A sex doll is a human-like sex toy. Sex dolls include toys that look like complete humans and toys with selected body parts, such as torsos and genitals.
Sex dolls are sometimes called joy toys, love dolls, and fuck dolls.
Types of sex dolls
There are many different types of sex dolls, including:
- Blow up dolls: Inflatable sex dolls.
- Gendered dolls: Realistic-looking sex dolls designed to look like human female, male, or transgender partners.
- Sexbots: Robotic sex dolls programmed to interact with users via movement, speech, text, or a combination of these.
- Partial sex dolls: Sex dolls that look like incomplete humans, such as torsos with and without heads.
- Masturbators: Simple sex dolls made to resemble human genitals.
- Stuffed sex dolls: Plush sex dolls.
Sex doll manufacturers create sex dolls with different looks to suit the preferences of different users. For example, there are sex dolls with different skin tones and body types. Some sex dolls are styled to look like people of different ages or ethnicities. There are also sex dolls made to look pregnant and sex dolls that resemble fantasy figures, such as anime characters and vampires.
Some sex dolls aim to look and function like real human partners while others aim to appeal to fantasies. For example, there are sex dolls with extra large breasts and dolls with penetrable nipples.
History of sex dolls
Historians believe European sailors sewed the first sex dolls from cloth in the 16th century. They used these basic dolls as masturbation aids on their long journeys. The history of sex dolls may stretch back even further though, as some Ancient Egyptian artifacts resembling female figures may actually be remains of the first primitive sex dolls.
In his 1908 book “The Sexual Life of Our Time," Iwan Bloch wrote about some of the first manufactured sex dolls, which were sold through the catalogs of French rubber makers. These feminine dolls had tubes filled with oil to lubricate their vaginas.
He noted that “Clever mechanics who, from rubber and other plastic materials, prepare entire male or female bodies."
In the 1930s, German surrealist artist Hans Bellmer created a series of sex puppets. These realistic-looking puppets were so important for sex doll development that he became known as “the father figure of the modern sex doll.”
By the 1970s, sex doll manufacturing began evolving at a rapid pace. Vinyl, latex, and silicone became the most common materials for sex dolls. These materials helped manufacturers to make more durable, flexible, and realistic dolls.
In the late 1990s, Abyss Creations launched the RealDoll, a hyper-realistic silicone sex doll. These sex dolls became even more realistic in 2017 when Abyss Creations launched the Harmony AI, an interactive RealDoll equipped with AI technology.
Who uses sex dolls
According to research published by the BedBible Research Center updated in 2024, the global market for sex dolls is worth $3.2 billion and has a compound annual growth rate of 7 to 9 percent to 2030. This figure includes a variety of sex dolls, including partial dolls, but excludes masturbators. The United States accounts for $1.2 billion, or more than a third of the global market.
The average sex doll owner is a male aged between 30 and 50 years old. In the United States, 9.7 percent of men and 6.1 percent of women have a sex doll. One out of 10 owners don’t use their sex dolls, but 65 percent use it at least every month.
While this research focuses on a gender binary, sex dolls may be used by people with any gender identity.
How people use sex dolls
The BedBible research found 60.7 percent of owners use their sex doll to masturbate alone. However, 47.6 percent used it during foreplay and 50.8 percent used it during intercourse with a partner. The use of sex dolls in partnered sex is surprising as 27.7 percent of people did not consult their partner before making the purchase.
Why people buy sex dolls
Roughly 72 percent of people purchase sex dolls for sexual play, either alone or with a partner, according to the BedBible research.
British psychologists assessed male sex doll owners for a 2023 study published in the Journal of Sex Research. They found the sex dolls could be a safe sexual outlet for men who were often insecure about sex or relationships.
Dr. Peter Kanaris told Vice he believes sex dolls can be beneficial to a variety of single people, including people who are socially isolated, anxious about forming relationships, bereaved, and divorced. He noted that sex dolls may also provide a healthy sexual outlet for people whose partners are unwilling to perform specific sex acts.
