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The Snug Report

Anal toys, tested against every review we can find.

The Snug Report is published by the team behind Coy, a New Zealand retailer that stocks many of the products reviewed here. Who publishes this · How we score

Glossary

TPE: what it is and how to care for it

TPE — thermoplastic elastomer — is a soft, flexible synthetic material used in many budget and mid-range anal toys. It feels softer than silicone and costs less to manufacture, which is why you'll see it in plugs, beads and prostate massagers under £30. The trade-off: TPE is porous, meaning it has microscopic holes that cannot be fully cleaned, so bacteria can settle in over time. That matters more for anal toys than almost anything else, because you're working with an area where hygiene is not optional.

Why it matters

TPE toys cannot be sterilised. Soap and water will clean the surface, but not what sits inside the material itself. That means a TPE plug or probe is best kept to one person, and ideally used with a fresh condom each time — especially if you're sharing, or if the toy sees regular use.

The material also degrades faster than silicone or glass. TPE can become sticky, discoloured or start to smell after a few months of use, even with careful cleaning. If you're exploring anal play and want something that will last, a non-porous material — silicone, glass, stainless steel — will serve you better in the long run.

None of this makes TPE dangerous, but it does mean you need to treat it differently. Use it with a condom, replace it when it starts to feel tacky, and do not expect it to last for years. For a first plug or a toy you're not sure you'll love, TPE is fine. For something you intend to keep using, spend a bit more and get silicone.

The Snug Report is published by the team behind Coy, a New Zealand retailer that stocks many of the products reviewed here. We say so on every page. Our scores come from aggregated public reviews, not from us — the method is on the methodology page and the evidence count is on every review.

Who publishes this. The Snug Report is published by the team behind Coy, a New Zealand retailer that stocks many of the products reviewed here. We say so on every page. Our scores come from aggregated public reviews, not from us — the method is on the methodology page and the evidence count is on every review.

We do not carry advertising and we do not accept payment to review or to score a product. What we do and do not do.

By The Snug Report

The Snug Report is written and maintained by the team behind Coy, a New Zealand retailer. We spend our days handling this stock, processing the returns and reading what buyers actually say about it. We are not doctors, nurses or sexual-health clinicians, and nothing here is medical advice.