The short version
We sell silicone and nothing else. This isn't a marketing angle. TPE is cheaper to stock and it sells faster, and every month we choose not to sell it, we leave the high-volume, low-price end of the market to someone else.
We keep making that choice for four reasons. Silicone holds detail that TPE can't. It doesn't soak up dye from clothing. It handles heat well. And it doesn't break down chemically as it ages. TPE is softer and cheaper. Those are real advantages, and they are the only ones.
Everything below explains why we made this choice about what we sell, written by the people who made it.
Why we don't sell TPE
We are the ones who answer your email in year three.
A doll bought from us is made to your specification, photographed, approved by you and packed in a crate. Then she is yours for years, and if something goes wrong, you contact us. That makes the choice of material a customer support decision as much as a product decision.
TPE fails on a schedule. The oil that makes it soft moves out of the material. The surface becomes sticky, then dry, then brittle where it bends most, such as the armpits, groin, neck and inner thighs. Eventually it tears during handling that would have been fine two years earlier. Powdering slows this down, but nothing stops it. That is how the material behaves.
We would rather not sell a product with a timer built into it, and then be the ones explaining the timer.
What the two materials are
TPE stands for thermoplastic elastomer. It is an oil-based blend of plastic and rubber that is cheap to work with. It has been the standard material for sex dolls since the mid-2010s, because it is inexpensive and feels pleasant on the first day.
Silicone is a synthetic rubber that is cured instead of melted. It costs several times more per kilogram, and it is less forgiving to work with.
That last point explains most of the price difference. TPE is melted and injected into a mold, so a flawed piece can be reheated and made again. Silicone is mixed and cured in a reaction that only goes one way, so a flawed pour has to be thrown away. It is slower, more wasteful and more expensive to buy. That is why the wholesale price list we order from prices a silicone body where it does, and why we can't sell one for less.
The two advantages of TPE
We will explain them once, clearly, because you will read about them elsewhere and we would rather you read about them here.
It is softer
The difference is easy to notice. If squeeze and give matter to you more than anything else, TPE gives you more of both for your money. Silicone can be made softer. We offer gel in the breasts and buttocks for exactly this reason, plus softer belly and softer thigh options. But the base material is firmer, and it always will be.
It is cheaper
A similar TPE build costs a lot less. On a purchase this size, that isn't a small difference, and anyone who says it is has never had to explain the gap to a customer.
Those two points are the case for TPE. Below is why they didn't win.
The four reasons we chose silicone
1 · Detail
Silicone holds fine surface detail that TPE can't, such as the texture of pores, the fine creases at a knuckle, and the exact edge where lips meet skin.
From arm's length, both look fine. From the distance you will really be looking at her, one of them stops looking like skin. Our own process also depends on this. We photograph your doll before she ships, and you approve those photos. Sending close-up photos of a surface that doesn't hold up close up would be a bad idea for us. See what makes a doll look realistic.
2 · Staining
This causes owners more regret than anything else, and it is why our clothing advice is so firm.
TPE is porous and oil-based. The plasticizer in it acts like a solvent and pulls fabric dye into the material, where nothing can reach it. A dark pair of jeans, a red dress or a printed fabric can stain TPE permanently within hours. It can't be fixed, and on a TPE doll, that patch of skin will never look right again.
On silicone, the color stays on or near the surface and can usually be removed with color remover, especially if you catch it early. It is still a weekend you would rather not spend, so wash new clothing twice, but at least it is a weekend and not a permanent mark.
3 · Heat
Silicone can handle temperatures that soften and warp TPE. That matters for the warmth options we fit, for the temperature of the water you clean her with, and for any warm place she might be stored, such as an attic, a car or a sunny room.
We sell body warmth for +$115, and a heating element inside an oil-based material is a combination we would rather not stand behind. See what each option does.
4 · Age
Silicone has no plasticizer to lose, so it never goes through TPE's sticky, dry, brittle stages. Instead it builds up wear, such as surface marks, paint fading where she is touched most, and pressure marks from being stored in one position. Most of that can be prevented or repaired, and none of it has to be the end of her. See how each material ages.
