Looking to earn some money on the side as a sex toy tester?
Wait! You can get paid for that?!
All these years you’ve been doing so much pro-bono work when you could have been coining in a small fortune, right?
Well, it turns out that there are some great ways to make money as a sex toy tester from legit career opportunities through to some interesting freelance ideas.
All involve taking the latest sex toys, trying them out and then sharing your opinion whilst getting paid for the pleasure of it all. Sounds simple, right?
In this feature we take a closer look at how you can earn some money testing sex toys including a full guide on what you need to get started.
Can You Really Get Paid to Test Sex Toys?
In short, yes you can. But this is a pretty niche adult-industry career opportunity and requires a very specific set of skills.
There are two main ways you can make money testing sex toys; one is to get a job working directly for one of the main sex tech companies or adult stores or you can set yourself up as a blogger/sex writer and reach out to get paid for your reviews.
What Skills Do You Need to Become a Sex Toy Tester?
Testing sex toys is the easy part and everyone thinks that it would be a walk in the park to take receipt of an endless supply of adult products to have a good play with.
The hard part is how you translate your experience of these toys and communicate this to an audience.
After all, the point of testing sex toys is to give your honest feedback about a product’s pros and cons.
In this way it is important that you are a good communicator and that you possess enough of a vocabulary to comprehensively describe how a product performs.
If you are writing your reviews then this means you need to be able to write well but some reviewers submit their feedback using videos. If that’s the case, are you able to communicate well verbally? Are you a ditherer or prone to waffling?
Simply saying that a dildo was bigger than you expected and gave you a toe-curling orgasm isn’t enough. You need to be able to describe the texture, the materials and sensations that this gives you.
You must pay attention to the designs, shapes and sizes as well as how ergonomic these are.
Each product needs to be reviewed comparatively using unique language and descriptions so can you find enough words to detail why the 8” real-feel Kong dong is superior?
Are you able to convey the distinct shape of the glans, the angle of the shaft, the detailing of the balls of one dildo over another?
And it’s not just a single product itself that is on review but other aspects too including ordering, delivery and returns. What about the product packaging and any accompanying manuals or instructions? If you are reviewing a teledildonic device then how easy is the software/app to use?
Obviously, a sex toy tester must also be adventurous in the bedroom and be willing to experiment with any and all new designs of adult product.
This could sometimes be something that is new to you such as anal toys or BDSM accessories. Are you comfortable trying out new (and unusual) toys?
And the nature of the products being reviewed often means that having a go solo isn’t enough so most sex toy testers should have access to a partner who is equally up for new experiences.
Oh, and if they are also a good communicator then this will help. You don’t need to get them to draft a written report after each testing session but discerning how the toy performed for them is helpful.
Other characteristics, skills and traits which will help you make it as a sex toy tester include:
- An interest in new tech
- Good level of personal fitness
- An active sex life
- Bags of confidence
- Great personality
How Much Money Can You Earn by Testing Sex Toys?
What you can earn as a sex toy tester very much depends on what kind of position you apply for or what kind of effort you are prepared to put into your freelance work.
Over the last couple of years, direct sex toy tester jobs have been advertised and the salary varies considerably.
In 2020, the British online adult store, Ricky, offered the ultimate lockdown job for sex toy testers wanted.
The opening went viral in the UK and, with local and national newspapers spreading the word, the position was filled pretty quickly. Offering £100 (roughly $137) per sex toy tested, even if you only achieved one per working day this would equate to an annual salary of around £26,000 (approx. $36,000)!
Freelancers have to be more creative with how to earn their money and offering a featured review on your blog or via YouTube in exchange for cash can either be paltry or lucrative depending on how much traffic you receive.
Of course, the pay isn’t the only perk of the job!
Sex toy testers also get to keep the products that they trial with no company wanting to take returns on intimate items which have been used! From novelty items priced at under $10 to high-tech, high-ticket devices coming in at $100-$300, the benefits over a year could really add up.
