Good Vibrations, Babeland Publish User Survey Results

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – In a press release issued Monday, adult retail company Good Vibrations and sibling company Babeland published the results of a recent survey in which the two brands queried their combined customer base about “patterns of behavior and feelings about porn.”

The survey covered 2382 respondents who answered questions about whether and how often they watch porn, whether their porn viewing habits change when their relationship status changes, whether they watch porn alone or with their partner and a variety of other questions.

The full results of the survey and all the analytical notes on the data points provided with the Good Vibrations press release are available below.

We asked whether they watched any kind of porn–professional, amateur, webcam, or something else—85% said yes, while only 2.39% said no and 12.59% said they had in the past. When asked how often they watched it, 12.21% said daily; 37.67% watched throughout the week; 31.64% said they watch a few times a month; a little over 12.5% indulge every few months; and 3.16% said “Once or twice a year” and just 2.42% watch less than once a year.

We asked, “Do your viewing habits change when your relationship status changes?” 20.86% said they watch porn less when in a relationship, while almost 3.5% watch more. 5.65% said, “I watch different porn when in a relationship.” Almost 52% saw no real change, and 18.10% said they were unable to compare.

Asked how respondents view their porn and invited to select all that apply (so the percentages revealed add up to more than 100%), 93.68% said they watch alone, and 38.38% do so with a lover. 3.66% of sociable porn fans said they watch “with company.”

Next we asked “Where do you find your porn?” and invited respondents to select their top three preferred sources. Paid streaming and download sites were cited by 15.49%, while free tube sites like Pornhub, or Xtube were the source of porn for 87.70% of our survey participants. 8.55% like cam sites, while about 5.5% like fan sites like Only Fans. Those who look at social media for news updates or to catch up with friends might be surprised to hear that 27.36% of our respondents use Twitter, Reddit, and the like to find porn. 17.2% turn to DVDs or other physical recorded content; 6.13% check offerings on TV via their satellite or cable provider; a little over 1% like to be closer to the action and like viewing booths and sex clubs; more than 27% said they prefer photography, written erotica, and/or erotic audio; and 4.32% cited other porn-finding options, including listing their favorite sites, expressing enthusiasm for erotic comics, porn they make with (or are sent by) their partner, and one cited their “freaky mind,” while another looks for “vintage porn stills on the internet.”

Since Babeland and Good Vibrations are toy companies, we were interested to know whether our respondents had ever used interactive toys with porn. 1.66% said they had used app-enabled toys with camming sites as viewers or as talent. 2.38% have used these toys with a lover while making a private video or stream, while a bit over 5.3% have used VR while viewing porn. 1.71% said they have paired an app- enabled toy (like Fleshlight, Kiroo, or Cowgirl) with porn, and in case you are compiling a gift list for someone frisky, over 70% replied “Not yet!” to this question. Another 21.66% aren’t interested in this type of play.

“Have you ever made a sex video, webcam, or porn?” we asked. Over a quarter said “I sure have!” Another 12.24% replied, “… maybe.” “I have not, but would be interested,” replied 23.68%, while 38.79% said “Nope, not my thing.”

We asked whether our respondents would be comfortable with their partner viewing porn. (They could select up to three of these options.) 80.38% replied, “Of course!” Another 6.32% replied, “Sure, but I’d rather not know about it or that they not watch when I’m around.” Another 23.58% preferred to be with their partner when porn was being viewed so they could do it together, while another 18.77% preferred their partner watch nothing interactive (so there would be no communication with someone else involved). “Only if I made it for them,” replied 2%, and a little over 2% more said they would not be comfortable. About the same number had more to say on the matter: a couple mentioned feeling jealous or left out, others expressed concern about porn ethics or addiction (though without enough detail to know precisely what their concerns might be), and one replied, “Of course, and if it’s good, I want him to send me the link so I can indulge in it as well”! Another said, “I don’t have any moral problems with porn, but I find it deeply uninteresting at best — so I would prefer to not be around.” A few stipulated that they didn’t want porn to replace partner play altogether; “As long as our sex life was still robust,” said one, “porn away!”

Finally we surveyed the groups’ demographics. While Babeland skews a bit younger and Good Vibrations a bit older, we learned that 10.84% are 18-24; 24.34% are 25-34; another 22.83% are 35-44; 22.19% are between 45-54; 7.77% are 55-64; and 7.73% are 65 and over.

We asked about gender: 43.15% identify as Cis Female (Assigned Female at Birth, identifies as Female), while 48.77% replied that they were Cis Male (Assigned Male at Birth, identifies as Male). 0.85% of respondents replied that they are Transfeminine (Trans woman), and 1.66% said Transmasculine (Trans man). 4.26% responded that they identify as Nonbinary; 2.76% as Gender Non-Conforming; the same number as Genderqueer; 2.26% as Genderfluid; and 0.55% as Agender. 1.86% did not feel their gender was reflected among those options, and added more detail; a couple of demisexuals stood up to be counted, another was intersex, and one seems to identify their gender as “American.”

In terms of sexual orientation (we invited them to select all that apply from a list of several options), almost 68% identified as Heterosexual or Straight, 2.41% as Gay, and 5.67% as Lesbian or Dyke-identified. 28% said they are Bi, Pan, and/or Queer; 1.35% identify as Ace or Asexual; and 3.06% cited other options they felt reflected their identities better: This revealed a number of heteroflexible and bicurious people, plus several who were not sure how to identify. “There are no identifiers for my sexuality,” said one. Another shared, “I never know what these terms really mean. I’m questioning my sexuality having lived a heterosexual life and now liking not having to live in a particular definition.” Another respondent said they identified with “Sapiosexuality. Don’t know how far this term has spread, but it’s common amongst the geeky types. It means that you’re attracted to/turned on by people who show a high intelligence, regardless of gender.” Yes, we are tuned in to this smart sexual identity! Finally, “I don’t even know what’s going on with me” feels like the first sentence of a postmodern erotic novel.

Overall—perhaps because we are a sex-positive site, but also possibly because cultural attitudes about porn have been in a state of change—most of our respondents seemed to feel that porn has some level of significance in their lives, and it is very clear that they are going to all the corners of the internet, in particular, to find it. Good Vibrations has relaunched its VOD site, so this is a timely reminder that the internet IS indeed for porn.