About Honest & Curious

Why this site exists

Most product pages and review sites in this space read like ad copy. Lists of features, vague enthusiasm, and a 5-star rating on everything they get to test. The information you actually need — does the motor feel weak after a week, is the material trustworthy, does the app crash, is it loud through the wall — is rarely in any of them.

I started Honest & Curious because I’d already done all that research for myself across years of trial, error, and money I’m not getting back. The goal here is simple: write the reviews I wish had existed when I was first shopping. One person’s opinion, said out loud, with no incentive to lie about it.

How I review

I use the product. Not for an hour. Not for a press demo. For long enough to know whether the novelty lasts, whether the build holds up, and whether it’s actually different from cheaper alternatives. Reviews land here only after I’ve genuinely formed an opinion.

What I evaluate, in roughly this order:

• Material safety — silicone, glass, stainless steel, ABS plastic. If a toy uses jelly, soft PVC, or unspecified rubber, it doesn’t get recommended here.
• Build quality — does the seam crack after a month, does the charging port stay reliable, does the surface stay smooth.
• Real performance — power, rumble vs. buzz, battery life, noise level (measured with a phone decibel app from one foot away).
• Ergonomics — does the shape make sense for solo or partnered use, is the control layout sane, is it comfortable to hold for the time you’d actually use it.
• Value vs. alternatives — at this price, what else could you buy? Often the right answer is "the cheaper one is fine."

What I won’t recommend

A few hard rules. These never make it onto the site, regardless of how high the commission would be:

• Toys with non-body-safe materials (jelly, soft PVC, undeclared rubber, anything with phthalates)
• Products from brands with documented safety recalls who haven’t addressed the issue
• "Wellness" or "fertility" devices making medical claims they can’t back up
• Knockoffs of premium toys sold under shell brands on marketplaces

The money side (be skeptical, that’s fine)

Most outbound product links on this site are affiliate links. If you click one and buy, the retailer pays me a small commission at no extra cost to you. That’s the entire business model — no sponsored posts, no paid placements, no "best of" lists rigged by who pays the most.

Here’s what that means in practice:

• The order of products in any ranked list is by genuine preference, not by commission rate.
• Where multiple retailers sell the same product, I link to whichever I’d actually buy from (factoring in shipping, returns policy, and how often they’re in stock) — not the one paying me most.
• If a product I’ve recommended turns out to be bad, I’ll update the post and say so. Older reviews here have an "Updated" date when this has happened.
• Discount codes — when shown on a product, those are real codes the retailer has issued. They save you money. They don’t increase my commission.
• All affiliate links on this site use rel="nofollow sponsored noopener" per FTC and Google guidelines.

What I’m not

I’m not a doctor, sex therapist, or licensed health practitioner. The recommendations here are based on personal use and material research — not clinical advice. If you have a specific health concern or you’re shopping for a medical purpose (like pelvic floor recovery), please talk to someone qualified instead of trusting a blog.

I’m also not affiliated with any of the brands I cover, beyond the standard affiliate relationships described above. No brand sees a draft before it’s published. No PR firm gets to suggest edits. No "ambassador" relationships exist here.

Get in touch

For corrections, story tips, brand inquiries, or genuinely useful feedback: use the contact email listed in the footer. If you’re a brand reaching out about a product, please mention that up front — it doesn’t hurt your chances of coverage, but I’ll always disclose it.