And, if you want to go it alone and become an independent sex toy tester the potential rewards for a freelance sex writer can be huge. Affiliate marketing (see below) is a great way to earn money testing sex toys and could make you $000’s.
How to Get Started as a Sex Toy Tester
Getting started as a sex toy tester is pretty easy but the road to success can be quite long.
As with any career in the adult industry the rewards are directly correlative to the effort and time you put in.
Ad-Hoc Sex Toy Tester Jobs
Let’s start with how to secure a job testing directly with sex toy retailers and manufacturers.
Companies like Durex, Lovehoney and Bondara all offer free toys in exchange for honest and comprehensive feedback. Interested parties have to register and then take part in regular (usually monthly or weekly) surveys and product testing.
Oftentimes these groups are pretty full and you don’t get paid for your reviews but you can get access to the latest products for free.
As well as paying you in sex toys, the purpose of getting involved in these groups is to hone your craft and get noticed by the companies. If you are providing them with fast but useful reviews delivered in a professional but engaging ‘voice’ then you may be able to prove yourself a suitable candidate for any full-time roles they may have.
Pretty much all of the main manufacturers and retailers have some group or other which they utilize for getting product reviews so just hitting them up direct is recommended.
To get you started though, try these companies who offer toys for testers:
- WOW Tech Group – The company behind Womanizer and the WeVibe product range, Wow has a group (the MasturbaTeam) for testers. All you need to do is sign up to get invited to take surveys and test products.
- Lovehoney – This huge international online retail site has a very active community with some opportunities for sex toy testers. All you need to do to get started is to create a community account and start by reviewing any toys you have already purchased. You need to have several reviews to your name before you can be considered as a sex toy tester so make sure these are well-written, comprehensive and demonstrate your unique ‘voice’. Once you have submitted these you need to create a wishlist called ‘Sex Toy Testers’ and add any products you want to review. Then just wait for these products to be sent to you! You can increase your chances of being picked by keeping your wishlist up to date, submitting regular reviews and staying in contact with other testers using the Lovehoney forum.
- Treediride – With half a million dollars available in funding for their tester project, this online adult store offers cash equivalent to the purchase price of their toys if you buy them through Amazon and provide good feedback. You’ll need to contact them to get registered on their program and, if you are eligible, you will basically get free toys to review.
Do some research and just make a list of the biggest brands you can find and make contact to find out what opportunities they have for product reviewers and sex toy testers. Companies like Lovense, Doc Johnson, Fun Factory, Lelo and Tenga all design and create their own range and need beta testers to try out their toys.
Oh, and make sure you sign up for newsletters and keep up to date by checking out any social media profiles they have.
Full-Time Sex Toy Tester Jobs
Unfortunately, sex toy testing jobs are a bit of rarity and they don’t come up all that frequently so having a connection directly with companies (as detailed above) is the best way to stay informed about when these come up.
It is more likely that a manufacturer looking for a full-time sex toy tester will search their own pool of professionals before advertising in the general media. In this way, it pays to make good networks with the industry and to keep your ear to the ground.
However, that doesn’t mean to say that these opportunities don’t come up because they do. Try setting up a Google Search alert for keywords and phrases like ‘sex toy testers’ and ‘sex toy reviewers’.
You should also follow the social media accounts for all of the major sex toy manufacturers and retail companies. If they are hiring then they will usually post these on their corporate accounts.
Freelance Blogger/Sex Writer
The opportunities available directly with manufacturers and sex toy retailers are quite few and far between and can be very competitive when they do crop up.
They also don’t pay particularly well with most simply offering you the opportunity for free sex toys.
Instead, people who want to make money reviewing sex toys often do so on a freelance basis by becoming a sex writer, adult blogger/vlogger or influencer.
By creating your own brand and positioning yourself in the market as an expert reviewer you can build an online following and earn money this way.
