As I wrote before in the article on sex toy materials not all of them are equally good. I may be repeating myself, but how can I not when so many people are unaware that no one controls sex toys when it comes to safety. Sex toys made from cheap materials not only stink hard enough to give some people migraines, degrade and quickly lose their looks but can also cause injuries similar to chemical burns. If you are in a mood for extreme sensations, instead of that jelly plug I’d recommend using a piece of freshly peeled ginger. Stings about the same but at least it’ll leave you undamaged.

There are a lot of non-toxic, but still porous toys made out of TPR. At first glance they look like a cheap and safe way to start experimenting with anal. But there are a couple of issues. First one is that there is no way to tell if the toy is made out of TPR (which doesn’t need plasticizers such as phthalates) or PVC unless you have a pretty advanced lab at our disposal - in that case CALL ME! Second: those materials degrade in really unflattering ways too, so you end up paying more for replacements. Third: very hard to clean the germs off so they can’t be shared between holes or people unless covered with a condom (please don’t use pre-lubed condoms for toys as they are covered in silicone lube that bonds to soft toy materials!) - additional expenses.

If we discard dubious materials we are left with:

Silicone

Only flexible material used in sex toy industry that is both completely body-safe and easy to disinfect. It is also not unlike Tolkien’s elves, immortal unless somebody kills it (so keep your pets away). Depending on shore hardness silicone butt plugs can be more or less squishy but they are usually far from “jellies”. Silicone quickly warms us to body temperature. Because of the two former features silicone butt plugs can be less “noticeable” after insertion.

Another aspect in which silicone toys differ from one another is finish from shiny smooth (some Tantus stock) to velvety (e.g. most Fun Factory). That of course has impact on how the toy retains lube and how much drag it creates when used. Luckily silicone toys are compliant with not only water based but also oil based lubes. That last bit is very important to me. As a person with an Extremely Stubborn Butt™ I frequently need that extra slippery feeling the addition of coconut oil can provide.

There used to be an ironclad rule of not mixing silicone lubes and silicone toys together but right now things aren’t as clear cut. There are plenty of exceptions, lube-toy duos that work together without any damage. If you are bent on using silicone lube with your silicone toy (because you need the durability, because you want to do it under water…) you can do a patch test with a small bit of lube on the base of the toy (much like testing new cosmetics on your skin). If there is a bad reaction the surface will get gummy quickly but you’ll be able to scrape it off with a fingernail. In this case don’t use that combo!

Because of slight material give silicone butt plugs are great for double penetration. More so if they are paired with a glass or metal vaginal dildo. My body has a one hard toy at the time policy - even a plug with 1″ diameter and 1 1/2″ dildo can feel bruising if at least one of them isn’t malleable.

Please don’t be fooled by tones of TPR sold as silicone! It shouldn’t be used with oil or silicone based lubes, it’s porous and it can degrade. Just because it’s opaque doesn’t mean anything. When in doubt, flame test.

Glass

Hard and quite heavy, which makes it more stimulating. Glass retains temperature longer than silicone, allowing us to experiment - do we want it soothingly cool, shockingly frosty, or relaxingly warm (let’s leave burning hot out)?

Due to its smoothness glass requires less lube than silicone and can be easier to take for a beginner. What’s even better you can use silicone based lubes with glass to reduce unpleasant friction even more. That’s why it was with a combination of fingering and glass toys that I first experienced quality anal penetration.

Another thing that should be mentioned is fetishistic potential of glass. With toys wide enough one can practically look inside your body. Just like that, you are wide open and you can’t hide anything.

Artisanal glass butt plugs make great gifts (provided we know the size and shape our giftee wants). They are unique, can be custom made to our specifications. Also knowing that the majority of the profit will go to the artist who designed and made the product and not to an army of middle-men is a nice bonus.

 

 

Stainless steel

Just as hard and smooth as glass but heavier and more resistant to temperature changes. That makes stainless steel very stimulating while also keeping it as a good candidate for long time wear.

While superb this material isn’t cheap and we should remain wary of cheap knock-offs that are advertised as stainless steel when they are neither stainless nor steel and in some cases not even metal. Pits, discoloration, jagged edges? None of those things has any place on a sex toy. It’s best toy buy from places that guarantee quality, genuine products if we don’t want to be left with an empty wallet and a plug that we can use safely only as a paperweight.

The best example of high quality stainless plug makers is n-joy. While their shapes might be less than ideal for my stubborn butt (but lots of people love them) their quality control is flawless. I’ve even seen them fix products scratched by users free of charge.

Ceramic

Unfortunately still not very popular, apart from Ceramix line from Pipedream, and small artisan companies. A bit lighter than glass, some ceramic plugs can be filled with water which supposedly makes temperature play easier but also lets us play with weight a bit. Ceramic is sealed with glaze that makes it body-safe and non-porous.

Wood

Light, quick to warm but stiff and smooth wood can give unique sensations as a butt plug material. However, it needs to properly sealed to be used in that way. Know how a glass of water can damage antique furniture? Same goes for moisture and improperly sealed wooden sex toys.

Unfortunately I don’t have enough knowledge to recommend anything besides Nobessence right now. I hope to expand this section soon.

Hard plastic

I didn’t leave out this material only because of Dorcel’s rattle plugs (let’s forget their actual name, shall we?) and this little set (expensive and some reviewers say badly made but so similar to original Young’s!). Hard plastic is light, quick to warm and conducts vibration beautifully but I feel it ‘s best suited to bullet vibes and not as a butt plug material. Maybe if I had a prostate I’d sing a different tune.

Avoid using “PU coated” toys anally as they can stain.

 

This would be all when it comes to popular and safe butt plug materials. Next week we tackle shape.