Worth the Splurge: Why Luxury Sex Toys?
We hate to be the ones to burst your bubble, but if you’ve found a sex toy on a third-party site with a price that seems too good to be true – it probably is too good to be true. Many super-popular toys like the Magic Wand are constantly seeing fake, cheaper knock-offs aka dupes put out – toys that look like the Magic Wand and may even use the name against trademark, but that aren’t designed in the same quality way.
But - these dupes aren’t the same thing as getting a knock-off handbag – there’s actually some safety and hygiene concerns to this – let’s break it down:
Not-So-Fun Fact: The FDA doesn’t regulate sex toys that don’t fall under the umbrella of “medical device” – which means that the phrase “body-safe” isn’t always used in an honest way on those third-party sites.
For trusted sex toy retailers (like us over here at Babeland, hello!) - we use that phrase to identify something that is phthalate-free and comprised of materials that are able to safely be used for their intended purpose, inside or outside of the body, over and over.
Getting a sex toy that’s made out of a non-body-safe material can cause irritation, infection, or even dangers like particles of the toy being left behind in the body. They can have a distinct chemical smell, or be made out of material that feels like it pills when there is friction against it.
Higher-quality materials like medical-grade silicone, BPA-free plastics, nickel-free metals, non-toxic TPE and other silicone blends are not only safer, but they’ll last much longer and be exceptionally easier to clean. Non-porous high-quality materials like glass, metal, and pure silicone never degrade with proper care, so your toy will last as long as you care for it to. Not to mention, the quality of the material to the touch can be wildly different – silicone designed to feel like skin, velvety waterproof plastics – and so your entire experience will just feel better.
There’s also, simply, luxury materials. Toys with gold or crystal features, ones that are hand-made, ones that are a patented material unlike anything else on the market. Toys that look just as great as they’ll make you feel. Toys that can be statement pieces on your nightstand as much as a piece of art.
If you’re interested in investing in a popular vibrator, there’s a chance that the reason it’s so loved is because of the way that it functions.
One of the first important factors that I will point out is the integrity of the motor itself when it comes to safety: i.e. not overheating or even exploding (yes, there have been instances of these poorly-made knock-off toys causing fires). These are corners that are not cut by legit + recognized sex toy brands, and the cost of building, testing, and ensuring those motors are of the highest quality can be expensive, hence the higher price tag.
Even when it comes to safely-made vibrators, there’s still a huge range in the different nuances of motors and the sensations they can provide. More budget-friendly vibrators have a less intricate motor system than many higher-end vibes, and that compromise can show by way of power source (battery opperated vs rechargeable), whether or not they’re waterproof, how many functions they offer, and/or the sensation of the vibration itself.
Luxury and higher-end vibrators are often USB rechargeable (some even use magnetic charging) and offer more settings. Some remote-controlled vibrators will even have the tech to be app controlled, or even respond to touch or VR to control the sensations being provided.
There’s also the note of buzzy versus rumbly motors. Buzzy vibration – aka a high-pitched, surface level sensation vibration - can be found from inexpensive to luxury options, but rumbly vibration – aka a deeper, more penetrating vibration – is almost exclusive to those higher-tier toys, since those motors are more refined in design to get that resonating sensation that’s great for getting stimulation deep into the body past where the toy comes in contact with the skin.
As we’ve mentioned, better motors + better materials = longer-lasting toys. On top of that, many brands that pride themselves on these higher standards and back the quality of their products with manufacturer’s warranties that span months to years of full coverage, knowing that it is a rarity to run into an issue with all of the work that goes into assuring these toys can walk the walk and talk the talk – or vibe the vibe in this case.
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All of this isn’t to say that you can’t find great toys at a budget price. There are toys that are made well at almost any price point, but if you want to make sure that you’re making an investment that’s built to last and built to check off all of the boxes on your sex toy wishlist, it can be worth the splurge to upgrade. In the words of Retta, treat yo’ self!
