Sex Toy Won't Charge? Try These Fixes Before You Throw It at the Wall

You've been thinking about it all day. You've left work early, the house is empty, and you've pulled your favourite vibrator out of the drawer. It's been sitting beside the charger all afternoon. And it's dead, because beside and connected are two different things. A magnetic lead hanging half a centimetre away can ruin some very good plans.

Start with the cable, the power supply and the connection. Then tell a flat battery apart from a locked toy. You may be one small adjustment from getting off, rather than one trip to the shops.

Check the cable and the socket

Use the cable that came with the toy or an approved replacement. Magnetic and pin-style leads can look almost identical without being compatible, and the mystery cable from the back of the drawer's no bargain if it doesn't fit.

Make sure the USB end's firmly in and the power's actually on. Try another USB port or adaptor, changing one thing at a time so you can tell what fixed it. If the lead's frayed, the connector's bent or the casing's damaged, stop there. Don't hold a broken cable at a special angle and call it sorted.

Line up the charging contacts

Magnetic leads need their metal contacts lined up with the toy's. Rest the toy on something stable, with enough slack in the cable so its weight doesn't pull the connector off. Then watch what happens when you take your hand away. A connection that only works while you're holding it explains why the toy's still flat after an afternoon of "charging".

Unplug the power before cleaning any grime or dried lube off exposed contacts. A soft, slightly damp cloth will do. Let everything dry completely before reconnecting, and keep liquid out of any openings. On a plug-in connector, use the actual socket, and don't poke the lead into seams looking for somewhere it might fit.

Give it time, then unplug it to test

A completely flat toy may not respond straight away. Give it a full charge with a secure connection, rather than unplugging it every few minutes to see if you've won yet. It's torture, we know. Do something else with your hands.

Charging lights all behave differently. Some blink, some change colour, some go out when full, and no light on its own doesn't mean a dead battery. Unplug the charger before you press the power button, too, because some toys won't run while connected, and that looks like another failure when you're standing there in your undies getting increasingly pissed off.

It might just be locked

If it seems to be charging but won't start, the travel lock might still be on. Our travel lock guide explains how they work. Lock controls differ, so there's no one combination for every vibrator. Once you've found yours, save it. You shouldn't have to look up the same buttons every time you want a wank.

Still dead?

Stop using or charging any toy that swells, leaks, smells burnt or gets unusually hot. Don't open a sealed toy or attempt an internal battery repair. For an ordinary charging fault, contact the retailer with the toy's name, your order details and what you've tried. Describe what the light does and whether another power source helped.

While you wait, a battery-powered toy like the Satisfyer Bullet Groove is a handy backup. Keep your spare AAAs with it. If charging's always the chore you forget, our rechargeable vs battery comparison may help with your next one.

When it's working again, keep the right lead with the toy, as our storage guide explains. And make sure that magnetic lead stays connected when you walk away. You've got plans.