How Long Can You Leave a Butt Plug In?

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On April 1, 2026

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We have published several guides reassuring folks that anal sex and anal sex toys are safe, and we’re not walking that back — but we are adding a caveat. This kind of play is safe when certain (not terribly onerous) limits are observed. We’re here with our experienced sex educator and product tester, Rachel Sommer, to clarify those limits and answer this pressing question.

Key Takeaways

Two trite-but-true takeaways reign supreme here: every body is different and practice makes perfect. Butt plugs are not like Thanksgiving turkeys with a pop-up timer to let you know when they are “done.” For some folks, removing the butt plug after play time feels almost as good as putting it in, while others are genuinely comfortable leaving them in for extended periods of time and they don’t experience any complications from this. The key here is that the second group usually discovers this over a period of experimenting with slightly longer wear. As a guideline, we recommend not keeping a butt plug in longer than 30 minutes at a time, especially for beginners.

How Long Can You Leave a Butt Plug in?

We suggested 30 minutes as the top end for your bottom, and other medical professionals share that opinion. Leading proctologist and anal health specialist Dr. Evan Goldstein explains, “I get why people like wearing them for extended periods of time. They can create positive prostate stimulation and some people simply love the feeling of fullness. But it’s important to understand there are serious negative ramifications when used improperly.”

Goldstein warns that “when someone wears a butt plug for long periods of time, the sphincter can get inflamed around the plug, making removal very difficult, if not impossible. Additionally, the surrounding anal and rectal tissues may also swell. As a result, you may find yourself with fissures, hemorrhoids, and other localized injuries.”

None of that sounds fun to us, and butt plugs should be fun (that’s the point!). This is a good reason to cut a first session short 25-30 minutes in, even if you’re feeling fine in the moment — hemorrhoids don’t usually make themselves known until the morning after and they are never a welcome surprise.

Can You Wear a Butt Plug All Day and While Sleeping?

All day is longer than 30 minutes, true. But it’s not an automatic no. Like any other muscular structure, the anus and sphincter can be “trained” to tolerate more over time.

More than a few folks relish the idea of having a wearable butt plug in while they’re running errands or participating in the more mundane parts of adult life. It’s a sweet little secret that puts the “adult” in adulting. And we are very much in favor of incorporating sensuality into every aspect of your day, as long as you do it safely. So keep reading if this interests you!

This is something that you can prep for at home, to some extent. If you think that you want to take your butt plug on a 90-minute excursion, try a test run at home where you can quickly and easily abort the mission if you need to.

Also, choose your butt plug carefully. In this case, even if you generally prefer being stretched to your limit, you may find yourself appreciative of a more petite plug towards the end of your journey. Silicone is one of our favorite materials overall but especially for extended use; metal or glass is very rigid and you could find yourself more aware of it than you would like, especially if you have to sit down.

However, there is really no safe way to wear a butt plug while you’re sleeping. We understand the temptation of drifting off while you’re satisfactorily stuffed and waking up the same way, but this is a no-fly zone. Your body’s pain receptors — your early alert system — go to sleep when you do, so you are less likely to notice the warning signs if something is not quite right.

The Issues With Leaving Your Butt Plug In

We have already addressed some of the possible issues with leaving your butt plug in place for an extended period, but we want to reiterate: listen to your body. If it’s trying to tell you that something is wrong, listen to it. You might miss out on a few minutes of butt plug pleasure if you remove it for a “false alarm,” but you might wind up with hemorrhoids or worse if you try to tough it out. We know which one we’d opt for!

Infections are another possibility and those are not something to mess with, especially in an area of the body that is very difficult to keep clean even for people with impeccable hygiene. Make sure to wash your hands, your body, and your anal toy before inserting it (and after removing it).

Almost all non-vibrating butt plugs are waterproof, so cleaning is pretty straightforward. Wash it with warm water and gentle fragrance-free soap, making sure to thoroughly lather all ridges and other textured areas. Rinse under running water until all suds are gone, pat dry with a soft lint-free towel, and then let it air-dry.

Wearing your butt plug for longer than your body wants it can overwork your anal sphincter; your sphincter is a muscle and can get sore with too much exertion, just like the muscles that you work at the gym. The good news is that you’re likely to recover thoroughly and quickly, just like you do after a too-vigorous leg day, but it probably won’t be pleasant for the next day or two. If you start feeling like something is not quite right, remove the plug immediately.

What If I’m Pregnant?

