The Most Popular Sex Toys by State: The 2020 Update

The sex toy industry has taken off in recent years, thanks in part to the rapid growth of e-commerce platforms and changing social perception among users. In 2016, the sex toy industry was valued at $15 billion, and by 2019, it had increased to a whopping $26.5 billion. And from what we can tell, this is not expected to stop anytime soon.

Our founder and CEO, Dr. Evan Goldstein, has some thoughts on the subject as well.

In just a few years we’ve seen a dramatic increase in Americans’ acceptance and use of sex toys in their sexual activities, he said. The use of toys like strap-ons indicates that people are more open to exploring varied aspects of sex play. We know that toys, when used safely and properly, are an important part of the sex lives of both individuals and those within relationships.”

Now, in the era of social distancing, our sex lives as we know them have changed. How can we best enjoy ourselves and remain safe during a pandemic? Well, according to the New York City Department of Health, right now “you are your safest sex partner.” What better time to invest in some sex toys and explore?

At Bespoke Surgical, we continue to find this trend encouraging. That’s why, almost two years ago, we took a deep dive into the sex toy preferences of every state in the U.S. based on Google Shopping data. The results were fascinating, but given the increasing explosion of the industry, we wondered if people had started exploring different toys since then.

So we dove back in and turns out, we were right!

The Results

In 2018, the most popular sex toys in the U.S. were dildos. However, this year, we included a new category: various male sex toys, such as the infamous Fleshlight. And good thing we did, because these sex toys are the top toy in the nation by state. Male sex toys are most popular in 10 states, including Utah, Hawaii, and D.C. Dildos are the second most popular sex toy by state, this time around.

We noticed that bondage gear decreased in popularity from 2018 – it was the most popular toy category in nine states two years ago, but decreased to 7 this year. Maybe we can attribute this to the 50 Shades of Grey film series (dare we say finally) ending in 2018? Regardless, bondage gear remains popular in states like Georgia, Illinois, and Massachusetts in 2020.

Another trend we noticed is that strap ons are getting more popular, they are the most popular sex toy in 6 states, including Florida, New York, and North Carolina, compared to 4 states in 2018. It seems the country as a whole is trending toward trading out their BDSM toys for some other forms of play instead. In popular culture, there appears to be an increasing acceptance of and curiosity toward anal play, perhaps we have Abbi Jacobson’s internal dilemma on Broad City, to thank for launching the question into the mainstream: to peg, or not to peg?

View the rest of the breakdown of the most popular sex toys by state below.

Finally, we decided to replicate our look at the data for the most sought-after sex toys in the two major U.S. cities where our two Bespoke Surgical offices are located: New York City and Los Angeles. Last time, the most popular sex toy in New York City was a cock ring, and in Los Angeles, it was bondage gear. What about in 2020?

As it turns out, the most-searched-for sex toys in both cities have changed, and become one and the same: in our two home cities, the dildo reigns supreme! In a way, this makes sense. In both Los Angeles and New York City, women outnumber men.

Wrap Up

That wraps up our analysis of the most popular sex toys by state, updated for 2020! “Sexploration” has never been easier with the wide array of toys available to all genders and sexual preferences through just a simple Google search and a couple of clicks. Looking to spice up your sex life? Consider joining the rest of the country on the search to find the best toys available. Trust us, you’re worth it!

Methodology

To find these results, we first laid out some broad categories: butt plugs, vibrators, dildos, handcuffs, bondage gear, cock rings, male sex toys, and strap-ons. Under each broad category, we found the Google Shopping search interest for specific search terms and types of toys, such as jeweled anal plugs, rabbit vibrators, wand vibrators, suction cup dildos, ball gags, floggers, and Fleshlights, just to name a few. These terms, and others, were analyzed and averaged under the broader categories and the toy with the highest search interest was deemed the most popular in each state or city.