Maude offers alternative to "outdated and gendered" sex products
Start-up company Maude has created a range of gender-neutral sex products with a minimalist design, offering an alternative to those currently on the market.
Unveiled earlier this month, the Sex Essentials range includes two lubricants, a pack of condoms, a vibrator and a travel kit.
Each product in the collection features a minimalist design that does away with gendered pink and blue tones – opting instead for hues ranging from off-white to brown.
The products were developed by Eva Goicochea and Dina Epstein, who previously worked in marketing and product design respectively. The pair wanted to develop inclusive sex products for all genders and sexual preferences.
This involved creating gender-neutral products and packaging to "simplify sex".
"Tired of seeing an outdated and gendered approach to a human experience both in the drugstore aisle and in the industry, we said enough: let's make sex better for all people," said the designers.
"Built on the tenets of inclusivity, simplicity, and quality, Maude is on a mission to change the culture of this industry. The company is quite literally, sex made simple," they continued.
The first item in the collection is the Vibe vibrator, which features a waterproof silicone shell in a streamlined form. Able to function at three speeds, the device has a battery life of one to two hours.
The Rise lubricated condom is made from 100 per cent natural latex. It is available in an off-white packaging which is dotted with single-line drawings of curved lines and minimal branding.
The Shine lubricant is available in silicone or an organic lubricant made from aloe and green tea. It comes in a rounded, medicinal-style bottle with a black pump.
"With years of brand building and intimacy product design experience, we created essentials that make life easier and happier," the designers said.
Alternative sex products are becoming more frequent in design, with an emphasis on inclusivity. Other examples include includes Buck off, a sex toy designed specifically for gender-transitioning men, and a sex toy-cum-virtual reality kit that aims to rehabilitate those with "extreme sexual fantasies".