VaxAid Review: 20 men’s honest feedback, 5 week project.
If you're weighing up a VaxAid Pump, you’re likely looking for honest, real user feedback from men who are where you are now.
Twenty men post prostate cancer treatment (at various stages of erectile function recovery) from our private membership community, The Hub, were gifted a VaxAid Deluxe for five weeks. All of them had used a pump before, so they had a point of comparison.
This article covers their feedback: the good, the bad, and the sunflower face (promise that will make sense shortly).
How this project came about: VaxAid paid us to run this trial and sent the 20 devices free of charge (thank you, VaxAid!). They wanted transparent, real-world feedback, so here it is, no-holes-barred.
SUMMARY TAKEAWAYS:
Good for rehabilitation in the shower
Not so great for sex using the rings
Make sure you get the size right
So, what is the VaxAid?
The VaxAid is a vacuum erection device you can use with water in the shower or bath, or dry like a normal air pump.
It’s an FDA-Regulated Medical Device manufactured by DX Products Ltd, which also manufactures the Bathmate Pump.
The Deluxe model tested here comes with constriction rings that fit onto the entrance of the pump (to maintain the erection after pumping), a hose and bulb attachment (as another means of removing air/water), water-based lube, a travel case, travel lock, neck strap (to hold the pump up in the shower when full of water), a little towel and many other helpful accessories (see image below).
The kit is genuinely comprehensive. Several of the men appreciated this, and there’s a good amount of water-based lube included, so no extras are needed to get started.
The VaxAid Deluxe kit ($299 USD / $389 AUD / £199 GBP - as of September 2026)
Overall evaluation: 5/10.
In the final survey, after 5 weeks of use, I asked how likely they'd be to recommend it to another man post-treatment. The overall average was 5.2 / 10.
I'll unpack all the feedback below, but in summary:
Most men enjoyed using this pump in the shower as part of their daily rehabilitation.
Unfortunately, the ring system (what you need if you're relying on a ring to hold your erection after pumping) didn’t quite hold up, so to speak.
Most also found the pump quite bulky and not the easiest to travel with.
This is probably a pump that stays at home in the shower, reminding you to do your rehab every day.
Asked how likely they were to recommend the VaxAid to another man post prostate cancer treatment, the 20 men averaged 5.2.
VaxAid Pros: easy shower rehab, no clean up, feels good
Before the trial, 3 men pumped in the shower. By the end, 15 of them were.
That's a big behaviour change, and many of the participants appreciated this aspect of the VaxAid pump over their original.
“I like to use the pump discreetly when using it for rehab, so shower time is best for me, where I usually have privacy.”
It’s also a lot easier to get going and no clean up when it comes to shower rehab with the VaxAid:
No lube. No rings. No mess. Nothing to take apart afterwards.
If you've ever abandoned your rehab routine because setting it all up felt like a whole event, you'll understand why that matters. As one man put it:
"For daily rehab, it is easier and quicker to use than the Vacurect. In the shower, I require no lube and no rings. No rings is a big plus for me. I have a routine down now that I can do the full shower rehab routine in 5 minutes."
A few men also mentioned that warm water in the cylinder simply feels good.
“I like the feeling of water as I am helping to engage blood flow to an area damaged by medical intervention”
6 of the 7 men who gave VaxAid a high recommendation score were shower users.
Does the VaxAid give a good erection?
This one surprised me…
13 out of 20 men said the erection the VaxAid gave them during rehab was worse than that of their previous pumps. Four said much worse. Only one man said better.
Persistence and patience did tend to lead to better results, though:
“The claimed “science” benefit of more even pressure on the penis by using the VaxAid in water appealed to me. It took until day 22 to make that work, and it did look and feel effective until pressure was released and we went back to normal.”
Men who happily made this their daily shower pump still rated the erection it produced below what they were getting with their previous pumps during rehab.
Are the VaxAid rings any good?
I had high hopes here. The ring system looks a lot like the Vacurect's, which sits right at the pump's entrance, and I've had years of positive feedback about that design.
But for most of the men in this trial, the rings didn’t work out.
“They are quite rigid - so hard to fit and remove. Had to use No. 4 for good erection but that was very tight and uncomfortable. Sometimes used No. 8 to reduce possibility of testicle suck.”
18 men tried the rings: 50% of them stopped. Not one single man chose "very comfortable" or "very satisfied" in the final survey about the rings.
18 of the 20 men tried the rings. 9 of them were dissatisfied with the erection it held, 3 were satisfied, and not one was very satisfied.
Here's what went wrong, in their words:
They're stiff, and there's no give. Hard to get on, and taking them off half-deflated was painful. Three men said removal was the worst part of the whole trial.
"It is very stiff and doesn't have any elasticity. I did it once, never again."
The outer flange is enormous. Four men said it got in the way during sex and affected their partner's comfort. Steve said it felt like wearing a shield. Someone else said it was like a rubber dinner plate. My personal favourite was the man who said his privates looked like they were wearing a sunflower mask.
On the other hand, four men did report getting a firm erection with them, and one said it was easy once he'd found his size.
"Once the correct size was figured out, obtaining and maintaining a firm erection was easy. The only down side is the overall size of the ring.”
The verdict: if the ring is the reason you're buying, make sure you’re happy with the look and feel first. It might work for you, but no guarantees.
In our Pump Demo Video Library, we have a demonstration video of a gentleman putting the ring on and taking it off to give you a better idea of what to expect.
The kit is a bit ‘bulky’
A smaller, lighter device was the single most requested change, raised by 9 of the 20 men.
A few men mentioned the kit was too big to travel with. One man pointed out that his current pump lives discreetly in the bedside drawer, and this one doesn't fit, so it sits out where anyone can see it.
