A new store is opening in Vancouver this week offering short-term sex doll rentals to amorous customers across the city. Natrl, which is based in Calgary and has already achieved considerable success there, is making the move to British Columbia as they believe the market there “hasn’t been served well.” Unfortunately, not everyone is happy about it.
- The company was founded by a father and son. Randy and his son, both of whom are keeping their last names under wraps so that it doesn’t hurt their careers in the oil and gas industry, are looking forward to expanding their successful Calgary business westward. “We’re tapping into a market that hasn’t been served well,” Randy told CTV. “I think that we’re going to be successful in Vancouver.”
- Natrl’s dolls are “extremely realistic.” There are eight different characters to choose from, each having his or her own backstory. For instance, there’s a Russian ski instructor as well as a female elf named Bella. While most of the dolls are modeled after women, there is one man on offer.
- Yes, the dolls are cleaned. One of the biggest concerns about rental services like this is hygiene. After all, getting up close and intimate with the toys could pose health risks for other users, right? Not so. Randy insists that all of the dolls are thoroughly cleaned after every use, undergoing a 90-minute, five-step procedure that includes checking them over with blue light to ensure any, erm, residue has been removed. However, you should still use protection with the dolls.
- Delivery of the dolls is discrete. While there’s no shame in using sex toys of any kind to get your rocks off, Randy understands that not all customers will want to advertise the fact that they’re renting a lifelike doll to do the nasty with, so he’s happy to ensure delivery is discrete. “If you want us to go up the back alley, we can do that, meet you someplace if that’s what you want,” he said.
- Women’s rights advocates aren’t happy. Vancouver Rape Relief & Women’s Shelter representative Laurel McBride expressed dismay at the shop’s opening, insisting that the dolls promote unrealistic ideals of women and criticizing Natrl for boasting that the dolls have “no restrictions that more traditional partners come with.” As McBride told CTV via email, “Men should boycott Natrl and refuse to participate in or support this degrading industry.”
- However, sex therapists are behind it. “In the sex therapy and sex education field we say always don’t yuck someone else’s yum. Just because it might not be your thing doesn’t mean that it can’t work for other people,” Erin Davidson told CTV News. And indeed, Randy insists that Ntrl serves a population that could most benefit, including older people and those with disabilities.
