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First time buying toys: need advice on safe materials

DeepSpacePotato​(sub male)
2 days ago • Aug 6, 2026

First time buying toys: need advice on safe materials

So.. I'm getting ready to buy my first ever sex toys... I tried doing some research on safe/unsafe materials.
This is what I found so far (on reddit lol):
* Toxic aka "absolutely don't": Jelly / Jellee / Gel; Rubber / skin safe rubber; CyberSkin / UR3 / Futurotic / Fanta Flesh / Neoskin / FauxFlesh / Sil-A-Gel; Vinyl and PVC
* Porous aka "no matter how hard you wash them bacteria will nest there": Elastomer; TPR-silicone or SEBS – anything referred to as a "silicone blend"; TPE – thermoplastic elastomer; TPR – thermoplastic rubber
* Body Safe: Silicone (especially if it says "medical grade silicone"); Stainless steel; ABS plastic; Glass; Wood (with certain treatments/finishes); Aluminum; Titanium; Ceramic; Stone (certain types/with certain treatments/finishes)

Would you agree with this list? How big is the actual danger for porous materials?
My planned expenses already went up because some of the cheaper toys that I aimed for, as it turns out, are in the toxic category.
Also, are there no safe masturbators/fleshlights? They're all TPR and TPE from what I can see.

UPD: Also, what's the difference between normal lube, "anal" lube and "toys" lube? Which one is universal - toys or anal one?
B L O N D I E​(sub female)
2 days ago • Aug 6, 2026
I would put wood in the porous category. I wouldn't trust any finish on it except maybe certain types of epoxy, which might also contain toxins.
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Bunnie
21 hours ago • Aug 8, 2026
Bunnie • Aug 8, 2026
Second what Blondie said!

Favourites for me if they’re being used internally, are either stainless steel or glass.
However, I do have a silicone dildo because sometimes it’s a nice sensation to have something softer.

As for lubes, there are sooooo many options. It really depends on what you want to use it for. I always used water-based because I thought they were safest. However for fisting or anal, I’ve found silicone-based ones to hold their viscosity better.
Not sure about what’s best to use with toys though… I’ve always just used what I have on hand if needed. I think lube choice is all about personal preference, so just try different ones and find which feels best for you.

Actually, same goes for toys. Experiment to find which ones work for you and which don’t… there are so many options now.
The main reasons I like steel and glass are hygiene, yes, however, also because they’re adaptable to use for sensation play (temperature variation- hot or cold).
I think though that one of the main elements is to buy good quality and care for them well (cleaning and storing), regardless of what you choose.
B L O N D I E​(sub female)
10 hours ago • Aug 8, 2026
Third what Bunnie said about stainless and glass. I'm allergic to stainless, so my go-to dildo for many years has been glass. The only downside with glass is when you are doing double penetration. Glass on glass doesn't work because they are too rigid and rub against each other through the skin. At least one has to be silicone, but you won't have that problem, Potato. I'm just putting it here for females and those who play with them who may be reading this.
DeepSpacePotato​(sub male)
9 hours ago • Aug 8, 2026
Hm.. okay thank you. I kinda thought that it's toys that go in are supposed to be soft-ish, at least for newbies, that's why I'm looking at silicone. Especially since it could also combined with vibration.