Keep Things Steamy As Winter Sets In With These Australian and New Zealand-Made Sex Toys

Gone are the days of giggling at clunky ’80s-style vibrators and seedy sex shops. It’s 2023, and these days we like our vibrators ethical, our lubricants organic, and our online and bricks-and-mortar stores elegant, safe and inclusive. In recent years there has been a refreshing uptick in locally owned and women-run sexual wellness businesses pulling back the sheets and getting real about pleasure, with the goal of removing taboos, getting creative and making solo pleasure a priority.

Eleanor Hadley, pleasure expert at Australian sexual wellness company Frenchie, tells Broadsheet , “We’ve all suffered from a case of seasonal depression, and as we enter winter, often we don’t feel quite as sexy as our carefree summer selves. This is the perfect time to try out a new pleasure tool to keep things hot and spicy in the bedroom.”

The cooler months are an especially good time to stay in and keep warm. To get the ball rolling, we’ve rounded up some of our favourite Australian- and New Zealand-owned businesses that are determined to make sure you and your pleasure come first.

Lbdo
Melbourne-based Lbdo specialises in beautiful and functional sexual wellness products, including lubricants, massage oils and palm-sized vibrators. “They’re products you wouldn’t hide at the bottom of your drawer,” says founder Rachel Baker. The brand’s vegan and cruelty-free lubricant ($29.95) is made with aloe vera, and Kakadu plum and quandong extracts. The massage oil ($49.95), meanwhile, has Kakadu plum-seed, coconut, jojoba and sandalwood oils. Its waterproof, silky-soft Essensual vibrators ($149.95) are made from high quality silicone and can vibrate for up to two hours. There are also a bunch of bundles to choose from, and orders over $50 are shipped free.
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Figr
Figr’s water-based lubricant, Fluid, is made using finger lime and strawberry gum from Byron Bay. “Finger lime is high in vitamin E and C,” co-founder Eloise O’Sullivan tells Broadsheet. “Vitamin E is known as the ‘sex vitamin’. Strawberry gum holds a lot of antibiotic and antifungal properties.” Fluid is fragrance free, comes in a chic glass bottle and leaves no sticky residue. It also “stays wet” for a long time. Available in two sizes, Figr’s lubes start at $22. Shipping is free when you spend more than $75.
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Lucy
Launched in June 2021, Lucy is pretty new to the marketplace. Its water-based lubricant is made in New South Wales, is cruelty-free and pH-balanced, which helps reduce irritation. It’s quick to absorb and, unlike oil- or silicone-based lube, can be used alongside both silicone and latex toys as well as condoms. Co-founders Claire Colclough and Alan McCarthy say the brand is designed for all ages and genders. “We’ve embarked on a journey to reduce the shame and stigma surrounding the use of lubricant,” says Colclough. Lucy lube costs $24, or you can set up a quarterly subscription for $22 a bottle.

Frenchie
Founded in Sydney, Frenchie sells water-based lubricants made with botanicals like aloe vera; hypoallergenic and biodegradable bamboo wipes; and 100 per cent natural rubber-latex condoms. Plus, all its products are vegan and cruelty-free. TheBeret condoms have a buttercup design, making it easier to know “which way is up”, and they’re ultra-thin – 0.05 millimetres – and fragrance-free. Sex toys include the Petit Eiffel ($85), which is perfect for external stimulation, and the Double Entendre ($95) is for both internal play.

Normal
This Australian company has a handy quiz on its website to help you find the right toy for you (provided you’re okay with handing over your email address). It has vibrators and stimulators for solo or partnered pleasure, including options for internal or clitoral stimulation. Frankie ($80) is a teardrop-shaped bullet vibrator; Darcy ($225) is designed to hit the elusive internal G spot; and Flynn ($160) sits around the base of a penis or dildo to provide stimulation at the point of penetration.

Vush
You might recognise Vush as the company that partnered with radio host and reality TV personality Abbie Chatfield on a G-spot vibrator , or as the maker of the wand vibrator that starred in Cardi B’s music video for Up.
The brand’s latest release includes two new toys designed for couples. Orb ($55) isn’t your typical cock ring – it’s also built with women’s pleasure in mind, featuring rabbit ears for clitoral stimulation. It has 10 pleasure settings so both you and your partner enjoy the benefits.

Flossy
Best friends turned business partners, Caroline Reis and Annie Miller dreamed up Flossy while hanging out at the beach in Brisbane. Discussing a recent experience at a sex shop, the pair decided women deserve better than the seedy, hypersexualised energy of the average porn store. They resolved to create their own platform online to deliver hand-selected, Australian-made toys with a focus on pleasure, not just partnered sex. While they naturally stock vibrators, travel-friendly and whisper-quiet toys, condoms, lube and everything in between – including a range of wearables. The Bloom ($169) is a wearable specifically designed to increase pelvic floor strength while providing deep, rumbly internal pleasure.

Girls Get Off
A Kiwi-owned company that leaves nothing to the imagination, Girls Get Off is on a mission to empower women in all things pleasurable, removing the stigma that comes with talking about getting off. Its two biggest sellers are the Missy ($129) and the Tiff ($169). Missy is an external clitoral stimulator that uses suction to stimulate the clitoris, while Tiff – the “overachiever” – applies the same technology with the added bonus of a flexible, waterproof arm for internal stimulation. Girls Get Off isn’t all action – there’s plenty of talk in its pretty, pastel pink book, A Girl’s Guide to Getting Off ($89). This is a full-on intimacy bible with in-depth guides on butt play, squirting and foreplay, as well as real-life advice from the GGO community about intimacy, partner communication, and sex positions you didn’t even know existed.

My ILO
If you’re after an ethical orgasm, look no further. Western Australia’s My ILO is as much about pleasure as it is about design and eco-conscious climaxes. It was founded by friends Claire Deeks and Luciana Burke with the aim of making toys that look good while delivering powerful vibrations. There are plenty of goodies to keep you entertained, like vibrating pleasure plugs ($85), On Top ($50), card deck full of questions to help deepen your bonds, and even personal safety Halo Tags ($69), which emit a high-frequency alarm in case of emergencies. Once you’ve had your fun, you can send your old toys off to the My ILO recycling scheme and receive a gift card in exchange.

Rosewell
Brisbane’s Rosewell is another sexual wellness brand that’s all about the ethical O. The self-funded, women/LGBTQI-founded and sustainable brand’s values are rooted in vulnerability, connection and consideration of the environment and every kind of body. Our pick is the Bend ($149), which can be used on vulvas as well as the perineum for extra vibey pleasure.

High Tide
Partners in business and life Paige Aubort and Søren Poulsen are behind High Tide, a beautiful bricks-and-mortar space on Rankins Lane in Melbourne CBD. It aims to provide an inclusive, elevated space to access to a curated selection of sexual wellness products. High Tide also hosts workshops and offers one-on-one private shopping experiences. The owners are big fans of Australian-owned toy company Dame, selling a number of its products – including the Zee Bullet Vibrator ($65) – as well as ultra-chic crystal toys by La Loba (from $50.)

We hope you love the products we recommend on Broadsheet. Our editors select each one independently. Broadsheet may receive an affiliate commission when you follow some links.