Long-distance relationships can be the worst. When your only form of contact involves a computer, FaceTime and creative late-night emails (if you get my drift), it can become all too easy to lose that loving feeling. These days, it isn't uncommon for work to send us all over the globe, making it even more important for couples to find ways to keep the fire burning when one person is in New York, the other in Thailand. These six bizarre, but amazing, products and apps will help you feel more connected to the one you love, even when you're oceans apart.
1. Pillow Talk's heartbeat pillow
heartbeat pillow
Here's how this sweet heartbeat pillow by Little Riot works: You and your partner both wear wristbands that can pick up on your heartbeat and send it to your significant other (in real time, to boot). The wristband then connects to your pillow and, voilà, you get to fall asleep to the sound of your partner's heartbeat. What could be more romantic?
More: 7 things I wish my single friends knew about marriage
2. Touch Room
Touch Room app
The number one thing we miss out on when we're away from our partners is their comforting touch. While nothing can actually replace a real hug, the Touch Room app comes pretty darn close. After downloading the app and creating a "Touch Room," you can actually see the part of the screen your partner is touching, add your handprint and feel a buzz that lets you know you're (virtually) holding hands.
3. Lovense
Lovense
There's a time for romance and then there's a time for hot long-distance sex — and, yes, it's completely possible to have both. Back in the day, and I'm talking just a few years ago, the only way you could get off with your partner while existing miles apart was by masturbating or using sex toys while connecting via Skype. Not the worst option, but you're still missing out on your partner's reactions and movements. Enter Lovense — sex toys that you can control via your smartphone, which puts you in the driver's seat when it comes to how you'll give your partner pleasure.
5. Kiiroo
Kiiroo's Onyx is an interactive masturbator that connects to video chat via Bluetooth and then moves in sync with your partner's actions as they use their sex toy. So, basically, this is the closest you'll get to real-time sex when you're apart. Both the Onyx and Pearl toys are sleek and discreet, but at $249 and $149, respectively, they're also expensive. If you spend a lot of time away from one another, though, they're also totally worth it.
More: New sex toy makes long-distance sex a (virtual) reality
5. Avocado
You want to share photos, personal updates and important upcoming dates with your partner — but you'd rather not have hundreds of prying eyes checking in on your every move as a couple. Avocado gives you all of the benefits of a social media site, with the understanding that you only wish to be social with one another. The app allows you to chat, share photos, organize your lives and upcoming trips or dates together (it syncs with Google Calendar) and feel more connected even when you aren't physically together.
More: The one major thing saving my long-distance relationship
6. Kissenger
Once you get over the fact that you're pressing your lips against a robotic device, Kissenger is a pretty interesting way of connecting with your partner through a "physical interface enabling kiss communication." In a nutshell, you kiss one device, your partner kisses another, and you're supposed to feel one another's lip movements through the robot.