The penis pump is a manually operated pump that can be used with or without water to help give you harder erections for sex.

We recommend the penis pump as an alternative treatment for erectile dysfunction that doesn't involve taking medication.

A penis pump is a device that you place over your penis and use to help give you a harder erection to have sex with, if you’re having trouble getting or keeping erections (erectile dysfunction).

As well as improving erections, penis pumps may also help with:

• Premature ejaculation
• Peyronie’s disease

What does a penis pump do?

A penis pump creates a difference in pressure inside the chamber of the pump by drawing water or air out of the chamber. When your penis is inside the chamber, this causes blood to flow into the penis to balance out the change in pressure. This increase in blood flow can help give harder erections to have sex with.

A penis pump can help you get and keep erections but it doesn’t increase your maximum erection size. A penis pump is not able to enlarge your penis.

The penis pump is easy to use with or without water.

With water:

• Go somewhere where it won’t matter if you spill water (like the bathroom, shower, bathtub etc.)
• Fill the chamber of the pump with water
• Put your penis inside the chamber and make sure the rim of the chamber is tight against your body to create a seal
• Open the valve and pump out water
• You can decide when to stop pumping when you’ve reached a comfortable pressure
• Keeping the penis ring on after removing the pump can help you keep a harder erection for longer
• The penis ring should not be left on for more than 30 minutes (including pumping time)

Without water:

• You can use this method anywhere
• Follow the steps above but without filling the chamber with water first
• You still need to keep the seal between your body and the chamber of the pump to create the pressure difference

With other treatments

It’s safe to use a penis pump alongside other treatments for erectile dysfunction, like Viagra. This might be an option for you if you’ve tried erectile dysfunction pills but aren’t getting the results that you want.

For example, if you’ve tried Viagra at the maximum dose for a few weeks and you’re still not getting erections that are hard enough for sex, you might want to consider using Viagra with a penis pump. One study shows using both these methods together can give better results.

For some men, penis pumps can give harder erections that last long enough to have sex with:

• 82% to 89% of men and their partners reported success with penis pumps and reported over 90% satisfaction in erections.
• When using a penis pump with erectile dysfunction tablets, 70% to 79% of men reported improvements to their erections
• A study on Peyronie’s Disease showed 68% of patients saw improvement to their penis shape and 51% were satisfied with the outcome

Penis pump reviews

Penis pumps are approved by the British Association of Urology Specialists and the NHS.

If you’re considering ordering from our online doctor service, we have an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Trustpilot.com.

Other reviews and stories:

• Kryolifehealth.com review of penis pumps
• Prostate Cancer UK patient forum posts

Before and after

Men who are considering a penis pump usually have similar experiences beforehand, which can include not getting an erection that is hard enough for sex and not keeping an erection long enough to have sex with.

These symptoms can have a negative impact on quality of life, relationships with partners, self-esteem, and mental health. But, successful treatment with a penis pump or another erectile dysfunction (ED) treatment can improve these situations.

It’s quite difficult to predict what results you will get when you start using a penis pump. Most men are able to get satisfactory erections by using one. You might need to practice using yours a few times until you get a satisfactory erection.

The penis pump doesn’t work perfectly for everyone. Some men might still not be able to get an erection they’re happy with by using a penis pump. If this is the case, you might consider using a penis pump alongside another ED treatment. Or, you could choose not to use the penis pump altogether and try an alternative ED treatment.

There’s a few different kinds of penis pump, including electric, manual, water, or air vacuum pumps. Different kinds of pumps may suit you better depending on a few factors mentioned below.

Electric or manual pumping?

There’s a few different kinds of penis pump, including electric, manual, water, or air vacuum pumps. Different kinds of pumps may suit you better depending on a few factors mentioned below.

Electric or manual pumping?

A water pump uses water inside the chamber which is pumped out to create pressure that draws blood into the penis to help with erections. An air vacuum pump doesn’t use water and so the air inside the chamber is pumped out to create pressure in a similar way.

The penis pump can be used with or without water. Either use it as is or fill the chamber up with water before you pump. There’s no strong advantages either way so it’s down to whatever suits you.

There’s no way to safely make a homemade penis pump. You should never attempt to make a homemade penis pump, as you can run into risks such as damage to the penis or infections.

If you’re not sure about buying a pump, remember that our price includes the online doctor service that comes with your purchase. In addition to your pump device, Superdrug Online Doctor’s penis pump service offers you:

• A short online assessment to see whether the penis pump is a good choice for you to use.
• The option to contact an online doctor through your account for any additional advice or support you might need in using your pump or treating your erectile dysfunction.

The NHS approves penis pump treatment, but it can only offer penis pumps on NHS prescription to people who have the following conditions:

• Diabetes mellitus
• Injury (spinal cord or pelvis)
• Multiple sclerosis
• Poliomyelitis
• Prostate cancer
• Psychological distress (severe)
• Renal failure
• Single-gene neurological disorders
• Spina bifida
• Surgery (prostatectomy & radical pelvic surgery)

If you do not have one of the conditions listed above then you will have to pay for a penis pump yourself. Availability of penis pumps on private health insurance may vary so check with your insurance provider for more information.

Though most men can safely use a penis pump you should always talk to your doctor first to check for any underlying causes for your ED and to check your medical and medication history to make sure a penis pump is safe for you to use.

You should not use a penis pump if you:

• Have a condition that affects blood clotting
• Take blood thinning medication
• Have a condition affecting your penis anatomy such as a bend in the penis
• Have a condition affecting the skin on your genitals
• Have reduced sensation in your genitals

Penis pumps are safe to use in the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) if you follow the instructions. Some people may find that they get side effects, like:

• numbness
• coldness
• a bluish tinge to the skin
• pain or bruising
• the feeling of trapped semen when you ejaculate

If you can’t cope with the side effects, you should speak to a doctor about trying an alternative treatment.

If you don’t use your pump properly, or you leave your constriction ring on for too long, you could get infections or damage your penis. In very serious cases this damage can be permanent.

If you have problems with the device, you may need to seek advice from the manufacturers.