There are several basic types of materials found in sex toys:
Silicone is a popular sex toy material for many good reasons: it's non-porous, hygienic, pliable, and comes in many vivid colors. It warms to the body and retains heat. It is also extremely durable. Because silicone can withstand high temperatures, you can boil silicone toys (as long as there is no vibrator unit inside) for 5-10 minutes or put them in your dishwasher to disinfect them. They also clean well with soap and water.
Silicone toys vary in their density — some are soft (like Mistress) while others
are more rigid, but they are all pliable. The variation depends on the silicone mix used by the manufacturer. Silicone also carries vibration
like a dream. You'll find that silicone items are often more expensive
than sex toys made of other materials; not only is the material more
expensive than plastics or rubbers, but silicone toy makers are often
small businesses that don't mass-produce their products on an assembly
line, but create them in more craftsman-like settings. You'll find the
higher price worthwhile because of the longer life span of silicone and
its ability to be disinfected for use with more than one partner.
I have environmental allergies. What sex toys are safe for me to use?
Silicone
is hypoallergenic. We recommend silicone toys to anyone who is
concerned about having a reaction to rubber and vinyl materials or
scents, or for people who don't want to use condoms on their
sex toys.
Handcrafted by popular silicone dildo manufacturer Vixen Creations,
VixSkin is nothing less than a major innovation in sex toy design.
These toys boast the superior hygienic qualities of silicone while
retaining the realistic look and feel of real skin.
Because they are made of 100% silicone, VixSkin dildos are easy to
clean (boil for 5-10 minutes), unlike more porous materials which can harbor bacteria. VixSkin
toys are backed by a lifetime warranty from Vixen Creations.
Elastomer is being used in many sex toys as a soft material that is phthalate-free. It is porous, unlike silicone, and cannot be disinfected. People who are concerned about avoiding contact with rubber softeners might choose elastomer toys as good soft alternatives.
Elastomed is a non-porous synthetic blend, which is a safer form of rubber.
Silicone is such a popular sex toy material that manufacturers of less-expensive sex toy options have realized that it can increase their sales to have the packaging say that the toy is silicone. By law, it only has to have 10% of a material to be called that material (just like with 10% fruit juices).
Hard plastic, acrylic, glass, metal, and pure latex toys are phthalate-free and have firm, smooth textures. Some may
be a cheaper alternative to silicone toys. Hard plastics are generally non-porous, and can be used without
condoms if only used by one person.
Babeland carries toys made of all different kinds of hard plastic. All of these plastics are common, safe materials which require the same care.
ABS plastic is a mix between elastomer, rubber, and hard plastic which is durable and recyclable. See below for other types.
We try to carry Pyrex and laboratory-quality glass that will not shatter if dropped. Examine your toy before each use. If you notice a crack in your glass toy, stop using it — you wouldn't want to risk having it break during use. Lucite and acrylic are shatter-free and harder to break, but it is possible to crack them. You can boil glass, but do not boil plastic, acrylic or Lucite toys.
This light-weight, flexible material is what Babeland chose for its new and improved Nubby G vibrator and the Babeland Odyssey Tickler. It's phthalate-free, easily washed, supple, and pliable to the touch.
Leather is supple and resilient, though it can't be disinfected. To clean, use a leather cleaner; some people use a diluted alcohol wipe, though this can dry out the leather. Leather sex toys, such as harnesses, should only be shared between fluid-bonded sexual partners.
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