When you shop for a toy, the sex toy materials matter more than the shape, color, or features. They decide whether a toy is safe against your most sensitive skin — and whether you can actually keep it clean.

Because adult products are largely sold as novelties, sex toy materials are not tightly regulated, so quality varies a lot between brands. That is exactly why learning to read the label is the most useful skill a shopper can have.

The safest sex toy materials are non-porous. They do not harbor bacteria, they tolerate proper cleaning, and they last for years.

ABS plastic (the hard plastic on many bullet vibrators) and sealed hardwood round out the body-safe options. For a smooth silicone starting point, browse our body-safe dildos.

Porous sex toy materials have microscopic pores that trap bacteria and cannot be fully sterilized — no matter how carefully you wash them. Some cheap toys also use plasticizers called phthalates to stay soft.

If you already own a porous toy, use it with a condom over it and replace it if it ever becomes sticky, smelly, or discolored.

Every order ships in a plain brown box. When it comes to sex toy materials, look for “100% silicone,” glass, or steel.

Here is how the common sex toy materials stack up side by side:

Once you have chosen the right sex toy materials, our guide to cleaning sex toys shows the best method for each one.