If you hang around Kinky World for more than a few minutes, you’ll see recommended product after product that are definitely not on the budget-friendly side. That’s just it, though: quality workmanship and parts cost money, so expensive sex toys tend to be better buys. But what about when you’re shopping on a budget? Whether you’re looking to have a new, fluid-bonded toy to use with someone you met on ondate or you just are keeping things on a budget, you might be looking for cheap sex toys.
And that’s what we’re going to go over today. If you’re on a budget, how can you choose the best cheap sex toys to ensure you’re not wasting your money?
I’m writing these sex toy tips to apply no matter what type of toy you’re looking to buy. As someone with over 15 years in the sex toy industry and multiple years as a sex toy retailer buyer, here’s what I look for when trying to decide if cheap sex toys are going to be a viable option for customers or complete garbage.
Go for Plastic Sex Toys
If the documentaries are accurate, there are a lot of problems with plastic. But when it comes to sex toys, plastic is cheap AF, transfers vibrations really well, and happens to be harder to combine with questionable, even-cheaper materials. This means that your plastic is probably just that: plastic.
(Versus a $10 “silicone” vibrator that is actually primarily phthalate-filled PVC with 2% silicone.)
Plastic doesn’t feel great for penetration (it’s rigid and pokey), but if you’re looking for an external vibrator, you can actually get some decent plastic vibrators in the $10 to $20 USD range. Their electrical bits may not last longer than a year with regular use, but it can be a body-safe way to pick up a vibrator on a budget.
Expect to Spend at Least $40 USD if It’s Motorized
This is an article about cheap sex toys, isn’t it? It is! But $40 actually IS a cheap sex toy. Your average name-brand sex toy runs in the $60 to $120 range.
I’m going to be honest with you: it’s nearly impossible to create a decent sex toy that has any powered, electronic functionality that’s less than $40. Your toy needs to have a motor, an entire system to power the motor, and the outer material to cover it, and that all costs money.
If you’re going for a slim butt plug or dildo that has no movements or vibrations, you can find something in the $20 range. Make sure to look for toys made from pure silicone to ensure you’re getting something that won’t give you a rash.
But if you want something that vibrates, expect to spend at least $40. If that requires saving up for a few months, it’s worth it. Unless your potential toy passes all of the other points in this list with flying colors, simply being under $40 is usually a red flag itself. It means the manufacturer may be aiming for lots of sales before constant returns or poor ratings get it kicked off the sales platform.
Avoid Remote Control or App Control
I’mma be honest. The physical components required to make good remote control and app control toys are expensive.
And that’s exactly the problem if you’re looking for cheap sex toys; that lower price has to come from somewhere, and they often skimp on the remote control functionality. After all, a sex toy with wireless control requires:
- A separate remote and all its materials and production for a separate object
- Two additional wireless receivers/senders
- Full development and security (ongoing) of a cell phone app
You’ll often find that cheap remote control toys are worse than if the toy just didn’t have remote control. Getting excited for remote control – and then finding that it’s unreliable, finicky, and doesn’t work at all is really frustrating. On the opposing side, if you don’t expect remote control, you’ll be just fine using the buttons on the toy itself.
Really, if you’re looking for budget friendly sex toys, just avoid remote and app control toys. Their reliability and app functionality is usually in the toilet and more frustration than it’s worth.
If you’re set on a toy with a physical remote, expect to spend at least $70. If you want app control, quality is going to start around $85-ish.
The only exception I make to that is Satisfyer remote control toys. This brand very-specifically focused on the app control of the toy, and instead, sacrificed power and battery life on the toy itself. I have experience with multiple Satisfyer app toys, and the app works great; the toys themselves are just much less intense and longer-lasting than Satisfyer’s non-app versions.
Look for a Warranty
Just like everything else in your household, if it comes with a warranty, it probably means it was built to last at least a little while. If the manufacturer honors their warranty, they simply don’t want to have to replace it. Every time a toy dies within its warranty period, they lose money. So they have to build the toy to last at least as long as the warranty period.
Not only does a sex toy warranty period give you some peace of mind for replacement, but it also gives you some reassurance about its build quality.
