Toy safety review

For that, we need to go to Canada's best resource on the safety of sex toys, the Vancouver-based sex shop, Womyn's Ware. Store president, Janna L. Sylvest offers some advice for those of you who plan to buys toys for your favourite good girl or boy this holiday season:

MMB: What's the best piece of general advice you give people when it comes to shopping for toys?

WW: The more a person knows about what they want the product to do, the less they'll be led astray by 'staff favourites' and other popularity contest methods of selling sex toys. That's why we start every product category with a tutorial instead of a list of products. For example, with vibes, start by asking yourself whether you want clitoral or penetrative stimulation (or both) way before you decide you must have the Mini Pearl or the oft-written about Hitachi Magic Wand.

MMB: Can you give us the pros and cons of the various sex-toy materials?

WW: Plastic's pro is that it's cheap. It's con is that the material becomes brittle over time, can never be cleaned sufficiently to allow for sharing between users or uses, and is rarely comfortable enough for penetrative use.
Jelly is toxic and in a constant state of off gassing. It absorbs every thing it comes in contact with and is impossible to clean. There's nothing pro about it. The packaging is worth more than the toy,

Silicone is one giant pro. It's the longest lasting, easiest to clean material. Silicone is hypoallergenic, sterile, odour-free, resilient and warms to the touch. Several manufacturers offer lifetime replacement warranties against defaults in construction maerials. Some retailers describe its price as a con but we think that's a cop out. You get what you pay for is an important adage when you're looking for something to use with the ones you love. Latex-free Toys made of phthalate-free silicone or elastomer are your best bet. But beware -- a toy doesn't have to be 100% silicone to be labeled 'silicone'. Ask before buying.

Some acrylics (i.e., Lucite) and stainless steel toys offer the hypoallergenic benefits of silicone but unless you're a big fan of unforgiving rigidity, though, these materials lack the flexibility necessary for comfortable penetrative use.

MMB: What pitfalls should people avoid when it comes to buying toys?

WW: A 'Novelty Purposes Only' label means either horrific substandard quality and/or unsafe materials.

Using Jelly products for oral, vaginal, or anal stimulation is going to introduce Phthalate and other toxic solvent absorption into the mucous membranes of the body. These chemicals provoke eye, respiratory, skin, and mucous membrane irritation. Headaches, cramps, and nausea are some of the side effects that result from exposure at the levels found in Health Canada issuing an import ban. Health hazards, deceptive sales practices, and price gouging are all common in the sex toy industry. Consider the truth behind the price in our article: From Factory Floor to XXX Shop Door essay at www.womynsware.com/abtfactorytostore.htm