Nomia

Very understanding and helpful owner. Fun place to shop. I made the recommended purchase and it was everything she said it would be!

So I’ve never purchased anything here (no, really Mom, I haven’t), but have been window shopping here since they opened back in 2004. Back then, I didn’t live in Portland but always made it a point to stop at the other sex shop down the street specifically to purchase their Fizzy Lifting Drink incense (true story), and of course to giggle nervously at the penis pasta, the lewd jokes splashed on t-​shirts, and the abundant amount of half naked women on — well — just about everything regardless of which gender it was meant to pleasure.
My friends and I discovered Nomia — set off the street, and up a flight of stairs — and it immediately had a different vibe then any other adult store I had been to. It felt — and still does all these years later — like a safe, comfortable, non-​judgmental place to explore your sexuality; ask those confusing, hard, or embarrassing questions you might think are confusing, hard, or embarrassing but maybe really aren’t; and to embrace sex as normal (and not this taboo culture our society has made it).
Nomia is Portland’s first women owned and operated adult boutique, who really do strive to have a «sex positive» image — whatever that means to each individual who comes into their store. I like their education first approach, and have never felt pitched to or upsold. I like that they know how to laugh about sex, without laughing at sex. I like how community-​focused they are, and how accommodating they are to people who would like to learn more, but maybe can’t come to the store for whatever reason.
The store offers everything from lingerie to varying spectrums of literature, from adult toys (the first thing I ever saw here was a sex swing) to actual workshops. It is a little on the pricier end, but Nomia offers more than just things… they’re offering a space to be yourself.

You never know what to expect when walking into a sex shop but we were very pleasantly surprised. A wall of books and a good variety of massage oils. The woman working was not pushy at all and was very friendly and informative. My friend got lube all over her hands (lol) and there was plenty purell and paper towels. Overall great vibe.

I’ve never been so comfortable in an adult store. The service is fantastic, friendly, and informative. Good selection of all sorts of goodies and the staff knows what it’s used for.

What a fantastic store!
Gina, the owner, is super friendly and the woman working at the register was really helpful and knowledgeable about the products they were carrying.
Great selection of toys, and a really strong book/​video selection. I thought i knew the genre of erotic/​love-​making instructional literature fairly well, but I saw so many new selections here. You could tell that everything in this store has been curated — it’s a sex shop with a lot of intention behind it, with a great atmosphere. Go!

I have to say as far as sex-​shops go, this one was definitely not my speed. I know it is a «woman-​friendly» shop, and I’m a woman, but nothing about this place made me feel sexy or want to buy sexy things. The carpeting, the tiny, awkward layout, the what I call «preachy» emphasis of displays — you know, sex over 45, sex after cancer, sex for the transgendered… all that’s really cool, and it’s great to have it available, but I want to feel like I’m in a sexy, urban, awesome atmosphere, not somewhere my transgendered grandma goes to get off. It was just something about the displays — no art, subtlety, nothing too pretty. This store needs to be spruced up. I’m usually delighted when I go into places like this and browse forever and end up buying at least a couple of things, but I couldn’t really find any reason to stay. I ended up going to CS later on in the day and liked it much, much more (although I’ve gone to much better places than both in Chicago).

I mean, honestly, as far as sex-​toy-​shopping goes, this was a pretty profound experience. And a great way for roommates to bond before class?
The owner (name unknown or forgotten) and her dog (cute as hell) led us around the store and opened our eyes to the… proper way to shop. I have to say, it was an astounding selection and the owner was very helpful in leading my roommie in the best direction for her post-​break-​up needs. All in all a good find.

A sex-​positive pleasure store.
I took a group of friends here and Gina, the owner, hosted a «Pleasure Party» for us. It was «Sex Toys 101,» and she carefully went through everything you want to know about lubes, vibrators, dildos, toys for partner play, toys for just you, etc etc.
After the «lecture,» she gave us time to browse the store, and since she’s so open and knowledgeable, no question was too scary to ask. Seriously, she is disarmingly friendly and KNOWS HER STUFF.
It was incredibly non-​threatening and fun, and I highly recommend it!
Other than that, go with everything positive others have said here. It’s all true.

Pretty nice place to go fake dick shopping as purveyors of sex toys go. It’s a little too nice for my tastes as it seems geared more towards couples and a more mature treatment of sex. They have novelty batteries with all sorts of stuff printed on them as well as animé character pocket pussies to balance that out though.

We stopped in on our little voyage to Portland and I was pleased. In fact, I wish there was a shop like Nomia near me. They had a nice selection of toys and light play gear, as well as an excellent selection of books. The store associate was very helpful and offered to order any of the dirty movies I’d been hoping to find. Was a little difficult to find, but thankfully our friends give very good directions!

This is quite possibly the only «toy shop» that I can take my husband to where he won’t feel weirded out. They have a great selection of well-​made toys and the staff is super helpful and friendly.

I could not say enough wonderful things about this place, the books and toys and clothes and condom selections are more than my eyes and head can manage to take in, for a small shop they manage to have an amazing assortment of items. The owner is a delight, she’s great to talk to and even offered me a cup of tea my first time in. They have a ladies only night also (Thur 5 – 8) for the shy crowd. By far my favorite adult boutique in the city.