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Guide to Sex Toy Materials

Sex toys are a very individual product. Everyone is going to have their personal favourite, based on shape, size, texture and feel. While all sex toys are meant to bring us lovely feelings and great pleasure, it has become increasingly important to understand what your play-things are made of before bringing them into your bedroom.

We've tried to make it as easy as possible for you to learn about the different sex toy materials and how to find out what material a product is made from. Each product will display what material it is made from in the product description, and you can also filter your results by material so you can sort by the material/s of your choosing.

Sex Toy Materials

We've explained the vast majority of sex toy materials below and how they can affect your purchasing decisions.

Silicone

Silicone Sex ToysSilicone has become the sex world’s best friend. It is durable, non­porous, hypoallergenic and nicely flexible for lots of fun. Silicone can withstand high temperatures, so your sex toys can easily be thrown in a dishwasher or boiled for thorough cleanings. The two main drawbacks to silicone toys are that they are, for now, more expensive than rubber products. However, this could change with demand. The other is that you cannot use a silicone­-based lube with silicone toys. The combination will cause the toys to break down, and we don't want that! However, with proper care, silicone is the future of sex toys.

Cyberskin

Cyberskin Sex ToysCyberSkin is the ultra-realistic material used in realistic masturbators, sex dolls and other body imitating toys. It is soft and pliable, great with a little lube and a good grip. It is made of a number of different materials, including elastomers. However, Cyberskin is porous and can be somewhat difficult to keep clean. It needs to be thoroughly cleaned after each use and then dusted with their special talc or corn starch.

Steel

Steel Sex ToysSteel sex toys are still fairly new to the market. Obviously you’re not looking for flexibility here, but rather a good solid ride! Care needs to be taken to not go overboard with enthusiasm in that respect, but they do create tremendous sensations - particularly for G-­spot and prostate stimulation. While fairly expensive compared to other materials, the sex toys themselves are durable, non­porous and should last you a lifetime.

Glass

Glass Sex ToysGlass sex toys have made more of an impression on the market, partly because they are widely shaped and textured and partly because they can double as beautiful, little pieces of art! They are also ultra-hygienic, easily cleanable and can last forever. Many glass dildos come in fantastic and imaginative shapes for you to discover new sensations. While still fairly expensive compared to some other materials, they are becoming more affordable as their popularity grows. Glass toys have risen in popularity mainly due to the Pipedream Icicles range.

Wood

Wood Sex ToysWood sex toys are the up­-and­-comer of the sex toy market. This natural, sustainable material is not yet widely used, but smaller companies are discovering the benefits of wooden play woodies. When buying a wooden sex toy, ensure that it has not been stained and that it, preferably, has been coated in a food­ grade finish. Wood toys need special care and should not be thrown into drawers. If your wood toy ever cracks or splinters, it should no longer be used as it is no longer non­porous.

Leather

Leather Sex ToysLeather is not likely to be used as a material for sex toys being inserted, however it is a key component in many BDSM gear and strap­-ons. The quality of leather used will be dependent on the company you buy it from, and we offer a large range of leather products in our collection. Most sex toy manufacturers use soft, pliable leathers. Be sure to clean your leather with a mild soap and damp cloth after use and allow it to air dry.

Latex

Latex Sex ToysLatex is not the most common material on the market, but it has its place in certain sex toys as it can be moulded into some pretty fascinating shapes. More often than not, latex is used in inflatable sex toys due to its incredible flexibility. It is also very common in some BDSM themed products like latex hoods and bodysuits. It has a smooth finish that can be polished easily with a silicone lubricant or latex shiner to give it a glossy, wet finish. You're going to need to take extra care when cleaning your latex sex toys, and we recommend using a sex toy cleaner before and after each use. It's important to check if you have any latex allergies before using any latex products.

Jelly

Jelly Sex ToysJelly is one of the most popular types of sex toy materials as it's cheap to produce, very flexible and can be coloured easily during the manufacturing process. While it is still a prominent material, in recent years it has dropped in popularity due to the concern of phthalates (chemicals added to it to make it more flexible). If you do decide to use a jelly sex toy, we recommend using it with a condom and ensure you clean it before and after each use with a sex toy cleaner.

Rubber

Rubber Sex ToysRubber is an excellent material for sex toys and it's quickly becoming the most popular material used by manufacturers. Unlike jelly sex toys, rubber has not undergone the same softening processes that fill it with phthalates, meaning all skin-safe rubber is phthalate free, as well as also being latex free. Another term for rubber is TPE/TPR (thermoplastic elastomer/rubber). It's quite common in rabbit vibrators and dildos, with it being quite firm to reach those hard to reach spots like the prostate and G-spot.

Plastic

Plastic Sex ToysPlastic is a hard and very hygienic material and is very popular amongst 'classic' sex toys like bullet vibrators and classic vibrators. Due to the nature of the material, vibrations are transferred extremely well and allows for strong, firm stimulation. It can be used with all types of lubricants and is very easy to clean. Plastic sex toys are going to feel a lot harder than most other sex toy materials, but they make up for that with their increased vibration. Besides, sometimes we need something nice and hard!

These are exciting times in the world of sex toys, with many new products to test and try - and play safe with! Try a few different materials and get a feel for what you like. Figuring out what you like and don't like is half the fun!

Need more help?

If you need more help finding out which sex toy materials are right for you, we would be glad to answer any questions you may have. Please Contact Customer Care and a friendly staff member from the Cherry Banana team will be in contact as soon as possible. We handle all different types of sex toy materials on a daily basis and it would be our pleasure to pass some more of this knowledge on to you.

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