Does Size Matter? 91.7% Of Women Say Yes [1,387-Woman Study]

We recently surveyed 1,387 sexually active women to answer the question:

Does size matter to women during penile-vaginal sex?

We also dug into women's preferred penis size, whether they'd consider cheating over inadequate size, and what separates enjoyable big-penis sex from unenjoyable big-penis sex.

Here's what we found:

Summary Of Key Findings

1. 91.2% of women say that size matters for sexual satisfaction with certain penis sizes being too small for them.

2. Women also don’t like very large penises: 83.4% of women find some penises too big to be satisfying.

1. 6-8 inches is the most favored penis size range (“Goldilocks” range) for women.

4. 43.6% of women say penis size matters when deciding to date someone.

5. 56.6% of women say that a partner possessing a penis that is too large could contribute to them ending their relationship.

6. 40.2% of women would consider cheating on a partner with a small penis.

7. 47.4% of women report that penis size matters during a one night stand.

8. 68.5% of women report that penis size matters in a friends-with-benefits situation.

9. 64.5% of women believe that penis length & width are equally important for their sexual satisfaction.

10. Only 61.5% of women find sex with a well-endowed partner satisfying.

11. 81.5% of women cited pain as the main cause of unsatisfying big penis sex.

12. 57.3% of women who found big penis sex satisfying reported that they enjoy “the feeling of being stretched.”

13. 7.22 inches is the average ideal penis length for women.

Note: You'll find our methodology section at the bottom of this study.

1. 91.2% Of Women Say That Size Does Matter – It Can Be Too Small

Despite digging extensively, we couldn't locate any existing research examining the link between penis size and women's sexual satisfaction during penile-vaginal sex. So we ran our own study.

We started with a simple question repeated for every penis size (in 1-inch increments) from 1 inch up to 12 inches:

Is this penis size enough to fully sexually satisfy you during penile-vaginal sex?

Each size had 3 possible answers:

1. It's too small to fully satisfy me.
2. It's enough to fully satisfy me.
3. It's too big to fully satisfy me. This uncovered something rarely discussed.

Below is the percentage of women who marked each size as too small:

Looking at the chart, it's clear women generally don't find smaller penises satisfying. Below 7 inches, there's a clear negative relationship between smaller size and satisfaction.

In short, the smaller the penis, the fewer women it's likely to satisfy.

Just 8.3% of women reported full satisfaction with a penis of 1 inch or smaller. Oddly, 0.5% said even a 1-inch penis was too big for them — likely tied to a condition called vaginismus.

Altogether, 91.2% of respondents said a penis can be too small to fully satisfy them. Put simply, size does matter for sexual satisfaction.

The table below breaks down the percentage of women who find each size too small to fully satisfy them.

However, a penis can also be too big…

2. Women Don’t Like Big Penises: 83.4% Of Women Say A Penis Can Be Too Big To Be Satisfying

Most women aren't fully satisfied by very large penises.

In fact, it's the reverse — above 7 inches, larger size correlates negatively with satisfaction.

In other words, the bigger a penis gets past that point, the fewer women find it satisfying. It simply becomes too much.

Five out of six women (83.4%) said a 12-inch penis was too big to satisfy them.

This finding pokes a serious hole in the popular assumption that bigger is universally better in men's minds:

• Over half of women (50.8%) said a 9-inch penis was too big to fully satisfy them.
• 61.1% said the same about a 10-inch penis.
• Surprisingly, 4.5% said even a 6-inch penis was too big — about 1 in 22 women who need a partner under 6 inches for full satisfaction.

The table below details the percentage of women who find each size too big to fully satisfy them.

3. 6-8 Inches Is The “Goldilocks” Penis Size Range For Women

We now know most women aren't fans of penises on either extreme end of the size spectrum.

So what's the sweet spot — big enough to satisfy, but not so big it becomes uncomfortable? In other words, what's the "Goldilocks" range?

According to our results:

6-8 inches (15.24-20.32 cm) is the preferred, or Goldilocks, penis size range for women.

