Is it a sex toy, or speaker? Take our quiz

My colleague opened a package at her desk, a few feet from where I was sitting. We both assumed that the squat little device it contained was some sort of speaker. Then we saw the words “premium compact stroker,” and it dawned on us that what she was holding in her hand was actually a sex toy.

To be specific, it was the Arcwave Voy, one of the more portable offerings from the men-focused brand, which is part of sexual wellbeing company Lovehoney Group, which includes the We-Vibe and Womanizer brands, whose products were also included in the promotional mailer.

Sleek sex toys meant for men (so long, Fleshlight) and women are part of a wider shift toward taking a more thoughtful product design approach to items typically relegated to the novelty category and only found in adult stores.

“If you go through the research properly—whether you’re doing speakers, dishwashers, or vibrators—as long as you honor the needs of the consumer, you will find that the outcome has a certain level of sophistication,” says industrial designer Ti Chang, a veteran of CPG brands like Goody and Trek Bicycle who, in 2010, launched Crave, the company behind Vesper, a vibrator designed to be worn on a necklace.

When it comes to sex toys and portable speakers, those consumer needs are similar. Both products must be easy to carry, ergonomic, and waterproof. They must be able to hold a charge. And, yes, they must vibrate. (What’s sound without vibration?) The resulting designs, therefore, often feature rounded edges, resilient materials like silicone, lightweight components, and non-slip surfaces.

After that, “what sets a product apart is how it functions,” Chang says, “and how it makes the user feel.”

Here are six products that are either a sex toy or a speaker. See if you can tell which is which. (Answers below.)

Though the design evokes a horn, which might indicate sound, this is the Lelo Sila Cruise, which uses sonic waves for clitoral stimulation and launched in early 2022. 
With a name like Phantom II, this one could easily go either way. But it’s a speaker—from luxury audio engineering company Devialet. The $1,300 Phantom II is sold in 95 db and 98 db versions, with the company claiming Phantom II 98 db has twice the power of the 95 db speaker. 
No, this is not a miniature Beats Pill, but rather plusONE’s Vibrating Bullet. Designed to be portable, it is waterproof and includes a removable finger sleeve. 
This one might be a gimme, but Kove’s Commuter 2 is unique among Bluetooth speakers in its ability to be used as a single speaker or pulled apart into two smaller speakers to provide surround sound.
Though the mute button, plus-and-minus buttons, and the charging dock all scream “speaker,” this is actually Arcwave Ion—the Voy’s high-tech cousin. It uses Arcwave’s proprietary Pleasure Air tech to stimulate the frenulum. 
It may be hard to guess this product’s purpose in general, but this is Bang & Olufsen’s $1,999 Beosound 1 portable Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker, which can also come equipped with Google assistant.