To our Unbound community,

One year ago, we wrote about Trump’s tariffs and asked a simple question:

What do increased tariffs mean for the cost of your Unbound vibrator? 

Over the past year, we have lived through a legal battle, Supreme Court ruling, billions collected in tariffs, and a policy environment that is somehow more unstable than when this all started. 

So, like, what actually happened?

Let’s start with the facts.

In April 2025, Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on imports from China, where an estimated 70-80% of the world's sex toys are manufactured. At one point, tariffs on Chinese goods reached as high as 145%.

These tariffs were imposed using a 1970s law called the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a law that had never been used on tariffs before. Businesses immediately challenged it:

• May 2025: The U.S. Court of International Trade ruled the tariffs illegal
• August 2025: A federal appeals court agreed
• February 2026: The Supreme Court made it final

In a 6–3 ruling, the Supreme Court held that:

• The president does not have the authority to impose tariffs under IEEPA
• Tariffs are effectively taxes, and only Congress can impose them

That decision invalidated a massive portion of Trump’s 2025 tariffs.

However, by that point:

• The U.S. had already collected ~$160–$166 billion 
• Businesses had been paying them for months
• And suddenly, all of it was in question, including whether that money would be refunded to small businesses (or not!) 

Some estimates put potential refunds as high as $175 billion! 

But, uh, the chaos didn't end there

You'd think a Supreme Court ruling would bring stability, but it did not. Within days of the February 2026 ruling:

• The IEEPA tariffs were terminated 
• The administration signaled new tariffs under different legal authorities

So instead of resolution, we just got more confusion with the likelihood of more tariffs ahead. 

So, again, what does this mean for the cost of your vibrator?

Tariffs function like a tax, and multiple studies over the past year have confirmed that they are largely paid by U.S. businesses and consumers, not foreign manufacturers.

Here’s what that looked like over the past year:

• Over $160 billion collected from importing businesses
• Tariffs are expected to cost US households ~$400 in 2026
• Higher prices across imported goods, from every day goods to electronics like vibrators! 

And even when tariffs are removed, prices don’t just drop overnight. Businesses like Unbound have already cut costs and margins to survive.

What it's meant for all of us 

If anything has stayed consistent, it's small businesses absorbing the instability.

At Unbound, we worked incredibly hard to keep our prices the same, and so far, we haven't increased any prices or passed that cost onto our customers. 

We’ve cut costs everywhere we can to protect accessibility. It’s always been our goal to keep every product on unboundbabes.com under $100, and that hasn’t changed.

What has changed is how hard it's become to maintain our affordability goals in an environment where costs and policies change by the day. The level of volatility our government has chosen to inflict on small businesses makes it impossible to strategize, plan, grow, or innovate.

What we still don't know

You've still got questions? Us too. 

1. Will anyone get their tariff money back? 
The courts and/or government have created a website where businesses can report their paid tariffs and apply for a refund. Presumably, this money will be refunded. 

2. What tariffs are coming next?
The administration has already signaled new tariffs, but they haven't defined them yet. 

3. Is this level of volatility the new normal?
We sure f*cking hope not. Not only because our bodies cannot take the continued stress, but also because our business can't. 

A year ago, tariffs felt like a very idiotic trade policy debate. We were certain that at least ONE person drafting these policies would read an economic textbook. WOO BOY, were we wrong.

In the 12 months since, tariffs went from being imposed at a rate of 145%, to courts ruling them illegal, to the Supreme Court striking them down, to billions being potentially refunded, to new tariffs being proposed once more by the Trump administration. All while businesses and consumers have just… paid the bill.

Our promise to you

We will always prioritize affordability. Our goal is to keep prices consistent, affordable, and accessible. 

Which is all to say, we will do everything in our power to keep our prices unchanged, as they've remained for the last year.

And one last note

In this piece, we wanted to share an update on how tariff policy has impacted our business. Our sincere hope is that no new tariffs are introduced and that we won’t be forced to raise prices as a result.

That said, there’s another major factor we haven’t unpacked here: the escalating crisis in the Middle East, and the ripple effects of U.S. involvement -- which is already driving up oil costs and, in turn, the cost of nearly everything.

We’ll be publishing a follow-up piece soon to break down how rising oil prices move through the entire supply chain; and why they may lead to a new wave of cost increases that few brands (or consumers) can avoid.

Believe us, we’d much rather be focused on designing your next favorite vibrator than writing economic updates. But this is the reality we’re navigating in 2026.

More soon, babes!