Bathmate vs Air pumps - don't buy a bathmate.

The Bathmate was like the gateway drug to pumping for me. I realised pumping worked through it. I preferred the control with an airpump and haven’t looked back since. Add heat and I think for those willing to be consistent and patient you have the ‘secret’ to success.

Ultimately I believe it’s about the consistency more than anything else.

My two cents. I have pumped with various set ups, as well as the Bathmate for years (off and on until a more dedicated effort over the last almost two years). In this last go-round I had been using the dry pumps almost exclusively, with heat (standard pads, as well as FIR and more recently red light/NIR). I had sort of stalled, and really wanted to focus on a bit of girth…and discovered that if I do my standard morning dry pump with heat (total of 40 plus minutes with a break or two) then use the Bathmate while showering (probably less than 10 minutes total while in shower) I get incredible girth. And, not the “Michelin Man” lumpy result a Bathmate can give if over pressure or time. Rather, the type you know may be “working”, because you can feel the CC/tunica with firmness. I finish the shower, throw on a ring and do a type of jelq (not heavy) and often then get into a stretcher for an hour or so while the tissues cool down. I am exploring then going into a latex sheath to had passive length maintenance. It may seem like a lot, but I am well conditioned, and do not use high pressure for either pump. I am noticing girth increase.

I also thought that if I still had the BM that I might do a second session of 10 mins in the shower with it. Glad to see it’s an approach that is pleasing to you

It all depends on how you feel, but I enjoy the BM during baths or showers. I see great results, but I’m still relatively new to PE (almost 4 months in). I also have an air pump that so use at night. I notice if I air pump over 10 min, I get a lot of purpling. This does not ever happen with my Hydromax. I think it’s good to have both in your inventory. BM can be pricey but I found a great holiday discount on mine.

FYI, if you already have a Bathmate and it’s not the max version, you can buy the parts to convert it really cheap on Ali Express. I spent $14 and got the ball and hose and 2 or 3 replacement valves for the cylinder. I was not a huge fan of the Bathmate when I first got it and immediately regretted the purchase (with the comfort thing it’s too tight, without it I get creases imprinted in my junk), but the max conversion at least makes it less frustrating to use. You just have to press the gaiter down enough to get a tight seal and then the hand pump will lock it in.

I’m still not a huge fan of it. I actually prefer it with air, using an electric pump instead of the hand bulb, with an anti-turtling sleeve fending off the edges of the gaiter, but even then, I’m only using it as a change of pace.

For water, a mityvac hand pump that’s made to handle fluids (I think they all are? I have one of the cheaper ones) with my lapump works much better.

Anyone use a Calexotics Optimum Series Rechargeable Waterproof Pump? The opening is smaller and looks more comfortable and better made compared to my bathmate.

Has anyone had loose skin as a result from pumping? Penis looking like a sharpei after 6 months of using a pump

If not mentioned previously, you should read the first post in: The Physics of Water Pumping.

I just purchased, finally, the Bathmate HydromaxXtreme 7. My question is do we know at what pressure the ball vacuum can maintain? I have used it three times. The first time was a bit awkward. Second time was standing in the shower and couldn’t get a good seal. 3rd time was back in the tub and not uncomfortable at all. I am following the 3 mins on 2 mins off x3 that they recommend starting out. I quickly fill the tube side to side. But is the pressure at which it pumps (sans a vacuum gauge) known and or appropriate.

I also need to add my current stats to my signature.

I had a BathMate. I liked it so long as I used it in a tub. Never got a decent or consistent seal when the thing wasn’t submerged in water.

Unsure if it really worked all that well cause I continually got infected hair follicles using it. Last straw was a UTI. Maybe the water here in Florida isn’t as clean as it should be.

But I think the ‘Physics of Water Pumping’ post has some merit. Using the BathMate my dick was solid and hard. Using an air pump is fine and I like the results but there is a difference in how my dick feels; air vs water.

