Interview With A Sex Toy Tester: Tim Larson’s Journey

If you’re a regular reader here — and we certainly hope that you are! — you’ve seen Tim Larson’s name and face plenty of times. He and his wife, Sandra, launched this site as a passion project back in 2016. Over the past ten years, Tim has become a thought leader in this fast-growing and competitive industry and My Sex Toy Guide has grown into one of the largest and most respected sex toy review sites.

Tim’s most recent ventures are his new e-book, How To Become A Sex Toy Tester (available on Kindle through Amazon), and his new line of sex toys, which is available here. I’m Rachel Sommer, a professional sex toy tester, and I’m here to talk with Tim about his journey.

Rachel Sommer: Tim, we’ve worked together on My Sex Toy Guide for a very long time, but I don’t think that we ever talked about how you got started in this area. Can you walk us through the early days?

Tim Larson: Thanks for asking, Rachel. Like a lot of young adults out on their own, I started using sex toys when I was in college. I’ve always been interested in the business, but somewhere around 2016, my wife Sandra and I decided to take a leap of faith and start up My Sex Toy Guide to open up discussion around sex toys and help people meet their needs.

Rachel Sommer: That’s inspirational! What were you hoping to accomplish with this site?

Tim Larson: We were already very aware that it was nearly impossible to find product reviews that were honest, detailed, and personal. A lot of what was out there was dry and clinical, and did not address users’ actual experiences. We saw a need for a resource that included both professional-level analysis and candid personal observations.

Rachel Sommer: You definitely produce very thorough reviews. What’s the process like?

Tim Larson: First, you should know that we buy most of the products we test the same way that our readers do. When we get the toy in the mail, we do a thorough check of both the packaging and the product. We’re looking for any potential issues with design, materials, or construction. We then turn the toy over to our team of full-time sex toy testers. They use it as it was intended and provide us with written feedback. We compile their opinions and experiences, and also look at objective factors such as noise levels and battery life. All of this comes together into a finished review.

Rachel Sommer: Wow, a lot of work goes into each review! How do you make sure that you stay unbiased?

Tim Larson: Our first priority is building and maintaining trust with our readers. We are as transparent as possible, and if a product doesn’t measure up, we let our readers know. We want to provide as much information as possible so that everyone can make informed buying choices.

Rachel Sommer: You put out a lot of educational material as well as sex toy reviews. What prompts you to do this?

Tim Larson: We both know that sex education, particularly in sensitive areas like masturbation and sex toys, is not what it needs to be. We want to get accurate, accessible information out there. They say that information is power, and we want to empower our readers.

Rachel Sommer: That’s great! What’s been the biggest challenge in this mission, and how did you overcome it?

Tim Larson: Well, like I said, there is a lot of stigma around sex toys, sexual pleasure, and sexual wellness. We’re usually not able to promote our content on YouTube, Instagram, and other mainstream platforms. We’ve had to build a supportive community from scratch, and we’ve been able to do this through social media and other channels.

Rachel Sommer: You’ve been doing this for a decade now. What do you see as the biggest changes so far, and what do you anticipate going forward?

Tim Larson: This industry has matured in a big way. Growth has been exponential, and we’ve seen a major move towards inclusivity, body positivity, and body-safe products. Pleasure tech has become increasingly sophisticated. We’re expecting to see more focus on AI, including completely customizable toys and enhanced user experiences.

Rachel Sommer: You shared that you just introduced your own product line. You’re certainly someone who knows sex toys inside and out. Can you share a little about this?

Tim Larson: Creating and producing our own products was exciting, but it was also a little more challenging than we had expected; like you said, we’ve been in this business for a long time, but we were looking at things with a different lens now. We needed to make sure that our products met the highest safety and quality standards. We did a lot of research into materials and designs, and we incorporated all the feedback we received from readers and testers.

Rachel Sommer: That’s really exciting. And speaking of testers, what would you tell people who want to become sex toy testers themselves?

Tim Larson: Sex toy testers need to know sex toys. Explore different products — both different types of toys and toys from different brands — to learn what’s out there and what you enjoy. Start a platform to share your thoughts. This can be a blog, a social media presence, or maybe even a YouTube channel (although they have some restrictions on adult content), where you can also network with other reviewers and maybe even some sex toy manufacturers and retailers. I’ve also written a book on this! How To Become A Sex Toy Tester is now available on Kindle.

Rachel Sommer: Our readers will thank you for that. What’s next for My Sex Toy Guide?

Tim Larson: We’ve talked about our new sex toy line. We’re also striving to expand our content, including more in-depth guides in addition to the reviewers that our readers have come to depend on. We hope to launch a podcast soon so that we can interact with our audience even more. We intend to be the ultimate resource for readers who prioritize their sexual well-being.

Rachel Sommer: Thank you so much for this, Tim. It’s been great hearing everything that you’ve done so far and what’s next for us.

Rachel is one of our most experienced product testers. Originally from Texas, she loves sushi, white wine, and spending time with her partner Jessica. She has been featured in Cosmopolitan, Yahoo.com, Women’s Health, Healthline, Glamour, and MindBodyGreen.

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