The Sexiest Year Ever

The world is embracing sexiness! 2020 was a record year for sex toy sales, with April being the highest grossing month for Pure Romance. As far as which bedroom toys are America’s favorite, clitoral vibrators are by far the top choice, followed by dual action vibrators and c-rings.

Studies show vibrator use is linked to improved sexual function and being more proactive about sexual health. A recent Indiana University study finds that 53% of women and 45% of men ages 18-65 years have used a vibrator.

Sexperts say bedroom toys can help spice up your relationship and add variety to your intimate time; not to mention they’re proven to help women achieve orgasm. In fact, 75% of women report not reaching orgasm without clitoral stimulation.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated sex toy sales worldwide – with a global sales increase of 26% from 2019 to 2020. As people were forced to stay inside or self-isolate, the sales of personal massagers, couples toys, and bondage items increased across the board. Leading that growth were female consumers who dominated the market with 60% of sales in 2020.

The stigma around sex toys is a thing of the past. Now they are exactly where they should be, in the self-care and wellness categories. This could be one of the reasons the global sex toy industry is projected to grow to $52 billion by 2028. As sex toys, sex-care, and women owning their sexual identities go mainstream, we can expect the market to continue to flourish.

In 2020, Pure Romance sold 1.25 million sex toys, with March and April being the largest months for sales, during the heat of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

“We continue to see how important it is to build relationships and increase variety in them,” said Patty Brisben, Founder of Pure Romance. “On National Sex Toy Day, we celebrate the importance of those relationships, whether it’s treating your partner or yourself. You want to have an amazing experience every time you have sex. It doesn’t matter if it’s the first time or 189^th time, everyone wants to enjoy intimacy in a pleasurable way. As a result, studies show Americans are turning to sex toys and unique locations to spice things up when their sex lives become a bit too stale or boring.”

A recent survey from Indiana University, conducted during the first month of the pandemic, shows that adults were able to fight off depression and loneliness during stay-at-home orders by maintaining their social and, especially, their sexual connections.

The study looked at the behaviors of more than a thousand Americans ages 18 and over from April 10-20, when most of the country was under stay-at-home orders. In the survey, a third of the participants reported depression and increased feelings of loneliness during the lockdown. Those who were showing signs of depression, according to the survey, were most likely to be unmarried women between the ages of 20 and 29. Those who maintained frequent in-person… social and sexual connections had better mental health outcomes,” the study reported.

The study was conducted through the Indiana University School of Public Health and supported by the IU Office of the Vice President for Research and Pure Romance.