How much better are silicon toys?

Sex Toys
1

Hi everyone,

I've had this Doc Johnson plug for a while now http://www.lovehoney.co.uk/product.cfm?p=350 but keep reading about how much nicer silicon toys are (I've not yet got any). I've been toying with the idea of getting these two Lovehoney silicon plugs in the 2 for £15:

http://www.lovehoney.co.uk/product.cfm?p=30703

http://www.lovehoney.co.uk/product.cfm?p=30702

But the large one looks to be virtually identical in shape to the Doc Johnson one. So back to the title of the thread... how much nicer are silicon toys? Is it worth getting another toy almost exactly the same apart from the material?

2

Silicone toys are definitely a lot more sleek and softer in my opinion, I guess it just depends on preferences really :)

That being said, you can't use silicone toys with a silicone lubricant so just something to be aware of! Only water based!

3

My partner has the medium sized plug and it is very sleek and soft. They don't harbour any nasty bacteria either, so are perfect for anal use. Definitely recommend ![](upload://lJMrTcqgi5lI1FOpb07OYOcv2YF.gif)

4

It won't feel any different in the sense of fullness but will feel nicer to insert and hold lube better, the first looked shiny, I imagine that has a bit of drag to it

5

I personally prefer silicone as they feel nicer, have no odour and are very hygienic :) xx

6

Silicone is velvety-soft, hypoallergenic and temperature responsive, which can be a lot of fun! It's not as weighty as metal or glass so can be easier to wear for longer periods of time.

A lot of people find silicone to be one of their favourite materials for sex toys.

You may find that a silicone butt plug needs more regular application of water-based lube for long-term wear (than say glass or stainless steel), however for short-term wear, silicone is a wonderful material to choose.

And as Paige said, remember to only ever use a water-based lube with a silicone toy.

(Don't forget, if you don't like it, you can return it for a refund or exchange, even after use!)

7

I thnk I may be possibly the only mould breaker here!

I love the look and feel of silicone for the softer side of things compared to rubber, and it also attracts virtually no dust and fluff etc compared to rubber, however I just struggle to find it comfortable in me.

I have 1 silicone plug which I hardly use, but just not given up on it yet. I had another two from here in thepast which I returned as I just did not find them comfortable

If I am onl using it for short term play/wear, then I tend to go for rubber as I find it more comfortable and often cheaper too.

I have two rubber dildos (one normal one double ender) and both are amazingly comfortable due to the softness and are poles apart from the glass and steel I own which I enjoy too for different reasons.

Silicone appears to be a middle ground, but I just cant seem to enjoy it as much.

Weird I know!

8

Not all silicone is created the same. You can get some silicones that feel velvety soft and silky, like Lelo silicone and others that feel very 'grippy', like Tantus' shiny silicone. There are also many other varieties in between, such as Vixen Creations (which feels very skin-like) and even Tantus O2 or more matte silicone.

In other words, silicone can feel very different, depending on the type/brand you go for, which is good news. You get to choose how it feels, by choosing a brand/type that most closely matches your desires.

So, considering that you can, kinda, choose the feel and the firmness (Silicone comes in a variety of firmnesses too) why should you choose it over TPE/TPR/Latex etc?

Well, silicone is a very stable material. Being so stable, with tight bonds, it is virtually non-porous. TPE, jelly etc is porous. Why does this matter? Well, it helps reduce/remove the risk of transferring infection. Most medical grade silicone can be sterilised with 10% bleach solution and boiling water, so it is basically easier to keep clean.

It isn't just bacteria that can hide inside pores, but other things, like odour, dyes and even mould. You may have experienced, or know somone who has experienced a toy getting black spots, or starting to hold an odour, or having soaked up stains from bags or packaging etc. Being virtually non-porous, silicone has a much higher resistancy to these things and with proper care, can last a lifetime.

Unstable materials (like jelly) tend to break down/deteriorate over time. They also tend to smell very chemically because they are leeching oils or chemicals used to make them (Some toys even leave an oily stain on the surface it is stored) Silicone doesn't break down and is odourless.

So the benefits to choosing medical grade silicone toys?

They can last a lifetime. They are odourless. They are body safe (Don't leech chemicals that can irritate the delicate mucuous membranes of the vagina/rectum). They can often be sterlised. They are virtually non-porous (So they are much less likely to soak up odours, chemicals, bacteria, mould or dyes) and all round fabulous. :D

9

I have the large lh one that you listed above. I
Love
Love
Love it!

It's sleek, and feels Devine! Do it :p you won't be disappointedx

10

Better than what? Much better than rubber or gel type stuff. NOT better than Stainless, glass, etc. in my opinion. Yes, they can be comfier, but they will require more lube if used longer, and will still face a chemical breakdown at some point. Granted, this being said, I still have a ton of silione toys (almost all from Tantus).

11

Fluffbags has said it all as usual, silicone is seriously the way to go!

12

I love silicone and I'm slowly replacing all my rubber toys with it. I love the velvety smoothness of it x

13

I would totally recomend you to try out silicone toys as you can be sure, that there are no chemicals going inside your body.The medical silcione toys are made off makes sure that no Phatalates harm you - which is a huge benefits from my point of view.
Moreover, they are really easy to clean (we usually boil them every now and then) and more over offer a soft and kinda silky texture we really enjoy!

All in all i think it is totally worth it to invest in silicione toys!

