3. Recycled or reduced packaging. Lovehoney’s Featherstone points out that using biodegradable materials or recyclable cardboard/paper-based packaging is vastly preferable to single-use plastic when it comes to how your toy gets delivered. Toy companies with more thoughtful packaging will usually shout about it in their online product descriptions. And speaking of toy companies speaking up…
4. Honesty. “Transparency when it comes to manufacturing processes and environmental impact are also factors to consider when shopping for sustainable toys,” O’Reilly says. “As are fair trade and labor practices.” No brand gets straight A’s from a sustainability perspective, but a company with nothing to hide is a company you can probably trust. One of our favorite sex toy brands, Fun Factory, is a great example, dedicating a page on its site to share labor practices and its efforts to lower its carbon footprint.
Ready to go green in the bedroom? Here are some expert-vetted eco-friendly sex toys.
The Best Eco-Friendly G-Spot Vibrator
Why it’s great: Astroglide’s O’Reilly says that if there’s one sex toy company that stands above the rest, it’s Bloomi. “Bloomi’s suite of products are all designed and manufactured with an industry-leading “Clean Standard”: they include non-toxic materials and medical-grade silicone with sustainable, compostable, and recyclable packaging,” she explains. She’s a fan of the Indulge in particular, because the double-sided, dual-shaped design—one end vibrates, one doesn’t—makes it a versatile toy for external or G-spot stimulation.
How to use: Apply water-based lube if desired. Hold the power button for two seconds to turn the toy on or off. Short-press that same button to cycle through vibration patterns. Use the other buttons to change the vibration intensity.
The Best Eco-Friendly Clitoral Vibrator
Why it’s great: “Everything about Love Not War is designed with sustainability in mind, from their materials to manufacturing to packaging,” Featherstone says. The lipstick-style flat shape of the Amore is perfect for clitoral stimulation, but there’s more where that came from. That’s because you can order all sorts of different Love Not War attachments that work with the base vibrator unit, letting you play with new shapes and sensations. It’s not expressly pitched as a sustainability feature, but one vibrator taking the place of eight sure sounds like planet-friendly math.
How to use: Apply water-based lube if desired.
The Best Eco-Friendly Pressure-Wave Toy
Why it’s great: The clitoral stimulator (a.k.a. clit stim) has taken the sex toy world by storm by using pressure-wave technology—basically, rhythmic puffs of air—on , which creates “a very unique sensation that tends to lead to powerful orgasms.” Womanizer’s jumped into the mix with the Premium Eco, a wave toy using Biolene, a plastic alternative that’s made from largely organic materials. It’s technically biodegradable, but don’t go chucking your broken toy in the backyard compost—Biolene requires an industrial process that isn’t very prevalent or consumer-accessible. That said, when time comes to get rid of the Premium Eco, the Biolene parts will be less harmful to the Earth than the toxin-filled ABS plastic used in most toys.
How to Use: Apply water-based lube to the nozzle of the toy before placing it over your clitoris. Hold down the “+” button to turn the toy on, or the “–” button to turn it off. Short-press those same buttons to change the intensity level.
The Best Eco-Friendly G-Spot Dildo
Silcox recommends this luxurious rose quartz dildo because of how well its curve can hit the G-spot. The all-natural, super-smooth quartz isn’t just a forever material that looks stunningly sculptural, either—because crystal holds temperature so well, you can dip this toy in warm or cold water for a few minutes before game time, and enjoy a whole new sensation.
How to Use: Apply lube, if desired, before inserting vaginally.
The Best Eco-Friendly Glass Dildo
Why it’s great: The simpler and sturdier a sex toy, the longer it’ll last. A great glass dildo (or butt plug) might just outlive you. There’s no battery to die out, no silicone to wear down, no button to break during one glorious-but-vigorous session. Plus, as Featherstone points out, “glass sex toys are easy to clean.” We like this one for the double-ended design that can be used either vaginally or anally. Some reviewers at LoveHoney mentioned it’s a bit slim, but that it’s a great starting point for glass dildo newbies.
How to Use: Apply lube, if desired, before inserting.
The Best Eco-Friendly Showerhead for Masturbation
Meet the showerhead designed to give women head (though you’d never guess from looking at it). You can choose from three settings: a lightweight rain shower (which also works for just getting clean), a pulsing jet, and a trio of twisting streams. “A slider bar that controls the water pressure, reducing the flow to 0.9 gallons per minute on its lowest setting,” says Featherstone. “This saves 60% more water than the average showerhead.”
How to Use: Install in your shower according to the included instructions. Use the button on the showerhead to switch between settings, and the intensity slider to adjust the water pressure.
The Best Eco-Friendly Penis Vibrator
According to eco-conscious Canadian sex shop Come As You Are, “Fun Factory makes the most environmentally sustainable vibrators on the planet.” The German brand uses environmentally sustainable processes to produce their toys, and are committed to worker rights and protections. Most of their vibes have rechargeable batteries, saving on e-waste. You’ll see us recommend the Manta a lot—it’s one of our best men’s sex toys, best oral-style vibrators, and one of the best vibrators available on Amazon—because it really rockets up the fun for anyone with a penis by hugging the shaft to deliver eye-opening vibrations. It’s fun for masturbation, a blowjob, or a handjob.
Kate Sloan
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