Silicone is the most common material that is used in the manufacture of sex toys. The fact that it is non-porous makes it completely bacteria free. Being waterproof makes it easier to clean, and can also be boiled to disinfect at high temperatures. Lubricants with a water base are best suited for silicone-based products.

Phthalates are also used in most sextoys, as they prove to save a lot of money for the  manufacturers. The material is used to soften plastic and increase its flexibility thereby making it useful in the manufacture of these toys. The material however can cause medical problems for people sensitive to it.

Jelly based products are very soft in nature but stand a high chance of containing bacteria. It is suggested that while sharing such sextoys, they should be washed with water and mild soap and used with a condom. As the products containing jelly may also contain latex and phthalates they can prove to be allergic.

Sex toys made out of elastomer are found to be quite durable, but being highly porous increase the chance of getting infected, thereby making the use of condoms a must. Toys made of elastomer can be cleaned using water along with mild soap.

Thermoplastic elastomer or TPE, is used in manufacturing these toys for people who are prone to latex and chemicals. The material is quite soft and is best suited for use with water based lubricants. Due to its porous nature, it is essential to use condoms while using TPE based sextoys, owing to its tendency to contain bacteria even after repeated cleaning.
Toys made of hard plastic are ideal for manufacturing vibrators. The material being non porous is easy to clean and are also free from any kind of allergic reactions. Lubricants with a water or silicon base are best suited for hard plastic sextoys. They are however not very comfortable and also stand the chance of getting damaged easily.

Metals and glass are also used for manufacturing sextoys. The advantage of using toys made out of metals or glass is that they can be used with any kind of lubricant and can also be cleaned quite easily using boiling water.

Cyberskin is mainly used in making the sex toys for males and has the look and feel of normal human skin. It is suggested that only water based lubricants or silicone based lubricants be used with the toys made of cyberskin. These toys can also be cleaned with soap and water owing to the fact that the material is porous in nature.

Thus people interested in using sex toys can make their choice from a wide range of materials while choosing the product.