Great atmosphere, great workers, overall excellence. Large selection, fair prices The business was a little difficult to get to on street parking. read more

The badass woman who owns this shop was such a pleasure! On a recent bach trip, a group of us went into the store (mostly to tease the bride) but just to have a fun look around. What bachelorette trip is complete without a visit to an adult toy store? She was such a champ, she invited all of us in, pointed out the really raunchy stuff which made our bride blush, encouraged us to touch & feel everything and to just have fun with it. She ended up selling me on a few things (prices very comparable to any online store) except you got all of the charisma and charm she had to give. She even gave us a few sachets of flavored lube to make the bride try once we were back home. A must-stop in Portland! read more

Sara was incredibly kind and knowledgeable. We felt very open chatting with her. We randomly came across the shop on our walk while visiting Maine and decided to go in, not really thinking of any purchases. We came out with lots of goodies and warm hearts from Sara's lovely welcoming personality. read more

Very small. Not a great selection of lingerie, decent selection of toys, particularly higher end toys. The woman working there was very kind and I felt completely comfortable. Just not really much to look at, and the building is really old and the mold/mildew smell was very overpowering. read more

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. read more

Very friendly staff where they want you to be comfortable. They did a great job explaining the product as well. Sex shops can be daunting as a woman, but this place is so welcoming. read more

Hallelujah! As a woman from the left coast. I CANNOT TELL YOU how happy I am to have discovered this little gem. ;)

Sara was incredibly kind and knowledgeable. We felt very open chatting with her. We randomly came across the shop on our walk while visiting Maine and decided to go in, not really thinking of any purchases. We came out with lots of goodies and warm hearts from Sara's lovely welcoming personality. read more

I went here while in vacation and really loved it. It felt exteemy comfortable and I loved that it was woman owned and operated. Like others commented, this is a safe space. read more

This shop was recommended to me by my gynecologist a few years ago - as a save space for women to go to buy stuff - in my case, a small vibrator to help with a "problem" I was having. I have never been interested in vibrators for sexual stimulation - just not my thing. But this was for a medical reason so I went. I found the staff to be friendly and easy to communicate with about what I needed. I would recommend and would go again - for more fun reasons! read more

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. read more

Staffing may be an issue, but it was disheartening to walk up the stairs to find the doors locked at 5:44 on a Tuesday with no visible explanation, nothing on the phone line either. Not giving a bad star rating though because these are trying times. read more

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! read more

A classy, conscientious and caring sex shop! The owner went out of her way to answer all questions I had, in a relaxed non-judgmental setting. I will return someday. read more

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. read more

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! read more

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. read more

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. read more

I've never had an unpleasant experience at nomia. I've only been 3 or 4 times over the years but every time I go the customer service is outstanding. So friendly, welcoming and helpful. The selection is great and very straightforward. Definitely worth checking out! read more

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. read more

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. read more

The ladies who run the shop are incredibly friendly, helpful, and educated on what they're selling and then some. No question is too crazy and they actually care about their customers. Also not a bad place for last minute gifts! read more

We walked in and browsed around. They have a decent selection of everything but could offer more. I found that the prices with some items like the movies were a bit pricey compared to other nearby stores or online. We had asked for some advice on lubes and the cashier did seem knowledgable. We ended up going down the road to C.S. Boutique and buying our products there. read more

Having worked for an adult store, and having visited many in various states throughout the U.S., I can safely say Nomia is one of the most impressive. They are education and customer service focused, and, to that end, carry the most amazing products (with an emphasis on body safe materials and durability -- nothing flimsy or shoddily made). Their atmosphere is intimate and inviting. You'll undoubtedly find what you're looking for there! In fact, I plan to bring in a group of friends soon! read more