Silicone also cleans properly. Because it is non-porous, there is nothing for residue to soak into, so soap and water reach everything that matters, every time. See the routine we send with every order.
Side-by-side comparison
| TPE | Silicone (what we sell) | |
|---|---|---|
| Softness | Softer | Firmer, with gel and softness options available |
| Fine detail | Good | Holds pore and crease detail |
| Staining | Soaks up dye permanently | Stays on the surface and can usually be removed |
| Heat tolerance | Low | High |
| Cleaning | Needs care, and only some products can be used | Simple, because it is non-porous |
| Routine care | Powdering, forever | Very little |
| Home repair | Easier, and blends in better | Trickier, and stays visible |
| Aging | Oil moves out; it gets sticky, then brittle | Wears instead of breaking down |
| Weight | Slightly lighter | Slightly heavier |
| Price | Lower | Higher |
| New smell | Noticeable, and fades over weeks | Very little |
Four of those rows are the reason we sell what we sell.
What each one costs
Here is the market in rough price ranges:
- Under $600: TPE, a basic skeleton, minimal finishing and a fixed design
- $600–1,200: TPE, a better skeleton and finishing, and some choices
- $1,200–1,900: entry-level silicone, or high-end TPE
- $1,900–3,500: silicone, a fully custom build, and finishing that holds up to close inspection
We are in the top range, and every build we sell is silicone. Financing is available for up to 20 months.
Why the market is moving toward silicone
Search interest in silicone has risen sharply over the past year, while interest in TPE has stayed mostly flat.
Two things are behind this. First, silicone prices have come down as more factories set up to produce it, which has narrowed a price gap that used to be too big for many buyers. We can see this on the wholesale price lists we buy from, year after year. Second, the first big wave of TPE owners are now four and five years in. They are watching their dolls age and talking about it on the forums where the next wave of buyers does their research.
That second reason matters more than any marketing, including ours. The most believable source in this market is an owner who bought years ago and is honest about what happened.
What we sell
Silicone. Each doll is built to your specification, spends two to three weeks on the workbench, and takes three to five weeks to reach your door.
Right now she doesn't exist. In two to three weeks she will, and no one else will ever have her. She will have the face you chose and the skin tone you chose, and she will be warm when you reach for her if you added warmth.
Before she ships, we photograph her and send you the pictures. Nothing ships until you approve them. She comes in a plain crate with no branding on the outside, and your statement shows a neutral billing name. She has six months of warranty, and five months on electrical parts, on top of whatever your local consumer law gives you. See the details for your country.
Common questions
Is silicone better than TPE for a sex doll?
For everything except softness and price, yes. It is better for detail, staining, heat and aging. We only sell silicone, and those four reasons are why.
Do you sell TPE dolls?
No, and we don't plan to. If softness at the lowest possible price matters most to you, we are not the right store, and we would rather tell you now than when you want to return it.
Is silicone softer if I add gel?
Gel changes the breasts and buttocks. It makes them softer, and they move and settle instead of holding their shape. The softer belly and softer thigh options do the same in other areas. None of this turns silicone into TPE. See gel compared with standard.
Does a TPE sex doll smell?
New TPE has a noticeable oily, plastic smell that fades over several weeks. Silicone has almost no smell from the start. A faint scent in the first few days is normal and is not a fault.
Can I tell silicone and TPE apart by touch?
Usually. TPE has more give and feels slightly sticky. Silicone is firmer, with a drier surface that feels more like skin. If a listing won't tell you which material it is, that tells you what you need to know. See seven checks to make before you pay.
Which one stains more easily?
TPE, by far, and permanently, because the dye moves into it. On silicone the dye stays near the surface and usually comes out.
How long does silicone last compared with TPE?
Silicone doesn't break down chemically the way TPE does, so with the same care it lasts much longer. Either way, storage matters more than the material. See the full breakdown.
Is silicone worth the extra money?
If you plan to keep her for years, yes. The material is the one decision in your build you can't change later. Every other choice in the configurator can be made differently on a second doll.
Next: What a sex doll really costs · Weight and handling · The nine decisions