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Materials · Plain UK guide · 2026

Body-safe
sex toys.

A body-safe sex toy is made entirely from a non-porous, biologically inert material that cannot leach chemicals into the body and can be cleaned or sterilised. The four materials that meet that bar are platinum-cure silicone, borosilicate glass, 304 or 316 surgical stainless steel, and uncoated ABS plastic. Adult sex toys are unregulated in the UK; retailer policy is the only check before purchase. Every product in the 2,803-SKU BondageBox catalogue passes this materials check.

At a glance

The vetted catalogue, current Updated hourly from the live database
Body-safe SKUs
2,803
Brands (all vetted)
120
Approved materials
4
Biocompatibility standard
ISO 10993

The four safe materials

Non-porous · biologically inert · sterilisable In order of catalogue frequency

01 · The default

Platinum-cure silicone

ISO 10993 biocompatible when platinum-cured

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Why it works

Non-porous (cannot harbour bacteria below the surface), boilable for sterilisation between partners, durable over a decade of normal use, available in body-soft to firm shore hardnesses, and the only material that gives a realistic skin-feel without using a porous plasticiser. Platinum-cure (rather than peroxide-cure) is the medical-grade catalyst; lower-grade "silicone" toys are sometimes peroxide-cured or are silicone-blended-with-TPE, which loses most of the benefits.

How to verify

Manufacturer states "100% platinum-cure silicone" or "medical-grade silicone". Toy passes the flame test (pure silicone burns to a white ash; TPE/PVC blends emit black smoke and chemical smell). Smell test: no plastic or "new shower curtain" odour.

02 · The luxe one

Borosilicate glass

Non-porous, biologically inert, dishwasher-safe

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Why it works

Surgical-grade borosilicate (the same glass used in laboratory beakers and Pyrex) is utterly non-porous, holds temperature for play (warm or chilled water bath), and has a lifespan measured in decades if not dropped on a hard floor. Heavier weight than silicone gives a different sensory profile. Compatible with every lubricant (water, silicone, hybrid, oil). Sterilisable by dishwasher or boiling.

How to verify

Manufacturer states "borosilicate" or "Pyrex-grade" glass (not "tempered" or "annealed", which can shatter under temperature change). UK and EU vendors should be honest about origin; cheap imitations from non-specialist suppliers are sometimes regular soda-lime glass with a body-safe veneer.

03 · The heirloom

304 / 316 stainless steel

Surgical-grade, hypoallergenic, sterilisable

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Why it works

The same alloys used for medical implants and food-contact equipment. Non-porous, extremely heavy (a small plug can weigh 250g+), holds temperature, lasts indefinitely with no degradation. 304 is the standard food-grade alloy; 316 (with added molybdenum) is the higher-corrosion-resistance variant used in marine and surgical contexts. Both are hypoallergenic for almost everyone, including people with nickel sensitivities (the nickel is bound in the alloy lattice, not free).

How to verify

Manufacturer cites the specific alloy grade (304 or 316). Generic "stainless steel" without grade is sometimes lower-grade 200-series that contains free nickel and can corrode in body fluids. Reputable brands include Njoy (US), Le Wand attachments, and steel-toy specialists.

04 · The workhorse

ABS plastic

Non-porous hard plastic, body-safe when uncoated

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Why it works

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, the same hard plastic used in Lego, electronic enclosures and medical devices. Non-porous, lightweight, durable, easy to mould into precise shapes. The standard material for vibrator housings, control handles, and the rigid body of two-part toys (silicone head + ABS shaft). Body-safe in its raw form; the only concern is whether the surface is coated or painted with something else (which can chip and leach).

How to verify

Manufacturer specifies "ABS plastic" (not "PU coated" or "soft-touch finish", both of which add a porous layer over the safe core). Untreated ABS is matte and slightly waxy; glossy painted finishes are the warning sign.

