LOVETOYS

The names you'll keep seeing

Pretty Love turns up more than any other label here. It is the line from Chinese manufacturer Baile, built around silicone rabbits and rechargeable vibrators with plenty of patterns, while the Baile name itself is mostly on simpler, classic designs. Pipedream and CalExotics are the two big American catalogues. Pipedream is the home of the King Cock realistic dildos and the Fetish Fantasy bondage range. CalExotics leans towards couples' toys, penis rings and gentle anal starter pieces.

The German brands play a different game. Satisfyer made air-pulse clitoral stimulators mainstream and now also sells app-connected vibrators. Fun Factory designs and produces in Bremen, works almost entirely in silicone and likes unusual shapes, such as its Stronic pulsators that move rather than buzz. Intense and Armony add many colourful rechargeable vibrators and remote-controlled models.

Then there are the specialists. Bathmate makes water-based penis pumps, with the Hydro7 as the usual starting size and a shower strap that keeps it in place. Crazy Bull sells soft masturbators with a skin-like feel, and Seven Creations does budget-friendly realistic vinyl toys and sets of penis rings.

Getting from 5,000 products down to one

Start with the body, not the brand. Clitoral toys, G-spot curves and rabbits sit in toys for women. Masturbators, pumps and rings are in the men's section. If you want shape without any motor, non-vibrating dildos are simpler to clean and never need charging.

• Rechargeable toys charge by USB and are usually better sealed. Battery models win on travel, because you can swap a battery anywhere.
• Remote and app control matters most for couples. For solo use it is often a feature you pay for and forget.
• Anything for anal play needs a flared base or a retrieval loop. No exceptions.
• Shared play opens up strap-ons and ready-made toy kits, and curious couples sometimes go further with electro stimulation.

Our tip for first-timers is one small rechargeable silicone toy. You learn what you like before spending on a life-size doll or a pump.

Silicone or skin-like?

Realistic toys often use TPE, PVC or vinyl because these feel softer and closer to skin. The catch is that they are porous, so they hold on to bacteria and should not be shared or swapped between anal and vaginal use. Silicone, ABS and metal are non-porous and much easier to keep hygienic. Soft PVC used to rely on phthalate plasticisers, which the EU has restricted to under 0.1 % since July 2020 (EU Regulation 2018/2005).

If you share any toy, put a new condom on it for each partner and wash it with soap and water between sessions, as the NHS advises. Skin-like materials also prefer water-based lube and a dusting of renewal powder once dry.