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When it comes to sex toys, you’d think the most popular choices would be the ones that look and feel the most like the real thing, right? Well, a study on vaginally-insertable sex toys suggests otherwise—and the results might surprise you.

In “What Drives Sex Toy Popularity? A Morphological Examination of Vaginally-Insertable Products Sold by the World’s Largest Sexual Wellness Company” in The Journal of Sex Research Volume 61, 2024, researchers analyzed 265 sex toys sold by Lovehoney, the world’s largest sexual wellness retailer, to figure out what features make a toy fly off the shelves. They looked at factors like size, shape, material, price, and whether or not the toy vibrated. The findings? Realism isn’t as important as you might expect.

What Do Consumers Actually Want?

  • Not Just a Penis Substitute – Many sex toys are designed to resemble a penis, but the study found that realism wasn’t a key factor in popularity. In fact, consumers seem to prefer toys that are more abstract, perhaps because highly realistic designs carry more social stigma, or simply due to the fact that realism doesn’t necessarily relate to pleasure.

 

  • Size Matters, But Not How You Think – While toy circumference played a role in popularity, larger girth wasn’t always a win. In fact, the study found that slightly above-average girth was the sweet spot, while extreme sizes were less favored. Length, on the other hand, curiously wasn’t a significant factor at all. So, the idea that bigger is better may not be true, at least when it comes to sex toys

 

  • Price is a Deal-Breaker – As suspected, more expensive toys were generally less popular, indicating that affordability in pricing is a major factor in purchasing decisions.

 

  • Vibrations Aren’t a Must-Have – Here’s a surprise: the presence of a vibrating function didn’t predict popularity. Despite vibrators being widely used for clitoral pleasure, it seems that when it comes to insertable toys, many consumers prefer a simple, non-vibrating design. This make sense, since an inserted toy will not stimulate the clitoris anyway, and the vagina responds more to pressure than vibration.

What Does This Mean?

These findings suggest that when people shop for insertable toys, they aren’t necessarily looking for a realistic replacement for a partner. Instead, they seem to value functionality, comfort, and affordability over hyper-realistic designs. It also sheds light on how social perceptions of sex toys influence consumer choices—people may feel more comfortable with toys that are fun and discreet rather than those that are a hyper-realistic replica of an actual penis.

This research opens up fascinating discussions about how sex toys are designed and marketed. While there has already been a shift toward more abstract, pleasure-focused products, manufacturers should heed this trend for continued success in the sexual wellness marketplace in 2025 and beyond, and focus on innovative, abstract designs, pleasure and function over realism, girth rather than length, and at providing quality products and a competitive price.

One thing’s for sure though: the world of sex toys is more complex than we might have thought, and there’s still plenty more to explore!