Press Clippings

Women's Health
June 2009

101 Red Hot Sex Boosters

#1 Pop in earplugs
It will enhance the sound of your breathing and block out the rest of the world, so you can home in on your other four senses- especially touch, says Claire Cavanah, co-author of Sex Toys 101.

#18 Use this vibrator during sex
The We-Vibe ($130, babeland.com) is the first dildo that can be used during intercourse. Inserted into your vagina, the U-shaped device stimulates your clitoris and G-spot simultaneously- and is narrow enough to allow your partner in.

#39 Blow hot and cold
When you give him oral sex, have an ice cube and a cup of warm tea nearby. Every few minutes, alternate between the two. The temperature changing sensations will drive him wild, says Pamela Doan, a spokesperson for Babeland.

#72 Go undercover
With Agent Secret ($60, babeland.com), you write down a sex secret and lock it in a box. If your partner wants to know it, he uses ribbons and satin to “torture” you with light bondage until you give in.

#85 Go wireless
The Cry Baby, ($69, babeland.com) remote-control vibrator can be operated from as far away as 98-feet. Give him the clicker and you’ll discover a whole new meaning for PDA.

Marie Claire
May 2009

How do you get into sex-kitten mode when your increasingly demanding (and insecure) job has stripped you of your mojo?...You're not the only one who needs to get out of your head. Sex-toy shop Babeland's cofounder Claire Cavanah says business has spiked 26 percent since the recession began. Get your solo freak on for cheap with The Daisy Vibe, a mini flower-shaped, phthalate-free gadget that has users raving not only about its cuteness but also its powerful buzz.

Read the full article.

Oprah Magazine
May 2009

And despite the sharp contraction in most consumer spending since the economic crisis blew up last fall, Babeland, a sex toys retailer with four outlets in New York City and Seattle, has seen double-digit increases in sales; during Valentine’s Day weekend, sales were up 26% over the previous year. “We haven’t seen a spike like this since just after September 11th,” says co-founder Claire Cavanah. “People are nesting. They’re looking for a stress reliever. They want to be comforted.” (And, evidently, they want vibrators. Sleek fuchsia-colored vibrators.)

Redbook Magazine
April 2009

How do I find a vibrator that's right for me? You can't exactly try one out in a dressing room!

"First, decide on a shape according to how you want to be stimulated," says Claire Cavanah, cofounder of Babeland, a woman-friendly adult-toy-store chain. "Cylindrical toys are meant for penetration, curved ones will hit your G-spot, and round ones stimulate your clitoris." Next, consider the material: Plastic offers strong vibrations, silicone and jelly are pliable, and steel is sensitive to temperature changes. Adult stores usually have toys on display. "Find one with appealing vibration and volume levels by trying it out," says Cavanah. "On your nose, that is, which is sensitive just like your lady parts." You can also shop online (and read product reviews) at sites such as babeland.com.

Women's Health
April 2009

Unleash Your Inner Sex Goddess
by Sarah Miller

Decorated in optimistic tones of pink and yellow, the Seattle branch of the sex-shop chain Babeland brings to mind a stylish girl's kitchen, where she cooks up not food but hot orgasms. I'm here to take the store's "sex educator" employee training, and I'm feeling resistant. The truth is, I've never set foot in a sex shop.
My supervisor for the two-day training is Babeland's sex-education coordinator, Audrey McManus. She's a veritable sunflower of a woman, but facing me, she clouds over.
"You write about sex, and you've never been in a sex shop? Isn't that, like, part of your job?"
"Look, Audrey," I say. "I know where my clitoris is, and with all due respect, I can probably find yours as well."

Read the full article.

Bust Magazine
April/May 2009

Slick Picks: Eco Lubes Making Going Au Naturel Natural

Do I really want to be using ingredients I can’t even pronounce on my most private of parts? No, not when there are all-natural lubes that purport to have the same slippery effect as their chemical-laden counterparts, making them safe for you and the environment. In the interest of science, I decided to take a few for a test run.

