Armagh has ranked well ahead of Belfast in a nationwide comparison of sexual wellness purchases, although six other Northern Ireland towns achieved higher positions in the same Lovehoney table.
The city placed 77th overall in Lovehoney’s UK-wide analysis, which was published on 22 August 2026. The ranking was based on one year of recorded sales data from 698 towns across the UK.
Lovehoney said its review measured purchasing patterns rather than survey responses. Armagh’s position therefore reflects recorded buying behaviour in the company’s data, rather than residents’ answers about their personal habits.
How Armagh compared with Belfast
Armagh’s 77th-place ranking was substantially higher than Belfast’s, with the Northern Ireland capital placed 206th in the UK table.
However, Armagh was not the highest-ranked Northern Ireland location. Enniskillen led the region in eighth place nationally, followed by Dungannon in 14th, Ballyclare in 17th, Ballymena in 28th, Newry in 31st and Ballymoney in 37th.
The supplied results do not provide a detailed category breakdown for Armagh, leaving the city’s overall position as the main comparison available to local readers.
Other Northern Ireland results
Several towns featured prominently in individual purchasing categories. Ballymoney ranked 14th nationally for anal sex toy purchases, 18th for vibrators and 20th for strap-ons.
Enniskillen, described in the report as having a population of about 14,000, ranked fourth nationally for butt plug purchases, ninth for vibrators and 14th for role-play products.
Ballyclare recorded rankings of 14th for strap-ons, 15th for bondage, 20th for vibrators, 17th for butt plugs and 23rd for anal sex toys. Ballymena ranked 27th nationally for strap-ons, 35th for vibrators and 40th for bondage. The town’s favourite lubricant was identified as the Fruity Lubricant Trio.
What the Lovehoney map measures
Lovehoney said its interactive map allows users to compare their town with locations throughout the UK. Waltham Cross in Hertfordshire topped the table for per-capita purchases, ranking first for vibrators and third for strap-ons.
Londonderry was not included in the analysis. Lovehoney sex and relationship expert Annabelle Knight said: “Sexual wellness doesn’t only exist in big cities, it’s for everyone. Our data often shows strong engagement from smaller communities, where people may value the privacy, choice, and convenience of shopping online. It’s always great to see pleasure alive and well in every corner of the UK, and the sex map is a reminder that sometimes the most unexpected places have the most interesting stories to tell.”
The findings were reported by the Belfast Telegraph on Sunday, 23 August 2026. The original Armagh Journal report was published at 21:00 on 22 August and updated at 17:31 on 23 August.