2025 Wrapped: What’s In & What’s Out

We’re the first to admit, we aren’t always moving at the pace of culture. But we are part of that culture and we can’t be the only ones obsessed with Heated Rivalry. Here are our hot takes on what’s out and what’s in, in the year of our lord 2025.

Stuff we’d like to see less of and things we’ve noticed lose favour in the eyes of the general public. 

Clunky toys.

While portable and cordless designs seem like the norm, we’re seeing even more brands move away from the bigger toys towards more pocket-sized pleasers like the Unihorn Bullet USB range by Creative Conceptions. Are we finally embracing the female gaze (and often corresponding handspan) or is this just a gimmick? We blame Labubus. 

What you see is what you get.

We live in an age of generative imagery, information and content. What you see is no longer what you get, which means having to dig a little deeper for factual or credible information in all pursuits. While this isn’t an impossible task, it’s one that’s quickly becoming more challenging with the proliferation of AI slop. E.g. The low-quality content produced by AI, fed/informed by content produced by AI (instead of original content produced by/stolen from humans). Triple check everything you read, repost or refer, my friends. The internet is a wasteland.

The algo.

Whether you’re using Instagram, Tiktok, or even Youtube, according to us, the algo has some explaining to do. Hear me out, I used to adore the Spotify algo. It once anticipated my aural needs, wants and desires – then it started serving me recruitment ads for the army. Even worse, peppered throughout my favourite podcasts were ads not just for the defence force, but for an ‘aerospace and defense’ manufacturer. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that we are living in a time of late-stage capitalism where everyone is trying to make a buck but, when you’re only paying artists between $0.003 and $0.005 per stream (FreeYourMusic, 2025) and your CEO openly invests in AI for military use, you’ve lost my understanding. There are better options out there, that both pay artists more per stream, and whose executives don’t openly invest in the war machine. 

Digital naïveté.

Gone are the days where we could upload content; a latte, an omelette, a 35-photo album documenting a night out, without it being used to inform or train AI. Today, a single Facebook comment can be used as a ‘citation’ to inform what some may perceive as credible Google AI search results. The possibilities are a little frightening, given some of the things we used to comment to each other back in ‘09. Today, we’re actively having to opt-out of having our data used for purposes we don’t explicitly agree to or fully understand. In fact, platforms like Instagram, have made it quite difficult to opt-out of this data sharing without supplying them with get this, screenshot examples of AI misusing our information. No matter if it's our nudes or Facebook status updates from 2010, we aren’t cool with our data, information, online habits or preferences being used against our will, in informing AI or for any other nefarious purposes.

EIS trying to own the patent for air-suction technology.

Earlier this year, German sex-toy giant EIS GmbH (the folks behind Satisfyer) took on Australia’s LELO Oceania, in a heated court case concerning who invented the world’s favourite air-pulse vibrator. Their strategy was clear; file patents everywhere, sue everyone, and position Satisfyer as the Amazon of sex tech - a one-stop, one-brand solution for everyone’s orgasms. But, let’s just say it didn’t work out quite the way they’d planned. While we plan to share all the saucy details behind this battle in 2026, we’re proud to say that the good guys won, and that this wasn’t a win for air-pressure technology – but a victory for the clitoris and for pleasure itself. 

Learning BDSM practices from seasoned professionals.

We’ve noticed a growing trend towards kinkier practices in the bedroom. (Hell yeah!) But, we’ve also noticed a swathe of folks giving it a crack without any prior education, research or consent-informed information. (Yikes!). To counter this, we’ve seen, and been part of the movement, bringing this knowledge to the forefront with workshops from practitioners like Elisa from Peer Rope Melbourne and Intimate Horizons and James Buckley from ENM Australia and @The_Artyst_Kiink.

Community events and gatherings. 

This year, more than ever, we were drawn towards moments of collective learning, compassion and support. Whether it’s a pot-luck dinner, a crafting circle, a games night, or regular trivia session, we’ve survived this year on the backs of our communities. 

Having a lube for every occasion.

Silicone for slippery solo sessions. Water based for our fave silicone toys. Oil for massage. We’re big fans of seeking out the right toys, products, and accessories to enhance or further your practice and really curating your pleasure. This might mean seeking out a particular kind of silicone lube (not all are made the same), or finding a blended formula to support multiple pleasure preferences. Curious about which lube might be best for you? Why not chat to our in-store sexologist?

Embracing your weird. 

In the wise words of Tinashe, “Is somebody gonna match my freak?” And we say, “FUCK YES!” As long as consent is explicitly involved, we embrace a little freak in the sheets. Why? Because they’re someone who knows what they like in bed, and isn’t afraid to ask for it (politely). Love creature cocks? Love toes? Love that little dangly thing at the back of their throat? It’s not weird, it’s the unique thing that makes your practice perfect for you. And you know what? It’s probably more common than you think.

Strategic masturbation. 

Stressed out about a deadline? Can’t focus? We’ve found it quite effective to have a strategic session to let off some steam. Not only can masturbating provide you with a quick ‘reset’ to get you back in your body, it’s a good way to alleviate any stress you might be holding onto in your body. So, y’know, let’s get somatic, yeah?