The Safest Sex Toy Materials

By Jessica Jewels | July 15, 2019

From vibrators to sex dolls, The safest materials for sex toys. Although most sex toy manufacturers and retailers are quick to highlight the features of their products — how many times have you seen the “Waterproof” logo or wondered just how many vibration patterns a toy actually needs? — you should also pay attention to the material of sex toys. While it’s true that higher quality vibrators and dildos may have a higher initial investment, some materials are simply safer and healthier. If money is your bottom line, consider that safer materials also tend to need less replacing; thus, you may be saving money in the long run, when you purchase a sex toy made of safe materials.

Generally speaking, the safest materials are those that are non-porous or have a low porosity. Porous materials, like traditional jelly toys, have tiny holes that can harbor bacteria, even when your sex toy is physically clean. Most people disinfect items and surfaces in their home, even if those items come nowhere near the orifices of the body so why wouldn’t you want the same for your sex toy? Non-porous toys may also leak chemicals or oils, have a strong, unpleasant odor and can leech colors from other toys.

The following toys are completely non-pourous, when the entire toy is one piece. You can not only clean these materials with soap and water, but you can boil them for three minutes or treat them with the same bleach recipe that you would use to clean baby toys or bottles to disinfect. Toys without moving parts are safe to sanitize on the top shelf of your dishwasher, in a cycle without detergent. Note that many toys use a combination of materials. Any toy that has a seam offers a place for dirt and grime to hide, just like grout between tiles, even if the materials are all non-prous.

Silicone

Manufacturers such as SexDolls.com have always crafted high-quality silicone sex dolls. Silicone ranges from rock-hard to real lifelike material, if you purchase a sex doll from SexDolls.com or a SuperSoft dildo from Vixen.  Big name companies like California Exotics now also produce a variety of silicone toys. However, companies can label their toys as silicone if they only contain 10% silicone. Be wary of silicone composites such as TPR Silicone because these are somewhat porous. Silicone should have no scent or taste and, most importantly, you can flame test it with a lighter. Pure silicone will not melt in temperatures lower than 600-degrees Farenheit; however, the flame test may leave a temporary smudge.

Glass

Glass may seem like an odd material for a sex toy at first but many people love its rigidity for hitting the right spot without a lot of force. It’s incredibly easy to feel the textures of glass sex toys and you can even apply cool or warm water for temperature play –never put the toy in the freeze or microwave as this can weaken the glass. Phallix is especially known for its glass dildos and some even include 24-karat gold.

Rest assured that your glass dildo will not break or even splinter aside of you; however, you may want to take care to store it in a padded pouch and to hold it securely when washing. Glass is especially easy to clean because it is so slick. For this reason, you can also use glass vibrators and dildos with less lubricant than you might need with other materials.

Metal

Metal sex toys, like the anal plugs and dildos from manufacturer Njoy, are rigid like glass but much heavier. Because of this, you may want to thrust more gently to avoid hitting your cervix or other sensitive parts and you want to avoid hitting your sink or dropping them on tile floors as you can damage your home. However, metal toys offer the benefit of being non-porous as well as responsive to temperature changes. 

Acrylics, Ceramics and Wood

Acrylic, ceramic and wood sex toys are not as common as silicone or even glass but consumers enjoy them because they offer hardness without the added weight. These materials may be non-porous; however, you should take care when cleaning them, For example, acrylic and ceramic dildos can scratch and you should not submerge wood because the moisture can allow mold to grow in your sex toys.  Stick to soap and water cleaning.

Ceramic vibrators and dildos are crafted, painted and then treated with a tough glaze that makes them non-porous and difficult to scratch. Ceramics come in every color of the rainbow and the glaze allows your ceramic sex toy to be painted with interesting designs like the dildos and vibrators from Lovemoiselle. Charles Duncan designs bright red and black ceramic pieces with unique shapes.

Acrylics, on the other hand, are a hard, synthetic plastic polymer. Acrylic dildos are translucent or transparent and often clear. However, you may find translucent acrylic sex toys with a hint of color, such as blue or pink.

Wood sex toys, like ceramic, are shaped and treated with a glaze, similar to a wooden salad bowl, that makes them healthy and safe. This safe treatment prevents the wood from splintering. Wood is quite light in comparison to other materials. Check out the dildo and anal toys from toy company Nobessence.