Sales of erotic toys for couples separated by quarantine are on the rise
Toys toys toys! Who doesn't love a good toy? Adults of all ages, sexualities, cultures, and income levels love buying toys for themselves. Because people are embracing mental health and healing their past traumas for their youth, millennials and older Gen-zers buy the toys that they were not able to get when they were young. But that's not the only type of toy there is nowadays. Now, there are many toys that are linked to sexual arousal and pleasure. They are called sex toys. The sale of sex toys and their societal acceptance has been rising since the early 2000s.
More and more people are purchasing sexual toys, devices, gels, lubes, pills, and other entertaining gadgets and gizmos to improve their solo sexual life or to enhance their sexual experiences with their partners. But no one was prepared for the level of demand that spiked during the first few months of the pandemic. When lockdowns started all over the world, sales rose like never before. People bought toys because they either wanted to have a fun time by themselves or they wanted to please their partners. So what type of toys are the most popular, and why did the sales of sex toys rise during the pandemic?
A history of sex toys
Since the dawn of time, humans have used objects as sexual aids for their pleasure and the pleasure of their partners. No matter what part of the world, culture, or age, there will be a secret or hidden record of sex toys. If historians have not found evidence of sex toys for a culture, it just means that there is no written record or art. Sex toys have always existed. Even Shakespeare himself had a few dildo jokes in one of his plays.
During the age of sailing and sea trade, sailors who were stuck on ships for months at a time would fashion women made out of straw and have sex with the straw dolls when their watch was over for the day.
The first-ever vibrator was invented by a physician named Joseph Mortimer Granville. The original purpose of the vibrator was to treat muscle aches. But as a female disease known as female hysteria began to infect the wives of married men who could not make their spouses happy, the vibrator was then used to treat women. Before doctors realized they could use the vibrator, they would have to personally massage the genitals of their female patients. Sad, depressed, angry, and independent women could all be given the diagnosis of female hysteria. It was just a man's way of devaluing a woman's hopes, dreams, and disappointments.
In the US, sex shops became more prevalent and accessible after the sexual revolution of the 1970s. But people were still judged harshly for visiting such shops and using sex toys.
How sex toys buyers were viewed before the sex toy boom
It wasn't too long ago that the buyers of sex toys were viewed as degenerates, perverts, and lonely, sad people who could not get others to have sex with them.
For decades, there wasn't a lot of variety in the sex-toy industry. There was barely a sex toy industry at all. Sex dolls, gimmicky condoms, penis pumps, leather costumes, dirty magazines, and porn videos shot and directed in someone's house lined the walls.
Women's sex toys and stimulants weren't much better. For the longest time, there were only simplistic rubber dildos and large bulky vibrators that came in a variety of sizes and colors.
One of the most impressive and groundbreaking female sex toys was the magic wand. Compared to the vibrators of the past, this device was sleek and small. Although the commercials for the magic wand showed that the device is meant to be used for achy muscles, women around the world found out its true use and purchased it in droves.
Then came the Rabbit, which was featured several times in Sex and the City. Slowly but surely, our media begin to show off sex toys in a more positive light. Sex therapists joined television and radio shows and recommended cute-looking vibrators and discreet-looking clitoris stimulators. Men who had no sexual issues at all were allowed by the doctor to get a prescription of Viagra to see what all the fuss was about.
As General Society accepted the need and demand for sex toys by the average person, the sex toy industry began to develop new and better toys for its varied customer base.
Online shopping gave the sex toy industry a critical boost. People can buy toys wrapped in discreet packaging from the comfort of their homes.
So the wide variety of sex toys, sweet packaging, and societal acceptance all culminated into the success story of the coronavirus lockdown sex toy boom.
Coronavirus lockdowns and the sex toy boom.
With tens of millions of people locked away in their homes, only allowed to visit essential businesses, people were bored. Stuck at home, they went online to vent their frustrations. While many were glad that they were able to finally have some time off, even this joy did not last. When people have time off from work, they usually finish up chores and errands they were not able to do and then go out and have fun. But after the chores, responsibilities, and errands were finished, people did not have anything to do.
Boredom is not a feeling that goes away easily. We all know the destruction a toddler or child can do if they are bored and their parents look away for just one second. Grown adults are not much better than hyperactive children. Once they have time to sleep more, exercise more, and just do other activities they normally wouldn't be able to do, they need to find another way to occupy their mind.
Once they ran out of hobbies, fixed up all of their home improvement projects, and completed old errands that had been hanging around on the to-do list for months, they finally had the time and energy to listen to their bodies. And their bodies said it was time to get frisky.
