DUBLIN, Ireland - A new vibrator that uses no batteries and requires no electricity stands poised to take the world of sex play into the brave, new, environmentally friendly future.
Earth Angel, an 8-inch, multispeed dynamo designed by a husband-and-wife team in Ireland, recharges either through a hand crank in its base or a USB computer interface. Chris and Janice O'Connor call it "the world's first ‘green' sex toy."
Both the toy and its packaging are 100-percent recyclable.
"We want to change the way that people view adult toys and the adult industry as a whole," the company's mission statement boldly avers. "When developing the Earth Angel, we wanted to produce an environmentally friendly sex toy that appealed to all consumers regardless of gender, age or ethnicity."
According to the product's website, "Over the last few years there have been attempts made to produce a 100-percent environmentally friendly sex toy, but none have so far lived up to expectations. ‘Green' sex-toy manufacturers are focusing more on the materials used in their toys than the operation of the toys. There have been some offerings of solar-powered and moon-powered toys, but these are not without their disadvantages.
"Earth Angel has all the benefits and none of the disadvantages. Unlike traditional ‘green' toys, it will never require replacement batteries as it houses its own patented power core."
The patented power core, while not a battery, is capable of storing any unused charge the toy contains at the end of a play session, O'Connor said. Four minutes of crank-turning fills about half the power cell and provides about 30 minutes of use. Indicator lights take the guess work out of how much power is available.
Two years in development, Earth Angel represents only the tip of the iceberg as far as the O'Connors are concerned. Their family owned Caden Enterprises intends to produce other adult products employing similar technology.
"We will produce and manufacture a range of environmentally friendly or ‘green' sex toys," they said. "Our research and development is ongoing, and we will continue to design and manufacture high quality, affordable, green sex toys.
"We will only ever produce environmentally friendly sex toys using our patented technology. Every industry has an obligation to do as much as they can to reduce the effects of climate change, and by developing this new technology we hope that others will follow suit and look for alternative ways to design and manufacture their products."
Earth Angel is available for 69.99 euros (about $88.82 U.S.) from TheEarthAngel.ie. Caden Enterprises will ship the product to individual consumers worldwide and currently is seeking wholesale and retail outlets, as well.
