In the next decade or so, the male sex toy market is expected to grow into a $44 million industry. With the rise of online stores like XOXTOYS and a change in attitude toward male masturbation, people have started to treat male sex toys as wellness products.
Not to mention the upgrade in technology with app control, virtual reality features, and AI gave the male sex toy revolution a huge boost.
The consumer base for male sex toys is larger than ever. People of different ages, relationship statuses, sexual orientations, and gender identities are trying out male sex toys. Let’s see exactly how technology and societal changes have affected the male sex toy industry.
The Design and Technological Evolution of Male Sex Toys
For the longest time, the women’s luxury sex toy market got all the attention. As women’s sex toys went through the cycle of wand vibrators to bullet vibes to rose vibrators, male sex toys were stuck in the era of low-quality sleeves depicting genitals.
1. Electric Masturbators
Things didn’t start changing until 2014. This was the year men made a point to demand innovative designs and quality. Suffice it to say, they had enough of the basic, on-the-nose sleeves.
Brian Sloan noted this rising content. And so, the Autoblow 2 was created and released by him at the most opportune time, with crowdfunding behind it. Instead of having to hold the sleeve and move the item up and down, men could hold the Autoblow and let the electric machine do its work of recreating a real blowjob.
Over the years, the male masturbators have only improved. Products like the Satisfyer Men Vibration have app control, so masturbation can turn from a solo affair to partnered play.
Then, there’s the VR-enabled Kiiroo Titan Interactive Vibrating Stroker. You don’t have to rely on your imagination anymore. Instead, you can find your favorite adult star in a virtual reality.
The Autoblow itself has gone through multiple versions. For example, the latest Autoblow AI comes with 10 pre-programmed blowjob settings and the option to download additional experiences from a connected library.
There’s an edging feature to prolong the moment and your partner can use a private web app to control the device. And if you want to lose yourself in the moment completely, you can use voice commands for hands-free play.
2. Vibrating Anal Toys
Beyond masturbators, men have enjoyed dildos and butt plugs all throughout history, with stories going as far back as the 1400s. But it was always a more hush-hush affair, with queer men being bold about it than straight men.
That is until straight men discovered the fun of vibrating toys. While helping their partners experiment with vibrators, they discovered they enjoyed it to some degree as well. The orgasm from vibrators reverberates through their entire body, instead of only concentrating on their genitals.
So, when in 2015, LELO came out with a range of vibrating prostate massagers, the products became immediate bestsellers. The good vibes carried over to other male sex toys as well, with anal sex toys getting a 200% increase in sales.
This is why when you look for prostate massagers, LELO Hugo and LELO Loki are amongst the most recommended products.
The appeal of vibrators didn’t stay limited to prostate massagers either. More toys such as vibrating dildos, anal plugs, cock rings, and vibrating strokers started to take over the male sex toy market.
3. The Tenga Product Range
While technology started to change the trajectory of male sex toys in the West, the East was busy perfecting even the manual use of the masturbation sleeves.
Tenga Eggs were released in 2008 and remain popular to date. The Tenga Eggs are masturbation sleeves folded in the shape of an egg and packaged further into a harder eggshell.
The interior of the sleeves has various textures, ribs, and ridges, making for a tight squeeze. Since the toy is disposable and affordable, users don’t have to worry about cleaning up either. It’s perfect for people who find electric masturbators too intense but don’t enjoy plain-quality sleeves with about as much appeal as a regular sock.
As such, most people’s introduction to Tenga products starts with the Tenga Egg Standard pack.
But when you do get introduced to the world of Tenga products, you come across strong contenders for the West in their electronic strokers. For example, the Tenga Flip Zero Electronic Vibration Masturbator has two motors and 5 vibration modes. The interior is texture rich and since you can flip open the sex toy, cleaning and drying it is a breeze.
4. Sex Dolls
You can’t close the history of male sex toys without bringing up sex dolls. Their existence has been traced back to the 1600s, notably among
Spanish and Dutch sailors.
On their long voyages, away from their partners, the men would make do with dolls made of old cloth and leather. By the time the 20th century rolled around, these dolls had turned into inflatable ones, made with PVC or vinyls and resembled the general shape of a human.
Then, came the realistic dolls, made possible due to the use of silicone and TPE in sex toys. Due to the invention of 3D printing technology, the dolls have a more realistic shape as well. Just look at the Zero Tolerance Blowups Doll.
Sex dolls are predicted to evolve into even more realistic versions. Brands like Realbotix have already come up with the RealDoll line. These toys will have a customizable face and body, will be able to make facial expressions a person makes during orgasm, and will react to touch with sounds.
Some of the modern sex dolls also have heating options and can make small movements.
Benefits of Using Male Sex Toys
A huge reason behind the male sex toy revolution has been more awareness in society of its benefits.
We have come a long way from the 1710 publication which claimed masturbation would lead to epilepsy and fainting fits in boys and make women look haggard and pale.
Let’s take a look at how modern male sex toys can act as wellness products:
- Prostate orgasms from prostate massagers can help in flushing out prostate fluids, which could have led to a swollen and painful prostate otherwise.
- Men who masturbate over 5 times a week have a 33% less chance of developing prostate cancer. Mostly, it depends on the frequency of ejaculation itself. Orgasms help flush out cancer-building fluids more.
- Men who use sex toys and masturbate have a better relationship with their body and their sexual health. They notice when something is not right. They’re also more likely to show up for sexual health tests and catch diseases brewing in their body earlier.
- Sex toys like cock rings help with erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculation by keeping the blood constricted in the penis for longer.
- Certain vibrating strokers have sucking, vibrating, and hollowing motions to help with getting an erection by stimulating nerve endings. These sex toys sort of hit you with intense motions you wouldn’t get with manual masturbation.
- People who use male sex toys more and masturbate more tend to fall asleep quicker and tend to be less stressed.
- If you have some sort of mobility issue, sex toys with hands-free options are one way to keep you sexually active.
Final Thoughts
Certain advantages of health benefits from male sex toys could only be achieved due to technological inventions. For example, sometimes the only way to get an erection for some men has been through the use of the vibration and stroking motion from masturbators.
People with disabilities also have to rely heavily on sex toys. The more technologically advanced the male sex toy is, the better and easier it is for them to use. So, do it, give the sex toy you’ve been eyeing for a while a spin without worrying about society’s judgment.