Sex Toy Materials Explained

By GETAUVE Editorial Team · Published September 8, 2026

Sex Toy Materials Explained

Sex toy materials decide how a product feels, how long it lasts, and how easy it is to clean. Learning four names makes every future purchase simpler.

You do not need a chemistry background to shop well. You need to recognize a handful of material names and know which claims on a box mean nothing. After that, most product pages sort themselves out quickly.

This guide covers the four materials worth buying, the ones to avoid, why certain popular labels are unregulated in the United States, and a checklist you can run on any listing before you spend money.

The Short Answer

Buy products made from platinum-cured silicone, ABS plastic, borosilicate glass, or 316 stainless steel. These materials are non-porous, stable, and cleanable to a standard that matters for intimate use.

Be cautious with anything listed as TPE, TPR, PVC, jelly, rubber, or a proprietary blend that the brand will not define. Those materials are porous, which means they hold fluid and bacteria in a way no amount of washing fully reverses.

The Four Materials Worth Buying

Each has a different feel and a different care routine. Knowing the tradeoffs helps you pick on purpose instead of by photo.

• Platinum-cured silicone. This is the standard for soft, flexible toys. The platinum cure is an addition reaction that leaves no chemical byproducts, so the finished material has almost no odor and stays stable for years. Firmness is measured on the Shore scale, and most quality brands state it. Softer blends around 00-20 feel cushioning; firmer blends around 20A to 40A transmit vibration more efficiently. Avoid tin-cured silicone, which is cheaper, can shrink over time, and smells stronger out of the package.
• ABS plastic. A rigid, non-porous thermoplastic used for handles, bullet vibes, and structural parts. It is lightweight, phthalate free, and transmits vibration well. It cannot flex, so it does not tear, but a hard drop can crack it. Watch for soft-touch coatings, which feel velvety at first and can flake after a year.
• Borosilicate glass. Laboratory-grade glass that resists thermal shock and chips far less than ordinary glass. It is heavy in the hand, works with every lube type, and can be boiled for sanitizing. Soda-lime glass is cheaper and more prone to cracking, so a very low price on a glass piece is a signal worth checking.
• 316 stainless steel. A marine-grade alloy with good corrosion resistance, commonly used for body jewelry and surgical tools. It is the heaviest option, which many people like for firm pressure. If you have a known nickel sensitivity, ask the brand about the alloy before buying, since steel contains some nickel.

Materials to Approach With Caution

These are common in the low-price segment and in novelty products. None of them can be fully sanitized.

• TPE and TPR (thermoplastic elastomer and rubber). Soft and cheap, often described as lifelike or skin-like. The material is porous, so it holds fluid and odor, and it breaks down within months.
• PVC (polyvinyl chloride). Rigid PVC is fine for plumbing; softened PVC, used for jelly toys, relies on plasticizers. Phthalate-free labels address one concern but not porosity.
• Jelly rubber. The classic novelty material. It feels oily, smells strongly, and degrades fast.
• Unsealed stone or wood. Beautiful and firm, but porous unless fully sealed with a stable, body-safe finish. Sealing wears off over time.
• Anodized aluminum. Non-porous when the anodized layer is intact, but the coating can scratch and should never go in a dishwasher.

Why Body-Safe and Medical-Grade Are Not Regulated Claims

In the United States, no agency defines or enforces the terms body-safe or medical-grade for adult products. A brand can print either phrase without passing any test, submitting any documentation, or meeting any standard. The same is true of hypoallergenic, non-toxic, and phthalate-free when they appear without supporting detail.

That does not mean every brand using those words is misleading. It means the words carry no verifiable information on their own. What carries information is a specific material name, a cure type, and a stated standard. Some brands reference biocompatibility testing such as ISO 10993 cytotoxicity screening, which is a real laboratory test, though it measures cell response in a dish rather than promising comfort for every body. Read it as a positive signal, not as a promise.

How to Verify What You Are Actually Buying

Run this checklist on the product page before you add anything to a cart.

• The material is named exactly: platinum-cured silicone, ABS plastic, borosilicate glass, or 316 stainless steel.
• The cure type is stated for silicone. Platinum-cured is the one to look for.
• The listing avoids vague substitutes such as silicone blend, silky gel, real feel, or body-safe material with no further detail.
• Firmness or durometer is mentioned, which suggests the brand actually engineers the product.
• The price is consistent with the material. A large platinum-cured silicone toy rarely costs $15.
• The brand answers a direct email about material within a few days, and publishes care instructions.
• The warranty is stated in years, not in vague satisfaction language.

When the product arrives, do two checks. First, smell it: quality platinum-cured silicone has almost no scent, while a strong chemical or plastic smell is a bad sign. Second, feel it: the surface should be smooth and dry, not tacky, oily, or powdery. A material that leaves residue on your fingers immediately is not one you want internally.

Care Basics by Material

Matching the cleaning method to the material protects both the surface and you.

• Platinum-cured silicone: Wash with warm water and unscented mild soap. For a deeper clean, a wipe with 70 percent isopropyl alcohol is fine, and motor-free pieces can be boiled for three minutes if the brand allows it. Use water-based lube only.
• ABS plastic: Wipe with a damp cloth and mild soap. Keep alcohol exposure brief, since repeated contact can dull some finishes. Do not submerge unless the product carries a stated IPX rating.
• Borosilicate glass: Wash with soap and water, or boil for three to five minutes. The top rack of a dishwasher works if you skip the detergent and the heated dry cycle. Avoid moving it straight from hot water to ice water.
• 316 stainless steel: Same as glass. Dry it completely to avoid water spotting, which is cosmetic rather than a safety issue.
• Porous materials: Wash, dry, and accept the limit. There is no method that fully sanitizes them, which is why they belong in the short-term category.

More detail on storage conditions and separation between toys lives in our guide to how to store sex toys, and the term body-safe is unpacked further in what body-safe actually means.

Final Thoughts

Four materials cover almost every good decision you will make: platinum-cured silicone, ABS plastic, borosilicate glass, and 316 stainless steel. Learn those names, ignore the unregulated adjectives, and confirm the listing states specifics before you buy.

The care routine then becomes simple: mild soap and warm water for most pieces, boiling for hard non-porous ones, water-based lube on silicone, and full drying before storage. If you want a starting point built on platinum-cured silicone, the Doremi slender silicone vibrator is a straightforward example of the material done well.

Sources

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration: regulation of consumer product materials and labeling claims
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: phthalates and children's products, and consumer material safety
• Mayo Clinic: contact dermatitis and personal care product reactions
• Cleveland Clinic: vaginal health and product sensitivity
• Planned Parenthood: safer sex product guidance

Written by the GETAUVE Editorial Team. This article is general education and is not medical advice. Talk with a qualified healthcare professional about your own body, symptoms, or medical questions.