Bathmate Hydro 7 vs Hydroxtreme 7: which should you buy?

The four Bathmate pumps side by side

Sizes are from Bathmate's own size chart, and the other details are from Bathmate's product information. We haven't tested these pumps ourselves. The Hydromax 5 and Hydroxtreme 9 are here for anyone the size 7 doesn't fit.

What the Hydro 7 and Hydroxtreme 7 have in common

• The same size range. Bathmate makes both for an erect length of 12.5 to 17.5 cm and a girth of up to 16.5 cm.
• Water instead of air. You fill the tube with warm water and use it in the bath or shower.
• No motor, no batteries and nothing to charge.
• Neither one makes any lasting change to your size. Our guide to whether penis pumps work explains what a pump does and doesn't do.

What the Hydroxtreme 7 adds

The Hydro is Bathmate's original water pump. The Hydroxtreme is built on Bathmate's newer Hydromax design, which Bathmate says is more powerful than the original Hydro. We haven't measured that, and more isn't better: the right pressure is the one that feels comfortable. Here's what the extra money actually buys.

• A handball on a hose. You squeeze the ball to pump, so you can set the pressure in small steps without moving the pump.
• Bellows that swivel, which Bathmate says makes it easier to pump in any position. You can still pump it by pressing, as with the Hydro.
• The version we sell is the pump on its own, with the hose and handball and none of Bathmate's accessories.

Who should skip each one

• Skip the Hydro 7 if you'd rather set the pressure with a handball than by pressing the pump against you.
• Skip the Hydroxtreme 7 if it's your first pump and you're not sure you'll keep using one. The Hydro 7 is the same size for about half the price.
• Skip the Hydroxtreme 7 if you want accessories in the box. This version has none.
• Skip both if your erect length is under 12.5 cm or over 17.5 cm, or your girth is over 16.5 cm. Bathmate makes Wide Boy versions of the 7 for girths up to 19 cm, which we don't sell.
• Skip any pump if you're buying it for a lasting change in size. No pump does that.
• Skip any pump for now if you have trouble getting or keeping an erection. See your GP first: a doctor can check for causes and, if it suits you, prescribe a medical vacuum device.

If the 7 isn't your size: the Hydromax 5 and Hydroxtreme 9

Size comes first. If the size 7 would be wrong for you, the choice between the Hydro and the Hydroxtreme doesn't matter. Our Bathmate size guide shows how to measure and has the full size chart.

• Hydromax 5: made for an erect length of 7.5 to 12.5 cm and a girth of up to 15.5 cm. It's 26 cm long overall. As a Hydromax, it has no handball.
• Hydroxtreme 9: made for 17.5 to 23 cm and a girth of up to 19 cm. Like the Hydroxtreme 7, it has a handball and hose. At 33.7 cm long and 6.1 cm wide, it's the largest pump in our range.

What no pump will do

No pump, air or water, has good evidence behind it for a lasting change in size. In a 2006 study in the urology journal BJU International, 37 men used a vacuum device for 20 minutes, three times a week, for six months. The researchers found no significant change in length and concluded that a vacuum device is not an effective way to increase it.

UK urologists do use vacuum devices to help men with erection problems, but those are prescribed after seeing a doctor. Bathmate pumps are not medical devices, and nothing here is a treatment.

Before you use either one

• Measure first. Bathmate says a pump that's too big won't reach the right pressure, and one that's too small gets uncomfortable.
• Follow the time limit in the instructions. For the Hydro 7, Bathmate says no more than 15 minutes a session.
• Pump gently, and stop if anything hurts or feels numb.
• Bruising or a change of colour can happen with vacuum devices. UK urologists describe these side effects as minor. Stop and give it a few days if you notice them.
• If you take blood thinners such as aspirin, warfarin or clopidogrel, or have a blood disorder, check with your GP first. UK urologists say these can raise the risk of side effects.

Which to choose

• Your first water pump, and you're 12.5 to 17.5 cm: the Hydro 7.
• You know you'll use it and want finer control of the pressure: the Hydroxtreme 7.
• Under 12.5 cm: the Hydromax 5.
• Over 17.5 cm: the Hydroxtreme 9.
• Not sure of your size: measure before you choose, using our Bathmate size guide.

Questions

This guide is general information, not medical advice. If something hurts or worries you, stop and speak to a GP or pharmacist.

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