Shopping for a decent thrusting sex machine is hard; it’s not helped by the fact every manufacturer seems to offer their own connector type, so then you need to track down adaptors for your favorite dildos. So let me help de-mystify the various types of connectors out there, and which ones can be adapted from/to.
Table of Contents
Kliclok (Hismith, Wildolo)
Exclusive to Hismith and some sister brands, the Kliclok connector is a quick-release locking connector. On the accessory side, it looks a bit like a hexagon; that pushes into the thrusting arm and locks in place, stopping the toy from accidentally falling off as well as preventing spinning during use.
To remove it, you pull back the collet on the thrusting arm; the toy should then be pushed out (sometimes with hilarious dildo-being-launched-across-room consequences).
All Premium Hismith machines ship with this connector type, but if you don’t have anything other than the included accessory, not to worry, because you can buy any kind of adaptor to change the Kliclok into some other kind of connector (like the Vac-u-lock one pictured). It’s the most versatile connector I’ve come across yet, as wel as the most secure.
EZFunLock (Sinloli, Auxfun)
The EZFunLock from Hismith’s sister brand Sinloli looks almost identical to the Kliclok connector, except it’s round instead of hexagonal, losing the benefit of not rotating while locked in place. You can actually fit Kliclok accessories into an EZFunLock-equipped machine, like the Sinloli Ukelele (which is essentially a rebrand of the Hismith Mini).
Unfortunately the same is not true in reverse: if you bought a bundle of accessories with your Ukelele machines, you can’t later upgrade the machine to a Hismith Premium and use them with its Kliclok connection.
You can adapt from EZFunLock to other common connectors like Vac-u-lock however, and it’s not a complete loss: most of the accessories are dual-purpose suction cup toys — meaning the connector can be unscrewed. That means if you have some other Kliclok accessories, you can unscrew the Kliclok connector and screw it into these instead. But
Vac-u-lock (Doc Johnson / Universal)
Vac-u-lock is a trademark and creation of Doc Johnson, but it’s widely used by other dildo manufacturers — you’ll see it listed as either “Vac-u-lock compatible” or as an optional “add a hole”. It’s best to think of it as the universal dildo attachment system, because it’s so ubiquitous.
It’s a large cavity or hole on the base of dildos which relies on suction (vacuum) to attach to a thrusting arm or accessories. It’s the most commonly available connector type because it’s really just a hole; there’s no other hardware needed on the dildo side, so it’s easy design it into the mould at manufacturing time, and there’s no additional cost.
On the thrusting side, you need a Vac-u-lock adaptor, which look a bit like a tiny ribbed butt plug. The strength of the connection is really good — to the point that you might actually find it difficult to remove. Adding a little starch powder on the connector before insertion can help reduce this.
At a minimum, your new fucking machine should support Vac-u-lock accessories simply because it’s the most common connector available. Both large manufacturers and niche artisan dildo makers will offer a Vac-u-lock cavity as an option.
The only exception to this is for cum-tube equipped or ejaculating dildos — because the tube tends to run quite close to where the vac-u-lock cavity is made, the two options aren’t generally compatible. If you want ejaculating dildos, you’ll either need Kliclok or a generic suction cup adaptor.
Suction Cup
Suction cup dildos are a common entry point for many people when exploring the world of sex toys, but you’ll also find it on high-end dildos that have a cum-tube running down the middle (which precludes a Vac-u-lock cavity).
The trouble with suction cups is that they’re not exactly known to be secure. They’re fine in the shower on a wet ceramic tile, but try with the vigorous thrusting of a sex machine and you may find they fall off. For that reason, if you need to get a flat plate adaptor for suction cup dildos, look for one that allows the use of bands to secure the base. Otherwise, you might need to use conformal tape to attach it securely.
Quick Air (Lovense, other generic machines)
Quick Air is a pneumatic push-fit metal connector. It holds on securely, but the attachments can be prone to spin because it’s not locked in place for rotation. This type of connector is used mainly on Lovense and other generic machines; avoid it if possible. There’s a much smaller range of accessories available for it, and even worse, it isn’t really standardised. While you’ll be fine if you stick to the same manufacturer (only buying Lovense accessories for a Lovense machine, for instance), generic accessories can be hit and miss — this suction cup to QuickAir adaptor on Amazon is marked as frequently returned. Below: XLR to QuickAir adaptor (XLR on the left side, QuickAir on the right).
If you already have a machine with this type of connector, my advice would be to buy a Vac-u-lock adaptor and never think about it again.
XLR (Auxfun, generic budget machines)
XLR is the oldest and most inferior connector; be wary of any machine that uses this type of connector, because it usually indicates crap quality throughout. XLR is actually an audio cable connector type with three pins; the only reason it’s used on fucking machines is because it’s so cheap and offers a quick locking mechanism.
It’s not particularly durable, but the main reason to avoid XLR is because it’s only used on bad quality accessories and budget machines. The attachments are usually on the cheap side, made of non-bodysafe materials, and pretty much an indicator of low-quality products where price is the primary consideration.
If you already have a machine that has an XLR connector, I’d suggest buying an XLR to Kliclok adaptor like the one below — make sure you get the right gender adaptor which has a female Kliclok (not the sticky out hexagonal piece).
Which Connector to Use?
Kliclok is the most versatile connector type I’ve found yet — it’s secure and easy to convert to a suction plate or Vac-u-lock plug if needed, but Hismith also sell a wide range of Kliclok dildos so you might never need to look elsewhere (and most have the benefit of being to unscrew that connector, transforming into a suction cup accessory for use in the shower!)
While Vac-u-lock cavities are pretty ubiquitous, a machine with only a Vac-u-lock connector would be limiting your choices because you can’t really convert from a Vac-u-lock plug to other connector types; but you can convert from nearly anything else to Vac-u-lock. You won’t find a sex machine with only a suction cup plate simply because it’s a bad choice for a machine, and definitely couldn’t be converted to anything else.
I’d recommend avoiding anything with Quick Air or XLR. Not because you’ll be limited as such — it’s easy to convert from either to something more common — but because it’s a good indicator of a lower quality machine or attachments that aren’t bodysafe.
Now you know which connector is best, head on over to our fucking machine buying guide!