Definitive Guide to Sex Toys Materials

Silicone is the most popular and safest material for sex toys of them all. But beware, this only goes for 100% silicone sex toys. No hybrids or knock-offs of any sort.

There are several undeniable benefits that silicone offers.

Benefits:

• This material can be molded into any shape or size sex toy. It’s easy to work with and can be as soft, smooth, or ridged as you wish
• Silicone is also used in medical devices, proving that it’s completely safe to use a silicone sex toy
• It’s a very easy-to-clean material. It also offers a fairly long lifespan considering you clean it regularly and store the toy properly
• Silicone can easily be used in both electric (e.g. vibrator) and non-electric (e.g. dildo) sex toys
• Non-electric silicone toys can be completely disinfected by boiling them for 3-10 minutes
• Silicone is excellent when it comes to repelling water

Drawbacks:

• Some silicone sex toys can get a bit expensive
• Only works well with water-based lubricants

Useful Tips

When it comes to the best material for sex toys, silicone is easily among the top candidates. These toys are super easy to clean, easy to maintain, they are absolutely safe to use, and simply feel great on the skin and inside your sensitive areas.

Glass is another very clean, durable, and non-porous sex toy material that can be molded into various shapes and sizes. The type of glass that sex toys are made of is very strong, preventing any chance of shattering or inflicting injury during use.

Benefits:

• Very smooth and non-porous
• Ridiculously easy to clean
• Doesn’t require a lot of lube
• Super durable
• An excellent choice for applying more pressure to various sensitive areas
• It has a high chemical resistance, offering worry-free storage
• Glass sex toys will retain your natural human body temperature for a good while during use

Drawbacks:

• It’s not as soft as silicone, so it may prove too hard for highly sensitive users

Useful Tips

When it comes to glass material for sex toys, it won’t hurt knowing this:

• Glass sex toys require very little lube to get the job done
• Regardless of their high safety level, you should still use a condom if you’re sharing
• Works perfectly fine with water, silicone, and oil lubes
• Most satisfying glass sex toys are the ones for G spot, P spot, and anal stimulation

ABS plastic, often known as simply hard plastic, sex toys are another example of very safe sex toy material.

Benefits:

• Most sex toys made from plastic are very smooth and comfortable to use
• They are non-porous and complete phthalate-free, meaning easy cleaning and no toxic chemicals whatsoever
• All you need is some antibacterial soap or isopropyl alcohol and you can completely clean a plastic sex toy’s surface
• Plastic sex toys transmit vibrations exceptionally well, improving the overall stimulation

Drawbacks:

• Some plastic sex toys are blended with latex and various phthalates. Only 100% hard plastic sex toys are phthalate free, so make sure you read the package first.

Useful Tips

• You can use water, oil, and silicone lubricants with plastic sex toys
• Great hard plastic sex toys are usually the ones designed for external clitoral stimulation

There is a remarkable resemblance between stainless steel and glass sex toys. Their super-hygienic attributes, ability to retain temperature, and similar surface textures are incredibly alike.

The main differences you will notice are the appeal of the toy and its weight. Stainless steel sex toys are heavier than most sex toy materials actually. Other than that, this is one of the most hygienic and safest sex toy materials to try.

Benefits:

• Extremely hygienic and easy to clean
• Non-porous and super smooth
• Extraordinary temperature retention. You can cool it in the fridge if you want and it will stay cold for a while
• Significantly long lifespan

Drawbacks:

• Some stainless-steel sex toys are actually alloys that include other metals like nickel. You need to read this just in case you’re allergic to any of the included materials.

Useful Tips

Stainless steel sex toys are the easiest to sterilize. You can boil them, wash them with bleach, and even throw it in the dishwasher without damaging it in the slightest.

Also, this sex toy material goes nicely with all types of sex toy lubes.

TPE (Thermoplastic Elastomer) and TPR (Thermoplastic Rubber) sex toys are soft, smooth, and very gentle to the touch. They are commonly phthalate free but are still porous, making cleaning them a bit more complicated.

Benefits:

• Very strong, resilient, and flexible
• Can easily come in a wide variety of textures, shapes, and sizes
• Phthalate-free and considered body safe
• This material can last for quite a while before it starts breaking down

Drawbacks:

• This is still a porous material, preventing sterilization and making the cleaning process a bit of a hassle
• It’s nothing too drastic but it does have a rubbery smell

Useful Tips

• You should use water-based lubricants with this type of sex toy material
• Always ensure it’s fully dry before storing it away

Jelly was a very popular sex toy material back in the day. It was widely used thanks to its affordable price and stunning colors. However, this is not the best material for sex toys, as it is both porous and contains phthalates.

