They say that it’s better to give than to receive, and in the case of sex toys, there are certainly benefits on both sides. Unwrapping the present is just the beginning: with any luck, the real gift will be the pleasure of playing. While there are numerous great budget toys out there, if you’re looking to indulge a lover with something special, these toys are our current favourites.

Masters Desire Luxury Leather Cuffs: £100

While you can get cheaper cuffs than these, if you’re after a pair of cuffs that will last a lifetime and put a serious smile on the face of the bondage-lover in your life, you can’t get better than these.

Made by artisan craftspeople in the UK, the quality of leatherwork is astounding and the clever design means that the cuffs are held on by a buckle alone, without having to faff around with a pin (the cuffs are engineered so that the buckles hold in place through tension and the magic of science alone). The MasterDesire range also includes harnesses (including a stunning body harness),belts and collars, all of which we covet.

 Jack’s Floggers Two-Tone Flogger – £32

We never cease to be amazed by the style – and value – of Jack’s Floggers and this two-tone beauty is our current favourite. Each flogger is hand designed and the quality is impeccable: it really feels as if you’re holding a work of art.

If the two tone flogger is a little full on, Jack also has hair floggers for gentler play – and if you want something a little more hardcore, he has a wonderful array of floggers,paddles and almost anything else you could imagine to deliver that delicious endorphin high that only a good  (safe, sane and consensual) thrashing can provide

Shiri Zinn Minx – £89 (+ £11 P&P)

We love Shri Zinn at Cliterati and The Minx is one of her most original – and infamous – designs. The intensely powerful vibrations are equally pleasurable whether you choose to use it vaginally or wear it as a tail (NB: it is  huge so isn’t one for anal beginners) The fluffy maribou tail can be used for sensual stroking – particularly soothing after a spanking. The packaging is as luxurious as the toy and the price reflects the quality, A truly stunning gift for the kinky companion in your life.

Intensity Kegel Toner  - £249

If you only want to do one thing to enhance your sex life, Kegel toning is the way forward. Flexing your muscles helps boost blood flow to the area, increasing sensation; and the stronger your muscles, the stronger your orgasms. The Intensity makes it easy to maintain motivation for your exercise regime by combining an electric pulsing kegel toner with a Jessica Rabbit style clit stim.

While the electric pulse takes a little getting used to, it doesn’t hurt – and once you’ve acclimatised to the sensation, it offers stimulation like no other toy. The pulsing sets your vaginal muscles trembling – feeling as if they’re being stroked by a firm and very knowledgeable finger; the vibration helps distract you from the unusual sensation and somewhere along the line, the two sensations merge to create an ‘eyes streaming with tears, body convulsing and muscles spasming’ orgasm (assuming you find the sensation as thrilling as our tester, of course).Made from body-safe silicone, the Intensity is great quality and a true original – a rare thing in an increasingly ‘copycat’ toy industry. At £249.95, it’s no impulse purchase but if you’re feeling flush and want to tone up and get off all at once, The Intensity is well worth getting.

The We-Vibe 3 – £99

We’ve raved about it before and we’ll rave about it again because the We Vibe 3 is one of the best couple toys we’ve ever tested. The first toy ever designed to be worn during sex, one end presses against your clit, the other against the G-spot and as your lover slides inside you, their penis/dildo presses the G-spot stimulator deeper into the spot in question.Both ends vibrate so you’re getting thrilled two ways – and better yet, the vibrations are controlled using a remote.This is handy during sex but even more useful if you like the idea of a little al fresco action: simply pop in the We-vibe (it should hold itself in place due to its design but wear knickers to be on the safe side) then pass your lover the remote control. Never have a dull dinner out again…

Made from silicone, the We-Vibe 3 warms to body temperature, is easy to use (once you’ve got used to the somewhat unusual sensation) and allows plenty of scope for play: if you pop one in your lover’s Christmas stocking, you may not end up getting out of bed all day.

Lelo Siri – £59.99

Choosing just one Lelo to feature in this list is hard because it’s one of our very favourite brands. However, the Siri wins its place through a combination of price, versatility and design.

Looking more like a product of the Apple factory than a vibrator, The Siri charges through a mobile phone style charger so you never need to worry about having batteries to have fun. With six vibration modes, it starts gently so is perfect for beginners but the top modes pack enough power to satisfy vibrator queens too. Easy to hold in the palm of your hand and use during sex (particularly doggie style) as well as being great for solo use, the Siri is available in three colourways and, as with all Lelo toys, is beautifully packaged so if you’re buying it as a gift, there will be no doubt that you’ve been generous – the Siri clearly a luxury item. But who says you can’t use a little luxury in your life every day?

The Crave – £109.99-239.99

We’ll be honest – we’ve yet to test this toy but we’ve had our covetous eye on the Crave Duet for a while now because it combines an intriguingly designed three-speed silicone-covered vibrator with 8GM or 16GB data storage – perfect to store your favourite erotic ebooks or porn vids on so that all your masturbation needs are sated by this sophisticated toy.

The Crave Duet charges through your computer’s USB, port, and has three speeds to choose from. Should you be more fiscally demanding than Anastasia, and want the ultimate in toys, it’s also available with 24K gold trim at £239 (no, we wouldn’t pay that much money for a gold trim: you could get a thoroughly lovely gold necklace for the price difference. And we’d be quite happy with a pearl necklace if a lover has spent £109 on a  vibe too).

The Leaf – £64.99

This gorgeous vibe attracted headlines recently when Alicia Silverstone raved about its eco credentials. Made from body safe silicone, and packed in hemp and recycled cardboard, the Leaf range is available in a variety of shapes, all ergonomically designed to easily caress your nether regions. The soft lines and flowing curves work brilliantly for grinding against, and the vibrations are mild enough for a beginner but turn up enough to give regular vibe users enough of a buzz too. Again, charging through a mobile phone charger, the Leaf range has already attracted numerous awards and we suspect it’s popularity is only going to grow as more people get to hear about it. The Philip Starck of sex toys.

The We Vibe Touch – £59.99

If you’re single, it doesn’t mean you need to miss out on the joys of We-vibe. Their new Touch vibe is covered in soft silicone, easy to control, fits perfectly into the palm of your hand and has a choice of four speeds. You can use it clitorally or insert the pointed end to stimulate the first few inches of the vaginal entrance, which is where the bulk of the nerve endings reside.

The We-vibe touch recharges through a plug charger so you don’t need to worry about batteries; and it’s easily controlled by simply pressing the discreetly hidden button to scroll through the functions.If you’re worried about your kids, parents or flatmates finding your toys, this has the advantage of doubling as a massager: just make sure you don’t use it with silicone lube as otherwise it could damage the toy. Stick to water based instead.

Toyfriends – £14.99

You don’t get to spend a fortune to get a luxury toy. Pocket Toyfriends are a beautifully designed range of vibrating bullets, tipped with quality silicone, and available at a pocket-pleasing price of £14.99.;

We couldn’t believe how cheap these were when we saw the prototypes earlier this year, and testing out the final product didn’t disappoint showing that it is possible to get a quality toy for under £20. They’re simple, single speed and powered by a single AAA battery. If you want to dip a toe in the water of luxury toys, the Toyfriend range is the perfect place to start.