I'm not sure what shopping experiences the other reviewers have to compare theirs at Nomia to, but I can tell you that my partner and I weren't at all impressed upon visiting. Environmentally; walking into this store is very reminiscent to entering an older relative's attic or garage. The lighting was dark and yellowed, which I imagine is supposed to give off a mystical, hippy-vibe, but for me, was just a clever way to hide the dust and dirt that was surely layering the product selection. The musk of stale air combined with a day's worth of mixed body odors clogged our nostrils as we crept through the two-layered floor layout. Never in my life have I been to an adult store that made me feel like I was entering somebody's yard sale... until this one. There were no product boxes. You couldn't read manufacturer information on any of the toys; instead, scattered and mismatched bookshelves lined the walls, with toys laid out about them. And these "demos" must not have been cleaned, ever. They were grayed with dust, dirt, and fingerprints and oils from customers' hands. Some didn't even turn on because the batteries had died out. I felt dirty just trying anything, and the whole time I had the feeling that I was in a used-toy shop. The condom section of the store also had blown-up samples lying out on strings like sad, half-deflated balloons. Smeared with greasy silicone lubricants, the whole section was a disaster. The customer service was sub-par. While I'm sure that the staff at Nomia are nice people, they just don't have a professional attitude or appearance. When I'm shopping for intimate products, I'd prefer the sales person to be able to articulate their functions without using words like "clit", "cock", or "rim job". Honestly, there are more sophisticated language choices that could be used to describe human anatomy and sexuality. Also- the chipped nail-polish and unkempt appearance didn't help in the overall unclean feeling of the shop. Product selection was fair- but as nothing seemed sterile or hygienic, even if I had found what I was looking for, I wouldn't have bought it from there. All in all, for a supposedly "female-centric" shop, there was nothing especially femme-oriented about the place. While the sign reads "sensuality boutique", there weren't really any sensual products available. I'd rather shop around the corner at CS Boutique on Fore St. The staff there is clean, friendly, and extremely knowledgeable, presenting information in a fun and professional way. All items there are sealed and sanitary- demo products are available upon request, and so they stay clean and charged. The product selection is more diverse, and well organized. They truly offer sensual products, and it was much more conducive an environment for both women and couples trying to enjoy this type of shopping experience. read more

I'm joining Yelp just to leave this review. I brought my friend to Nomia a few weeks ago for her first adult shopping experience. It couldn't have gone better. The sales associate was really knowledgeable and friendly, with no hint of pushiness. She helped my friend pick out some beginner toys and was really patient with our questions. The atmosphere is comfortable and laid-back, not sleazy in any way. Toys are out of the boxes and the vibes have batteries so you can really get a feel for them. Purchases also come with handy "care and feeding" instructions. My friend has been super-pleased with her purchases. I should have bought myself something when I was there (I'm from out of town) and couldn't find the same "Cosmo" vibe anywhere online. No problem! I called today and they're shipping to me! Can't wait. I hope someone at Nomia reads this, because you deserve all the encouragement and business you can get! read more

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). read more

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 anime character pocket pussies to balance that out though. read more

This is exactly the kind of place we all hope to find. It is welcoming, clean, classy, and staffed by knowledgeable b dedicated employees. Check out the ladies' night if you feel shy. read more

I have never been so so so so pleased with a business before!!! This is really only like my second or third time in an adult store in literally years, so I was a little overwhelmed. LOL I had read all these reviews first and that's how I chose to go to Nomia's. Let me just say, Rachael is the girl that helped me and she is AWESOME!!!! I was just a little embarrassed at first to discuss what I was looking for but she made me feel 110% comfortable. As a matter of fact, after a few minutes, I was telling her stuff that even my best friends don't know!! She did not judge, she just lead me in the right direction and showed me different options AND she even took the time to look up something in their computer system that she thought might have worked better to see if they could order it. And telling her the "truth" and being upfront about what I was looking for, really helped her figure out what I wanted and needed. I would TOTALLY recommend Nomia's in a heartbeat and am absolutely going to go back there again!! Maybe even tomorrow ;-) haha Thanks again Rachael for a truly awesome experience in a place I was a little terrified to go into at first! You WILL see me again!!! May the FUR be with you ;-D read more

Fabulous little gem of a store in Portland. So refreshing to find a female-friendly toy store with a frank and informative owner. Will definitely be back when the mood strikes :-) read more