The materials we exclude

Why they don't pass Common across UK budget catalogues

Jelly / PVC

Polyvinyl chloride softened with phthalate plasticisers. Porous (harbours bacteria below the surface; cannot be sterilised), leaches plasticiser oils that the European Chemicals Agency has classified as reproductive toxicants and endocrine disruptors. The Greenpeace report that triggered the EU phthalate ban in children's toys (Directive 2005/84/EC) tested adult sex toys and found phthalate concentrations up to 70% by weight. Restricted in children's toys EU-wide; adult sex toys remain unregulated.

How to spot it

Strong chemical or "new shower curtain" smell out of the packaging. Soft, jelly-like flex. Often sold at the lowest price point in a category. The category packaging itself sometimes acknowledges the risk with a "use with condom" instruction.

Uncertified TPE / TPR

Thermoplastic elastomer / thermoplastic rubber. Cheaper than silicone, marketed as "skin-feel" or "lifelike" material. The chemistry varies wildly between manufacturers: pharmaceutical-grade TPE can be reasonably safe; bulk-import "TPE blend" often contains the same phthalate plasticisers used in PVC. Even safe TPE is porous and cannot be sterilised, so a single toy can host bacterial growth over months.

How to spot it

Marketed as "TPE", "TPR", "skin-safe TPE", "Cyberskin", "Fanta Flesh", "Ultraskyn" or generic "lifelike material". No mention of platinum-cure silicone. Often used in masturbator sleeves and budget realistic dildos.

"Skin-feel" coated plastics

Hard plastic core (often ABS or polypropylene) with a porous polyurethane "soft-touch" coating to mimic skin. The coating chips, peels, becomes sticky over time, and traps bacteria in the wear pattern. Most often seen on budget-end electronic toys (some bullet vibrators, novelty pieces). Sometimes labelled "silky finish" or "velvet touch".

How to spot it

Glossy or velvet-soft surface on what should be a hard-plastic toy. Surface goes sticky after a few months of use. Powdery residue on the box.

Unsealed wood, plain rubber, untreated leather

Surface materials that touch genitals must be sealable and cleanable. Unsealed wood, untreated leather and plain rubber all harbour bacteria, retain odours, and degrade with exposure to body fluids and lube. Sealed hardwood (with food-safe finishes) and chrome-tanned leather with appropriate sealant can be acceptable for external bondage use; raw versions are not.

How to spot it

Visible wood grain with no finish, undyed leather smell, raw black rubber. Common in budget novelty items and DIY-style "starter kits".

The UK situation

Why this is on
the retailer.

Adult sex toys are not regulated in the UK or the EU. The Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 apply only to products intended for children under 14. The EU REACH phthalate restriction (Directive 2005/84/EC, retained in UK law after Brexit) bans six specific phthalate plasticisers in children's toys, but explicitly excludes adult products. There is no MHRA-equivalent body that pre-screens sex toys before they reach UK shelves.

The practical consequence: any retailer can import a phthalate-loaded "jelly" dildo from a non-EU manufacturer and sell it in the UK with no compliance check. Consumer complaints fall under general product-safety law (the Consumer Protection Act 1987), which requires a demonstrable injury to act on; chronic chemical exposure rarely meets that threshold.

The retailer's written materials policy, applied to every SKU before listing, is the only practical check between the consumer and the supply chain. BondageBox's policy is the platinum-silicone / borosilicate-glass / ABS / 304-316-steel set described above, applied to body-contact surfaces. See also our companion guide on what "body-safe" actually means as a marketing term.

How to verify, before you buy

Four checks · works on any retailer Two minutes per listing

  1. Check 01

    Specific material name

    The listing says "platinum-cure silicone", "borosilicate glass", "304 stainless steel" or "ABS plastic". Vague phrases like "skin-safe", "lifelike", "premium material", "body-friendly" or "soft-touch" are the warning signs; they mean the manufacturer is not committing to a specific safe material.

  2. Check 02

    Written policy on the retailer site

    The retailer publishes a materials policy you can read (this page is ours). If the only mention of "body-safe" is on individual product listings with no overarching standard, the term is decorative.

  3. Check 03

    Price consistent with material

    Pure platinum silicone has a floor price: a 5-inch silicone dildo cannot honestly retail under about £20 once import, packaging and retail margin are accounted for. A £6 "silicone" toy is TPE with a misleading description. Glass and steel toys have higher floors again (£25-£40+).

