Body-safe or not? Sort the labels

Product pages print a material on the box and hope you don't ask questions. Here are ten labels you'll actually see. Sort each one: would you trust it inside you, or would you think twice?

The rule underneath

It comes down to one question: porous or non-porous? A non-porous material has no tiny pores for bacteria to settle in, so it can be cleaned properly. A porous one can't, however well you wash it.

Porous isn't automatically dangerous. It means the toy is for one person, wears a condom if it's shared, and gets replaced when it starts to discolour or smell.

Using it when you shop

Shops differ a lot in how clearly they label materials. On each shop review we say whether materials are labelled on all, most or some products. The full checklist, including the red flags on a product page, is in our guide on how to tell if a shop sells body-safe toys.