Sexcellent Ideas: Experts Share Visions for Toys of the Future

As a trade publication, AVN’s mission is to survey the products on the market and listen and learn from both the people who make the goods and the ones who sell them. These business folks know a lot about what the consumer wants. But in every industry there are the real experts—those bloggers and educators whose hands-on knowledge and endless curiosity drives them to become true experts in the field. We talked to some of these well-known voices of authority in the sex-positive arena—from AASECT-certified educators to credentialed academics to entrepreneurial sexperts—and asked them not so much about trends that they’ve observed in the industry, but about the paths they wish the industry would take, and the products and technological advances that aren’t being made. Many of their notions are shared, such as striving for more body-safe ingredients, creating more products for men, and offering more instructional information along with products. But what we really enjoyed were the suggestions from further out in left field: 3D printing for customized dildos, teledildonics for long-distance lovers, a masturbation sleeve inspired by a barber shop pole … and a James Bond-style watch that shoots lube. These are the kinds of inspired musings that could spark practical ideas. We can practically hear those bulbs lighting up. Comments from Lynn Comella, Ph.D., Women’s Studies Program, University of Nevada, Las Vegas As someone who has studied the history of the women’s market for sex toys and pornography, it’s been fascinating to watch the evolution of sex toy design and manufacturing over the past 10 years. When I think about where sex toy technology might go in the next 10 years, it blows my mind. The possibilities, it seems, are endless. But what I’d actually love to see trending in the world of sex toys is a back-to-basics focus on sleek design and simplicity. Forget all the bells and whistles, and the complicated user interfaces. Give me more products that don’t have an on/off button, and that could ostensibly by used by anyone. Give me more stainless steel Njoy, more Tantus, more NobEssence, more artisan toys that I can display on my coffee table as sculptures, if I wanted. That’s what I’d like to see. This feature is taken from the October 2013 issue of AVN magazine, where we asked 10 sexperts to talk about future trends that they would like to see in the pleasure product industry. Each shared some interesting thoughts, and we'll be posting these individually over the next couple of weeks. Pictured above: Lynn Comella. Tomorrow, check back on AVN.com to read about what Elle “Lady Cheeky” Chase has to say. To see the digital edition of the issue, click here.