How?
Well, there are lots of ways to monetize yourself if you can build up a good following.
The best way to do this is through affiliate marketing which is where you get paid if you can channel new sales to a company using your own weblinks.
Some companies offer a fixed price per lead whilst others will pay you a percentage of any sales which come through your unique referral code. You will need to be transparent with your audience if this is how you are getting paid.
The earning potential for affiliate marketing is huge and there really is no limit to the amount of money you can earn this way however there are some downsides.
If you are only making money through certain products and brands then audiences may be wary about whether they can trust you to be unbiased with your reviews.
As a result, you should mix up what products you review and recommend to perhaps include those that you don’t get paid to promote. This should help boost your credibility with customers.
Becoming a credible, trusted and popular sex writer doesn’t happen overnight and you should be prepared to put in the time and effort to build up your profile.
This means you have to invest in creating the right platform and how/where to market yourself.
Creating a website or YouTube channel is a good place to start but you should also be using social media to tag links to your reviews with the right companies and products.
Follow the companies and brands you are reviewing and be proactive with your research. As soon as a new product hits the market, it should be you who is in the race to get their review out there first.
Sure, you will have to be investing in the toys you review for a while but once you establish yourself with a strong following, these companies will be more likely to want to send you their goods for free to get you to review and promote them.
Once you have built up a good following it is more likely that you can start commanding a direct fee from the manufacturers for reviewing their products.
How To Review Sex Toys
Whether you are writing for your own blog or a commercial website or print magazine, the fundamentals of how you write your reviews are the same.
Your audience will be potential customers and they will want to know everything about the product from the ordering and shipping process through to how it works as well as how to maintain it.
The style of your writing will very much be down to you (or your employers) and could be anything from a quirky, tongue-in-cheek kind of ‘voice’ or something more formal, professional and dry.
There are sex bloggers out there who focus more on the technical side of adult products whilst others are looking at the design and some who are all about the sex!
There’s really no right or wrong way to do this but what is essential is that you are reviewing the product’s intended use.
Sure, it might look a million dollars and have enough bells and whistles to guide a 777 in to land or synchronize with your fridge but how does it perform in your pants?!
It’s all very well if a novelty vibrator looks like a retro phone but is it comfortable to use, is it reliable and durable? Can it be cleaned easily? Are the instructions clear and easy-to-follow? Did it arrive with discreet packaging and come with a manufacturer’s warranty?
You should also ensure that you test a product more than once. It’s only fair as plenty of things can affect your enjoyment of a sex toy. It also reflects how the product will realistically be used.
Tips on Writing Sex Toys Reviews
- Our first piece of advice is to make sure that you do your research and familiarize yourself with the industry. There is no point positioning yourself as an expert in this field if you don’t know what these toys are designed to do. How can you compare a product if you don’t know what else is on the market? Should you recommending something if you don’t know what the legislation is on materials and safety certification? Spend some time getting to know what is on offer from different brands and companies.
- Secondly, your research should also extend to what other sex toy reviewers and writers are saying and, importantly, how they are saying it. Nobody is suggesting that you copycat another sex writer but learning what works and what doesn’t is a key aspect to making this a successful side career. This should be a general bit of homework to find out who you are competing with.
- Start by trying to sum up the product in just a few short phrases. Theses should be simple but with a couple of emotive adjectives, such as ‘Incredibly powerful clitoral stimulator’, ‘pleasurable and tight penetration’ and ‘eye-wateringly realistic shaft’.
- You should always read what other reviewers have already said about a specific product but only after you have drafted your own feedback. This allows you to ensure that you are covering the important detail and haven’t missed anything out but should also mean that (if you are reviewing for a website) that you aren’t simply repeating the same old information. Try to bring something new to your own review without skimping on what customers want to know.
- With the above advice in mind, and particularly if you are writing customers reviews for a website which sells the product, there is no need to repeat the technical information which is already listed unless there are issues with it. So, if a dildo is 8” long then you don’t need to keep mentioning it unless of course it actually isn’t!