At least three-quarters of women (77% or more) say any size between 6-8 inches is enough to fully satisfy them — this range satisfies more women than any other:

• A 7-inch penis satisfies more women (88.3%) than any other single size.
• More than half of women (60.4% or more) find any size between 5-8 inches fully satisfying.

This backs up our earlier point: both very small and very large penises tend to satisfy fewer women. Overall, women lean toward a size slightly above average.

The table below details the percentage of women who find each size big enough for full satisfaction.

What Is The Average Penis Size?

A 2020 scientific review pooling 10 studies measured erect penis size directly (not self-reported) across 1,629 participants [1]. Across these studies, the average erect length came out to 5.36 inches (13.61 cm).

The same review also analyzed 21 additional studies covering 13,719 participants where researchers directly measured stretched flaccid length. That average came to 5.11 inches (12.98 cm) [1].

Combining these findings, researchers estimated the average erect penis falls between 5.1-5.5 inches (12.9-13.97 cm). Once volunteer bias was factored in, they concluded the true average likely sits toward the lower end of that range [1].

4. 43.6% Of Women Say Penis Size Matters When Deciding To Date Someone

People weigh all sorts of trade-offs when deciding whether to date someone. Penis size and its link to sexual satisfaction is just one factor among many women consider when entering a relationship.

Still, we suspected it played a role and tested that with a direct question:

When deciding to enter into a relationship with a person who has a penis, does their penis size matter in any way?

As the pie chart above shows:

Penis size matters to 43.6% of women when deciding whether to date someone — and this cuts both ways, not just toward smaller partners.

Among all women surveyed:

• 39.7% said they're less likely to date someone whose penis is too small.
• 13.6% said they're less likely to date someone whose penis is too big.

Note: Some women selected both, saying they'd be less likely to date someone either too small or too big.

5. 56.6% Of Women Would Consider Breaking Up With A Partner Because Their Penis Is Too Large

We also wanted to know whether penis size could factor into ending an existing relationship. First, we asked:

Would you break up with someone due to their large penis size?

For partners whose penis is too big:

• 43.4% of women said they wouldn't end the relationship over it.
• 11.2% said they always would.
• 45.4% said it could be a contributing factor.

That adds up to 56.6% of women who'd at least consider ending a relationship over a partner's excessive size. Next, we asked:

Would you break up with someone due to their small penis size?

For partners whose penis is too small:

• 34.6% said they wouldn't end the relationship over it.
• 12% said they always would.
• 53.4% said it could be a contributing factor.

That totals 65.4% of women who'd consider ending things over a partner's small penis size.

These results confirm penis size genuinely factors into whether women consider ending a relationship — and not just for smaller partners.

An overly large penis is also enough to factor into a breakup for more than half of women surveyed.

6. 40.2% Of Women Would Consider Cheating On A Partner With A Small Penis

There's a common cultural assumption that women dissatisfied with their partner's size will eventually cheat. We wanted to test whether size really matters enough to drive that behavior.

As shown above, 10.7% of women said they would definitely cheat if their partner's penis wasn't big enough.

Another 29.5% said they might eventually cheat under the same circumstances.

Combined, that's 40.2% of women for whom size matters enough that cheating becomes a real possibility in pursuit of a better fit.

Since this study examines whether size matters to women generally, we flipped the question too:

Would women cheat on a partner with a penis size that was too big for them?

5.6% confirmed they would definitely cheat on a partner whose penis was too large.

Another 24.6% said they might eventually cheat under those circumstances.

That's a combined 30.2% of women who'd consider cheating because a partner's size was simply too much.

These results make clear that penis size drives real behavior for a meaningful share of women — and interestingly, that applies to oversized partners too, not just undersized ones.

7. 47.4% Of Women Report That Penis Size Matters During A One Night Stand

We predicted women would place extra weight on penis size during a one-night stand.

For this question, we filtered out anyone without prior one-night-stand experience, keeping only those who had.

Among women with that experience, 47.4% said penis size mattered in the moment.

Digging deeper, among all women with one-night-stand experience:

• 43.6% said an undersized penis made the encounter less pleasurable.
• 18.9% said an oversized penis made it less pleasurable.

Note: Respondents could select both "too large" and "too small."

Once again, this confirms penis size genuinely matters to a large share of women.

