There’s a reason I’m always posing questions to you, my readers, on the blog and on my social media, and why I’m always available for any questions you may have for me privately. It’s because I want this blog to be as helpful and as educational as possible, and to do that I need to know what you need help with. So, today I thought I’d talk about a topic that has come up again and again lately: realistic sex toys. Whether we’re talking the about basic skin-coloured dildo it seems every brand has a copy of, the Fleshlight that’s based off your favourite porn star, or the full sized sex doll, realistic sex toys are and always will be one of the most popular adult products around. After all, while other toy designs may come and go with the times, realistic sex toys are the OG. So, if you’ve ever considered buying one but weren’t sure where to start, stick with me as I go through everything from the materials they’re made of, to the types you should be looking out for!
Why Use Them?
Realistic sex toys are definitely not everyone’s cup of tea, but personally I love them. It may sound obvious, but using them compared to other types of toys just feels natural to me, and that’s a feeling that other products just can’t compete with. There are all sorts of reasons why someone might be interested in or enjoy these types of toys however. For instance, perhaps you have a favourite adult film star that you love to fantasise about. Well, these days it doesn’t have to remain a complete fantasy, because there are even dildos molded from pornstars on the market now. At the end of the day, the reason you want to use realistic sex toys is going to be subjective to you, but my main point here is that wanting to is totally normal and never something you should feel ashamed of.
What Are They Made Of?
Sex toys and what they are made of is something I cover in detail in my Guide to Sex Toy Materials. However, since this is such an important subject, particularly when it comes to realistic sex toys, I thought a quick overview on the most common types would still be beneficial.
Silicone
Silicone is the best and safest material out there for realistic sex toys. While previously hard to find, it has become much more common over the last few years and as such the price of it has significantly reduced. Silicone is body-safe as it is non-porous, latex-free, phthalate-free and hypoallergenic, and it can be extremely lifelike to the touch. With proper care it should last you a lifetime.
PVC & Rubber
Perhaps the most common material for realistic dildos, PVC and rubber are prized for their lifelike look. However, they often have an unnatural looking shine to them and feature a strong plastic smell. A material similar to these is jelly, and most fluorescent coloured dildos are made out of this. Unfortunately, none of these materials are body-safe, as they are porous and contain phthalates, and I would highly recommend avoiding them.
TPE & TPR
While similar in appearance to PVC and Rubber, TPE and TPR are more often used for masturbators rather than dildos due to their more pliable nature. Although they are also porous, they are usually latex- and phthalate-free, which is a step up from other non-body-safe materials. Plus, when it comes to external use toys, as long as you keep them clean you don’t need to worry too much when it comes to the materials.
Ultraskyn, Firmskyn, Sil-A-Gel, SlideSkin etc.
A fun fact about the sex toy industry is that it’s not regulated, which means companies can label their product with whatever material they want. In some cases this means labelling jelly toys as body-safe or even as silicone, but most of the time companies will simply make up names for their toy’s “material”. Mash-ups of words like skin, ultra, sila, real and flesh are usually what these toys are listed as being made of, and all are most certainly not body-safe. This is a big cause for concern when purchasing internal use toys like dildos, and while it’s less important for external toys, I’d still only recommend purchasing them from reputable brands.
What Types Are There?
Now that we’ve discussed what they’re actually made of, let’s look at the different types of realistic sex toys and what you should look out for when purchasing them.
Dildos
Dildos are not only my favourite type of realistic sex toy, but my one of my favourite types of sex toys in general. Too often I see people express that a sex toy isn’t worth it if it doesn’t vibrate, but personally for internal play I find realistic toys far more pleasurable than vibrators. While the simplest of the four types I’m listing here, there are still quite a few things to consider when purchasing one to ensure you get the best experience:
- Size & Density: When choosing an internal toy the size and density of it come hand in hand, and are both important considerations. I’ll never forget purchasing one of my very first dildos, only for it to be too big for me. While your size preference is something you can only learn through experimenting, the main thing to remember is that the softer a toy is the easier it’ll be to use.
- Dual Densities: If you want a truly realistic dildo then dual density is for you. Essentially it refers to when a toy has a firm inner core and a soft outer layer, which allows it to feel far more lifelike.
