Men’s pleasure toys have changed tremendously throughout the years. Somewhere between the earliest silicone sleeves and today’s app-connected toys, the humble male masturbator got a serious upgrade, and automatic male masturbators are the result. These are toys that do the work themselves, thrusting, vibrating, contracting, or all three, so you can sit back and actually enjoy the ride instead of doing all the heavy lifting yourself.

If you’ve mostly used manual strokers before, then we know the jump to automatic can feel like a big one, and that’s completely normal. This guide is meant to break down exactly what these toys are, how they work, and which type fits your style best, using two of Lovense’s most popular sex toys for men, the Solace Pro and the Max 2, as real-world examples throughout.

An automatic masturbator uses powered mechanisms such as thrusting, vibration, or contraction to generate stimulation. Some models work hands-free, while others, such as handheld contracting masturbators, still let you control the position and stroking motion manually. It’s the natural evolution of the classic pocket pussy, taking a toy that used to require constant manual effort and giving it a motor, battery, and eventually, a brain of its own powered by artificial intelligence.

Early versions of these toys were pretty simple: a soft sleeve with a basic vibration motor tucked inside, not much more sophisticated than a vibrator repurposed for a different shape. It got the job done, but it wasn’t exactly immersive.

Over time, the makers of sex toys for men started experimenting with pistons that created real thrusting motion and air bladders that could mimic contraction and squeeze, which opened the door to toys that felt less like a novelty and more like a genuine alternative to penetrative sex.

The most recent technological leap has been connectivity. Once Bluetooth and companion apps entered the picture, auto male masturbators like the Solace Pro and Max 2 stopped being standalone toys and became something that could sync to music, respond to a partner’s touch from across the world, or even react to someone’s favorite adult content on the screen in real time.

[Insert Solace Pro and Max 2 Product Cards here]

Before getting into the nitty gritty, we thought it would be best to explain the mechanisms tucked inside male masturbators that make them work:

Thrusting motors move an internal piston, or sometimes the entire sleeve, back and forth to simulate penetrative motion

Air pumps or bladders inflate and deflate around the sleeve to create contracting, squeezing sensations that mimic a body's natural response to penetration

Vibration motors add buzzing or rumbling stimulation, either as its main feature or in addition to thrusting or contraction for blended stimulation

Bluetooth chips and app pairing let these toys be controlled remotely, synced to a partner’s toy, or connected to external content

Basic male masturbation models tend to stick to just one of the above mechanisms (usually vibrations), while most advanced toys layer two or three together, handing you the controls through an app rather than a handful of physical buttons.

Not all automatic masturbators are created equal, and the type you pick has the potential to change the entire experience. Broadly speaking, they fall into two camps: strokers that thrust, and masturbators that contract.

These toys are built to mimic the same in-and-out motion derived from partnered penetrative sex, usually driven by a motorized piston (or in some designs, the entire sleeve), gliding back and forth at a particular pace. The best thrusting strokers let you fine-tune both stroke length and speed rather than locking you into one fixed rhythm.

Take the Solace Pro as a strong example of the category done well. It thrusts at up to 300 strokes per minute, with stroke adjustments as precise as 0.65mm, meaning the difference between settings actually feels meaningful instead of jumping straight from mild to overwhelming, which other toys in this category suffer from.

Thrusting strokers tend to be the closest thing on the market to a genuine male auto blowjob machine, especially when the motion is paired with a soft, textured sleeve that adds friction and grip.

Instead of moving in and out, contracting masturbators provide a different type of sensation, squeezing. An internal air pump inflates and releases rhythmically, creating a pulsing, gripping sensation around the shaft that’s arguably closer to what a body does naturally during sex instead of a straight back-and-forth motion. Some toys, like the Max 2, pair 360-degree contraction with adjustable vibration, offering layered sensation rather than the same boring repetitive motion on loop.

Quick tip: contracting masturbators also tend to run more compact and discreet than full thrusting machines, which makes them a natural entry point if you're still figuring out what style of stimulation you actually prefer.

Curious how these two types stack up against sleeves, egg-style strokers, and everything else on the market? Our full breakdown of male masturbator types covers the rest of the lineup in more detail.

The differences between handheld and hands-free automatic masturbators boil down to how you actually use the toy day to day, and less about the internal mechanisms. See our quick TL;DR table below for some concrete examples.

We can’t objectively say that either format is better than the other, as it honestly boils down to preference.

If you're on the fence about whether either style is worth adding to your collection at all, our guide on whether male masturbators are worth it is a solid next read before you commit to a purchase.

There’s no shortage of automatic male masturbators on the market, but we decided that we’d highlight some of our favorite picks.

The Solace Pro is our flagship AI-powered male masturbator, and it earns that title. Its thrusting motor hits up to 300 strokes per minute, with adjustments fine enough to feel genuinely responsive rather than mechanical. At a sound level of 63dB, Solace Pro won't announce itself to the rest of the house, so you can have fun in peace.

What really sets it apart is the AI Sync feature. Pair it with the VibeMate app, select compatible adult content or a supported livestream, and the Solace Pro automatically matches its thrusting pace to whatever's happening on screen in real time.

