I personally prefer to purchase any of my sex toys online. Especially as I live in a not-too-populated area, it can be hard to find a good, safe sex toy store that I want to visit on a regular basis that’s nearby. Going online gives me the ability to shop with sex-positive stores in a comfortable environment and lots of information.
However, I’ll admit that I’ve found some pretty amazing in-person stores before. They take a bit more digging to find the good ones, but when you do, they make you realize all of the excitement of walking into a toy store and walking out with a discreet, well-informed purchase. There’s something a lot more fun about being in a store with a bunch of other sex-positive people that’s just missing from the online shopping experience.
(Plus, brick and mortar sex toy stores are great places to attend kink and sex classes to learn about BDSM! Quite a few can be a safe space to learn all sorts of new things!)
Finding a brick-and-mortar adult store doesn’t have to be impossible, though. Consider trying these avenues to find a better choice:
Ask Around: I hate to say it (especially in a world of readily available information online), but the best way to find a good sex toy store is by asking around. Not everyone hangs around in friend groups who would be comfortable answering this question, but knowing where your friends have had good/bad experiences can really help you figure out which sex shops might be worth visiting.
Look on Review Sites: As a substitution, you can always look online at review websites. While you might find a similar lack of online opinions as you’d find in real-life, the benefits of using online guides means that you can pull from opinions outside of your regular user group. For example, Yelp could help you figure out which San Francisco sex toy stores rate highest. When you’re done visiting the store, don’t forget to add your own opinion on websites like Yelp or Google Reviews. You might also want to check out bloggers lists’ of their favorite local shops including these lists of best sex shops in Toronto and best sex shops in London.
Head to the Nearest Populated City: Smaller cities are much less likely to have sex-positive and expansive toy stores. If you can afford the journey, consider looking in the nearest large city. You might find a reason to make a road trip a bit earlier than planned (like a hotel takeover, perhaps?). Just make sure to do some online searching before you head into the city to have a good idea of your options for when you get there.
Don’t Judge By the Storefront – Too Much: Because of the age we live in, most sex toy storefronts may not look as glamorous as you’d like. Many cities place limitations on how extravagant a storefront may be. Instead, look at the surrounding area. Is it in a safe part of town? Does it look like they regularly clean the garbage off the property? It won’t give you much information, but it might give you a little peace of mind before walking into a store.
Bring a Friend! As a final tip, if you’re nervous, remember that you can always bring someone with you. Even if you’re single, you can still bring along a good friend – almost every friend will be happy to come along if you tell them why you’re nervous.
Of course, while you’re at it, don’t forget to peruse some of my how to buy sex toys guides to have a good outline for what you’re looking for in the store when you get there!
