A former banker who quit her high-powered finance job to become a professional sex toy tester says she halved her salary but is now “having twice as much fun.”
British woman Cara Douglas now earns $41,450 a year working for Lovehoney. The sex toy company says she is one of its most popular testers, having reviewed more than 3,000 products so far, according to news agency Cavendish Press.
“I have always loved sex toys so I am very lucky to have made a career out of what was my hobby,” Douglas said. “I hated being a banker and now I get paid for doing something I feel really passionate about. I am earning half what I was in banking but I am having twice as much fun.”
Douglas said her husband, Darren, also got involved sometimes. “Obviously that is fun to do but you have to maintain your professionalism and work out what aspects of the product work well and what doesn’t,” she said.
“Overall, I would say that my job enhances our sex life. Sex is like a muscle — the more you use it, the more active it is. Sex toys have changed my life in so many positive ways.”
“To me, they are like sexual ‘seasoning’ — they add so much flavor to sex and can bring greater levels of intimacy to your sex life as a couple. They make sure things never get stagnant.”
In 2016, Australian Paige Gregory revealed how she answered a job ad for a Lovehoney product tester as a bit of a joke. What started as a part-time job soon turned into a permanent role.
“I saw the ad and applied, then I got an interview and thought I could give this a go,” she said at the time. “It’s such a friendly team, I love it. And the free goodies are obviously a bonus.”
The business management graduate said she wanted to change the “taboo” around sex toys. “Some people still associate them with porn but it’s so much more than that,” she said.
Gregory said a good sex toy had to meet three criteria. “One, it has to be quality,” she said. “Two, it has to be quiet so it’s discreet, and three, it has to be waterproof. Part of my role is to make sure the products are of the highest quality. If I’m not happy with it, I know the customers won’t be either.”