I’ve been reviewing sex toys for almost a decade now and recently I have noticed a disturbing trend in the industry and one that I personally feel needs to stop. It feels to me that many manufacturers are spending a lot of money marketing a toy, and very little on the research. Now don’t get me wrong, I understand the need for marketing, after all, over the past ten years the sex toy industry has grown faster than a willie at a porn star party, but in this industry, above all others, there needs to be some truth in advertising.
Time and time again lately, it seems I have been sent toys for review that have promised to feel like the real thing, feel like oral sex and everything in between. Most of these toys are accompanied by a hefty price tag and time and time again these high priced, and often over hyped toys have failed to live up to the promises.
Please can you stop with the marketing hype already?! If you are going to charge over $100 for a luxury sex toy, please spend some time and possibly money on the research and testing stage of the toy. I have grave doubts as to when or even if some of the high class toys that have come out in the past year or so have even seen a vagina before they get to the marketing department.
Here’s a suggestion for all those toy companies who produce designer toys… Why not harness the power of sex toy reviewers BEFORE the marketing department gets their hands on the item? Most of us in the industry will be brutally honest with our feedback. If you’re worried about us stealing your ideas, have us sign a non disclosure agreement, but use us… There are a lot of us that would love to be part of the process. We know toys and we know what works and what doesn’t and for the most part we are not afraid to say so…
It’s just a suggestion, it’s not something I require and I will continue to review toys, but I feel the industry would benefit from less hype and more research….
Clitical Jenne
I agree that there seems to be a lot of duds and gimmicks lately. I think it would be great if the companies would turn to the reviewers to help them test their products.
So much this! I can’t believe how many toys I’ve seen lately, coming from well known and respected luxury companies, that look like and sound like NO ONE TOOK THE TIME TO ACTUALLY TEST THEM. They were far too busy in coming up with this “revolutionary idea” that they forgot to make sure it’s actually just that.
I agree. What I’m seeing isn’t a case of “some people liked it/some didn’t” but cases where an expensive new toy is universally hated by reviewers. I can’t imagine any serious testing and research leading to the production of these overpriced, unsatisfying and occasionally painful toys.
Not been using many since I found my Peter again in 2010, but I know what you mean. The Durex cock ring vibrator battery life was literally just 30 minutes and the battery was non replaceable. This is no good even for a cheap toy like that.
Peter bought vibrating vaginas in the past after his first wife died and never found a single one that was anywhere near realistic. He gets better results from my Durex dream. LOL.
You are quite right in what you say, but the trouble is that most people will not return a useless toy or insist on their money back under the Trades Descriptions Act because they are too embarrassed, so we are doomed to the same old crap I fear.