  4. Check 04

    Smell test on arrival

    Open the packaging in a ventilated room. Pure silicone, glass, steel and ABS are effectively odourless. A strong chemical smell (most often described as "new shower curtain", "fresh vinyl" or "plasticky") is the signature of phthalate plasticisers off-gassing. Return the toy if the smell is present.

Go deeper

The materials cluster 6 companion guides

Frequently asked

The detail bits  
What makes a sex toy body-safe?
A body-safe sex toy is made entirely from a non-porous, biologically inert material that cannot leach chemicals into the body and can be properly cleaned or sterilised. The four materials that meet that bar are platinum-cure silicone, borosilicate glass, surgical-grade stainless steel (304 or 316), and uncoated ABS plastic. Materials to avoid include jelly/PVC, uncertified TPE/TPR, and "skin-feel" coated plastics.
Are sex toys regulated in the UK?
No. Adult sex toys fall outside both the UK Toys (Safety) Regulations 2011 (which apply only to toys for under-14s) and the EU REACH phthalate ban (Directive 2005/84/EC, which restricts phthalate plasticisers in children's toys but not in adult products). There is no UK regulator that inspects sex-toy materials before they go on sale. Retailers and consumers self-police, which is why a written body-safe materials policy matters when choosing where to buy.
How can I tell if a toy is body-safe before I buy it?
Four checks: (1) the listing names a specific material (platinum-cure silicone, borosilicate glass, 304/316 steel, or ABS), not a vague term like "skin-safe" or "lifelike"; (2) the retailer has a written materials policy you can read; (3) the price is consistent with the named material (a £10 "silicone" dildo is almost certainly TPE); (4) the toy has no strong chemical smell out of the packaging.
What about TPE? Some shops say it's body-safe.
TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) is a category, not a single material. Pharmaceutical-grade TPE from certified manufacturers can be reasonably safe, but the bulk-imported TPE used in most budget toys is uncertified, often contains the same phthalates as PVC, and is always porous (cannot be sterilised between partners). The honest answer: TPE is body-safe only when a manufacturer provides specific certification, which they rarely do at consumer toy price points. Default to silicone unless the certification is provided.
Is silicone always body-safe?
Only platinum-cure (also called platinum-catalysed) medical-grade silicone is reliably body-safe. Peroxide-cure silicone is acceptable but lower-grade. "Silicone blend", "silicone elastomer" or "silicone-coated" almost always means a small percentage of silicone added to a TPE or PVC base, which loses most of the benefits. The phrase to look for is "100% platinum-cure silicone".
What's the flame test?
A small flame held briefly against an inconspicuous part of the toy (the underside of the base, never the body-contact surface). Pure platinum-cure silicone burns to a clean white ash without dripping or producing black smoke; TPE, PVC and silicone blends emit black smoke, drip molten plastic, and smell strongly of burning plastic. The test is destructive on the test spot but conclusive. We don't recommend it on toys you intend to use; it's a way to verify a suspect already-discarded toy.
Can I clean a porous toy well enough to make it safe?
No. The bacterial growth in a porous material is below the surface, in micropores that soap and water cannot reach. Even alcohol or bleach surface-treatments only sterilise the visible layer; bacteria embedded deeper repopulate within hours. A porous toy is acceptable only for solo use with a fresh condom every session, and even then the material itself can degrade and leach plasticisers over months. The honest answer: replace porous toys with non-porous ones rather than trying to clean them safely.
What's the BondageBox body-safe policy?
Every product in the BondageBox catalogue passes a body-safe materials check before it's listed: platinum-cure silicone, borosilicate glass, ABS plastic or 304/316 surgical stainless steel only, per ISO 10993 biocompatibility. Phthalate-plasticised PVC ("jelly"), uncertified TPE blends and porous "skin-feel" coatings are excluded entirely. The check applies to the body-contact surfaces; bondage hardware (clips, buckles, frames) follows the appropriate standard for its category.

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