![How Many Women Use Vibrators [Facts & Figures]](https://wp.bedbible.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/How-Many-Women-Use-Vibrators.png)
Multiple studies indicate, that the US has now crossed the magic line of over half of the population owning a vibrator. But still, most reference an old 2009 study from Indiana University that found approximately 53 percent of women and 45 percent of men ages 18 to 60 use vibrators. The world has changed a lot since then!
15 years have gone by and with a 10-15% Y-o-Y growth in the sex toy industry, and a huge surge during the Covid-19 pandemic. The numbers are bound to have changed.
Here’s an overview of the report’s contents:
- How many people are using a vibrator?
- How Many People Are Buying Vibrators Each Month?
- Who Uses Vibrators The Most?
- Vibrator Usage by Sexual Orientation
- Vibrator Usage by Ethnicity
- What Makes a Great Vibrator?
- What Do Americans Think About Vibrators?
- When Women First Bought a Vibrator
- Fun Vibrator Facts and Statistics
Key Findings
- 69% of women own/use a vibrator, while 54% of men own/use one.
- 81% of women wish they hadn’t waited so long to buy their first vibrator.
- 95% of people who used a vibrator found that it helped them orgasm every time.
- 25% of American women stated that they use their vibrator several times within a week.
- Only 39% of women bought a vibrator to spice up their sex life, while 51.9% of men bought it to add spice.
- Heterosexual people make up 91.3% of vibrator users.
- Homosexual users make up 2.5% of vibrator users.
- Bisexuals only make up 5.2% of vibrator users.
- 70.6% of vibrator users in the world are white people.
- 11.1% of vibrator users are black people.
- 13.4% of vibrator users are Hispanic.
- 14.7% of vibrator users are between the ages of 18 and 24.
- 21.5% of vibrator users are between the ages of 25 and 34.
- 26.4% of vibrator users are between the ages of 35 and 44.
- 23% of vibrator users are between the ages of 45 and 54.
- 14.4% were between the ages of 55 and 60.
- 37.3% of women use vibrators during sex.
- 36% of men use vibrators during sex.
How many people are using a vibrator?
Drawing on data from The Kinsey Institute, Lovehoney Group, Statista, and a recent cross-sectional survey on 5,631 respondents we can report that American men and women use vibrators to a significantly larger extent than previously believed. Vibrator use is being reported by 69 percent of women ages 18-60 in the US, while 54 percent of men report having used a vibrator (meaning more people have a vibrator than a dildo; 41% of women in the US own/use a dildo as compared to 31% of men).
This increase is supported by the fact that: 42 percent of couples report feeling kinkier now than before the pandemic. Maybe vibrator purchases and usage have something to say? The couple vibrator has developed enormously and nowadays it doesn’t matter how many miles you are separated from each other, you can still enjoy it together.
Source: Prnewswire.com
How Many People Are Buying Vibrators Each Month?
Based on available data on average basket sizes, how much vibrators make of the total market size, as well as cross-sectional and representative survey data we estimate that:
- Between 900,000 and 1.5 million American men and women are buying vibrators each month. Either as an addition to their collection or as their first vibrator – the data doesn’t reveal this.
- Vibrator purchases are at their highest during November, and at their lowest pretty soon after that in February. November might be because there are a lot of good sales during that time, for example, on black friday you can find cheap sex toys.
Who Uses Vibrators The Most?
Married women top the charts for people who own a vibrator.
Specifically, 50.9% of married women own a vibrator, compared to 25.4% of single women.
On the men’s side of things, 31.4% of men say that they only introduced vibrators into the bedroom because of their partner’s request, while 6.8% of men use vibrators so that they can get an orgasm themselves.
Vibrator Usage by Sexual Orientation
Heterosexual people make up the majority of vibrator users, with 91.3% of users identifying as such.
Homosexual users make up 2.5% of vibrator users, while bisexuals only make up 5.2% of users.
Those who classify as “other” make up just 1% of all vibrator users.
Vibrator Usage by Ethnicity
White people make up the majority of vibrator users, with 70.6% of users identifying as such.
Black people account for 11.1% of vibrator users, while Hispanics make up 13.4%.
Those who classify as “other” make up just 4.9% of vibrator users
What Makes a Great Vibrator?
A great vibrator can vary from person to person, but many people have specific features they look for in their pleasure tool. Women, in particular, want their vibrators to be safe, easy to use, and powerful.
