Three numbers describe the size of an internal product, and listings mix them up constantly. This guide explains what each one means on this store's product pages, which number matters for which product, and how to compare a listing to something you already own.
The three measurements
Total length is the whole product end to end, including the handle or base. It tells you how big the thing is in the hand and in a drawer; it says little about how it feels in use.
Insertable length is the part that can actually be used internally: the shaft up to the handle, base or the start of an external arm. This is the length figure that matters for a G-spot vibrator, a rabbit or a plug.
Diameter is the width across the widest part of the insertable section. For most people it is the single most important figure, because width is felt far more than length. Some listings give circumference instead; divide by 3.14 to get diameter, or multiply diameter by 3.14 to compare the other way.
Where our figures come from
Figures on this store's pages are taken from the maker's dimension drawings in the listing. Where the drawing gives a figure, the page shows it with the note "maker's drawing"; where it does not, the line is blank. We do not estimate, round up or borrow figures from similar products, which is why a page can show a total length and no insertable length.
Which figure matters for which product
For a G-spot vibrator, insertable length is almost irrelevant beyond a minimum, because the curved tip does its work in the first several centimetres; diameter and firmness decide comfort. The slim one here is about 17.8 centimetres overall and slim across.
For a rabbit, the figure that no listing gives is the one that matters most: the distance from the shaft to the external arm. Insertable length (10.3 centimetres on the one here) and diameter (3.5 centimetres) tell you about the shaft; the arm's reach you can only judge from the photograph.
For a plug or prostate massager, the widest diameter and the neck matter. A product that is 3.2 centimetres at its widest and narrower at the neck sits comfortably; one that is wide all the way down does not. The flared base is not part of the insertable length.
For rings, the figure is inside diameter, which the ring-set guide covers.
What the figures do not tell you
Three things matter in use that no listing measures. Firmness: two products with the same diameter feel very different if one is rigid and the other flexes, and a softer product generally feels smaller than its figure suggests. Taper: a product that narrows towards the tip is easier to start with than one that is the full width all the way, which is why plugs are drawn with a widest-point figure and a neck figure. Flexibility of the neck: a G-spot vibrator with a flexible neck follows the body, while a stiff one has to be angled by hand. Our bullets note these where the maker's images show them, and the guide for each type says which matters most.
Comparing to something you own
Measure what you already have with a ruler: the usable length, and the width at the widest point. Then compare to the page figures, allowing a few millimetres for the maker's drawing. If you are between two products, choose the narrower one; width is far more noticeable than length and a product that is too wide gets no use at all.
A note on the pictures
Product photographs are shot to flatter, and a slim product can look substantial in a tight crop. Trust the figures over the picture. Where our page has a dimension drawing among its images, that drawing is the maker's own and is the most reliable thing on the page.