Both undersized and oversized penises were seen negatively — the latter by roughly 1 in 5 women during one-night stands. This reinforces what we already found:

Most women prefer a penis within the Goldilocks range — neither too small nor too large.

8. 68.5% Of Women Believe That Penis Size Matters In A Friends With Benefits (FWB) Situation

Continuing with casual sex scenarios, we also examined whether penis size matters within an ongoing friends-with-benefits (FWB) arrangement.

We asked women with FWB experience:

During an ongoing friends with benefits relationship, does your partner’s penis size matter?

As shown, penis size matters to 68.5% of women in FWB relationships.

Among all women with FWB experience:

• 63.6% said an undersized penis made things less pleasurable within that arrangement.
• 27.4% said an oversized penis had the same effect.

Clearly, penis size carries more weight for a woman's pleasure in FWB relationships than in one-night stands.

9. 64.5% Of Women Believe That Penis Length & Width Are Equally Important For Sexual Satisfaction

We also wanted to know whether length alone drives satisfaction, or whether girth matters just as much.

Put another way: is there a difference between a 6-inch penis as thin as a pencil versus one as wide as a soda can?

Women's views on length versus width turned out to be interesting:

• 11% said length matters more than width.
• 24.5% said width matters more than length.
• 64.5% said length and width matter equally.

The takeaway here is pretty clear:

Length isn't the only thing women care about — nearly two-thirds value girth just as much.

10. Only 61.5% Of Women Find Sex With A Well-Endowed Partner Satisfying

We also examined whether sex with a well-endowed partner is actually satisfying. Put simply:

Is bigger always better?

To answer this accurately, we only counted responses from women who'd actually had vaginal sex with a well-endowed partner.

In total, 63.7% of sexually active women said they'd slept with a well-endowed partner at some point.

Within that group, the average size of their partner during their most recent big-penis encounter was 9.33 inches (23.7 cm).

Yet only 61.5% found that most recent experience satisfying.

That means nearly two-fifths of women walked away unsatisfied despite their partner's size.

In short, bigger is not always better when it comes to penis size.

11. 81.5% Of Women Who Found Big Penis Sex Unsatisfying Cited Pain As The Main Issue

"It was painful" topped the list (81.5%) as the reason women found sex with a well-endowed partner unsatisfying.

That tracks intuitively — any body part, the vagina included, can feel painful when stretched past its normal range.

Length v width – Breaking this down further, 59.4% blamed their partner's length for their last unsatisfying big-penis encounter, versus 32.9% who pointed to width.

It's not just the size – Interestingly, many complaints about unsatisfying sex with a larger partner had nothing to do with size directly. Despite the size, women were dissatisfied because:

• 39.1% felt there wasn't enough foreplay.
• 27.4% felt their partner was selfish in bed.
• 23.5% felt their partner lacked skill.
• 10.6% felt their partner finished too quickly.
• 2.9% dealt with their partner's erection issues.

Other issues included:

• He enjoyed hurting me.
• Violent
• I felt him way up in my belly and I saw blood after every encounter.
• Looked like a horse….ouch!
• I bleed from him tearing me.
• He couldn’t even get in.
• In time it would’ve been ok but I was young. Hell I love a big cock now.

12. 57.3% Of Women Who Found Big Penis Sex Satisfying Reported That They Enjoy “The Feeling Of Being Stretched”

Respondents made clear that the physical sensations from a partner's larger size were a major factor behind sexually satisfying recent encounters.

That might sound obvious, but we couldn't find prior research confirming it beyond forum anecdotes.

Among women who found their most recent big-penis experience satisfying:

• 67.2% liked that their partner could reach certain spots (like the G Spot).
• 63.2% liked feeling full.
• 57.3% enjoyed the sensation of being stretched.
• 23.8% found it painful and liked that pain.
• 5.8% consider themselves size queens.

Physical sensation wasn't the whole story, though. We also found:

• 59.7% credited their attraction to their partner for making the sex satisfying.
• 51.8% credited their partner's confidence.
• 51.4% credited their partner's foreplay skills.
• 56.4% pointed to their partner's other sexual skills beyond penetration.