- Texture: Despite aiming to be realistic, the texture found on these types of toys can really vary. The head of the penis and veins are common features, but elements such as pores and even foreskin will often raise the price of a toy. If you’re new to the world of sex toys I would recommend going for something with minimal texture to start and working your way up till you find a level you enjoy.
- The base: When purchasing a dildo I always recommend getting something that has a base. This is as it will make your toy far more versatile by allowing it to be anal-safe and harness compatible. Additionally, look out for bases that also work as suction cups.
Vibrators
Realistic vibrators aren’t all that common, but since I have been asked about them a fair bit I thought I’d give them a quick mention. Essentially, when looking for this type of toy there are two main types:
- In-Built Vibrators: The first type is your typical vibrator, but just in a realistic design. As there is not much demand for this type of thing they are often hard to find and come in a limited range of designs, and finding them in silicone is even harder.
- Bullet-Hole Vibrators: Personally my recommendation to people looking for realistic vibrators is to simply buy a dildo that features a hole in its base where a bullet vibrator can be inserted. With this there are far more options available and it’ll cost you less.
Masturbators
Masturbators are the most popular realistic style toy for those with penises, and allow you to penetrate the toy, rather than the toy penetrating you, as with prostate massage toys. While popularised by the brand Fleshlight, whose toys often feature a flashlight-style case for discretion purposes, these products can come in a huge range of different shapes and sizes, featuring pretty much every body part and catering to every fetish you can imagine. But for now I thought I would just list some of the main types, and what you should know when purchasing them:
- Fleshlight: Easily the biggest brand on the market, this company gets by not just with its great product, but by teaming up with countless porn stars to create toys based on them. While the inside of their toys forgo realistic anatomy, and are instead designed with maximum pleasure in mind, the outside features realistic moulds of either the vulva, anus or mouth.
- Pocket Pussy: A common name for realistic hand-held toys that aren’t made by Fleshlight, these products are very similar apart from the fact that they don’t have the flashlight-style cases, nor the celebrity collaborations. They make a great cheaper option if you don’t care about who the toy is moulded after, and have more variety too if you’re looking for something outside of the mainstream.
- Realistic Butts & More: The next step up from Fleshlight and pocket pussys is the world of realistic fake body parts. No, I’m not talking about sex dolls just yet, but instead the hands-free style toys that can look a bit like creepy amputated limbs at first glance. While most come simply as butts, you can also get ones that feature an entire torso with breasts, or even ones that feature fantasy-style mash-ups of body parts, for instance breasts with a vulva between them. While they might look a bit odd at first, they’re definitely worth considering and lately have been getting more and more advanced, with voice control, app-compatibility, body-temperature controls, dirty talk and twerking being just some of the recent features found in these toys.
Sex Dolls
The last category I felt we had to touch on was sex dolls. While definitely not my area of expertise, these products really are realistic sex toys in the truest sense. Unfortunately, however, advancement of them has been slow over the last few years, and they’ve still yet to enter the mainstream market, which means they can be a little tricky to find. But they are certainly out there if you know where to look, and there are two main types:
- Inflatable: If you want to invest in a sex doll, I would definitely recommend trying an inflatable version first. While far from what you’re probably after, inflatable style toys are far cheaper, easier to ship, and much more widely available than realistic sex dolls.
- Realistic: This type of toy is easily the most expensive on the market, but for good reason. Sex doll manufacturers are extremely passionate about this work and see their creations as more than just aids for masturbation. If you’re looking to buy something like this, then there is one key consideration you’ll need to start with, and that’s silicone vs TPE. TPE sex dolls are often cheaper, as the lifelike material will eventually break down or lose its shape, making them best for beginners. Meanwhile, silicone sex dolls may not feel as lifelike (although their appearance is often more realistic), but can last a lifetime with proper care. However, this premium material understandably comes at a premium price, making it better as a long-term investment.
Have any questions about all of this? Feel free to let me know in the comments below or contact me directly!
This post was sponsored by Doctor Climax, but as always, all opinions are my own. Affiliate links have been used in this post.