Benefits:

• Jelly sex toys are very smooth and soft to the touch
• They come in the most gorgeous colors
• Pretty affordable

Drawbacks:

• Jelly sex toys can’t be sterilized
• Cleaning them thoroughly is also difficult
• It’s extremely unwise to share Jelly sex toys with other people

Useful Tips

• It’s recommended to always use a condom with a sex toy that is made with this material, even if you aren’t sharing it
• It works nicely with water and silicone-based lubricants
• Try to store these types of sex toys in a cool and dark place

Rubber is another fairly inexpensive sex toy material that can be used to create sex toys of all shapes and sizes. The majority of rubber sex toys are porous. However, skin-safe ones exist today but are not still as widespread.

Benefits:

• Affordable
• Sex toys made of rubber can last for extremely long periods of time without any wear whatsoever
• It’s also dirt-repellent

Drawbacks:

• Tends to have a strong rubbery smell
• It is a porous material that is quite difficult to clean thoroughly
• It can also contain phthalates

Useful Tips

• Don’t store rubber sex toys together with other sex toys, as it can cause chemical reactions that will damage their surface
• It’s highly recommended to use a condom with most rubber sex toys
• Silicone and water-based lubricants work well with rubber

PVC is a common sex toy material that is lightweight, decently durable, and has a very long lifespan. Sadly, it is a porous material that contains phthalates. Because of this, it’s not the best material for sex toys, especially insertable ones. However, you can also find rigid PVC sex toys that are actually non-porous.

Benefits:

• Sex toys made from PVC can last for a very long time
• Requires low maintenance and is easy to clean if its Rigid PVC and not flexible PVC

Drawbacks:

• Flexible porous PVC can’t be boiled or sterilized
• You shouldn’t store PVC sex toys with your other sex toys, as it can cause chemical reactions that will damage their surface

Useful Tips

• You can generally do a good job of cleaning this material with some warm water and antibacterial soap
• It works nicely with water and silicone-based lubricants

First of all, no… Good quality wood sex toys don’t have splinters and won’t hurt you. With this said, you probably shouldn’t try and make your own wood sex toys.

These toys are crafted with special care and feature detailed finishes that prevent any possibility of injuring you. Wood is actually a fairly affordable sex toy material, with a decent lifespan, and a very attractive appeal.

Benefits:

• Wooden sex toys are typically very durable and have a decent lifespan
• They are smooth and don’t require a lot of lube to get things going
• It’s one of the easiest sex toy materials to clean

Drawbacks:

• You need to be extra careful when drying it. Storing the toy while it’s wet can deal a lot of damage
• If the toy starts cracking even a little bit, it’s almost dangerous to continue using it

Useful Tips

• It works with all types of lubes
• A smart idea is to store it properly inside its own case to maintain high quality for a longer time
• Don’t use too much or too harsh soaps when cleaning it.

SuperSkin is a relatively safe sex toy material that is created by the popular sex toy manufacturer Fleshlight.

This material can be molded into highly realistic sex toys that not only look this way, but also feel super life-like as well. Some may say that it provides the ultimate realistic experience a sex toy can offer.

Benefits:

• This is a soft and smooth material that feels incredible
• It is a non-allergenic material and does not contain any latex in it
• It also retains heat exceptionally well, meaning it will adjust to your body temperature and stay that way for a while

Drawbacks:

• It is fairly difficult to clean this material thoroughly
• It only works with water-based lubricants

Useful Tips

• You should be 100% sure that this material is fully dry before storing it. Otherwise, it will quickly lose its use

Benefits:

• Very flexible and do a good job of mimicking real human skin

Drawbacks:

• Extremely porous materials that are very complicated to clean
• They are super sensitive and can easily get damaged and become very dirty

Useful Tips

• It’s highly recommended that you store these types of sex toys separately, in a zip bag, in dark and cool places
• ONLY use water-based lubricants with this sex toy material

Latex

Latex sex toys are very similar to rubber sex toys in terms of looks, feel, and flexibility. They are also very porous and can be quite difficult to clean properly. Here’s what you need to know about latex sex toys:

These three sex toy materials are quite similar and all give out that appealing luxury look and feel. However, there’s a bit more you need to know about them aside from their looks.

Sex toys made from these materials are usually very safe to use but that’s not always the case. You must make sure that they have been kiln-fired and thoroughly polished to ensure safe use.

Benefits:

• These are body-safe sex toys that look and feel stunning
• They don’t give out any smells at all
• The ones that are non-porous are extremely easy to clean and maintain
• Stone sex toys don’t contain any harmful chemicals that make them toxic
• Some of them can be easily sterilized with bleach

Drawbacks:

• Some are non-porous but they can also be porous
• They can get a bit expensive as well

Useful Tips

• Lubricants last longer on these sex toys. They are compatible with both water and silicone-based lubes
• Do not clean these sex toys with rough or abrasive materials just because they look like they will handle it