The Best Boutique Sex Shops in the U.S.

Looking for something more thoughtful, welcoming, and exciting than your average adult store? From Brooklyn to Portland, these women, queer, and trans-owned sex-positive spaces are rewriting the script on erotic retail. With community events, education-focused missions, and shelves full of art, toys, books, and beautiful gear, you’ll find plenty to fall in love with.

Table Of Contents−

Shag, Brooklyn, NY
Please, Brooklyn, NY
Purple Passion, New York, NY
Self Serve, Albuquerque, NM
Smitten Kitten, Minneapolis, MN
Lotus Blooms, Alexandria, VA
Feelmore, Oakland, CA
SheBop, Portland, OR
Dynamo, New Orleans, LA
Early 2 Bed, Chicago, IL
As You Like It, Eugene and Ashland, OR

Shag, Brooklyn, NY

Brooklyn-based, women-owned and LGBTQ-operated, what more could you ask for? Deemed ‘NYC’s best lil’ s * x y shop for 15+ years’, Shag also host mini events such as workshops and exhibitions. they even have their own magazine, which is absolutely worth reading.

Amongst a very wide range of the usual toys, they also sell fab things such as pheromone fragrances, sexy cards and stationary, and erotic art prints.

Location: Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY.

Instagram: weloveshag

Please, Brooklyn, NY

As ‘an educated pleasure shop’, Please are ‘committed to changing the way society views sex and sexuality by promoting conversations that are transparent, truthful and non-judgmental.’

Amongst the many toys and tools, cute items on sale are sexy pin badges, plus a range of erotic literature and ‘adult’ colouring books! Events include erotic open drawing sessions, lectures, workshops, movie screenings and more. Want a closer look? Go on a virtual tour of Please.

Location: South Slope, Brooklyn, NY.
Instagram: pleasenyc

Purple Passion, New York, NY

Looking specifically for a more BDSM and fetish focused store in NYC? We’ve got you. Purple Passion is a staple NYC establishment that has long had its reputation for selling fantastic fetish gear. Expect in-house made leather pieces, very knowledgable staff, fantastic corsets and a lot more from this iconic spot in Chelsea.

Location: Chelsea, Manhattan, NY

Instagram: _purplepassion_

Self Serve, Albuquerque, NM

Self Serve is a trans-owned, queer and kink positive sex store, ‘believing that pleasure is healthy and good for you’. Doing their best to distribute plenty of free emergency contraception, as well as offering a variety of pleasure classes and workshops, Self Serve is health and education focused and on a clear mission to normalise pleasure for all.

Location: Nob Hill, Albuquerque, NM

Instagram: selfservetoys

Smitten Kitten, Minneapolis, MN

Another queer, trans-owned place is Minneapolis’ answer to a shop for ‘education, liberation and good sex’, Smitten Kitten. From Shibari workshops to beautiful dildos, polyamory socials to erotic artwork, this shop offers plenty and is very much community focused.

Location: Lyn-Lake, Minneapolis, MN

Instagram: smittenkittenmn

Lotus Blooms, Alexandria, VA

Lotus Blooms offers beautiful lingerie, elegant steel boned corsets, Body Safe products, and other fun accessories. Being a team made up of trained sex educators, their mission is to ‘nurture all people towards positive sexual wellness that will keep their bodies and souls healthy, happy and fulfilled’.

Location: Old Town, Alexandria, VA

Feelmore, Oakland, CA

Feelmore is a black-owned creative adult store stocking all from wax play drip candles, to glow in the dark dildos. They stated on their Instagram: ‘It may seem unconventional, but I truly believe that God wants me to help people embrace their bodies and deepen their connection with themselves. These products are about more than pleasure—they’re tools for healing, exploring self-love, and enhancing intimate connections, all while aligning with our spiritual journey.’

Instagram: feelmoreadult

Location: Downtown Oakland, CA

SheBop, Portland, OR

A ‘sex toy shop for every body’ is a good way to describe SheBop, but there’s also much more going on. SheBop consistently arrange online and in-person workshops and classes on pleasure, offer educational tips on their Bluesky and even have a newsletter that you can sign up for. From erotic books, to very specialised and unique sex toys, SheBop is well worth checking out, whether you’re near or far from Portland.

Instagram: sheboptheshop

Location: Division St, Portland, OR

Dynamo, New Orleans, LA

At female-owned ‘romantic boutique’, Dynamo, you can find high quality sex toys, among many other offerings around sexual wellness and health. The staff are known to be very helpful and knowledgable. Events range from sensual BDSM classes to build your own sex kit workshops.

Instagram: Dynamonola

Location: Downtown New Orleans, LA

Early 2 Bed, Chicago, IL

Being ‘Chicago’s feminist s-x shop since 2001’, Early 2 Bed is a queer, woman-owned sex shop that offers sex-positive socials, mini art markets, a range of high-quality toys and other products, in a very well organised and informative space.

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Instagram: early2bed.shop

Location: Winneman, Chicago, IL

As You Like It, Eugene and Ashland, OR

‘Body Positive. Gender inclusive. Ecosexual’ – As You Like It is Oregon’s queer women-owned sex shop, stocking items like high-quality lingerie and corsets, a wide collection of erotic books and accessible toys. They also consistently hold many workshops and events.

Instagram: asyoulikeit.shop
Location: Eugene and Ashland, OR

Featured photo: Feelmore, Oakland, CA.

Culture

guide

sex shop

Dirty Lola

Author

Dirty Lola is an award-winning sex edutainer, speaker, and self-proclaimed dildo slinger. Known for her live sex ed, Q&A show Sex Ed A Go-Go, and as a Sexpert on the Netflix docuseries The Principles of Pleasure, Lola has spent over a decade working to end the stigma and shame surrounding sex and sexuality. Having started her journey sharing personal discoveries with polyamory and kink online, Lola now uses her knowledge, warm candor, and public platforms to teach the masses in person and rapt Internet and television audiences. In addition to her educational projects, Lola is the creative director of the Spectrum Journal, an online magazine offshoot of the female-owned online sex shop Spectrum Boutique, on the advisory board for the Youth Sexpert Program, and has brought her unique brand of sex-positive sex education to brands such as Shag in Williamsburg BK, B-Vibe, Freya, Womanizer, and Spencers Gifts.

Iso

Author

Iso is a writer and filmmaker based in East London. She is passionate about all things erotic and leads a sexy, shame-free life in hope that she can inspire others to do the same. Originally from a Northern seaside town, she is naturally drawn to the best things in life: candyfloss, trashy karaoke bars and heart-shaped sunglasses.