Technological advancements have been felt in every area of our lives. No matter who you are or where you live, technology has played some part in making your life better. Whether it’s improved infrastructure to deliver reliable utilities and clean water or simply more efficient cell towers to help you connect online more quickly, technology is there. Most of the time, these advancements are publicly applauded and given plenty of headlines. But when it comes to the technology that caters to masturbation, suddenly the room goes quiet. But these inventions and advancements could herald a new way we relate to each other, and to ourselves.

1. The Fleshlight – Of all the male sex toys, the Fleshlight is possibly the most widely known. Essentially, it’s a sleeve made of flesh-like material which mimics the sensation of sex. Fleshlights are made to be fairly realistic, with materials that warm to the touch and offer a lifelike experience. These have been used by a number of men as a way to build stamina and some men have used it as a way to treat premature ejaculation.

2. Autoblow 2 – Simulating oral sex via a sex toy is no small feat. The Autoblow 2 is perhaps the first sex toy for men that comes close to achieving the goal. Reviewers praise its quality and the tightness of the grip as well as the sensation the device delivers. The original Autoblow was itself a successful product and so the company didn’t change the basic design. They did, however, address the concerns raised by original customers, including overall construction, sleeve tightness and quality. According to reviews so far, the Autoblow 2 addresses every concern without fail, making it one of the most innovative new products on the market.

3. Pulse – The Pulse toy by Hot Octopuss is unique in that it can be used even when a guy is flaccid. It looks like a black manacle and could easily be mistaken for anything but a sex toy. But make no mistake about it, the Pulse is only built for one thing. You slip it around your penis, turn it on, and its patented ‘pulse plate’ delivers oscillating vibrations which the user can then move up or down as a masturbation aid.

4. Tenga – Sex toys are great and all, but some men just don’t want to deal with the clean- up. For them, there’s Tenga – disposable masturbation rings with sleeves. Tenga rings come in a number of different textures and a variety “sampler pack” offers the perfect way for men to have a bit of variety. The sampler pack includes one of each of their current styles – Wavy, Twister, Silky, Spider, Clicker and Stepper. The sleeves are packaged as eggs and can be used then thrown away. Each egg also contains a small packet of lubricant.

5. Alpha One – The Alpha One ring appears at first to be a sex toy for men who travel a lot. It has a sleek and simple design that makes it ultra-discrete. Alpha One is an aluminium ring with a centre made from a flesh-like gel. It slides over the penis like a cock ring and the centre grips the shaft while the man masturbates as he normally would. This type of toy is often used as part of sex-therapy when treating performance issues or simply to improve stamina.

Masturbation is, at its core, about self-love. It’s about bringing yourself physical and emotional pleasure. It’s a pleasure so profound, in fact, that many therapists use masturbation as a technique to address a variety of sexual performance issues. Keeping that in mind, it’s easy to understand why innovations such as these are worth acknowledging. Masturbation is about more than pleasing yourself. With the right frame of the mind – and the right tools – it can help you learn to please others as well.