What’s the Difference Between a $50 and $200 Sex Toy?
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Buying a sex toy can be an overwhelming experience. (So much so that we have an entire guide dedicated tochoosing the right vibrator.) Whether you’re shopping in a sex shop, on Amazon, or on a brand’s site, the pricing can range from as low as $30 to upward of a couple hundred dollars. To see exactly what drives the price up and what corners are cut to keep costs down, I spoke to three experts in the field: co-founder and CEO ofDameAlexandra Fine, CEO ofVibratexKen Herskovitz, and certified intimacy coach and sex educatorSarah Tomchesson. Below, they break down how materials, motors, and more play into pricing a sex toy.
Some outer materials cost more than others.
Sex toys are a broad category, but the most widely used material is silicone. You’ll often see the term “body safe” used as a descriptor for silicone in mid- to higher-priced toys, but there isn’t “official backing for it,” says Fine. “Most brands that claim to be ‘body safe’ are actually using food-grade silicone (the stuff used for plates and forks). It’s generally nontoxic, but it’s not the highest quality,” she says. The highest quality (and most expensive) is medical-grade silicone, which means it’s safe enough to be implanted into your body. It requires extra biocompatibility testing, which drives up the cost. “If a legitimate brand says it’s medical grade, it is. That provides peace of mind for the consumer, and a brand will likely charge more because the raw material costs more,” says Herkovitz. It’s worth mentioning, too, that Tomchesson says not seeing “medical grade” isn’t an automatic red flag. “Look for ‘platinum-grade’ silicone instead,” she says. It’s higher-grade than food-safe (it comes down to the curing process that makes it more durable), but it’s not as extensively tested as medical-grade silicone.
What consumers should be cautious about are very cheap toys that might be made of silicones that degrade faster, aren’t BPA-free, or contain phthalates (plastic softeners that are potentially carcinogenic). Because there isn’t much regulation on “novelty” products, this is an area some companies cut corners on in pricing. It’s also best to steer clear from jelly rubbers or anything that has an odor right out of the box. A general rule of thumb is to make sure there’s info on the material. “If you can’t find information on what a product is made of, look for an alternative. It’s going on or in your body; it needs to be safe,” says Tomchesson.
But it’s what’s inside that matters for pleasure.
A high-endvibratortypically has a more sophisticated motor that requires more power. More sophisticated doesn’t necessarily mean higher speed, though. It comes down to weight and torque. “Most motors are designed to be perfectly balanced and silent; sex toy motors are the opposite — they are designed to be off-balance to create vibration,” says Fine. “High-quality motors last longer and the density of the weight on the motor impacts the sensation.”
Herskovitz explains that torque (the rotational force) is an important factor to consider, which requires a more expensive motor. “Think of a small handheld battery fan. If you grab the blades while it’s spinning, you can stop it easily. That motor has low torque,” explains Herskovitz. “A high-torque motor has a rotational force so strong you wouldn’t be able to stop it with your grip.” Two motors that have the same speed can have different torques, and the one with the higher torque generally lasts longer since the motor isn’t being stressed to its limit, explains Herskovitz. Plus, the sensation of a higher-torque vibrator is different. “The size of the motor produces more torque and rumble that gets deeper into the body, whereas a smaller motor provides more of a surface sensation,” says Tomchesson. On top of that, some higher-powered motors may require a cooling component so it doesn’t overheat (a case with the waterproof Magic Wand). And how you charge a toy can drive up the cost, too. A toy with a rechargeable battery is generally going to be more expensive than a battery operated one.
More settings doesn’t always mean better.
Most high-end vibrators will have pattern diversity, but that doesn’t necessarily mean more settings and speeds means higher quality. “What is actually more expensive is the UX (user experience),” says Fine, who references her own line at Dame. “Our premium products have three buttons: pattern change, plus, and minus. Our less-expensive products have one button and fewer settings. The worst experience is a toy with ten settings and only one button, because if you want to go back down a level, you have to click through all ten again.”
Innovation costs more.
You typically aren’t going to see brand-new technology hitting the market at a $50 price point. That’s because there’s a lot of R&D factored into that cost. “For example, the Womanizer was the very first ‘pleasure air’ product, and now we have an entire category where you see price variation,” says Tomchesson. “Usually, a lower-end product line is specifically trying to create accessible products that are similar to others on the market. These are great for folksnew to sex toyswho don’t want to make a huge investment.”
With a unique product, it costs to make several versions before landing on the right prototype. Once that has gone to a factory, other brands can buy that design without having to put in the resources and create knockoffs. “A knockoff doesn’t necessarily mean poor quality,” says Herskovitz. “But it means it isn’t an original design.” With that said, there can be some nuance in sensation between the original and knockoffs, like with the Womanizer and othersuction products. “This is a case where price reflects quality,” says Tomchesson. “The original ‘pleasure air’ technology like the Womanizer stimulates without making direct contact with the clitoris. Suction products actually pull on the tissue. Suction can be more intense or even uncomfortable for some, and it can burn you out more quickly. The original technology has been fine-tuned to work with our anatomy. You can feel a real difference between the two.”
A more expensive sex toy might last longer.
Durability comes down to how often you use your toy. A standard battery-powered bullet might last years if you’re an occasional user, but if you’re an avid user, it could die out faster. Generally, though, a more expensive product will get you a solid warranty. Less expensive ones might offer a one year warranty, while a pricier one might get you a warranty that lasts five years or more. Plus, buying from a brand versus a cheap one off Amazon usually means you have access to a customer service team in case of any defects or issues.
Bottom line: It all comes down to your needs.
For safety, be sure you’re going with a material that’s either high-quality silicone or stainless steel. But from there, assess why you’re buying a sex toy, how often you’re looking to use it, and the expectations you have. “When you see a product at that $200 price point, it’s for customers who want the best of the best, whether that is a new proprietary technology, the highest manufacturing standards, or something designed to last for many years,” says Tomchesson. There are plenty of cases where a $50 sex toy does make sense, though. “You can’t return a sex toy, so it is a risky purchase. I often tell people not to spend over $100 on their first vibrator because you need to learn what sensations you actually like before making a big investment,” says Tomchesson. She adds that if you’re exploring what you like, it’s nice to have a variety of products rather than a single expensive one. “If you’re in a phase of high self-exploration or attending play parties or swinging, having a ‘fleet’ of products makes more sense than one singular investment.”
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