The best sex shops in NYC

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At this friendly sex-toy boutique—run by women and skewed toward women—browsers are encouraged to handle all manner of buzzing, wriggling and bendable playthings, including the famed Rabbit Pearl vibrator. The shop also stocks a huge variety of condoms and hosts frank sex-ed classes on a variety of subjects. For those interested in convenience, online shopping and curbside pickup is also available.

There’s also a Brooklyn location at 462 Bergen St.

Billed as the first sex shop for women, by women, Eve's Garden strives to steer female sexuality away from penis-shaped straws and subpar vibrators. The store's founder, women's-rights activist Dell Williams, designed it to be high-class, welcoming and anything but scary. The shop holds workshops and events on- and off-site, with topics ranging from couples' communication to masturbation.

This store covers all the basics for solo, partnered and group sex. The Pleasure Chest’s inventory is mostly high-quality (even some “luxury” sex toys for those with padded wallets), though you can also stop in for cheap novelty gifts, like boyfriend training cards and candy bras. Plus, the store has a busy calendar of classes and workshops designed to offer new techniques and product ideas for love lives that have turned mundane.

Chelsea has no shortage of adult stores catering to the LGBTQ+ crowd and, as the store’s name suggests, Rainbow Station serves its core demographic with pride. Its clothing racks are packed with male underwear in addition to more traditional-female-centric lingerie, and there’s an added emphasis on toys for delivering him pleasure. Before you leave, make sure to check out the selection of lubes and condoms. 203 8th Ave (212-206-7259, rainbowstation.nyc)

Samantha Bard and Ashley Montgomery-Pulido’s shop boasts a top-rate selection of toys, including wood and marble dildos, plus hats, jewelry, home goods, fine art and even vagina doorknobs, cast from real vajayjays. Check online for workshops, art exhibits, options for bachelor and bachelorette parties and more.

Purple Passion has vibes, floggers and so much more in its 4,000-square-foot Chelsea store. Catering to couples, single women, pro dommes and men, it carries a huge selection of leather and BDSM gear, including halters, gags, corsets and strap-ons. Hot sellers include the Jack Rabbit buzzer, leather suspension cuffs and bondage rope. You can also peruse clothes, boots (up to size 15!), shoes, wigs and books—or sign up for any number of workshops. Most customers spend at least $10 on a single trip; the more adventurous will drop a few hundred.

This store is three times bigger then other shops, including the Pleasure Chest, and it’s the largest sex toy store in NYC. Its No. 1 seller is the Jackrabbit, but you’ll find 10 different variations of it within the shop’s massive inventory of items of the flesh. In 2022, Romantic Depot expanded to Clinton Hill with another expansive store full of provocative treasures.

What this midtown shop is missing in terms of modern trends, like wood tables and paintings on the wall, it more than makes up for with its customer service. For those looking to bring playful costumes and intricate lingerie into the bedroom, A&J is a treasure trove of fairly priced options, and the three generations running the family-owned store—including a sex-positive grandma—are willing to help you sift through the options. Near the back there are vibrators and toys, and there’s a fair amount of goofy items to add fun to bachelorette parties, like X-rated spins on classic party games. 41 W 28th St (212-689-2415, ajlingerie.com)