The last decade has seen dramatic growth in sex toys designed for men, a long-awaited and much-deserved expansion that not only has been a boon for our industry, but also has helped normalize the fact that men absolutely use — and love — sex toys.
While this growth has resulted in a massive upswing in both the quantity and quality of such products, the market remains dominated by strokers and masturbators made with heterosexual men in mind. These products, often molded after vulvas and female forms, pay little attention to men who have sex with men — a major demographic that is ready and willing to spend top dollar on quality items that pay attention to their needs and interests.
Gone are the days of assumed heteronormativity; today’s customers expect and deserve products that cater to who they are.
There’s more to making a masturbator or stroker that appeals to the gay male consumer, yet many of these items revolve around the assumption that men who have sex with men are focused solely on anal penetration. This results in a bevy of strokers that feature a tight anus-like tunnel with little more to offer — and while this is absolutely a key product to offer, we found it interesting to learn that, unlike masturbator collections made for heterosexual men, most “gay male” masturbator lines stop with the stroker.
Now let’s think beyond the basic construction of strokers, and touch on the perks — the “balls” and whistles so to speak. The bonus features that tend to turn a sex toy into an intense sexual experience go beyond the basics of realism, with technology that helps the product look, feel and sound as close to the real thing as possible. Yet, most of these higher-level interactive features cater to heterosexual men eager for their new masturbator to look, feel and sound as close to a woman as technologically possible. And it’s all based on the assumption that that’s what all male users want!
Think of all the fantastic options that exist for men who have sex with women. We have incredibly realistic masturbators and products molded from the female body and enhanced by construction that allows the material to feel soft, supple and springy — just like real skin. Some of the products are even amplified with audio recordings of women moaning and saying sultry statements to the user, offering an even more lifelike experience while also catering to the important and oft-forgotten impact of auditory erotic stimulation. With every product launch season coming and going, my team and I noticed that the same attention to the desires of heterosexual men simply isn’t being reciprocated for the gay market, and we see huge growth opportunities here.
Fortunately, there are some forward-thinking brands that are working to break the heteronormativity within this category by designing masturbators that go beyond a simple tight tunnel. Some products feature a cavity for stroking but also a hard, realistic-feeling penis on the opposite end, a design that allows users to create the sensation of manually stimulating a partner while also penetrating them. It’s this kind of thought process that will be integral to the evolution of penis-centric toys designed to cater to the gay male gaze, making it possible for users to find their favorite positions and satisfy their desire to be on both the giving and receiving end.
Users shouldn’t have to adjust their needs to accommodate sex toys that frankly aren’t designed for them. Everyone deserves pleasure products that both acknowledge and aim to satisfy their sexual desires, and thankfully the industry is catching up with its consumers. As the adult novelty industry continues to grow and evolve, I believe we will see more of this kind of conscientious toy design with more products that acknowledge the unique and individual ways users experience pleasure.
Gone are the days of assumed heteronormativity; today’s customers expect and deserve products that cater to who they are, what they enjoy, and who stars in their fantasies. With the help of some forward-thinking companies, they can get it!
Kristian Broms is the chief design officer for Pipedream Products. He oversees all design aspects of the company and is committed to his role as a customer-obsessed innovator. Pipedream has accumulated over 30 product and design awards under Brom's leadership.
