Meet the best-kept secret (hidden all the way in the UK) in the female-founded sex toy industry: Knude Society & Gwen! (Think what Dame did here in the US.)
Started by creative copywriter and all-around badass Emma Brown, Knude Society is one of the only female-founded sex companies in the UK and is working to bring pleasure and representation to everyone!
Brown says that she started Knude Society after noticing that many of the founders dominating the sex-toy company industry were cis, heterosexual men. Therefore, there was a lot of room for growth within the industry to represent all people.
“There’s only one kind of woman modeling, the selection of toys is overwhelming, and the buying experience made me feel like I stepped out of a seedy shop down some alleyway. And not in a fun way,” Brown writes on the about page of Knude Society’s site.
Based in London, Knude Society’s mission is to reclaim real pleasure; Meaning instead of being sold a particular version of sex that makes promises it can’t keep and can sometimes even feel icky, Knude Society instead offers product and education that are grounded in the discussion of what sex & pleasure really is, along with healthy ways of exploring it!
Their most popular product, Gwen, drives that mission home and is genuinely one of the most well-designed and all-around awesome toys I’ve come across!
Gwen is gender-neutral, USB rechargeable, made of medical-grade body-safe silicone, is waterproof, and whisper-quiet– like I mean whisper quiet.
This vibe sits in the palm of your hand and has 10 speeds, and vibrations ranging from feather-light to super intense– more than you think would be possible in such a small vibe.
Its ergonomic shape is adjustable, making it easy to hold and use anywhere on the body– It’s a great toy for exploring erogenous zones as well as your usual haunts.
The best part? It’s only about $55 (USD) or 47 EUR, making it a much more affordable option than many toys on the market! Plus if you use the code: RACHELKNUDE15 you get 15% off as well!
While Gwen is the wonderful product I got to try out and love, Knude Society has another product in their line that I think is worth mentioning. Mainly because it truly shows how much Knude Society embodies its ethos of honesty, inclusivity, and pleasure!
Knude Society’s Glide is a water-based lube free of parabens, fragrances, hormones, and coloring. It’s also pH-optimized and safe too use with all condoms & toys!
My favorite part of the product is actually how it’s sold– Knude Society says right up front that it’s made with Glycerin, which is typically a no-no for lubes, especially for vulva-owners. However, the company immediately notes that it’s “100% derived from plant extracts” making it body-safe, and shares that “Glide has been fully tested to ensure it’s the best product to use on your intimate parts. This includes a vaginal irritation test and a human patch test. Glide meets the ISO 13485:2016 standard, the HACCP system, and GMP requirements.”
I love this level of transparency because it’s also educational; Which is another huge aspect of Knude Society’s work: They love sex education! Their blog has a ton of great information in it, from how-to’s to Guest Articles, and they even have an area where you can participate in some of the research the company is doing here!
With one more main product, Melt, and an endless amount of bundle options, it feels like Knude Society has something to offer for everyone. And beyond their products, visiting their website is a breath of fresh air. Emma has intentionally chosen to depict humans of all sizes and shapes with a comforting aesthetic that makes you feel good whether you end up making a purchase or not.
I can’t tell you how happy I am to have gotten to chat with Emma and learn more about this fantastic company, and I’m looking forward to doing more work with them in the future. A workshop in London, anyone!?
If you’d like Gwen or any of Knude Society’s other phenomenal products, click the link here and use the code: RACHELKNUDE15 for 15% off your order!