It’s also a master controller toy, which means you can sync with a partner’s Lovense toy, like Mission 2, via the Toy Sync feature, so movement on one end would trigger a matching response on the other, no matter where you are in the world.

Battery life: Up to 14 hours per charge, enough for extended or repeated sessions without a mid-play recharge

Sleeve: Deep, textured 3D design with bumps and ridges, available in swappable neutral or vagina-style options

Control: Lovense Remote app, both close-range and long-distance

Extras: 180° adjustable desk mount for hands-free sessions

Want the full rundown before you buy? Check out our in-depth Solace Pro review for a closer look at how it performs in real use.

The Max 2 takes a different approach entirely. Instead of thrusting, it combines adjustable vibration with an internal air pump that creates 360-degree contracting sensations, essentially squeezing rather than stroking. It's compact, genuinely handheld, and designed to accommodate most sizes comfortably without needing multiple sleeve options for fit.

Its standout feature is Toy Sync: connect it to a Nora, or even another Max 2, and the toys respond to Max 2’s movement in real time, over any distance. Thrust harder, and your partner's toy vibrates and rotates harder in return, and vice versa.

Sleeve: Removable, multi-textured neutral hole sleeve included, with a vagina-style option available separately

Stimulation: Adjustable vibration plus 360° contraction, layered together or used independently

Control: Lovense Remote app, both close-range and long-distance, with sync-to-music and more

Care: Designed to resist heavy water sprays, which makes rinsing the sleeve quick and low-effort

Still not totally clear on what separates an automatic masturbator from every other toy on the shelf? Our primer on what a male masturbator actually is walks through the basics from the ground up.

Getting the most out of either toy comes down to actually using its connectivity features, not just switching it on and hoping for the best (which we’ve all been guilty of in the past).

For solo sessions, the Solace Pro's AI Sync is the feature worth exploring first. Open the VibeMate app, connect your toy, pick a video or livestream, and switch on AI mode. From there, the toy reads the pacing of the content and adjusts its thrusting to match automatically, without you needing to touch a single setting mid-session.

Prefer more control? Skip the syncing entirely and build a custom pattern in the Lovense Remote app instead, or let the toy respond to music or ambient sound around you.

Mount it hands-free on a desk using the included stand, dim the lights, and it genuinely does most of the work from there. It's a different kind of solo session than most people are used to, closer to a shared experience than a purely mechanical one.

This is where the Max 2 really shines, especially for couples navigating a long-distance relationship. Once your toy is paired with a partner's compatible Lovense device, like a Nora or Gush 2 Motion, which are especially popular pairings, the Max 2 essentially becomes a master controller.

Your movements control their toy's vibration and rotation intensity, and their movements do the same for yours. Neither of you needs to be in the same city, let alone the same room, for it to work.

Set it up over a video call so you can both see each other's reactions, hand over full control through the app for a surprise element, or just let the sync run quietly in the background while you talk about your day. It turns what would otherwise be a solo toy into a genuinely shared experience without either partner ever touching the same physical device.

Not totally sure if this style of connected play is for you yet? Our guide to AI-powered pocket pussies goes deeper into how the underlying tech behind these toys actually works.

Cleaning an automatic masturbator takes a lot less time than people expect, but skipping it should NEVER be an option. Bacteria builds up fast in a warm, damp sleeve, and a little maintenance goes a long way toward keeping the toy both hygienic and long-lasting.

Rinse immediately after use with warm water; both the Solace Pro and Max 2 feature sleeves that are easily removable for easier, more thorough access

Use a toy-safe cleanser rather than regular soap, which can break down silicone and other materials over repeated use

Air dry fully before storing anything away; never seal a damp sleeve inside its box or a closed drawer, since trapped moisture is exactly what bacteria needs

Avoid submerging the motor housing unless the product specifically states it's fully waterproof; the Max 2 can handle heavy water sprays, but the internal electronics still shouldn't be fully dunked

Swap sleeves periodically if your toy supports it (like the Max 2 and Solace Pro), to keep the sensation feeling fresh and extend the life of the toy overall

A few minutes of aftercare after each session keeps things hygienic and noticeably extends how long the toy performs at its best.

Solace Pro

@Eva Borisova

This stroker is beyond amazing! I love how the sleeve feels, it is soft and natural. The fact that it syncs with videos and games takes the experience to a whole new level!

Max 2

@timo

When I use Max 2, I love how the soft texture feels against me, the way the vibrations build, the intensity I can control, and that little vacuum pull that makes everything so much better.

Automatic male masturbators have come a long way from basic vibrating sleeves, and the two toys covered here show just how different that evolution can look depending on what you're after. The Solace Pro leans into immersive, hands-free, AI play built for solo sessions and content syncing, while the Max 2 keeps things compact and connection-focused, ideal for couples and long-distance partners who want a genuine two-way experience.

Whichever direction fits your style best, the easiest way to actually figure it out is to try one for yourself. Browse the full lineup of automatic masturbators and find the one that matches how you actually want to play.