Whether shopping for the holidays, a birthday, or just because, you might want to give someone a sex toy. As you can guess, there are right and wrong ways to go about doing so, and this post will detail several considerations to ensure that if you do buy a sex toy for someone else, it will be a welcome and useful gift.
Only Give Sex Toys If You’re Close
Sex toys might be a good gift for a lover, best friend, or sibling, but you should look for a different present if you’re not close to your recipient. You could embarrass your recipient, damage your relationship, or even face sexual harassment charges if you ignore this advice. Also, if you’re not comfortable discussing your sex life with this person, then a sex toy isn’t a good gift idea.
Talk About It First
If any part of you is unsure whether someone would like to receive a sex toy as a gift, make sure to talk about it first. In fact, you might want to have this conversation even if you’re confident that a friend or family member would be okay to get a sex toy as a present! You’d be surprised how often we think we know something only to find out how wrong we are.
This conversation will look different depending on who your recipient is. For example, if you’re using the occasion to introduce sex toys into your sex life, find out how your partner feels about the idea first. You may even need to reassure them. On the other hand, if you’re shopping for a friend or family member, you might need to ask about preferences about toys and materials.
Be Careful with Prank Gifts
Giving a sex toy or accessory as a joke can lead to laughs, especially if it’s over the top. However, it can also be embarrassing and awkward if your recipient isn’t open to receiving a sex toy as a gift. Some gifts–think things that imply someone has a small penis, is slutty or dirty, novelty underwear that’s not actually wearable, or giant sex toys–can also be offensive. While they might be okay between frat brothers, avoid giving them to your new brother-in-law.
Furthermore, joke or prank gifts often wind up as clutter or in the trash because the recipient doesn’t have a use for them. Consider if you’re okay with that or if you’d rather spend your money on something useful or simply save it.
Pick the Right Type of Sex Toy
Because you should know your recipient well, you probably know what you want to buy. Perhaps your best friend has expressed interest in pulse air toys or your sibling has never had an orgasm, so a vibrator makes perfect sense as a present. Similarly, some people love penetration, and for them, a dildo might be in the cards.
However, if you don’t have that information, consider whether your recipient has any experience with sex toys and go from there. If they’re new to sex toys, stick to something that’s not intimidating or difficult to use. A basic vibrator such as a bullet/egg, G-spot vibrator, or smaller wand might do the trick. Similarly, Tenga eggs are relatively foolproof gift ideas for someone with a penis. You may want to avoid penetrative or prostate toys if you’re unsure how your recipient feels about those activities.
Although you might be tempted to give your recipient a luxury sex toy, you should only do so if you can afford it. Sex toys are incredibly personal and may not work depending on someone’s preferences or bodily responses. You may never know if your gift was a hit or not, and you’ll have to be okay with that ignorance while knowing how much you spent on the gift. Plus, the person you’re shopping for might feel guilty if the toy doesn’t work for them, and they know it has a premium price tag.
Keep Materials in Mind
For any gift that your recipient might use, keep materials in mind. For insertable sex toys, stick to body-safe materials such as silicone, glass, stainless steel, or ceramic. Be careful with sensation lubes or stimulating products. Similarly, check about latex allergies if you plan to give someone condoms. You don’t want your recipient to experience a genital reaction while they’re trying to be intimate!
Give Your Gift in Private
Because of the sensitive nature of sex toys and accessories, it’s best to give your gift to your recipient when no one else is around, even if they don’t seem like people who are easily embarrassed. You may want to ensure your recipient opens the gift with you around or instruct them that the present is best opened in private.
Allowing your recipient to open their gift in private also gives them a chance to more authentically respond if they’re excited but would feel self-conscious showing that around you. But, of course, if you’re giving a sex toy to a lover, this probably won’t be an issue. You may even get to use it right away!
Choose the Right Time to Present It
Just like you should carefully pick when you bring up sexual issues with your partner, you should only present your gift at the right time. If someone is self-conscious already, you may want to hold off on giving their present. Otherwise, you can just give them the present to open by themselves later.
Standard gift-giving etiquette also applies. Let your recipient know that you plan to give them a gift and avoid doing so around other people if you don’t also have gifts for them. If you don’t expect anything in return, let them know! Some people feel awkward when receiving a gift when they can’t return the gesture.
Following this advice should help you avoid uncomfortable situations–both for you and your recipient–when giving sex toys as gifts.