Simple Isn’t the Same as Easy: What Sex Toy Brands Still Get Wrong

We use affiliate links and may receive a small commission on purchases.

I might be in the minority on this, but I love toys that have a lot going on. From Womanizer toys with autopilot modes that surprise me with different speeds and intensities during a session to Zalo toys and their unique push/pull button functions, I like to experiment with things that are a little different.

But to me, there’s a big difference between a product being simple and a product being easy to use. A vibrator with one button is certainly simple to use. However, if you’re in the middle of using it and get to an intensity or pattern that you don’t like, having to cycle through all the options again to return to your favorite does not make for an easy playtime experience.

It also depends on your comfort with sex toys and how many are in your collection. For example, I almost never recommend super-simple toys to a beginner, and part of my rationale is that someone who’s getting their first toy won’t mind spending time pouring over the user manual to learn all of its delightful secrets. Whereas someone who’s tried a lot might see a complicated setup as something that just slows them down from trying a new toy for the first time. While I get both perspectives, I find that a toy can be complex and still be intuitive. Also, some manuals just need to be written better. Which conveniently leads us into our next topic…

Badly-written manuals

The bane of my existence, badly written manuals just make everything worse. Sometimes they’re confusing. Sometimes they actively give the wrong instructions. And sometimes they don’t exist at all, even on toys that need them. Though to me, the easy solution is to have a detailed description of how to use a product on that brand’s website. That way, people who bought it can figure it out, and people tempted to buy it can see if it’s more complicated than they’d like.

That’s why on this website, we try to be as clear as possible, in both our reviews and our videos, when it comes to giving directions on how to use a toy. Because there’s nothing more frustrating than getting something complicated but not having any guidance on how to use it. While you can usually find all that information on a product’s web page, sometimes you simply can’t. Even if that aspect of the review isn’t always the most exciting if you’re trying to decide if you want to get a toy, it does come in handy if you’ve already bought one and just can’t get it to work.

Some Things Need to be Simple

Now, certain things should absolutely be kept simple. One of them is cleaning. Since hygiene is arguably the most important thing about a sex toy, in that it’s the quality I’d sacrifice last, being able to properly clean a toy is key. It should also be easy to clean it quickly. If you share a bathroom with anyone, you don’t want to be wasting a lot of their time cleaning it.

Another thing that should be simple is charging. And yes, of course, you don’t have to think twice when it comes to most toys, but sometimes, charging is harder than it should be. For example, rounded toys that have magnetic pins are prone to rolling around and knocking the pins out of alignment. Not good.

Pattern Recognition

A lot of toys with just one button will typically have a few basic vibrations that increase in intensity, followed by some patterns. This makes sense, but I know some people really don’t like patterns. I may be an outlier here, but I love patterns.

However, I fully admit that if the prevailing sentiment is anti-pattern, maybe (and I hate to say it) more companies should make toys that…don’t have patterns, and instead just have a wider variety of intensities.

What Companies Can Do

As always, I have some strong thoughts on what companies can do to be better. And I’m not just opinionated; it is part of my job, after all! For one thing, it might make sense to have a product with only one button and a limited number of intensities if you’re using it manually, but to have tons of options for patterns and intensity adjustments if you use the toy with the corresponding app. That way, people who want simplicity can just use it as is, but people who want to customize every little detail can play around with the app to their heart’s content!

As a reviewer, maybe I shouldn’t play favorites, but as far as I’m concerned, there is one perfect button system that’s never been topped. It looks like this: one button in the middle that controls the pattern and doubles as the on/off function, one button on top that increases the intensity, and one button on the bottom that decreases the intensity. That is truly the gold standard as far as I’m concerned, and it’s very easy to figure out.

Standardization in general might be the easiest way for companies to make toys more accessible. Because some products have buttons that look completely meaningless, and some have their buttons in weird locations that just aren’t intuitive. I’m still not over the Nu Sensuelle Baelii using a lightning bolt and a wave instead of a +/-.

The Importance of Options

Ultimately, the main takeaway is that it’s important to have options when it comes to sex toys. Of course we already know this in terms of the physical aspect of our bodies, but it’s important to keep in mind that while some people want simplicity and pleasure at the touch of a button, some people feel like they’re not getting their money’s worth unless they have an abundance of bells and whistles to experiment and play with. So, companies need to keep these opposing desires in mind as they design toys for everybody, not just every body.

Happy vibing!

Becky

Author
Recent Posts

Becky V

Becky V is a Los Angeles native who loves indie bookstores, Broadway musicals, and a good cup of tea. She is passionate about sexual wellness and wants to make the world a better place one orgasm at a time!