Women are increasingly purchasing sex dolls while men turn theirs into online personas.

The sex doll industry has enjoyed significant growth over the past few years with thanks, in part, to an expanding and increasingly diversified group of consumers.

To learn more about recent changes in consumer trends, we spoke to Phil Bass, the managing director of vendor site The Doll House.

In his conversations with FutureofSex.net, he shone a light on what has helped propel the industry forward and offered insights on where he thinks the industry will take us in the coming years.

Women increasingly ordering dolls for themselves and for use with partners

Bass, noticing an increase in orders from women, says the growing consumer demand is likely reflective of shifting societal attitudes:

“People have not really changed, whereas what is socially acceptable has changed dramatically in recent years.”

He also notes that couples are increasingly buying dolls to bring into the bedroom together.

“There are certainly more couples becoming customers these days as it is now socially permissible to be (somewhat) sexually open-minded. Dolls and robots do allow for an extra addition to lovemaking without infidelity or worry about your partner losing feelings for you.”

Anime and cosplay a favorite for young men purchasing dolls

When it comes to men making a solo purchase, he says there is a distinct trend of cosplaying anime characters and photographing the scenes emerging:

“Younger men are definitely going down a strong anime and computer game route with dolls. As cosplay is fast becoming popular guys want their “Waifu” (a fictional, usually anime character which someone has great romantic affection for) to emulate an anime or computer game character as closely as possible.”

This group of consumers is often taking to Instagram and YouTube to share photos of the dolls, with some even setting up profiles for the doll’s personas:

“Once tried, many men find that dolls/robots are so much more than a sex toy, and a good 75% of male customers enjoy a new hobby with their doll—photography. Instagram is enjoying a surge in doll photography these days as many men like to personify their “Waifu” in imagery and often apply personality in wording.”

“Celestina Monkey is a good example where a YouTube content provider reviewed a doll for us and was so taken with the doll, he created an Instagram account for her,” Bass said.

“Many of these photography enthusiasts are using tech like FaceApp to place smiles onto their Waifu to create a more human feel to the imagery.”

What does this say about the future of the industry?

Bass suspects sex dolls will become “as commonplace as a microwave” in the future, saying “everyone will have at least one.”

There will be movements and consolidations in the industry, but this is where the ‘new money’ will be as more and more people become willing to test the water. I do not see this as a fad that will wane in time, sexual desire is timeless and constant, even as the form of that desire changes, it is eternal.

As a manufacturer and distributor, he sees smart technology—such as that used on our smartphones—playing a significant role in the future of sex tech:

If we marry the tech—AI or otherwise—with mobile phone technology, everyone will become a user in a very short time.

Image sources: The Doll House, Celestina Monkey