It seems as though every week there's a new type of sex toy. And now here's yet another: the "personal massager." No, it's not a euphemism. It's actually any device that may be used for non-sexual massage as well as erotic fun.

What Exactly Is It?
A personal massager is generally designed for sensual stimulation, first and foremost. But, as an added bonus, it may also be used for straight-up muscle massage. Most are smallish in size, fitting comfortably in the palm of your hand, and they usually also have some sort of raised nubs to help the vibration penetrate more deeply, whether it's into muscles or nerve endings.

What's the Difference?
Still sounds like a lot of other sex toys, right? The difference is that a personal massager usually cannot be inserted; rather, they are designed for external use on the clitoris, the outer labia, the nipples and for whole-body massage.

Most personal massagers are not phallic in shape or even cylindrical at all. But as far as nailing down a "typical" shape, that's harder to do. Many are designed with ergonomics in mind, so they're curvy and have specific places for fingers and thumb, while others are designed to be used in different ways, depending on the grip.

MyPleasure.com carries all varieties of these, including its newest, the exclusive PureBliss (more on that below).

Benefits
The biggest benefit is that you're getting two items in one. You can take a personal massager with you anywhere, especially since they look nothing like a typical sex toy.

Of course, the vibrations are good, too. Because they're more compact and usually made of molded plastic, personal massagers generally have concentrated vibration that travels better throughout the massager. Most folks love this -- I certainly do -- but if the vibrations are a bit much for direct clitoral stimulation, you can always just use a towel or blanket between you and the massager to diffuse the vibration.

Best of the Best
Remember my mention of PureBliss? It's from MyPleasure's new Sublime Collection and is, I must say, awesome. It takes all of the benefits listed above and makes them even better!

It may be used as either a sensual or muscular stimulator, and the design itself plays into that. Gripping the handle provides an entirely different feel than cupping it, plus the vibration has been directed more efficiently to the surface so your body gets the full experience (as opposed to most of the vibration going into your hand). It's also incredibly light and quiet, which is rare, and has distinctly different speeds, which is even more so.

Of course, I'm a bit biased, so I asked one of my non-sex-toy-using friends to try it. I sold her on it being designed with women in mind, and I think she liked the lavender color. Now, after using it for a few days, she can't stop extolling its virtues. I think what shocked me most was that she "couldn't resist trying it" as a clitoral stimulator. Now, I think she's hooked!

So if you think you're ready to take the plunge into the world of personal massagers, you won't find a better one than PureBliss. Coming soon is a new and improved design with exciting features for increased satisfaction!