Sextoys can be made from a variety of materials, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. This can result in a material that is more or less pleasant to the touch, more or less odorous, more or less healthy for the user.
As a sex toy reviewer, I will not promote any material that is not safe for the body. However, I will do my best to show you the materials I have researched.
You will find here a list of materials that can be used for sex toys and annotated. This is so that you can find out whether the way your toy is made is safe for you or not.
For example, a porous material is forbidden for internal use except for single use.
A sextoy prepared with a PVC base but very flexible will probably contain phthalates. So plasticisers that will go into your body.
ABS / PC
ABS (Acrylonitrile, Butadiene, Styrene) is a thermoplastic polymer you’ve already come across. Do you remember the legos you could walk on as a child?
Well, it’s pretty much everywhere in real life. It’s easy to colour, of good quality, allows vibrations to pass through, and poses no health risk…
When it’s hot, you can mould it into any shape you like, but once it cools down, it becomes very hard and impact-resistant.
ABS is non-porous and non-toxic to the body, which is not necessarily the case with PVC.
It is easy to clean and will not mould or absorb odours, but it can discolour in prolonged direct light.
Any lubricant base can be used with it (water, silicone, oil…) and it can be cleaned simply with warm water and soap.
Glass (borosillicate)
High-quality glass, it is heat-resistant (like the one in your oven) and cools very well. It’s also resistant to breakage, so there’s no risk of ending up with pieces when you insert it.
It’s non-porous, easy to clean and can be used with any type of lubricant… In short, it’s the best.
Unfortunately, there are some good ones and some not so good.
Good quality glass sex toys won’t give you any trouble. That’s because they’re made in two stages: heating the material to its melting point to mould it, then soaking it to make it harder.
If your toy cost you almost nothing, beware. It’s possible that it’s just glass that’s been heated in a mould and that’s all…
Without tempering, it’s much less solid, so make sure you check the description of the sextoy to see if it’s tempered glass.
After that, the risk is more of breaking it if you drop it than of breaking it during recreational use.
Metal
Whether in aluminium, titanium or stainless steel, metal sex toys are rigid. They also have a rather elegant mirror effect. They weigh more than other materials, which applies extra pressure.
A great ally when it comes to playing with temperature, they will be colder than other materials. Still, it can easily be warmed up to human body temperature or cooled down even further.
Because metal can be completely smooth, they require very little lubricant for a smooth, pleasant experience.
They’re also easy to clean.
These sex toys are healthy for the body and non-porous, and can be boiled or treated with a 10% bleach solution to sterilise them.
Silicone
100% silicone sex toys are probably the healthiest for you. However, they do have a few drawbacks.
They are non-porous, non-toxic and can be sterilised (for your own hygiene or for use with another person).
In terms of colour, shape, density and use, you can pretty much do anything with them.
To clean them, simply wash them in hot water with mild soap, put them in the dishwasher’s cutlery basket or even boil them in a saucepan. These toys can withstand temperatures of up to 300°C.
As far as lubricants are concerned, never use silicone-based lubricants. Your alternative, again and again, is water-based lubricant.
For storage, a small (well, toy-sized), lint-free, sealable fabric bag is just the thing. Leaving your silicone sex toys out in the open will only cause lint, hair and dust to stick to the surface, which is not great.
TPE
Thermoplastic Elastomer, or TPE, is a fairly elastic, stretchable material that can be moulded, made up of plastic and rubber.
It is mainly used to simulate skin. The texture is tough and soft, and there’s really no other material that comes close.
Although a TPE sextoy is non-toxic, it is a porous material.
In other words, this material is made up of a multitude of holes in which bacteria can grow. This can lead to colour changes, odours, or even bacteria that will make you ill.
TPE toys cannot be sterilised. As such, it is absolutely not recommended for a sextoy that is to be inserted into an orifice.
However, it is safe to use for a penis masturbator. You can clean your toy with warm water and soap after each use. Then dry it carefully (lint-free cloth or air dry). Finally, protect it with a little cornstarch (without this, it can become a little sticky).
The only good alternative to TPE is silicone, but it doesn’t feel the same at all.
Water-based lubricants are the only ones really recommended for these toys, and silicone-based lubricants should be avoided at all costs as they will render your toy unusable.