9 Innovative Sex Toys Made by (and for!) Women
Photo courtesy of Kalei Raher
When women take control of their own sexuality, good things happen: First, they get off. Second, they make space for other women to do the same.
As female-founded sexual wellness companies buck the conventions of the male-dominated industry, women’s pleasure is finally getting its moment in the sun. It’s paved the way for greater autonomy, better sex, and—yes—more orgasms. We stock our favorite brands in the goop sex toy shop—you can check out what makes them so good below.
The Brand
Lora DiCarlo
Lora DiCarlo’s namesake line of sex toys started with a spiritual awakening of an orgasm—one that DiCarlo experienced with a partner but was dying to re-create for herself. There wasn’t a toy on the market that fit the bill. Which led to a data-gathering mission—DiCarlo spent years asking people about their vaginas—and then a journey into the robotics world. The result: a line of sex toys with moving parts that mimic human touch by stroking and tapping like fingers, swirling like a partner’s tongue, or warming up against the skin.
The Toys
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Instead of rumbling like a typical vibrator, Carezza makes a tapping motion with the small, motorized tip under its silicone surface. It’s great for stimulating the clitoris and any erogenous zone that feels good. It runs at ten speeds: The slowest is great for warming up, and the fastest will take you to the finish line.
Lora DiCarlo Carezza goop, $140SHOP NOW -
Let us introduce you to the magic that is Onda—a G-spot vibrator that not only vibrates but also makes a come-hither motion like a partner’s fingers against the front vaginal wall. See that subtle bump along its length? When you turn Onda on, that bump lifts up and moves back and forth under Onda’s soft surface. You can pick between four positions—three short strokes and one long one—to best fit the anatomy of your own G-spot.
Lora DiCarlo Onda goop, $180SHOP NOW
The Brand
Dame Products
What you get when you cross a sexologist from Columbia University and a mechanical engineer from MIT? Something like Dame Products, a sexual wellness brand built on design-forward, community-based pleasure education. Cofounders Alexandra Fine (the sexologist) and Janet Lieberman (the engineer), started Dame in 2014 to address the orgasm gap and enhance intimacy—two goals that seemed to be missing from the agendas of other sex toy brands back when they started. (Probably not a coincidence that they were one of the few female-founded brands at the time.) Their sex toys are made with both form and function in mind: They’re pretty and approachable, designed to work with your body, and packed with power.
The Toys
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Fin is made to integrate seamlessly into whatever sex you’re having. Each of its edges offers a different sensation—flat and squishy or firm and slightly pointy—and it can move at three different speeds. And see that silicone loop and those notches on the sides? They’re there to make Fin effortless to hold. Which comes in clutch during partner play: Just stick Fin between two fingers and move your hands however you would otherwise.
Dame Products Fin Vibrator goop, $85SHOP NOW -
Dame’s Eva II is a hands-free vibrator made with flexible wings that hold it in place between your labia. It’s made to fit easily into partnered intercourse, although you may need to hold it down with a finger in more creative positions. Now in its second generation, the toy is made smaller and lighter to fit more vulvas, because no two are exactly the same. And its wings are optimized for a better grip than before.
Dame Products Eva II Vibrator goop, $135SHOP NOW
The Brand
Le Wand
Le Wand founder Alicia Sinclair is a certified sex educator and certified sexuality coach whose business is less about sex toys and more about prioritizing pleasure education for all bodies. Le Wand, her line of luxury vibrators, is just one way she’s building a sex-positive world. Sinclair has also established sex education boot camps for vibrator retailers, led corporate pleasure workshops, and helped the FBI develop communication channels with the porn industry to help protect minors.
The Toys
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Le Wand’s Double Vibe is perfectly palm-size with bunny ears designed to nestle between your labia and hug your clitoris. Each ear contains its own powerful motor, and they’re flexible enough to pinch around the clitoris (or nipples) for a super close fit. There’s an optional ribbed silicone sleeve you can slip over the ears, too, for a different sensation.
Le Wand Le Wand Double Vibe goop, $130SHOP NOW -
Unlike other classic wands, which can be bulky and difficult to maneuver, Le Wand Petite is cordless, compact, and lightweight. And it has all the power of its bulkier counterparts, making it great for those who need more stimulation to get the job done. Le Wand also makes attachments that fit over the head of the wand to add texture and enhance sensation.