Assuming no special medical considerations, we are fully supportive of sex during pregnancy. It’s a season of life that should be celebrated, and sex is a very healthy activity. However, back-door play, and especially extended back-door play, may need to go on the back burner for a while.

Hemorrhoids: We have typed this word too many times in this article, and we actually really hate typing this word. But it is relevant. Pregnancy already increases the chance of hemorrhoids, so butt plug play is extra-risky.
Pregnancy also lowers your resistance to certain infections, such as Giardia and Group B strep. Even if you clean your sex toys well, butt plugs can introduce bacteria directly into your body. And Group B strep in particular is nothing to mess with during pregnancy, especially late pregnancy, because it can pass to the newborn in a vaginal birth.
Placenta previa. If your doctor doesn’t tell you this (some OB/GYNs are oddly squeamish about sex stuff), we will. If you have a full or partial placenta previa, you need to avoid butt plugs or any sort of anal play. Your placenta is sitting very low in your uterus, and any anal penetration could damage it. This is dangerous for both you and your baby.

Tips For Extended Butt-Plug Play

If you’re ready to plug into the extended-wear world, here are a few practical tips:

When you’re choosing the right butt plug for the job, the first consideration is size. We’ve done the math for you: the average human anus naturally stretches to 3.5 cm during defecation, so we can assume that is a “safe” amount. Your junior high geometry teacher told you that you’d need to know the formula c=πd in later life, and here we are! You’ll want to look for a butt plug 4.33” or less in girth.

Material is another consideration. It’s going inside your body and hanging out there for a while, so you will need something that is both body-safe and easy to clean. Look for materials such as stainless steel, borosilicate glass (Pyrex!), or medical-grade silicone. Avoid anything porous, like jelly toys, even if you are tempted by the flexibility and texture. You won’t be able to clean them the way that they need to be cleaned, and they will become a health hazard.

Shape is almost as important as size. Some folks like a tapered tip and some prefer a rounded one; generally speaking, a tapered tip is more comfortable in the initial insertion while a rounded tip is a little more challenging at first, but once it’s in, the rest is easier. It’s a matter of personal preference. What’s not optional is a flared base for safety. This keeps the butt plug from being sucked all the way into your anus, and it makes removal easier.

If you’re going out with your butt plug in, it’s probably a good idea to wear snug-fitting underwear. It’s highly unlikely that your plug will try to escape, but if it does, you will be grateful for a safety net. This means briefs, boxer briefs, boyshorts, or bikini panties with a full back. Loose boxers or thongs without coverage are not going to be helpful here.

It’s a fact of life; people need to pee. It’s possible to pee with the plug in place, but it may not be comfortable. If you are a person with a vulva and you ever wondered how intertwined everything is “down there,” trying to pee with a butt plug will answer that for you. If you remove the butt plug to pee, be sure to wash the plug and your hands before reinserting it.

Good lube is a necessity for any kind of anal play, but even more so for extended butt plug use. The anus does not produce any natural lubrication so you will need to provide it. If you are planning on wearing your plug for a long time, you will probably have to add even more lube partway through your session.

Water-based lube is our standard recommendation here at My Sex Toy Guide, because it is compatible with all types of sex toys. It’s a fine choice here, but be vigilant about re-applying it, or at the very least, rotating your butt plug a bit to stir up the lube. Water-based lube can dry out quickly, and depending on the formulation and your personal chemistry, it can even get tacky and/or sticky, and this is not ideal for a butt plug.

Oil-based lubes are not safe for some kinds of sex toys, and they are not safe for condoms if those are a part of your partnered sex. They feel great, but they can get absorbed into the skin fairly quickly and this necessitates re-application. Silicone lubes are slippery and long-lasting, but they are incompatible with silicone sex toys and butt plugs.

Anal Play Aftercare

Aftercare is important for both you and your anal sex toy! Your butt plug needs to be cleaned as described above (warm water, mild soap, thoroughly dried) and stored away in a soft, lint-free fabric bag. Check it over carefully before you put it away; any scratches or nicks can harbor bacteria. This is not safe and you will probably need to replace the toy.

For your own body, also clean with warm water and mild soap in case any contaminants were introduced during playtime. If you feel any soreness (not broken skin), you can apply something soothing like coconut oil or aloe vera. Give your butt a break for at least 24 hours.

Happy vibing!

Rachel

Rachel is one of our most experienced product testers. Originally from Texas, she loves sushi, white wine, and spending time with her partner Jessica. She has been featured in Cosmopolitan, Yahoo.com, Women’s Health, Healthline, Glamour, and MindBodyGreen.