If you share a bathroom or you're away for work a lot, you might want to factor that in.
"The number of parts seem overwhelming and not too convenient for travel, at least in the beginning."
The VaxAid kit: comprehensive, but a bit bulky!
What size VaxAid do you need?
VaxAid provided a PDF sizing chart (download it here) to help men pick the right size for them. I love that the pump comes in different sizes. This is often an issue with pumps; there’s no ‘one size fits all’ in this space.
However, even after measuring and following the instructions, 6 of the 20 men ended up with the wrong size. Four had a unit that was too big, 2 too small.
Too small is the painful one. For one man, the comfort insert matched his erect girth. Too big means you can't get a good seal and risk the pump pulling in the testicles.
"My erection is 6.25" so I chose a 7 but given the bellows size, it was way too big."
So: measure your stretched flaccid length as the chart asks, and then email VaxAid customer service and get them to confirm your size before you order. It takes five minutes, and their customer service is very responsive.
#1 Design issue: comfort insert
The comfort insert is meant to come out before you fill the device with water, and then it goes back in. Leave it in while you're filling, and you get air pockets, which means you'll lose suction over time.
Several men did not get on with the insert. They felt it grab and stick to the skin at the base, get sucked inward as the bellows compressed, and a few felt their glans get stuck to the inner plastic, leading to pain with continued pumping (ouch!).
Then in week three, someone posted this in our forum thread:
"Has anyone else tried it without the comfort insert? I forgot to put it in this morning and what a revelation!! More comfortable, better seal, easier to pump with less discomfort."
So if you’re struggling with this - try it without the insert. A bit of lube on the glans helps too, even in the shower.
How long does it take to get used to VaxAid?
Most pumps come with a learning curve. The VaxAid was no exception.
Half the men were comfortable within 2 weeks. 7 of the 20 still found it fiddly at 5 weeks, and 3 never got there at all.
For comparison, 13 men at the start rated their original pump easy or very easy to use. Only 2 said the same about the VaxAid at the end of the trial.
"During the first two weeks, I found the device clumsy, bulky and was struggling to operate it with any kind of dexterity or sense of accomplishment."
What your partner might think of the VaxAid
Five men used it with female partners during the trial.
One partner completed a separate survey for us and said that intimacy improved slightly, that she was satisfied overall, but that the ring was uncomfortable for her (two other men reported the same feedback from their partners).
She also made an interesting observation about the VaxAid-ring-induced erection:
"Comparing the erect penis from use of previous vacuum pump to that of VaxAid, I would say the penis was a more natural colour and less red."
VaxAid Deluxe or VaxAid Trainer: which should you get?
If you already know your priority is daily rehab in the shower, and you don't need a ring for sex, check out the VaxAid Trainer. It’s the same model but cheaper and comes without the constriction rings.
Depending on where you live and what cover you have, you may be able to claim this pump through private health, usually with a letter from your doctor. Our guide on claiming a vacuum erection device through a private health fund explains more.
VaxAid Top Tips:
Most men struggled when using the VaxAid Deluxe.
13 of the 20 men found the VaxAid difficult or very difficult to use. 5 were neutral, 2 found it easy, and nobody found it very easy.
So we ran a troubleshooting thread in The Hub, where the men in the trial swapped tips.
If you're struggling with yours right now, please try these ideas:
Trim or shave the pubic area. Oldest tip in the pumping book and still the one that improves your seal the most.
Try it without the comfort insert. See above.
Lube the glans and shaft, even in the shower, so nothing sticks. Give the pump a shake if it does.
Turn it the other way round. Less catching, less pressure on the testicles. You lose sight of the measurements, but they fog up in the shower anyway.
Hold the black valve ‘pip’ down while you fill it to stop water from flowing out the end, then let go once you start pumping, and keep the pump pointing upward.
Warm up first. Gentle stretching or a bit of masturbation to get blood moving.
Can't get a seal? Use it dry with a constriction ring on for a wider base.
Cleaning is just soap and water. Nothing special was needed, and 11 of the 20 rated the cleaning easy or very easy.
Watch a live demonstration video. We have a library of real demonstration videos that provide step-by-step instructions on exactly how to use the VaxAid in the bath, shower, and air, and with the rings.
So, who is the VaxAid suited to?
This is a good option for men who:
Want to do daily penile rehab in the shower
Find their current pump a faff (lube, mess and cleaning).
Have a settled routine at home
Don't need a ring for intercourse
VaxAid FAQ:
Did the VaxAid work for penile rehabilitation after prostate surgery?
For most of these men, yes. 15 of the 20 used it for daily rehab in the shower, and 10 named shower rehab as the best thing about it. The catch is erection quality, with 13 of the 20 rating the erection it gave them below their previous pump's.
Are the VaxAid rings good for sex?
Unfortunately, they weren’t for most men. 18 men tried them, but only 3 men found them satisfactory.
How long does it take to learn to use the VaxAid?
Half the men were comfortable within 2 weeks.
Can you use the VaxAid in the shower?
Yes, and it's the best thing about it. You can use it with water in the shower or bath, or dry as a normal air pump.
If you're near the start of all this and not sure where to begin, our free Six Key Erection Recovery Principles course covers the fundamentals.
And if you'd like the full write-up of this trial, with the chance to ask the project participants anything you like, please join The Hub.
Thank you to the twenty men and their partners who participated in this project!
DISCLAIMERS:
Please tell your doctor about all of your health conditions and any medications you take before deciding whether a vacuum device, or any other ED treatment, is right for you. Nothing here is medical advice, and whether a pump suits you is a conversation between you and your medical team. This post was based on a paid product trial and contains affiliate links.
Last updated: 14th September 2026