Le Wand Le Wand Petite goop, $135SHOP NOW
The Brand
Ohnut
Ohnut founder Emily Sauer once assumed penetrative sex was supposed to be uncomfortable. Nobody had told her otherwise, so she didn’t speak up about it for years. And then she had the game-changing idea to slip a pink frosted donut over her partner’s penis as a buffer between their body and hers. Relieved of her physical discomfort and the emotional toll that came with it, Sauer sought a way to share her discovery (without the fried pastry or sticky frosting). She invented Ohnut: a simple, modular wearable for when penetrative sex feels too deep.
The Toy
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Ohnut is a sex wearable that keeps penetration from going too deep during intercourse. You just connect however many of the four modular rings you want and fit them around the base of the penis of the penetrating partner (or around your toy of choice) to form a soft, compressible buffer. It doesn’t sacrifice pleasant sensations for either partner—Ohnut is squishy and stretchy and feels like skin.
Ohnut Ohnut Ohnut, $65SHOP NOW
The Brand
goop Wellness
Of course, we’re partial to the vibrators we made for ourselves. Under the guidance of our own female founder and ideator-in-chief (hi, Gwyneth!) and our director of beauty and wellness product development, Thira Burns, MS, RDN, our product development team has proven that the contents of our bedside drawers can align with our values and desires. We invited our teammates for open discussions about desire, solo pleasure, and what makes a vibrator worthy of cult status. Like all goop beauty and wellness products, our sex toy collection is thoughtfully made with clean, safe, and luxurious materials. And they’re things of beauty on a nightstand.
The Toys
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We designed this tricked-out take on a G-spot stimulator to maximize pleasure during G-spot exploration: It’s curved at the perfect angle. Dual-density silicone gives the tip an ultraplush feeling. And a self-heating function gently warms the vibrator to just above body temperature, which helps relax your muscles and promotes blood flow, which is ideal for sexual well-being. (And the heat makes it feel like a partner’s touch.) There are ten vibration modes—three steady intensities and seven patterns—that can deliver a variety of sensations, from a gentle tingling to an intense rumbling. Of course, we used velvety-soft body-safe silicone, and it’s water-resistant for bath and shower play.
goop Wellness Ultraplush Self-Heating G-Spot Vibrator goop, $95SHOP NOW -
Our Double-Sided Wand Vibrator is the ultimate intimate massager: One end has a wonder-ball wand with deep, rumbly vibrations for external stimulation. On the other side, the slim, flexible end provides powerful and precise vibration for clitoral or internal stimulation. Each end of the wand offers eight pulsating patterns that vary in intensity, with subtle, ergonomically placed controls for uninterrupted navigation.
goop Wellness Double-Sided Wand Vibrator goop, $98SHOP NOW
EXTRA CREDIT: Sex Books Worth the Read
For a book about sex to be worth the read, it has to be 1) from someone you trust and 2) not too clinical or…dry. Over the years—and through research for our own book The Sex Issue—we’ve found guides from compelling experts that are both immensely useful and easy to spend time reading.
Want Me by Tracy Clark-Flory
Tracy Clark-Flory’s work as a sex journalist has taken her to porn sets, orgasmic meditation retreats, and anonymous online chat rooms to better understand what turns us on. Her memoir, Want Me, emerged out of a project investigating men’s sexuality. In telling that story, Clark-Flory began to take a candid look at how her own sense of desire has been shaped by the contradicting forces of sexual freedom and sexual expectations—and how wanting intersects with being wanted.
Women’s Anatomy of Arousal by Sheri Winston
You can have good—even great—sex on instinct alone. But holistic sexuality teacher Sheri Winston teaches people to develop sex as a learned skill. What’s on the plate? Erotic trances, multiple orgasms, and fuller experiences of self-pleasure.
The Right to Sex by Amia Srinivasan
In The Right to Sex, philosopher and professor Amia Srinivasan picks apart what sex means beyond our bedroom walls. Her essays are a nuanced look at some of the most polarizing conversations in sex and sexuality: the distinction between sexual preference and discrimination, incel culture, and the return of second-wave, antiporn feminism. Her essays push us out of our comfort zone in the best way.
Pleasure Activism by Adrienne Maree Brown
Author, activist, and doula adrienne maree brown makes the argument that the pursuit of pleasure is not just necessary to sustain ourselves through revolution but is a revolution in itself. Her philosophy extends beyond sex to every bit of life, from physical movement to friendship to work. She’ll drop homework assignments for you, too, to put pleasure into practice.
We hope you enjoy the products recommended here. Our goal is to suggest only things we love and think you might, as well. We also like transparency, so, full disclosure: We may collect a share of sales or other compensation if you purchase through the external links on this page.
