if so we would recommend using two different toys - one for hot and one for cold, as a sudden change in temperature isn't recommended. If you only have one toy for temperature play, try warming the toy while using an ice cube as the chilled object.

The main benefit of temperature is adding in a new level of sensation to a sexual experience. Exploring a new temperature while playing can open your mind and body up to new sensations that you would not have otherwise experienced.