Meet Unbound, the Company Defining Next-Wave Sex Positivity One Wearable at a Time
“Historically, sex toys were designed by men because, well, what wasn’t?” laughs Polly Rodriguez, co-founder and CEO of sexual wellness company Unbound. “As a result, the majority of vibrators took a phallic form, which is frustrating because the shape of the object has little to do with its ability to arouse. Research shows that 70 percent of women require clitoral stimulation in order to orgasm." But it wasn't just the limited offerings on the market that frustrated Rodriguez prior to launching her own endeavor—the unsavory experience of shopping for them did, too.
A decade ago at 21, Rodriguez was diagnosed with stage IIIC colorectal cancer. And while she was fortunate enough to beat it, the first part of the treatment included radiation therapy, which caused her to suffer early menopause. The silver lining of it all? The experience was a powerful catalyst that changed her relationship to her body forever. “[Cancer] forced me to make a decision about whether I would continue to fear my body or learn to appreciate it,” she explains. “I think anyone who has survived any form of mental or physical illness faces that decision. Those who choose to embrace it, in all its flawed forms, are often more body-positive and sex-positive for it.”
Seeking comfort for menopausal dryness with lubricants, as well as sex toys for personal pleasure throughout her twenties, more often than not she'd end up at a seedy sex shop that, much like its inventory, left much to be desired. Recognizing a critical gap in the market, she and co-founder Sarah Jayne started Unbound in 2014, aiming to take vibrators, lubricants, and sex accessories mainstream through elevated design, body-safe materials, and accessible pricing. Further disrupting the market, two years later the company launched its first line of wearable sex accessories, which included bangle bracelets that doubled as handcuffs, a choker necklace designed to be repurposed as a whip, and earrings that could be used as nipple clamps. “As soon as they sold out, we knew we were on to something,” Rodriguez says.
Their latest launch, out today, adds to their fashion-forward repertoire while taking innovation to the next level. It’s a sculptural metallic vibrator ring, called Palma. “We wanted to create a piece that stood on its own as a beautiful accessory, but also packed a punch,” Rodriguez explains. “After over a year of sketching and drawing, we landed on a geometric-shaped ring. From there, we had to put together the circuit board and feature settings that would distinguish it as more than just a motor-based ring vibrator.” Utilizing patent pending haptic technology, Palma offers five unique vibration settings: low, medium, and high; then a setting that allows you to tilt the ring to gradually increase the vibration strength, and finally, a fully customizable setting in which you simply tap the surface of the ring to create your own vibrational pattern.
“We made Palma a wearable because we hope that it will do what cocktail rings have long been known for—starting a conversation,” Rodriguez says. “We can't continue pretending that sexuality and sexual identity are only allowed to exist behind closed doors.” Whether employed in the bedroom or out in the real-world as a sartorial expression, or both, Palma proves that the future of sex accessories is equal parts statement-making and O-inducing.
Unbound Palma Vibrating Ring (available in gold or silver), $128, unboundbabes.com.
