Few toys are as instantly recognisable as the rampant rabbit. While you might think you know the history of this iconic, toe-curling toy, you may be mistaken. No matter what the brand, you know a rabbit when you see one, even if it has added extras.
For a long time, the only choices for women’s sex toys was a cylindrical dildo with a twist on control mechanism. This toy was typically very loud and lacked the imagination of today’s toys.
There is no official record of the invention of the rabbit, but it is widely accepted that the first rabbit toys originated in Japan. The country had strict obscenity laws which meant that sex toy makers had to find inventive ways to make their pleasure accessories appear more innocent.
The earliest rabbit vibrators can be traced back to 1983 in Japan. Strict rules around pornography and obscene objects meant that the usual dildo structure was not considered acceptable. Manufacturers would never get away with making something realistic looking, so they had to find a way around this.
The solution was to make them brightly coloured in shocking shades of pink and purple. This not only appealed to women but also made sure that the toys were in no way realistic. They also made them look like different animals, including rabbits, dolphins and butterflies. The result was a completely unrealistic toy which could be marketed as a massager. The cuter the vibrator, the less likely it was to be stopped by customs.
Vibratex is the first company credited with bringing the rabbit toy to the US. This was the first dual control sex toy with a shaft and stimulating rabbit ears. Following the success of the Vibratex toy, other companies followed suit and created their own versions of the popular toy. From here, women had the choice of rabbits, turtles, beavers and kangaroos.
Despite the influx of new animals shapes in cutesy designs, the rabbit design won over all others. It might be down to the perfectly placed bunny ears, or it could be down to rabbits being seen as a good luck charm. Whatever the reason, rabbit vibrators soon became a firm favourite with women everywhere. They are popular with single ladies and couples alike thanks to the unique design which is optimised for female pleasure.
In 1998, the rabbit gained widespread notoriety thanks to a little help from everyone’s favourite single ladies on Sex and the City. In the episode The Turtle and the Hare, Miranda gives Charlotte a rabbit toy. She soon becomes addicted to her toy and stays in bed for days. This episode brought the rabbit to a wider audience and a legend was born.
After the famous Sex and the City episode, rabbit vibrators started popping up around the world, including in the UK. One famous retailer reported selling 1 million rabbits in just 12 months after it launched its online website. Clearly, being able to buy online is a clear advantage for many women.
The rabbit vibrator has received many celebrity endorsements over the years which have all helped to boost sales. Eva Longoria was quoted as saying that she loves to buy rabbits for her friends as an orgasm is the best gift you can give. She also notes that her friends scream when they open them. The rabbit also received a further boost in sales when Oprah featured them in O magazine and dubbed them the “Rolls Royce of sex toys”.
Today, the rabbit vibrator comes in all shapes and sizes and is a popular choice for single ladies and couples alike. The unique blended orgasm is unlike anything experienced with other toys and this makes it a popular choice for women everywhere. The addition of dual direction rotating beads was one of the biggest updates to the popular design. There are also thrusting varieties and even uniquely-shaped hands-free varieties. Remote controls are also a popular addition and many are also completely waterproof which makes them suitable for use in the bath.
If you’re ready to pop your rabbit cherry and take the plunge with an exciting new toy, why not check out our selection of incredible toys?
