Why Do Male Users Engage with Connected Sex Toys? A Latent Class Analysis of Motivational Profiles

Teledildonics are internet-connected sex toys enabling remote and interactive sexual experiences. Despite growing adoption, factors driving engagement with teledildonics remain underexplored. Clarifying how user motivations intersect to form distinct profiles is crucial for advancing theoretical models of sexual behavior and technology adoption. This study draws on a secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data from customers of one teledildonics company. Using latent class analysis, we identified motivational patterns among male users (N = 569) across five indicators (arousal enhancement, relaxation, sexual satisfaction in a partner's absence, boredom relief, and technology integration) and examined associations between latent class membership and sociodemographics (e.g., age, sexual orientation, relationship status), usage modalities (i.e., frequency, concurrent pornography use, sex toy type), and sexual satisfaction. A four-class solution best fit the data. Solo Comfort Seekers (Class 1, 38.2%) strongly endorsed partner-substitution motives and were characterized by regular pairing with pornography. Low-Regulation Users (Class 2, 30.3%) showed the weakest endorsement of relaxation and boredom relief. Standalone Toy Users (Class 3, 22.6%) showed the lowest endorsement of technological integration and favored manual devices. Tech-Integrated Regulators (Class 4, 8.9%) moderately to strongly endorsed all motives and almost always used teledildonics with pornography. This study shows that teledildonics practices are embedded in complex individual and relational contexts, shaped by more than the pursuit of sexual pleasure. Recognizing these diverse profiles can inform theory, guide inclusive device design, and support tailored health promotion that advances sexual well-being and responds to evolving forms of intimacy.