One of the most common types of vibrators is the realistic, penis-shaped vibrator. However, some women prefer vibrators that are not designed to look like a penis.
When it comes to choosing a vibrator, women who have used them before generally prioritize the following features:
- Body-safe materials
- Easy to use
- Strong motor
- Waterproof
- Discreet
- Recommended by others
- Highly reviewed
- Attractive color
- Attractive shape
Interestingly, women who have never used a vibrator before prioritize body-safe materials, ease of use, and waterproofing. However, they are more likely to want a discreet toy that is highly recommended and reviewed. They are also more likely to prioritize an attractive shape and color over a strong motor.
Vibrators can provide different sensations, and not all women prefer the same type of vibration. Women who prefer a more rumbly vibration are in the majority, while those who prefer a buzzy vibration are in the minority. Some women prefer a combination of both rumbly and buzzy vibrations.
When it comes to intensity, women prefer a strong vibration for non-anal stimulation, while medium intensity is preferred by a significant portion of women. For anal stimulation, however, women generally prefer a light to medium-intensity vibration, and a majority of women do not use anal vibrators at all.
What Do Americans Think About Vibrators?
When it comes to attitudes about vibrators, Americans are generally accepting of their use. Many view them as a positive addition to their sex lives.
- 70% of American adults reported that they have a positive view of vibrators.
- Additionally, 52% of adults surveyed said they believed that using a vibrator with a partner can improve intimacy in a relationship.
- 65% of American women said that using a vibrator is a healthy way to explore their sexuality.
- Roughly half of Americans believe that using sex toys is a natural and healthy way to express one’s sexuality.
- However, some negative attitudes persist. 23% of Americans reported feeling embarrassed or ashamed about using a vibrator.
- 12% of Americans believe that using a vibrator is a sign of a lack of sexual experience or ability.
Overall, while there are still some negative attitudes surrounding vibrator use, the majority of Americans are accepting and even enthusiastic about their use.
When Women First Bought a Vibrator (By Geographic Region in the U.S)
| Region in USA | Under 18 | 18-22 | 22-25 | 26-30 | 30-39 | 40+ | Never |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Coast | 12% | 36% | 16% | 13% | 9% | 5% | 8% |
| Midwest | 13% | 47% | 13% | 7% | 8% | 6% | 7% |
| Pacific Northwest | 23% | 39% | 16% | 6% | 11% | 3% | 2% |
| South | 17% | 39% | 12% | 14% | 6% | 7% | 5% |
| Southeast | 9% | 35% | 20% | 7% | 10% | 7% | 12% |
| Southwest | 11% | 38% | 13% | 12% | 10% | 6% | 9% |
| West Coast | 13% | 28% | 20% | 14% | 8% | 11% | 6% |
| Western | 17% | 40% | 19% | 7% | 4% | 7% | 7% |
Fun Vibrator Facts and Statistics
- 14 percent of people never cleaned their vibrator.
- People with non-hetero sexualities are 50 percent more likely to have used a vibrator.
- 41 percent have tried using lubricant with their vibrator.
- 37 percent of people, who practice their religion more than once a week, own a vibrator.
- 7 percent have tried putting a condom over their vibrator.
- People currently in a relationship are 15 percent more likely to have used a vibrator.
- 35 percent of women have received a vibrator as a gift, compared to 20 percent of men.
- Women on average buy small vibrators which are slimmer and shorter compared to men.
- 18 percent of people have fantasized about using a vibrator without ever doing it.
- Rich people are much more likely to buy a vibrator (Study based on sales data and median household income – keep an eye out, as it will be released soon).
- The US ranks 4th as the country that purchases the most vibrators per capita (1. Denmark, 2. Sweden, 3. Greenland)
Methodology
The data in this study is retrieved from multiple sources. References to those available online or sent to us can be found in the reference list below every section. Apart from, what is already listed here, we have procured and analyzed several data points including but not limited to industry reports; company economic reports; sales data from individual companies provided in anonymized form; as well as search and visitor statistics on popular industry-specific websites. Finally, data have also been gathered using online scrapers to crawl and scrape information from online directories, as well as self-run cross-sectional data surveys. Contact researchcenter@bedbible.com for more information.
The analysis was done through data aggregation and averaging. Where multiple sources were available with data discrepancies a weighted average was used. This was based on a subjective measure of the reliability of individual datasets – giving more weight to more reliable datasets.