14

Fluffbags wrote:

Not all silicone is created the same. You can get some silicones that feel velvety soft and silky, like Lelo silicone and others that feel very 'grippy', like Tantus' shiny silicone. There are also many other varieties in between, such as Vixen Creations (which feels very skin-like) and even Tantus O2 or more matte silicone.

In other words, silicone can feel very different, depending on the type/brand you go for, which is good news. You get to choose how it feels, by choosing a brand/type that most closely matches your desires.

So, considering that you can, kinda, choose the feel and the firmness (Silicone comes in a variety of firmnesses too) why should you choose it over TPE/TPR/Latex etc?

Well, silicone is a very stable material. Being so stable, with tight bonds, it is virtually non-porous. TPE, jelly etc is porous. Why does this matter? Well, it helps reduce/remove the risk of transferring infection. Most medical grade silicone can be sterilised with 10% bleach solution and boiling water, so it is basically easier to keep clean.

It isn't just bacteria that can hide inside pores, but other things, like odour, dyes and even mould. You may have experienced, or know somone who has experienced a toy getting black spots, or starting to hold an odour, or having soaked up stains from bags or packaging etc. Being virtually non-porous, silicone has a much higher resistancy to these things and with proper care, can last a lifetime.

Unstable materials (like jelly) tend to break down/deteriorate over time. They also tend to smell very chemically because they are leeching oils or chemicals used to make them (Some toys even leave an oily stain on the surface it is stored) Silicone doesn't break down and is odourless.

So the benefits to choosing medical grade silicone toys?

They can last a lifetime. They are odourless. They are body safe (Don't leech chemicals that can irritate the delicate mucuous membranes of the vagina/rectum). They can often be sterlised. They are virtually non-porous (So they are much less likely to soak up odours, chemicals, bacteria, mould or dyes) and all round fabulous. :D

Excellent advice thanks very much.

15

Fluffbags wrote:

Not all silicone is created the same. You can get some silicones that feel velvety soft and silky, like Lelo silicone and others that feel very 'grippy', like Tantus' shiny silicone. There are also many other varieties in between, such as Vixen Creations (which feels very skin-like) and even Tantus O2 or more matte silicone.

In other words, silicone can feel very different, depending on the type/brand you go for, which is good news. You get to choose how it feels, by choosing a brand/type that most closely matches your desires.

So, considering that you can, kinda, choose the feel and the firmness (Silicone comes in a variety of firmnesses too) why should you choose it over TPE/TPR/Latex etc?

Well, silicone is a very stable material. Being so stable, with tight bonds, it is virtually non-porous. TPE, jelly etc is porous. Why does this matter? Well, it helps reduce/remove the risk of transferring infection. Most medical grade silicone can be sterilised with 10% bleach solution and boiling water, so it is basically easier to keep clean.

It isn't just bacteria that can hide inside pores, but other things, like odour, dyes and even mould. You may have experienced, or know somone who has experienced a toy getting black spots, or starting to hold an odour, or having soaked up stains from bags or packaging etc. Being virtually non-porous, silicone has a much higher resistancy to these things and with proper care, can last a lifetime.

Unstable materials (like jelly) tend to break down/deteriorate over time. They also tend to smell very chemically because they are leeching oils or chemicals used to make them (Some toys even leave an oily stain on the surface it is stored) Silicone doesn't break down and is odourless.

So the benefits to choosing medical grade silicone toys?

They can last a lifetime. They are odourless. They are body safe (Don't leech chemicals that can irritate the delicate mucuous membranes of the vagina/rectum). They can often be sterlised. They are virtually non-porous (So they are much less likely to soak up odours, chemicals, bacteria, mould or dyes) and all round fabulous. :D

And to elaborate a bit more on the above (if anyone is interested) there are two big things that affect how different silicones feel.

Flexibility - how the silicone measures on the shore hardness scale. This is a measure of how rigid the silicone is, so the butt plugs you mention are very hard (only a tiny bit of flexibility) but something like the Je Joue Mio is very flexible. Getting the shore right is a massive issue, especially with cock rings!

Coating - whether the silicone has had a treatment after being moulded. For example, LELO use a coating to make their silicone less 'grippy'. Lots of people love this about their silicone toys, but obviously applying a coating after the product has been moulded is an extra stage, so it costs more.

There's also lots of fancy pants stuff about whether the silicone is glued together or left to meld together which dictates whether the silicone is truly seamless or not. Obviously getting two pieces of silicone and sticking them together takes less time than waiting for the two sides to react together - and time is money, so again a truly seamless finish costs more!

I tell ya, I've learnt endless things from our new product development team and it's all really interesting!

16

Hi everyone, thanks for the feedback. I've ordered the medium LH silicon one + a medium Doc Johnson one on the 2 for £15 (I decided against the large one because, as much as I love the large Doc Johnson one I've got, even though it feels great going in and while in... it always hurts a bit coming out)

17

AnalLover wrote:

Hi everyone, thanks for the feedback. I've ordered the medium LH silicon one + a medium Doc Johnson one on the 2 for £15 (I decided against the large one because, as much as I love the large Doc Johnson one I've got, even though it feels great going in and while in... it always hurts a bit coming out)

Great choices. i have the LH one too and its fantastic ![](upload://lJMrTcqgi5lI1FOpb07OYOcv2YF.gif)

18

Silicone all the way!

They make much smoother, more comfortable toys. They also tend to be a lot more flexible which adds a lot as a penetrative toy, as it's a lot more comfortable, regardless of the speed or force of play.