Taken together, some women clearly enjoy sex with a well-endowed partner mainly for the physical sensations involved, pain included in some cases.

We suspect this ties into cervix stimulation, which many women find simultaneously painful and pleasurable.

That said, for most women who enjoyed their most recent encounter with a well-endowed partner, size was far from the whole story. In short:

Size matters, but it's not the only factor for satisfying sex.

5.3% of participants shared additional reasons for enjoying their most recent experience with a well-endowed partner:

• He was a freak in bed and rough I like that.
• He was sweet and careful.
• He pulled my hair and choked me. Yummy.
• I was totally in love with him and the fact he had a massive penis (at least for me it was) was as some sort of bonus. A little difficult when it came to penetration, but nevertheless satisfying; the union was stronger, at least that’s how I felt at that moment. Maybe that’s the reason why I still think of him with dearness.
• The combination of size, positions, and force he used was somewhat painful, but the overall experience was satisfying.
• His kissing skills.
• I love him.
• His moans.
• And the amount of cum he produced. Bout drowned me trying to swallow it all after a blow job.
• Some angles hurt but when he was hitting it right it was mint. Lots of lube was the key.
• Everything about him was Big: 6’4”, 210lbs, an 8 inch penis that was as wide as a soup can.
• He was kinky as.
• It took lube and foreplay to make penetration work.
• Madly in love with him, his primal ways and hunger in his eyes.

13. 7.22 Inches Is The Average Ideal Penis Length For Women

Having already covered which sizes are too small, too big, and just right — the Goldilocks penis size range — we also wanted to pin down what women consider truly ideal.

Among 1,387 female respondents, the average ideal erect length came to 7.22 inches (18.34 cm), with a median of 7 inches (17.78 cm).

That average lines up almost perfectly with the middle of the Goldilocks range we identified earlier (6-8 inches/15.24-20.32 cm).

Comparing that to the real-world average erect length of 5.1-5.5 inches (12.9-13.97 cm) [1], we can say women's ideal runs roughly 2 inches (5.08 cm) above the actual average.

The table below shows the percentage of women who consider each size ideal.

We also asked about ideal width…

The average ideal erect width came to 1.89 inches (4.8 cm), with a median of 2 inches (5.08 cm).

That works out to an average ideal girth/circumference of 5.94 inches (15.09 cm).

For reference, a standard golf ball measures 1.68 inches (4.27 cm) wide, while an 8.4oz/250ml Red Bull can measures 2.1 inches (5.33 cm) wide.

One large-scale study puts the average erect penis girth/circumference at 4.59 inches (11.66 cm) [2]. That means women's preferred girth runs about 1.35 inches (3.43 cm) above the real-world average.

That said, we'd caution against treating 7.22 inches long or 1.89 inches wide as some universal ideal. As the data shows, ideal erect length and width really come down to individual preference.

Conclusion

Across nearly every major aspect of sex, dating, and relationships, we consistently found that penis size matters to women. That includes:

• Female sexual satisfaction
• Casual sexual relationships
• Entering a new relationship
• Ending a relationship
• Cheating on a partner

Most women find both very small and excessively large penises less desirable, gravitating instead toward the Goldilocks range of 6-8 inches (15.24-20.32 cm).

The average male penis, at 5.1-5.5 inches (12.9-13.97 cm) [1], is enough to fully satisfy the majority (60.4%) of women.

Methodology

We opened this survey by collecting basic demographic details. Respondents who'd never had penile-vaginal sex, along with non-female respondents, were excluded. All respondents were 18 or older, with a mean age of 42. After filtering, we ended up with 1,387 total respondents:

• 1,125 women identifying as heterosexual
• 184 women identifying as bisexual
• 13 women identifying as homosexual
• 33 women who specified alternative sexuality to heterosexual/homosexual/bisexual
• 32 women who declined to provide their sexuality

These respondents answered a range of questions covering their personal feelings, experiences, and preferences around erect penis size in penile-vaginal sex.

This survey relied on participants' own recollections and self-reported preferences. While honesty and accuracy were encouraged, the self-reported nature of the data means some inaccuracy is possible.

April 5, 2022