Sex Tour: Hubba Hubba (Cambridge, MA)

On the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Ellery Street, the window to Hubba Hubba proudly showcases a kinky display of lingerie-clad mannequins wearing feather boas and a chain leash. Though perhaps a tad risque for the general public, it was an interesting sight. A neon sign with the words “Hubba Hubba” glowed in the window. Here, my best friend and I experienced our fourth and final stop on Sex Tour for the day.

Atmosphere

Although located below street level, Hubba Hubba had a much calmer vibe than the basement of certain creepy shops we’d been in earlier that day. The shop was colorful, despite the overwhelming stock of black leather gear. Some sections were a little close together in certain areas, but the shop was larger than I expected from the outside.

The store was clean but had a bit of a consignment shop vibe as much of the kink gear was hand-made and didn’t come in commercial packaging. Clothing and lingerie hung on several long racks, not clearly separated by style or size.

On the front counter, there were Barbie-like dolls on display in sexy lingerie and gothic attire. I don’t think they were for sale, but I could definitely see myself taking one home. Next to the dolls was a selection of sexual education books, sexy magazines, and music (mostly rock/metal/alternative). The shop definitely had an alternative/goth feel to it as well. However, in a kinky sex shop, that’s usually what people go for. I certainly wasn’t complaining.

Selection

Hubba Hubba had a much larger selection of clothing and shoes than most sex shops I’ve visited. They had everything from costumes to corsets, vintage lingerie, and leatherwear. The shop’s shoe selection was pretty diverse as well, both in style and size (they carry fetish shoes in large sizes for cross-dressers, trans gals, and anyone cursed with large feet like myself). Sexy thigh-high leather boots hung on the wall, which made me wish I had more disposable income. For those on a budget, some of the shoes and clothes were available second hand.

At the front of the shop there was a heavy leather focus. Collars, full-face masks, gags, cuffs, and impact toys hung all over racks and counter-displays by the front register. There were tons of options, including vegan toys and hand-crafted toys by small, local companies. In the glass case under the register, there were more kink-specific toys like urethral sounding devices, medical toys, electro-play toys, nipple clamps, and sensation-play accessories. Their kink selection was very impressive and diverse.

Hubba Hubba had a section for men towards the back featuring men’s clothing, as well as cock cages, masturbators, and prostate toys. In all the shops I’ve been going to on Sex Tour, I’ve never seen as many fetish clothing options for men as I did here.

While they did stock cheap, not-so-safe toys, there were a lot of silicone options. However, the silicone toys were kept on display in a glass case instead of in packaging on the racks. While I appreciate the nice display of silicone options, it always irks me when stores keep the safe toys behind glass cases. (People are less likely to ask to see items from the locked case, making the less-safe toys an easier buy for shy folks.) It would have been really nice to see Hubba Hubba adopt the Good Vibrations method of displaying toys–out in the open to touch and try for yourself. I suppose a big case of silicone options is better than none, though!

Staff

I only spotted two women working the day we went in, but both were a pleasure. My friend and I watched as one tried on a dragon mask and wings while the other quietly chanted, “Dragon lady, dragon lady…” and took photos of her. Just listening to the staff in the background laughing and joking around made us feel more comfortable in the store. You could tell they were laid-back and friendly, which made them way more approachable.

We struck up a conversation with them when I overheard them talking about birth control legislation. They both seemed very liberal and feminist-orientated. I asked the one checking me out a question about the collar I purchased and she was able to give me a clear answer. She talked about the maker of the collar (J&J Leather) and how he was a local crafter that they worked closely with. It made me feel good to see that Hubba Hubba had informed employees and supplied locally-produced gear.

Conclusion

My friend and I really enjoyed our time at Hubba Hubba. I made a purchase I felt really good about, and we had a lot of fun looking through all the products they had to offer. The store was clean and well-lit with a good selection and the staff were friendly and helpful. That’s pretty much all you could ask of your neighborhood sex shop! I’d definitely recommend checking them out if you’re in the Boston area–especially if you’re into leather Daddies or dragon ladies.

Hubba Hubba