Toy Material Comparison: Silicone, TPE, Glass, Steel and More

The single most important property of any product material is whether it is porous. Pores are microscopic channels where moisture, body fluid, and microbes collect. Non-porous materials can be cleaned to a level porous ones cannot, full stop. This article compares the common materials on that axis and a few others that matter for daily use.

The porosity split

Everything below falls on one side of a hard line: non-porous or porous. That line determines your cleaning ceiling.

Silicone, in detail

Platinum-cured silicone is the reference material for most premium products. It is non-porous, does not leach plasticizers, and warms to body temperature quickly. The catch is that it reacts with silicone lubricant and melts when stored against other silicone or TPE, a point we cover in our storage and compatibility guide. Lower-grade silicone with fillers feels tacky and may discolor; our silicone grade guide explains how to spot the difference.

TPE, TPR, and elastomer blends

Thermoplastic elastomer and thermoplastic rubber are soft, flexible, and cheap to mold. They are body-safe in the sense of low acute toxicity for most users, but they are porous. That means surface cleaning only, condom use for any shared contact, and a shorter usable life as the material breaks down. Elastomer blends vary; some are denser than TPE but still porous enough to matter.

Glass and stainless steel

Borosilicate glass and surgical-grade stainless steel are fully non-porous and the easiest materials to clean thoroughly. Glass is temperature-stable and can be chilled or warmed. Steel is dense and heavy, which some users prefer for pressure and control. Both are rigid, so they suit products where firmness is a feature rather than a drawback. The njoy Pure Wand is a reference example of a steel product built around that rigidity.

ABS and “jelly”

ABS is the hard plastic used inside most silicone-coated cores. It is non-porous and easy to wipe clean, though seams and buttons need attention. “Jelly” products are soft PVC blends, usually the cheapest on the market. They are porous, often have a strong chemical odor, and historically have been the material most likely to contain added phthalates for softness. We cover the phthalate question directly in our phthalates primer.

How manufacturing quality changes the same material

Two products can share the label “silicone” and behave nothing alike. Cure quality, filler load, and surface finish separate a durable medical-grade item from a soft blend that degrades in a season. A pure platinum cure feels uniformly silky and shows no white streak when stretched; a filled blend may feel tacky, discolor, and weep plasticizer at the surface that then attracts more dust. The same principle runs through rigid materials: a poorly annealed glass can carry internal stress that a small knock turns into a crack, while properly treated borosilicate shrugs off daily use, and a low-grade steel can pit where surgical grade stays inert.

Manufacturing quality is why the brand and the disclosed spec matter more than the material word alone. A cheap “silicone” and a premium “silicone” are not the same purchase even when the label matches, just as a toy-grade ABS differs from food-contact ABS in what it may leach. For the buyer this means reading beyond the headline material: look for a stated cure process, a named grade, and a return or warranty policy that implies the maker stands behind the claim. Our material comparison ranks what the surface can tell you, but the factory is the part you cannot see, and it is usually the difference between a product that lasts and one that fails quietly.

How to apply this when choosing

1. Decide if you need to sanitize. Solo, non-shared use with careful cleaning tolerates more materials than anything shared.
2. Pick non-porous (silicone, glass, steel, ABS) where thorough cleaning matters most.
3. If you choose TPE or jelly for feel or budget, treat it as surface-clean only and use a condom for any partner contact.
4. Match lubricant to material: water-based with silicone, silicone-based with glass, steel, and ABS.

Where this gets misreported

The biggest distortion is the word “body-safe” used as if it meant “non-porous” or “sanitizable.” It does not. A porous TPE item can be body-safe on contact and still impossible to fully clean. The second error is assuming softness equals lower quality; softness is a formulation choice, not a safety grade. A third myth is that glass products are fragile; borosilicate used in reputable products is far tougher than table glass, though it can still chip on impact and should be retired if cracked.

The takeaway

Material choice is a trade, not a ladder. Non-porous options (silicone, glass, steel, ABS) give you a real cleaning ceiling and longer life; porous options (TPE, TPR, blends, jelly) give you softness and low cost at the price of sanitization. Match the material to how you will clean and share the product, and check our first toy decision tree if you are deciding between them. This is educational information, not medical advice; if you have a condition affecting tissue sensitivity, discuss material contact with a clinician.