Just joined the forum but have been pumping on /off since end of 2016

Started with a air pump in 2016 and had trouble with keeping the vacuum sealed which lead to me getting frustrated and sucking up my left nut into the tube. Was pretty scary was bruised and swollen for about two weeks. Gave up after that

Early to mid 2017 I found out about the bm8 and purchased .went ok in the bath got ok suction [but always was a bit of a issue]
Couldn’t get any suction standing in the shower. Got disheartening and gave up and tbh was too much of a mission having a bath just to use the pump, also at the time didn’t know what to expect in terms of results so felt I had no ultimate targets. May have given it another crack at some point but not sure .

End of 2019 my bath blew up and thought that was the end of pumping even if wanted to have another crack again. But tbh didn’t really care.

Start of 2022 I decided to try a work around I figured I could just fill bm8 with water and use over the sink. Worked pretty well and a lot more time efficient, still didn’t have the best suction until I shaved a complete bald eagle. Then got the best suction of my life! But there was still a problem , standing up I found it hard to stay hard. So I tried siting down on a chilly-bin and wow the suction was and still is incredible its some thing to do with the angle of being in a low sitting position / almost a squat [like on a stool] that creates a very pleasurable sucking feeling also just throw a towel down on the floor to catch spills and have a small bucket to pump the excess water into. Guess you could say its the best of both worlds.

But yea getting back to air v water defiantly prefer water feels like my nob expands a lot more, I’m not to hung up about a gauge as I just pump to a comfortable pressure. Gauge isn’t going to change that.

I just bought a bathmate. So far it seems to be much more effective and comfortable than my air pump. It also seems to give a bigger pump in less time. I do see the downside of having to allocate time for a bath. Hopefully, this gets me to the 7.5 x 5 5 I am seeking. I would go bigger but my wife doesn’t want more than that.

I love my bathmate. It’s so easy to use. I just put it on in the shower and leave it on for about 15 to 20 minutes while finishing my shower and shave. I have used the bathmate on and off for a long time like this and it’s just perfect when you’re too lazy to stick to a more strict routine.

I’m not sure about exactly how much of my gains the bathmate has brought since I have pretty much been on every routine there is except extending.

Total permanent gains are roughly 1.7 inches length and about 1 inch girth.

Well, reading this entire thread las left me wondering if I was *completely* stupid to buy the Bathmate HydroXtreme even on sale directly from the manufacturer instead of checking opinions from experienced PE’ers here first. I know I *should* have done that, yes, but too late now.

I was basing my decision upon advice from various urologists I have followed on YouTube. Honestly, my main reason was conditioning of the penis to improve ED. I’d like to work on girth gains at some point and would likely start air pumping to do that based upon what I’ve read here, but that is a lower priority goal at the moment than mitigating my substantial left-ward curve (using a RestoreX device for that—expensive, alas, but clinically proven to help with curves, and it’s an FDA approved medical device, so hoping it’s worth it) and gaining a little more length (I’m currently around eight inches BPSL and want to get to nine, but I kind of suck at measuring with confidence).

Anyhow, I have taken advice here and am not going full pressure with the Bathmate. I have found that, thus far, the Bathmate with the warm water is very soothing after my final stretching session that I do at the end of the day prior to showering. I am using a heating pad at other times for post workout except this last time every day. Given what has been said here extensively about heat, the warm water clearly would have healing properties. Now, whether the accompanying mild stretching from the pump is doing much for growth is likely debateable; but at least it is helping to get blood flowing into the recently stretched area, which I would expect is good for repairing the micro-tears from the stretching.

In short, I may have made a mistake buying the Bathmate; but I have it now, my current goals do not require any more purchases, and I may as well make some use of it until those goals change. Some later posts in particular here express more positive views of the Bathmate, so maybe it’s not just a novelty toy as some others seem to think. I haven’t been using it long enough or even doing PE long enough (about one and a half years, but with a break of some months) to have formed a credible opinion yet, so time will tell.

EDIT: BTW, I’m doing three five-minute sessions for my shower routine. I pump enough to see and feel some stretch, but not going to the maximum possible.

This thread is kinda weird because it is going air vs bathmate and not water pumping with gauge and cylinder vs Bathmate, if you are reading this thread, know the difference