Almost 50 years after the first sex toys hit the market, the industry is experiencing a sexual revolution . This is primarily driven by technological innovations and smart devices.
Women in particular are increasingly getting their money's worth, which is reflected, among other things, in the sales figures of smart toys such as the Womanizer . But apart from this revolutionary sex toy, there are many exciting new products on the market for sex toys, vibrators and dildos .
Huge sex toys market
vibrator market alone is worth $6.5 billion and is growing at 13% annually. Female customers make up much of the industry's new growth, but brand awareness for many online sex toy providers is still incredibly low.
Photo by Jannes Jacobs @jannesjacobs, via Unsplash
Encouragingly for all small and medium-sized shops, micro brands and newcomers to the industry: this is far from a winner-takes-all market. The supply landscape is wide open for sex products aimed at women - particularly those that focus on a stigma-free D2C customer experience and include new smart features Bluetooth and remote control to data collection technology that can track and evaluate people's sexual responses.
Number of sex toy owners in the USA from 2017 to 2022
Interest in Purchasing Sexual Wellness Products Online in the US in 2022, by Generation
Source: Bedbible.com – The State of Sex Toys + Industry Statistics [2023]
Bedbible.com team collected more than 2 million data points and survey responses from more than 30,000 respondents to create the first representative study of sex toy distribution and use.
Important findings at a glance:
- The sex toy market is worth $35 billion (the US market is worth $12.6 billion)
- 78% of Americans over 18 own at least one sex toy in 2022, up from 65% in 2017
- Half of Americans over 18 have used a sex toy in the last week
- 82% of women own at least one sex toy
- 75% of men own at least one sex toy
- 39% prefer to use sex toys alone rather than with a partner
- Anal toy ownership has tripled in 5 years, from just 16% of sex toy owners having an anal toy in 2017 to 46% in 2022
- 73% agree that sex toys are taboo in society - an increase of 10% in the last 5 years
- 89% of the US population has purchased from an online sex shop or knows of one
- 40% of Americans over 18 have spent over $100 on sex toys in the last 12 months
- Shockwave (clitoral suction) vibrators have become extremely popular in recent years, with 64% of women either owning one or wanting to own one
- Sex toy owners are 20% more likely to say they are happy in their relationship and 17% more likely to say they are satisfied with their sex life
- The sex toy industry is growing at 13% annually and doubles on average every 6 years
- Washington DC, New Hampshire and Colorado own the most sex toys per capita, while Mississippi, South Carolina and Louisiana own the fewest.
Smart toys start-ups from innovative female founders
Dame Products recently raised $575,000 on Indiegogo to Eva , a hands-free vibrator , making it the most successful sex toy crowdfunding campaign ever.
Other innovative smart toy companies have names like Crave , Unbound and Maude . Their new releases include sex toys such as Fin , Bender and Mini Marvels Marvelous Flicker with features such as USB charging and micro-robotics. The special thing is that all of these companies were founded by women.
While 70% of legacy sex toy companies are run by men, women now make up the vast majority of sex toy startups. Why is this change only now, you ask yourself? Because the sex industry is huge and its products have been created by men for men since its inception... Until now!
Sex industry in fundamental change
The sex industry is undergoing a sea change from a male-focused vice industry to a female-focused wellness industry , and that's a pretty significant shift.
Photo by Ava Sol @avasol, via Unsplash
Sexual health and sexual wellness is an enormous business, with global sales reaching nearly $30 billion in 2018. The vibrator market is $6.5 billion and growing at 13% annually, while individual vibrators are priced at $125 -dollars or more are sold.
Sexual wellness, a relatively new trend, is intended to help close “orgasm gap” It's about seeing good sex as part of a healthy lifestyle. A healthy pelvic floor, for example, not only contributes to better orgasms , but also to the overall stability of the body.
Female customers account for much of the industry's growth, spurred by wider acceptance of sex toys and a desire for higher quality, more innovative products designed by and for women. Not to mention the emergence of more accessible online options instead of shady sex shops.
Surprisingly, most women ca n't name online sex toy brands , let alone show a brand preference. This represents a huge opportunity for new players to enter and grow quickly in the D2C market. We can therefore look forward to further exciting innovations and product innovations.
In addition to the market potential, many female founders are driven by the desire to close “pleasure gap” – the gap that exists between the sexual satisfaction of men and women.
Sex toys became increasingly popular in the 1970s, and the industry was largely dominated by large male or family-run companies.
CalExotics is the first sex toy company owned and operated by a woman. About 25 years ago, the first pink and purple vibrators came onto the market, and this was a direct result of the CalExotics brand, whose company is best known for its Jack Rabbit vibrators.
The success story of the online retailer Amorelie was also written by women. Who doesn't know the erotic Advent calendar from the erotic toys provider.
Womanizer – The lay-on vibrator with sound waves
The Womanizer is the most successful sex toy of recent years. It was invented by Michael Lenke from Lower Bavaria, and his wife was the first to test it.
The revolutionary sex toy brand, which launched in 2014, recently expanded its portfolio with three new products – the Premium 2 , the Classic 2 and the Starlet 3 .
The new toys are designed with the brand's Pleasure Air technology The development of the new additions also includes feedback from over 10,000 women and men who have regularly provided comments on the products and functions.
The new and improved Premium 2 includes two additional features: Autopilot and Smart Silence . Autopilot 2.0 is a feature that allows users to relinquish control as the toy harmoniously switches between different intensity levels.
The Classic 2 is an elegant and discreet option updated with a unique afterglow feature that provides a gentle ending after an intense orgasm when the clitoris is at its most sensitive.
In addition, the Classic 2 is now available in the new colors black and burgundy and has 10 instead of 8 intensity levels.
Finally, the Starlet 3 is a cheaper option that now offers 6 intensity levels instead of 4 and is available in five new eye-catching colors.
Womanizer Premium & Womanizer Duo – Toy Review, Tutorial & Tips
Which womanizer to buy? Comparison video (Starlet 3, Classic 2, Premium 2)
Sex toys for women – what else is new?
There are a variety of new and innovative toys for women. erotic advice portal Sextoys.net is also dedicated to this topic and constantly presents trendy products such as the Womanizer premium vibrator. Whether sexual pleasure alone or as a couple: the selection of aids is large.
Couples who like to experiment, for example, get involved with vibrators with remote control and thereby give control to their partner. Anal stimulation also a significant pleasure gain with the right preparation and the right toys.
The following product categories continue to increase desire among women:
- Anal plugs / anal plugs
- Anal vibrators
- Lay-on vibrators
- Pressure wave vibrators
- Love balls
- Pump dildos
- Rabbit vibrator
- Silicone dildos
- Shock vibrators
- Strap-on dildos / strap-on dildos
- Vibrating eggs
Smart sex toys have many functions