My personal favorite, Babeland Naturals Organic Lube, is thick and doesn’t drip. Its consistency felt closest to the real thing, so I couldn’t tell when the product ended and the natural slip ‘n’ slide began, thanks to ingredients like aloe, agar (also derived from seaweed), water, and vegetable glycerin. Available in Naked with a “hint of lemon and vanilla” or Fresh with a “subtle mint infusion,” both have a pleasantly surprising, light fragrance. All of these lubes are water-based, which means they won’t weaken latex like an oil-based product, so you can go nuts with them when you’re using a condom. With natural alternatives like these, it only makes sense to turn your bedroom green and give a whole new meaning to safe sex.

Cosmopolitan
April 2009

Burn for him
Fire up the stove, uncork a bottle of wine (organic, of course), and turn off the lights. Candlelit dinners have to be the most romantic way to save electricity. And who doesn’t look sexy basking in that forgiving glow?

Since he’ll probably want to stare at you all night long, use soy candles— they’ll burn longer, meaning you’ll replace them less often. Babeland sells one that can be purchased solo or as part of an Eco-Sexy or Eco-Delight Kit. Made with skin-safe soy, it doubles as a warm, scented, massage oil- talk about multitasking.

Women's Health
March 2009

For the Art Lover...

Who Demands Total Control
A minimalistic toy that delivers maximum pleasure, the SaSi vibrator features a rounded massage head that undulates under a silky cover to simulate a human tongue. Program it to move exactly the way you like it.

Who is an Avid Tree Hugger
The ecofriendly Fling is handcrafted from sustainable organic hardwood and coated with a bacteria resistant hypoallergenic, water-proof, surgical-grade lube to keep it smooth.

Reuters
February 13, 2009

Can Love Conquer a Recession?

Babeland, a high-end sex toy store in the fashionable Soho area of Manhattan is seeing about a 15% increase in sales compared to last year. They have lined up special Valentine themed sex kits such as "Share the love" priced at 55 USD. But according to Babeland co-founder Claire Cavanah, where the company is really seeing an increase in sales is in the category of the more expensive sex toys - those priced above 125 USD such as the We-Vibe that sells for 130 USD.

"There's a sort of nesting instinct that happens when things get scary outside of your house and so you want to sort of hunker down and connect with your partner or with yourself and have a sort of stay-in sort of date time instead of spending so much money. So, it's sort of like cheap thrills but they are not necessary cheap toys that we are selling. So, it's kind of interesting. But I think we are benefiting from a certain kind of anxiety," said Cavanah.

Watch the video.
Read the full article.

New York Magazine
February 8, 2009

Freakoutonomics

And at the sex-toy mini-chain Babeland, to the owners’ own surprise, it is the “luxury vibes”—sophisticated, often programmable vibrators with a price point of $125 and up—that are proving to be a recession-era blockbuster. September through December sales of those items have doubled compared to the year before. “This is not a beginner’s toy,” says Babeland’s head of publicity. “People are upgrading.” And why not? The very fact of living in this city means our life is guided by pleasure rather than value. Otherwise we’d be living in Philadelphia.

Read the full article.

Details
Jan./Feb. 2009

Sex and the Citi

3,304

Number of vibrators reportedly sold at Babeland, a sex shop in SoHo, in Manhattan, between mid-October and mid-November 2008 — nearly double the number sold in the same period a year earlier.

Penthouse Forum
January 2009

When the folks at Fun Factory designed a special vibrator just for Babeland, we knew it would be a good one, and we were right. At more than eight inches long and with a nearly two-inch girth, The Boss is a sizeable toy. Its lifelike shape, and veiny texture and soft rubber skin make it a great substitute for the real thing. And then there are the vibrations. Though it's merely battery powered, the vibes are strong, and it leaves no doubt as to who's in charge. This just might be the best stand-in dick we've seen in a while, so you might want to scoop one up before they're gone!

New York Times
January 7, 2009

Toy Story, the Adult Version

Since last year, sales of gadgets priced at $80 or more have risen by 50 percent. "People are looking for stress relief and a little connection, " said Claire Cavanah. “When your world is lurching sideways, it’s good to go home to a nice bed — and a little intimacy."

Read the full article.

Playboy
December 2008

The Playboy Advisor

"Doing your holiday shopping? We never thought we would see the day, but vibrators are now "trendy" — we asked Claire Cavanah, co-founder of Babeland, for the latest buzz. She seems especially smitten with the SaSi, ... with a soft underbelly that holds a ball that moves around randomly to simulate a finger or tongue. The We Vibe is another Babeland bestseller..."