Sex toy safety is mostly up to the buyer, because no regulator approves an adult product before it goes on sale. Some general chemical and electrical rules do apply. The tighter rules written for medical devices and children's toys do not, and the phrase body-safe is a claim with no legal definition behind it.
Phthalates in the EU
Phthalates are plasticizers that make PVC soft. The EU restricts them under REACH, and the rules changed in 2020 in a way most sex toy content still has not caught up with.
Since 7 July 2020, four phthalates, DEHP, DBP, BBP and DIBP, are capped at 0.1% by weight in plasticized material in consumer articles generally, not just in toys. Electrical and electronic equipment is exempt from that REACH entry, but RoHS has applied the same four limits to electrical products since July 2019. So in the EU, a non-motorized jelly dildo and a vibrator should both be under the limit for those four.
Three other phthalates, DINP, DIDP and DNOP, are restricted only in children's toys and childcare articles that can be put in the mouth. Nothing stops them being used in adult products. Restricted also means restricted for the seller placing the product on the EU market. A toy bought from a seller outside the EU and shipped directly has had no one checking it on arrival.
Phthalates in the US
US federal phthalate limits sit in consumer product law for children's toys and childcare articles. Adult products are outside them. California's Proposition 65 requires a warning label when a product exposes buyers to listed chemicals, and DEHP is on the list, which is why some toys arrive with a Prop 65 sticker. The sticker is a disclosure. It does not mean the product was tested or that anything was removed.
What a CE mark means
On a vibrator, a CE mark is the manufacturer's own declaration that the product meets the EU directives that apply to electrical goods: electrical safety, electromagnetic compatibility, radio equipment for Bluetooth models, and RoHS for restricted substances. It is self-declared, with no third party involved for most products, and it says nothing about whether the silicone is silicone. On a non-motorized toy there is usually no CE mark at all, because no CE directive covers it.
ISO 10993 and medical-grade claims
ISO 10993 is the international series of standards for testing the biocompatibility of materials in medical devices. It is the test that would be relevant to a sex toy, and for adult products it is voluntary. A few brands commission it and publish the result. Most do not.
Medical-grade silicone on a toy listing is a description of the raw material the maker says it bought. It does not mean the finished toy is a medical device or has been tested as one.
Porous materials and sharing
Porous materials, meaning TPE, TPR, PVC jelly and latex, hold fluid below the surface where washing does not reach. Sexual health organizations, Planned Parenthood among them, advise covering porous toys with a condom and keeping them to one person. Non-porous toys can be shared once properly cleaned, though a fresh condom per person on any shared toy removes the question entirely. The sex toy materials page sorts every common material into porous or not.
Physical design risks
Two design rules cover most physical injuries. Anything for anal use needs a flared base or handle wider than the insertable part, because the body can draw an object in. Rings that constrict should be stretchy and removable in seconds, and worn within the maker's time limit. Rigid metal rings carry the most risk.
Glass toys should be checked for chips before every use. A chip in glass is a cutting edge, and a cracked glass toy goes in the bin.
Batteries and charging
Most rechargeable toys use lithium-ion cells. Charge them with the supplied cable, on a hard surface, and never while wet. A toy that gets hot while charging, swells, or stops holding a charge has a battery problem and should not be charged again. Waterproof ratings apply to the sealed body with the charging port dry, so dry the port before plugging in.
Lube safety
Lube is the other product that touches the same tissue, and it gets even less attention. The WHO's advisory note on lubricants sets 1200 mOsm/kg as the acceptable ceiling for osmolality in water-based lube and treats lower values as better, because very concentrated lube draws water out of tissue. Many consumer lubes are well above that ceiling, and almost none print the figure. Glycerin and some preservatives are also common irritants. If a lube stings, that is the lube.
Safety checks before you buy
- A specific material named on the listing, ideally 100% silicone, borosilicate glass or 316L steel.
- A flared base on anything for anal use.
- No strong chemical smell on opening.
- A seller you can identify, since a counterfeit carries none of the original's claims.
- A charging method and waterproof rating stated in plain terms.
How to keep each material clean once it arrives is on the sex toy cleaning page.