I recently visited a store called S3. S3 stands for the Safe Sex Store. S3 is located in the center of downtown Ann Arbor, MI sandwiched between a Jimmy Johns and a trinket shop, which normalizes the experience tremendously. Unlike many other stores I have visited, S3 in no way feels like a dungeon. The abrasive, upfront location, big open windows and natural lighting help to aide that feeling. When you walk into a friendly atmosphere, two walls filled with various sex toys and aides greet you openly. For such a small store, they are able to pack in a large amount of items. All of the items are of high quality and, according to the owner Beth, each product is tested by the store staff to meet certain requirements before they ever see the sales floor.

One of my favorite features of the store is that they have over 100 condom options. It is very rare to see so many variations in a store. All their condoms are kept in a temperature safe area of the store and are rotated according to their individual expiration dates. This means that you don’t have to worry about your condom failing at a crucial moment. They not only have great products but also great prices, with many items available in the $15-$35 range, which is a sweet spot for us broke college students.

One thing Beth really wanted to get across was that their store is a place for education. She hosts several seminars year round, both in store and in other venues. Their website is dedicated to education and you can find a mass of information.

S3: Safe Sex Store provides one of, if not the best sex toy shopping experiences that you can have. It is simply the best brick and mortar sex toy store I have ever visited.

For more info on S3 visit them here.