The best sex toy materials are the non-porous ones: silicone, borosilicate glass, stainless steel and ABS plastic. All four can be cleaned thoroughly and none needs chemical softeners. Where they differ is feel. Silicone is soft with some give, glass is smooth and rigid, steel is rigid and heavy, and ABS is hard, light and good at carrying vibration. Choose by the sensation you're after.
Silicone: soft, flexible and the most versatile
Most vibrators, dildos, plugs and cock rings are silicone, for good reason. It has some give, a smooth, slightly velvety finish, and it warms to body temperature quickly. It can be made firm or soft, and molded into ridges and textures that glass and steel can't easily match.
It has two quirks. Silicone lube can degrade the surface of some silicone toys, so use water-based lube unless the maker says otherwise (a spot test on the base is a fair compromise). And silicone attracts lint and dust, so it wants a clean pouch rather than a loose drawer.
Quality varies more with silicone than with anything else on this list. Our post on silicone grades explains what "medical-grade," "food-grade" and "blend" mean on a label.
Borosilicate glass: smooth, rigid and good for temperature play
Borosilicate glass is the type used for most laboratory glassware. It expands very little when heated, which makes it much more tolerant of temperature changes than ordinary glass. Glass toys are thick, heavy for their size and polished smooth.
Because it doesn't flex, glass gives firm, precise pressure, which many people like for G-spot and prostate play. It glides easily with a little lube, and any lube type is fine with the glass itself. For temperature play, warm it in a bowl of warm water or cool it in the fridge, then test it on your wrist first. Skip the jump from very hot to very cold.
The downside is that glass can chip or crack if it lands on a hard floor. Check it before each use and retire any piece with a chip, crack or rough spot.
Stainless steel: heavy, rigid and very durable
Steel toys are mostly plugs, prostate massagers, wands and cock rings. They're rigid like glass but noticeably heavier, and the weight is the point: a steel plug gives a feeling of fullness that a silicone plug of the same size doesn't.
Steel conducts heat well, so it warms or cools quickly and holds the temperature. It works with any lube and is very hard to damage. One thing to know: most stainless steel contains some nickel. If you have a nickel allergy, look for steel sold as nickel-free, or ask the maker. Mayo Clinic lists nickel-free and surgical-grade stainless steel among the options for people with nickel-sensitive skin.
The same weight that feels good while a plug rests in place makes steel a poor match for fast thrusting. It's a slow, deliberate material.
ABS plastic: hard, light and built for vibration
ABS is a hard, impact-resistant plastic. You'll rarely see a whole dildo made of it, but it's in nearly every toy with a motor: bullet vibrators, wand bodies, handles and the inner shell under a silicone skin. It doesn't flex, so it carries vibration from the motor to your skin efficiently, and it's light.
ABS is fine with water-based and silicone lubes. It shouldn't be boiled, and on a vibrator the seams, buttons and charging port are the spots to watch when you clean. It lacks silicone's softness, which is why so many toys pair the two.
Choosing the best sex toy material for you
For a first toy, or one you'll share, silicone is the sensible default. If you want firm pressure and are curious about warm and cool sensations, try glass. If weight and fullness are the appeal, particularly for anal play, look at steel in our anal toys. If you want strong vibration from something small, ABS is doing that job inside most bullets. Our dildo collection covers silicone, glass and steel side by side.
All four clean up with warm water and a mild soap or toy cleaner. Glass, solid steel and motor-free silicone can also be boiled if the maker allows it, and the right way to clean every toy material walks through each one step by step.