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Meet the best-kept secret (hidden all the way in the UK) in the female-founded sex toy industry: Knude Society. (Think what Dame did here in the US.)
Started by creative copywriter and all-around badass Emma Brown, Knude Society is one of the only female-founded sex companies in the UK. It is working to bring pleasure and representation to everyone!
Brown says that she started Knude Society after noticing that many of the founders dominating the sex-toy company industry were cis, heterosexual men. Therefore, there was ample room for the industry to grow in its representation of all people.
“There’s only one kind of woman modeling, the selection of toys is overwhelming, and the buying experience made me feel like I stepped out of a seedy shop down some alleyway. And not in a fun way,” Brown writes on the about page of Knude Society’s site.
Based in London, Knude Society’s mission is to reclaim real pleasure. Meaning, instead of being sold a particular version of sex that makes promises it can’t keep and can sometimes even feel icky, Knude Society instead offers products and education that are grounded in the discussion of what sex & pleasure really are, along with healthy ways of exploring it!
Their most popular product, Gwen, drives that mission home. Plus, it’s genuinely one of the most well-designed and all-around awesome toys I’ve come across!
Gwen is gender-neutral, USB rechargeable, made of medical-grade, body-safe silicone, waterproof, and whisper-quiet —like, I mean, whisper-quiet.
This vibe fits in the palm of your hand and offers 10 speeds and vibrations, from feather-light to super intense. This is way more than you think would be possible in such a small vibe.
Its ergonomic shape is adjustable, making it easy to hold and use anywhere on the body. It’s a great toy for exploring erogenous zones and your usual haunts.
The best part? It’s only about $55 USD, making it a much more affordable option than many toys on the market! Plus, if you use the code RACHELKNUDE15, you get 15% off!
While Gwen is the product I got to try out and love, it’s not the only product worth mentioning. Their lube, Glide, shows how much Knude Society embodies its ethos of honesty, inclusivity, and pleasure!
Knude Society’s Glide is a water-based lube free of parabens, fragrances, hormones, and coloring. It’s also pH-optimized and safe to use with all condoms & toys!
My favorite part of the product is actually how it’s sold. Knude Society says right up front that it’s made with Glycerin, which is typically a no-no for lubes, especially for vulva-owners. However, the company immediately notes that it’s “100% derived from plant extracts,” making it body-safe, and shares that “Glide has been fully tested to ensure it’s the best product to use on your intimate parts. This includes a vaginal irritation test and a human patch test. Glide meets the ISO 13485:2016 standard, the HACCP system, and GMP requirements.”
I love this level of transparency because it’s also educational, which is another huge aspect of Knude Society’s work: They love sex education! Their blog has a ton of great information, from how-tos to essays. And, they even have an area where you can participate in the company’s research here!
With one more main product, Melt, and an endless array of bundle options, Knude Society has something for everyone. And beyond their products, visiting their website is a breath of fresh air. Emma has intentionally chosen to depict humans of all sizes and shapes with a comforting aesthetic.
I can’t tell you how happy I am to have had the chance to chat with Emma and learn more about this fantastic company. I’m looking forward to working with them more in the future. A workshop in London, anyone!?
If you’d like Gwen or any of Knude Society’s other phenomenal products, click the link here and use the code: RACHELKNUDE15 for 15% off your order!
If you want more writing like this, you can browse my posts on mental health and sex.
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