However, sexual pleasure isn’t the only motivation for purchasing a sex doll. According to BedBible, 23 percent of people purchase these dolls as gifts or novelty items. More than 1 percent intend to have a platonic relationship with their doll.
The appeal of sex dolls
A Reddit user noted that having sex with a sex doll is “the best form of masturbation out there, but it still feels like masturbation … Even though it doesn't feel like having sex with a human partner, it can get pretty close, and it's still a great workout and can be a fun, safe way of experimenting with positions and practicing technique.”
The benefits of sex dolls extend well beyond simple sexual gratification though, according to sex therapist Dr. Elyssa Helfer.
“As with many erotic acts, it can serve as a form of increased intimacy and provide emotional comfort in a way that other sex toys may not,” she told Kinkly. “Sex dolls, especially those that closely resemble humans, can also increase the likelihood of a safe sexual experience. By utilizing a doll, there is no risk of pregnancy, no risk of STIs, and it allows for some level of connection when folks are in circumstances where they do not have or are unable to physically be with a partner (i.e., Covid isolation, long-distance relationships, etc.)”
In most cases, sex dolls don’t offer feedback as human partners do. This can be part of the appeal for some owners. As the doll is a blank canvas, an owner can project their feelings and fantasies onto their toy.
Sex dolls are also always available for any kind of sex, at any time. This can extend to group sex. Couples may purchase a sex doll to test out fantasies of having sex with another person. They may feel content living out their group sex fantasies with a sex doll or use the doll as a transitional aid before having sex with another human.
A sex doll can also add variety to someone’s sexual experiences. Having sex with a doll provides different stimulation and a different psychological experience to sex with a partner that can be thrilling.
Criticism of sex dolls
While sex dolls may combat social isolation and provide a healthy sexual outlet for some people, criticism has been ramping up as these dolls have become more realistic. Some people worry sex dolls may foster unhealthy attitudes in their users.
These concerns were supported by the British researchers, who reported that "Sex doll owners were significantly more likely to see women as sex objects, to report greater sexual entitlement, and to see women as unknowable than non-owners."
As sex dolls are usually slender or muscular, with large breasts or penises and little body fat, they may also foster unrealistic expectations about human bodies.
Some critics also feel that sex dolls may inhibit users’ ability to form human relationships. Users may grow to prefer the simplicity of their interactions with their sex doll to human interactions. As they spend more time with their doll, they could lose their ability to empathize with other humans.
However, Dr. Helfer said “I believe that anything, not just sex dolls, can become a barrier to forming human relationships. There are many habits, behaviors, and ways of engaging that can make it difficult to connect, which is why I don’t believe that we can definitively say that sex dolls will become a barrier, rather that they potentially could be a barrier if a mindful approach is not taken.
“For example, one (of many) reasons that folks may struggle to orgasm during sex can be due to their masturbation style being too similar every time, thus resulting in a struggle to enjoy stimulation in other forms. Therefore, if a sex doll is the only form of masturbation, it is possible that sex with a human may feel less appealing, resulting in a diminished desire to connect. In addition, should someone form an emotional attachment to their sex doll and lose their interest in connecting socially, their inclination to isolate would make it challenging to find points of emotional or physical connection with others. That said, these examples highlight the behavior associated with the use of sex dolls rather than the product itself. Sex dolls inherently are not problematic however they certainly can be if a mindful approach is not taken.”
Dr. Helfer suggested “Some ways to potentially remedy this concern would be increasing variation in types of masturbation, ensuring that social engagement is prioritized, and staying in touch with one’s feelings. Utilization of sex dolls in a healthy way is absolutely possible, and remaining mindful that barriers to connection can exist is already a great start to working towards prevention.”
Synonyms: Joy toy, love doll, fuck doll.
