Alix Fox

When people learn that my job as a sexual wellbeing specialist involves reviewing vibrators for the Filter – as their official Vibe Rater, if you will – they assume I’ve got it easy. That my work, in every conceivable way, must be a pleasure. But I get my hands dirty, probing everything from sustainability to sensitive data security to supply chains, to ensure buyers don’t get (non-consensually) shafted. Vibrators are coming out from under the covers.

I could write here about how almost a fifth of women surveyed by Durex said using a sex toy was the most dependable way for them to climax. Or I could point out how Kinsey Institute research suggests regular masturbation can help relieve and prevent symptoms of menopause, such as vaginal atrophy. I could even tell you that studies demonstrate a significant correlation between intimate toy ownership and greater satisfaction – not only with sex but also with life itself.

The best sex I’ve ever had was with a man with superb oral skills. He could talk about sex so intoxicatingly I ended up moving in with him – and I’m still with him to this day. Expressing your desires with words is an art, while technology – voicenotes, texts, emails, and calls – offers a multitude of ways to communicate more compellingly than actual nudes.