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be used 10,000 times,” Faro said. “A gentleman can buy
multiple disposable rings, and that’s great, but our ring is
a full-time accessory. Most recently we took the rings to a
phase-two mode: It’s completely waterproof, it’s made of
top-grade silicone, and there are now eight different pulse
patterns and the intensity can be increased on a sliding
scale.”
Vibratex “started with the single motor, and now we
have the Duet, which has two motors on opposing sides
of the ring,” Kienzle said. “It’s really stretchy, so you can
wear it just around the cock or under the testicles as
well. The nice thing is you have sensitivity and vibration
for both partners, for the duration and you can wrap it
around a dildo as well. The elastomer is really stretchy,
and goes back into shape. It’s durable and BT- and
phthalate-free. It sells four or five to one over the single
motor version.”
“[CalExotics] Gyration Sensations are rings wired to a
controller. They vibrate and provide lots of stimulation for
both him and her,” Duffie said. “The gyrating action is a
deep, rumbling, thumping movement instead of that light
vibration you get from a lot of vibrators.”
“Screaming O makes some nice inexpensive ones that
go in our kits. JeJoue makes the Mio, which has been
popular and sells really well,” Strano said. “LELO has one
with the softer silicone that can stretch. It’s the other
side of the We-Vibe ‘couples market.’ Something for
everyone. It’s not just solo play.”
And brand-new from Screaming O is the MasteRing
series, which offers couples a finger ring with a remote
control that operates various toys, including a cock ring.
What to look for at ANE: Perfect Fit Brands shows its Cock
Armour and other variations on the C-ring. Plus, check out
rings from Screaming O, Laid, Ox Balls, Icon Brands’ Falcon
and Raging Stallion lines, and NS Novelties’ Renegade line.
Above, from left: njoy’s Pure Plugs, Fun Factory’s Fou, Jimmyjane’s Form 2,
NS Novelties’ Envie. Below, clockwise from top left: Doc Johnson’s James
Deen-branded cock rings, Screaming O’s new MasteRing with remote control,
Jopen’s Ego, Perfect Fit’s Speed Shift adjustable ring, Zero Tolerance Toys’
Flame Thrower.
The gyrating
action is a deep,
rumbling,
thumping
movement
instead of that
light vibration
you get from a
lot of vibrators
—Desiree Duffie, CalExotics
“
30 INTIMATE SUPPLEMENT | WINTER 2013
Getting in Shape
Dildo and vibrator designs are moving away from the phallic and looking more like visions
from science fiction. In the case of Fun Factory’s UFO, that’s literal. But the fun doesn’t
stop there.
Garland said he definitely sees a growth in non-phallic shapes. “You have Wet For Her, a
two-finger design for the lesbian market, that’s been very popular,” he said. “There’s a new
one we’ll be bringing in the beginning of the year, from Norway. The company is called Laid
and it’s eccentric, non-symmetrical, so when the user rotates it, there’s a little knob and
it’s easier to find the G-spot with that. It’s tapered and bulbous on both ends so it creates
a little suction when you pull it out. It’s a really interesting product. It’s called the D1.”
“I think that has to do with the ambiguity of sexuality and gender. You don’t have to
get off on something that looks like a penis,” according to Airs. “I think it’s more of a
market trend. Look at a LELO product or a We-Vibe. A thing can look like anything and you
can still get off on it. It also has to do with zoning. You get things that don’t look penis-y,
you can open a lot more doors.”
“The Mia massager is intended to be a discreet travel massager. You can carry it and no
one will know what it is,” LELO’s Faro said. “Our philosophy is to have products that look
like art and are more design-based than phallic. That’s how we achieved our niche, with
non-traditional shapes that woman and couples weren’t embarrassed to buy. That aspect
has made LELO what it is today.”
“We have so many things in our lines that don’t look like phalluses,” Duffie said. “Our
Love Rider strap-on come in funky, fun shapes. I guess you could say they’re slightly phal-
lus-like—some of them have a nub at the head—but it’s nothing like what an actual penis
looks like.”
Strano agreed: “That’s kind of been the trend for the
last few years with new boutique designer-centric
brands that have popped up.”
“There is nothing in the Vanity collection that looks
like a phallus at all,” said Stewart. “The latest ones are
the funkiest designs yet. The VR 7 was one of our most
popular models, with a rotating shaft, and the VR 15,
16 and 17 were all variations on that model.”
Kienzle, however, pointed out that sometimes basic is
best. “The iconic rabbit design with the two prongs
makes ergonomic sense: It wants to fit around both
sides of the clit and still offer opportunity for
penetration,” she said. “There are going to be new
ergonomic designs that are sculptural and offer a nice
aesthetic, but ultimately the physiology of people has
not changed. In order for it to have an effective use,
it’s going to still have to come back to reality. The
physiology is what drives the function.”
What to look for at ANE: Laid’s D1, Icon Brands’ Simply
Silicone and Velvet Plus, NS Novelties’ Muse and other vibes,
Evolved Novelties’ Love Candy By Kendra, the njoy product
range, Trojan’s Midnight Collection, the Wake-Up Vibe.
>>