Since July 2025, porn sites in the UK have had to check that visitors are over 18. We asked 2,000 adults how their habits have changed since. Among men who bought a sex toy in the past year, most say the checks played a part.
of men who bought a sex toy in the past year say porn age checks influenced the decision
Base: 137 men who bought a sex toy for their own use in the past 12 months
of male sex toy buyers say the age checks influenced their purchase
of all buyers say the same
of UK adults watch less porn than two years ago or have stopped
of 18-24s bought a sex toy in the past 12 months
First, the buyers. Across the UK, 16.0% of adults told us they had bought a sex toy for their own use in the past 12 months. Among 18-24s it was 40.1%, and for 15.8% of that age group it was the first sex toy they had ever bought.
Bought a sex toy for their own use in the past 12 months, by group (%). Base: 2,000 UK adults.
Source: SoloFun Sex Tech Report 2026. Survey of 2,000 UK adults, 23-29 Oct 2026.
Then we asked everyone who had bought one how much the new age checks on porn sites influenced that decision. If they'd bought more than one, we asked them to think about the first.
Of the 320 people who had bought a sex toy, anything from a male masturbator to a vibrator, 42.5% said the checks influenced them "a great deal" or "a fair amount". Among men it was 57.7%. Among women, 31.5%.
Younger buyers were more likely to point to the checks too. 50.6% of 18-24s and 44.1% of 25-34s said the checks influenced their decision.
Bought a sex toy for own use in past 12 months, influenced "a great deal" or "a fair amount" (%)
Source: SoloFun Sex Tech Report 2026. Survey of 2,000 UK adults, 23-29 Oct 2026.
Download chart (PNG)The full breakdown shows where the difference between men and women comes from. Almost half of male buyers, 45.3%, said the checks influenced them "a fair amount". And 16.0% of women said they weren't aware of the age checks at all, compared with 5.1% of men.
Bought a sex toy for own use in past 12 months, all responses (%). Base: 320.
Source: SoloFun Sex Tech Report 2026. Survey of 2,000 UK adults, 23-29 Oct 2026.
Compared with two years ago, 30.5% of UK adults say they now watch porn online less often, or have stopped completely. Men are more likely than women to say they've cut back or stopped. A majority of women, 53.2%, say they didn't watch it then and don't now.
Each square is 1% of the group. Base: 2,000 UK adults. Switch between all adults, men and women.
Each square is 1% of the group. Squares are rounded to whole numbers; the key shows the exact figures.
Source: SoloFun Sex Tech Report 2026. Survey of 2,000 UK adults, 23-29 Oct 2026.
We asked the 610 people who watch less or have stopped what contributed to the change. The most common answer was simply less interest in porn, at 44.6%. But the age checks come up twice in the list: 20.2% cite the age-check requirements themselves, and 17.0% cite privacy worries about verifying their age.
Reasons for watching porn less or stopping, among those who have (%). Base: 610.
Multiple answers allowed, so the bars add up to more than 100%.
Source: SoloFun Sex Tech Report 2026. Survey of 2,000 UK adults, 23-29 Oct 2026.
Download chart (PNG)One in six people who’ve cut back told us they’re worried about handing over personal data just to verify their age. That’s completely understandable. Privacy matters to our customers too, which is why everything we send arrives discreetly and nobody needs to know what’s in the box.
The age checks were brought in to protect children, and that’s the right priority. But they’ve also changed how a lot of adults think about pleasure. Rather than handing their ID over to a website, plenty of men have decided to invest in something for themselves, and there’s nothing embarrassing about that.
Every figure on this page comes from these four tables. Journalists can quote them freely with a credit and link.
| Have you bought a sex toy for your own use in the past 12 months? | All | Men | Women | 18-24 | 25-34 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes (net) | 16.0% | 14.3% | 17.5% | 40.1% | 30.6% |
| Yes, my first ever | 3.5% | 4.2% | 3.0% | 15.8% | 5.1% |
| Yes, had bought before | 12.4% | 10.1% | 14.5% | 24.3% | 25.5% |
| No | 81.5% | 83.0% | 80.1% | 56.4% | 64.6% |
| How much did the age-check requirements on porn sites influence your decision to buy a sex toy? | All | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| A great deal | 9.4% | 12.4% | 7.2% |
| A fair amount | 33.1% | 45.3% | 24.3% |
| Not very much | 13.4% | 13.9% | 13.3% |
| Not at all | 28.1% | 21.2% | 32.6% |
| Wasn't aware of the age checks | 11.2% | 5.1% | 16.0% |
| Can't remember / prefer not to say | 4.7% | 2.2% | 6.7% |
| Compared with two years ago, how often do you now watch porn online? | All | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watch it more often | 2.6% | 4.2% | 1.3% |
| About as often | 15.7% | 23.3% | 8.6% |
| Less often than I used to | 18.5% | 23.8% | 13.4% |
| Stopped completely | 12.0% | 13.9% | 10.2% |
| Didn't watch then, started since | 1.1% | 0.6% | 1.5% |
| Didn't watch then, don't now | 38.0% | 21.6% | 53.2% |
| Can't remember / prefer not to say | 12.1% | 12.6% | 11.8% |
| Which of the following contributed to you watching porn less often or stopping? | All |
|---|---|
| Less interest in pornography | 44.6% |
| Concerns about how it was affecting me | 20.5% |
| Age-check requirements | 20.2% |
| Wanting to change my habits | 17.4% |
| Privacy worries when verifying my age | 17.0% |
| Preferring other activities or content | 14.8% |
| Change in relationship circumstances | 13.3% |
| How porn is made or performers treated | 12.0% |
| Having less free time | 11.8% |
The SoloFun Sex Tech Report is based on an online survey of 2,000 UK adults conducted by OnePoll between 23 and 29 October 2026. The sample is nationally representative by age, gender and region, and data is weighted to ONS mid-year population estimates. Where a question was asked of a subset of respondents, the base size is shown.
Journalists are welcome to use these findings and charts with a credit and link to SoloFun. Download the charts as PNGs, or copy the citation line.
Source: SoloFun Sex Tech Report 2026, survey of 2,000 UK adults, October 2026. https://solofun.co.uk/sex-tech-report/porn-age-checks/
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Sex Tech Report 2026of men who bought a sex toy in the past year say porn age checks influenced the decision