And that's when millions of people visited sex toy online stores in April, May, and June of 2020.
How sex toy companies met the different demands of customers during the pandemic
The type of sex toy a person purchases depends on their genitals, their sex, biological factors and issues, including health issues, and if they live at home with someone who is not their partner. For example, a woman who has a difficult time becoming wet around her vulva and vagina will purchase lube. By buying lube, she does not have to rely on her body to provide the proper lubrication for pleasurable sex. Someone who is trans but is still waiting for their bottom surgery may want to get a toy they can use before and after the surgery.
The pandemic brought out many brand new customers who had never purchased any type of sexual aid or toy besides condoms. With a flood of new customers, each with their own needs and dislikes, sex toy companies had to sample all of these new people to get a sense of what they wanted.
Also, due to the special circumstances of the pandemic and the lockdowns, certain sex toys were more in demand than others.
Silent toys for silent Os
One of the biggest changes that appeared during the pandemic for the sex toy industry was not a specific toy but a feature. Millions and millions of adults who live with their parents or roommates wanted to buy a sex toy that wouldn't make a lot of noise.
Usually, customers who bought loud toys would just wait until everyone was out of the house. Waiting to be alone was no longer an option. The lockdown kept everyone inside. It didn't matter if someone had a large house; there was always the threat of parents, siblings, and roommates knocking on their door and barging in at any given moment. Silent toys were one of the biggest demands of 2020 and 2021. Isolation from friends and family and normal routines meant that people were unable to responsibly have one-night stands, friends with benefits, and sexual encounters with their partners. So they had to rely on quiet sex toys to make the days go after.
At first, we were told that the lockdown would only be for two weeks. That seems like a small enough time frame for anyone to endure not being able to pleasure themselves. But lockdowns kept extending and extending and extending, and cases kept rising and rising and rising. The longer a lockdown took place, the higher the demand for quiet sex toys.
The sale of Internet-Enabled sex toys
It seems like every single device is being tailored to access the internet. Now, I don't understand why someone would want an internet-enabled water bottle or shoes. But these products exist, although their reception has been mixed. But why in the world would a person want to have an internet-enabled vibrator or fleshlight? Does this mean that every time you want to have an orgasm, you have to click the checkbox to agree with the terms and conditions? What if someone hacks your Wi-Fi and then starts to literally play with you while your sex toy is inside of your body? Actually, the scenario is not likely to happen. However, that sounds like a really great short story that could be featured on some erotic fiction sites.
The main reason why someone wants an internet-enabled sex toy is so that their partner can use an app on their phone to manipulate the toy. Some toys also come with an old-fashioned remote just in case the Wi-Fi isn't working.
Many couples had to separate for months on end while they took care of their family members. They were unable to see and have intimate relations with their partners. So these internet-enabled sex devices would allow them to stay connected sexually while they were unable to be together.
What are the most popular sex toys during the pandemic?
Even before the pandemic ever, you just said, there were all types of sex toys out there for men, women, nonbinary people, heterosexual couples, homosexual couples, and lesbian couples. The acceptance of sex toys, along with the acceptance of all their sexuality, is like those in the lgbtq+ community, which meant that there was a large customer base, and all of these customers had their own needs.
So when the lockdowns happened, people who did not know much about sex toys and sexual aids found that there was a much larger variety of toys than they ever expected. People who enjoy playing with themselves also have access to many new solo toys as well. But what are the most popular sex toys of the pandemic, and why are they so popular? This is a question we absolutely had to ask and then answer. Compiled from several different buyers guys all around the internet, here are the ten most popular sex toys of the 2020 pandemic!
- BlueMotion NEX1 Panty Vibe by OhMiBod
- Better Love Rabbit Lily Vibrator
- Warming Pulsating Male Masturbator
- Better Love Rabbit Lily Clitoral Stimulator
- We-Vibe Chorus couples vibrator
- Full Stroke
- The Full Stroke by Autoblow
- Womanizer Duo Stimulator & Vibrator
- The Magic Wand
- plusONE Vibrating Ring
Conclusion
Sex toys are a fantastic way to improve your sex life, and anyone who wants to try out a new toy should do so asap! From vibrators with eight different settings to fleshlights that warm themselves and vibrators and lube that stimulate the clitoris for maximum orgasms, there is a whole line of amazing sex toys just waiting for people to buy them. The best night of your life is just a few clicks away! Hopefully, you are back with your lover or spouse now, so you two can buy new sex toys and use them on each other. No matter what kind of genitals you have or what you're into, I guarantee there is a niche in the sector and industry that caters to your fantasies and desires. You could say that the only thing stopping you from having a great time with your sex toys is your imagination!
