Rubber is a common material used to make sex toys, including vibrators and dildos. Rubber is soft to the touch but not as pliable as some other popular sex toy materials, including silicone and the rubber-PVC blend known as jelly. Because rubber is affordable, rubber sex toys are inexpensive to manufacture and economical for consumers. Rubber is a porous material, however, so rubber sex toys must be cleaned thoroughly after use.
Simple rubber contains latex, so sex toys made from this material can irritate people with allergies. Sex toys made from thermoplastic rubber, which is a polymer rubber blend, are a hypoallergenic, non-toxic alternative for people with a latex sensitivity.
Rubber sex toys have a relatively short shelf life, but proper maintenance and storage can maximize their life span.