Page 38 - AVN Intimate Fall 2018

Variety Show Top, the Sona from LELO, which stimulates with sonic
pulses. Middle, the Sqweel, which simulates oral sex,
Bottom, the Shegasm Pro from XR Brands.
you can play and have an orgasm without
losing feeling in your bits or your hands.”
The introduction of new features is
giving the industry a bit of life, Lampert
said. Vibration has been done in different
modalities for years, and there are rarely new
and innovative products, she said. The Queen
Bee helps to bring new vulva owners to the
world of pleasure products because there is
now variation.
“The human body responds to oscillation
whether it’s for medical purposes, body
work, muscle stimulation or pleasure,”
Lampert said. “It’s a relevant technology and
a necessary offering in the pleasure products
industry. Hot Octopuss is elated to be the
brand who could make that happen. The
end-consumer has been impacted by being
able to access this technology for home use.
We’re giving customers the chance to feel the
deep penetrating motor wherever they want
to orgasm, and at an affordable price, which
isn’t the objective when used in the medical
realm.”
If an oscillating vibrator sounds familiar,
that’s entirely understandable. One of the
first pleasure products to create a different
kind of stimulation was the Eroscillator,
which uses an oscillating motor. The
Eroscillator provided women with a clitoral
thrill and still remains a strong seller. Rather
than traditional vibration—which can numb
and desensitize with prolonged use—the
Eroscillator gently sweeps at 36,000 steady
oscillations per minute, helping to bring
women of all ages more frequent and more
powerful orgasms.
Something for Everyone
Some manufacturers are relaying on
combinations of stimulation to entice those
with a clitoris. XR Brands has products that
provide suction and/or vibration, and in
some cases both. And the company has found
audiences for all types.
“Like so much in our industry, it depends
entirely upon the person,” said Michael
Guilfoyle, international sales and marketing
manager for XR Brands. “Of the consumers
who were aware of the difference that I’ve
spoken with, most had only a slight (if any)
preference for one or the other. Most seem to
prefer ‘both’ when offered—mostly to keep
their options open, I think.”
Keeping options open is encouraged by XR
Brands, Guilfoyle noted. With massagers that
offer more than one type of stimulation for
the clitoris, he said, customers can always feel
free to explore.
“We always encourage variety,” he said.
“Not only is it the ‘spice of life,’ but one can
become accustomed to certain stimulations
and the response can then decrease over time.
We encourage determining what works best
for you or your partner by testing the various
methods of stimulation. But even when you
38 | INTIMATE | FALL 2018
find ‘the one,’ don’t forget the others are in your
arsenal.”
As for the future, Guilfoyle said he sees
technology being used to make existing products
even better. He foresees “higher end units that
combine the clitoral sucking and vibrating
sensations more cleanly; more combination toys
(clitoral stimulators with vibrators) like our
Shegasm Deluxe and Intense; more research into
the other waves and stimulations possible (e.g.,
sound, etc.).”
While it might seem like a lifetime between the
widespread introduction of clitoral stimulators and
the boon of options now available from a number
of manufacturers, it’s been a relatively short time
period, and newer inventions are just over the
horizon. But there are still challenges for those who
want to make something completely unique.
“I don’t think it took much longer than it did for
manufacturers to start making really innovative
takes on butt plugs, or even dildos,” Doc Johnson’s
Cheryl Hanslip said. “The difference probably has
something to do with the fact that vibrators always
involve technology—they are tech hardware
products really. And on the whole, it’s typically
much more complex and expensive to develop a
truly unique vibrator that involves technological
components, than it is to mold a dildo or butt plug
with a unique new shape or even a unique new
material.
“There has also been an increase in
manufacturers in our industry in general, and
that has stimulated competition in a healthy way”
she added. “But even now, it is still incredibly
expensive to make a completely new, unique
tech product—and unfortunately, first movers
don’t always have the advantage, as they are the
ones investing a huge initial cost into R&D and
manufacturing, and then copycat manufacturers—
who don’t have to pay for research and
development—can more easily imitate the
product and drive down costs. This has the effect
of lowering prices for consumers, yet lowering
income to innovative companies, which in turn
have less incentive to spend on R&D for new
treatments.
“So, it’s not so much that manufacturers haven’t
been thinking about new ways to stimulate the
clitoris—it’s more about the tech innovations
needing to become more affordable to make on a
wider scale, so it isn’t too expensive for the end
consumer,” Hanslip continued. “ The best, most
functionally advanced vibrator in the world means
nothing if no one can afford to buy it. We try to
balance value to make sure we are offering the best
on both price and performance in our new product
innovations. And we believe that we’ve been
doing a great job with our newest dual-stimulating
vibrators, including our new iVibe Select vibrators.
We’re particularly excited for the release of our
latest, brand new iVibe Select vibrator, the iRoll—
which will be available and shipping to retailers
very soon. We think it’s both completely unique
and fully functional as a pleasure product, and we
think the press and consumers are really going to
love it. Stay tuned.”