A Beginner’s Guide to Sex Toy Materials

The world of sex toys can be intimidating. With thousands of concepts and designs, they come in enough colors, textures and varieties to leave you dizzy. Let’s go through the most popular types of sex toy materials to demystify them a bit. It’s important to know what you’re putting on or in your body.

Major adult shops like Caliente Adult Superstore have a knowledgeable staff waiting to ease your entry into the world of sex toys. If you’re new to sex toys the most important thing you should consider is what your new toy is made of.

Porous vs. Non-Porous

An important characteristic to consider when buying sex toys is porosity. A porous material has many microscopic spaces throughout. These cavities collect dirt and bacteria, and make the material harder to clean. Special care is prescribed for porous materials, which don’t last as long and sometimes require the safety of an outer layer, such as a condom. Porous toys can also hold smells, leach chemicals, and even break down over time. 

Non-porous sex toys are often more expensive, but with that cost comes several benefits. You can sterilize non-porous sex toys, often by placing them in boiling water or cleaning them on the top rack of your dishwasher. Even if you can’t do that (don’t submerge any toy with a motor or battery), they can be clean and don’t hold onto bacteria, dirt, or smells.

Non-Porous Sex Toys

Silicone

The ultimate crowd-pleaser for its soft skin-like feel and its versatility in hardness. Silicone eliminates most of the buzzing sound of vibrators and is non-porous. Look for toys that are made of medical-grade silicone for the safest material. Silicone toys come in a wide variety of colors and styles.

ABS Hard Plastic

ABS hard plastic sex toys are non-porous and rigid in feel. These toys are low cost and easy to clean, but hardly ever regarded as producing the most pleasure. Vibrators made of plastic tend to make the most noise and aren’t as comfortable as silicone sex toys.

Glass

Glass sex toys, often dildos or anal toys, have a great smooth feel and singular hardness. They are not porous and the artistry involved with their creation makes for some gorgeous designs. Glass toys often look like a work of art instead of a sex toy. 

Wood

Wood is seldom used to make sex toys, and in those cases mainly as an art piece or for its aesthetic appeal. Some prefer the feel of though, and when correctly treated it can be non-porous. Never use untreated wood toys, and check with the manufacturer to find out how the wood is treated, sealed, and, of course, cleaned.

Metal

Metal toys are hard and heavy; they are smooth to the touch and look very sleek. They are made in a variety of metals including aluminum, silver and gold. Metal butt plugs and dildos are very popular. They’re great for sterilization and sharing, as well as transferring heat and cold for temperature play.

Porous Sex Toys

Rubber/Jelly/TPR and TPE

Rubber toys are usually simple latex, which keeps the price down but comes with considerable drawbacks. Latex is extremely porous, which means it is difficult to clean. Rubber dildos should not be shared without the use of a condom.

These toys are sold as the most realistic feeling options, especially if you want a dildo. They’re also very affordable and come in a variety of styles. As long as you play carefully, by using a condom, and store them very carefully, they may be okay. But the possibility of smells, bacteria growth, and the breakdown of the toy may not be worth the cost savings.

Conclusion

In your foray into the world of sex toys you will discover that what feels good to you is a very personal thing. One person may exclusively desire the firmness of glass toys while another will yearn for the soft sensation of silicone. Either way, once you know what you’re getting the skies the limit and if you shop at Caliente you’ll get the VIP treatment to boot.