- In the same way, it is important to focus on the aspects of a product which can’t be determined from the images so don’t go on about the fact a butt plug is black….customers can see that from the picture. Instead, concentrate on telling people what it feels like, how substantial it is, the textures and (if battery-operated) how noisy it is and how powerful the vibrations were.
- Cover every aspect of the toy including the less obvious elements such as charging cables, storage bags and instruction manuals. You don’t need to write pages and pages on this but if they are of a poor quality, say so. If the manual is impossible to understand, tell it like it is.
- If you are writing for your own blog then make sure you take some photographs to accompany your review.
- Though you need to be as detailed as possible, you still need to pitch your tone right. Again, if you are writing for your own blog then you will know who your target audience are and what kind of reviews they want from you. But if you are writing for a mainstream market then anything too explicit will probably just be removed. Finding a balance between writing honestly and openly for an adult audience and pornography is a gray area so you might need to experiment with style.
- Think about the practical aspects of how to use these devices and tell people how easy they were to operate, clean and store. Are they discreet enough to leave beside the bed or have in your hand luggage without causing any raised eyebrows at airport security?
- Try to give a balanced review and point out all the pros and cons. Even those cheap novelty items have some good points and not everyone can afford the most premium products. Likewise, every sex toy can’t be the “BEST YOU’VE EVER TRIED” and even though you might be getting paid for your reviews you have to be honest. Audiences are clued in to overly effusive influencers who are disingenuous – don’t be gushing about everything you review.
- As well as balance you need to be objective in your reviews and not everyone will feel the same way about a product. You might enjoy penetration more than clitoral stimulation but that doesn’t make a butterfly vibrator a poor product. And just because you don’t like the color pink shouldn’t mean you give a dildo the thumbs down.
- Always edit your review to suit the platform you are publishing it on. If you are writing for your own blog then it is up to you how long your article will be but your employers will often provide you with a brief detailing how many words you should aim for. With reviews for retailers, you should condense your review to around 6-8 paragraphs in length.
- On the same subject of editing, you should also make sure that your reviews have been proofread so that they are free from any spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and repetition.
Of course, your reviews don’t have to be written and many sex toy testers prefer to vlog their reviews. Whether you do this for your own website or social media account or a commercial store (Lovehoney publishes customer video reviews), there are a couple of tips which can help you make the most of this format:
- Make sure you draft your review up before you start filming so that you have an idea of what you are going to say and in what order. This doesn’t have to be a full script but having notes will help make sure you cover everything you want to say in the order you want to say it.
- Set up a space in which to record your reviews which is well-lit, has a clutter-free background and where the sound isn’t going to be affected by any external sources (road noise, birdsong, children playing etc).
- Have the product to hand so you can visually demonstrate any features or design aspects which you are referring to.
- Edit the file as necessary to ensure that you haven’t garbled on or repeated yourself. A planned and well-edited clip of around 2-5 minutes’ long with a clear and concise review is more impactful and useful than one which goes on for 10+ minutes with someone waffling!
Finally, if you are submitting the file to a website like Lovehoney then familiarize yourself with any other conditions they might have for the technical side of things. Some sites prefer clips in landscape format, saved as an .mp4 and not exceeding a given size.
Honesty is the Best Policy
And finally, whether you are reviewing sex toys in writing or using a video format, one of the most important things to remember is to be honest.
Though you may be being paid to review a product, this doesn’t mean to say that you should lie in order to sell it. If it has flaws, you should point them out and balance this with some good aspects.
Your audience are looking for a trusted opinion about whether to spend money on something and if your audience don’t trust you then you will quickly find yourself without a following.
These are testing times at the moment so what better way to enjoy a remote-working job than by becoming a sex toy tester!
We wish you the best of luck and look forward to seeing you out there.