It also adds to the manufacturer’s reputation. Fly-by-night sex toy manufacturers don’t offer warranties. They don’t expect to be around long enough to care about a reputation.
If your potential sex toy offers zero warranty at all, consider it with caution.
Find Your Cheap Sex Toys’ Website
Reputable manufacturing brands have their own brand website. Manufacturers love cutting out the middle man by standing on their own. If you could eliminate the cut a retailer takes by shipping directly to customers, why wouldn’t you?
Well, you wouldn’t when you don’t have a customer base to sell to. If your entire business model is only creating the lowest-bar products to try to target when someone on eBay searches “butt plug”, there’s no reason to make your own website. Customers will never be so satisfied with the butt plug they bought from you to search out the rest of your toys.
Since you don’t sell anything of quality or value, you also don’t need a website to send to retailers when they ask to carry your products. You plan on staying right on the marketplace sites where no questions are asked as long as the big box retailer’s marketplace is getting their cut.
So before you buy a dildo from XYZDildoDirect, check to see if they have a brand website of their own. If not, consider this a red flag.
Look for a Long-Standing Company
Just like hiring a professional in any business (whether it’s plumbing or someone from Ondate.io), you’re likely to have better results if that person has proven experience in their field.
That’s true of cheap sex toys too. A sex toy company that popped up last week is a red flag.
A sex toy company that’s been selling cheap sex toys for the last decade is less concerning. They aren’t likely to disappear into the night, closing up their doors before providing support (or even shipping out the toy!)
This isn’t necessarily going to ensure your budget sex toy is quality, but it will at least ensure you receive what you paid for.
Read Sex Toy Reviews
As a sex toy educator and retail manager, I rely heavily on sex toy reviews. Sometimes, the toys that show a few red flags are actually a-okay purchases. This is especially the case when they come from big-name brands that are trying to capture the “budget spender” market.
(For example, the ROMP line is owned by the same people who make the luxury lines Womanizer, Arcwave, and We-Vibe. They created their budget lines by taking out all of the nice features and warranties that make their luxury lines stand out.)
Unless you’re a sex toy nerd who knows all of these things, it can be hard to figure out exactly where those exceptions lie. That’s where sex toy reviews can really help. They can help you figure out if someone else had a great time with a toy – or is grumpy that they can’t get a replacement because it died on the first try.
When possible, try to lean towards sex toy blogger reviews vs marketplace reviews. We all know that companies are spending cash to fake those reviews on a large scale. You can’t fake reviews from a 3rd party website you have no control over.
Why Are Cheap Sex Toys So Crappy?
Before we go, I want to give you a bit of context. I think it’s important to understand why cheap sex toys can be so crappy because the sex industry is so different than anything else out there. If you go to your local big box store and buy a cheap sauce pan, you still expect it to hold your food on the stovetop. You don’t necessarily expect it to last very long and it may not cook evenly, but still does the job.
That isn’t necessarily the case with cheap sex toys.
This unfortunate reality is brought on by two facts: sex toys aren’t regulated by the government AND most people still feel shame about sex.
Since sex toys aren’t regulated by the government, sex toy manufacturers are free to do whatever they want within them. There are, literally, no rules. If they want to call it “body-safe” while it contains literal poison, they can do that. They can be the target of lawsuits if they hurt someone, but that leads to point number two: people feel shame about sex.
Getting rashes or burns from dangerous sex toys is still a relatively common story. (Luckily, it’s becoming less common.)
However, you’d need to attach your name to photographic and medical proof to take someone to court. So when those things happen, unlike being burned by a kitchen pan that explodes, people just throw the toy away and maybe leave a review on it where they bought it.
Crappy cheap sex toys manufacturers use this shame to their advantage during the retail process. Because sex toys touch “biohazardous” bodily fluids and because people are embarrassed to be buying them in the first place, these manufacturers don’t expect any returns. That means they “win” as soon as you make the initial purchase with no real downside to them if you hate it.
So, “overpromise” is the name of the game. They simply need to get your money for the product because once it’s in your hands, it doesn’t matter how shitty it is. They already won. What are you going to do? Leave a review that shows your full name talking about how you couldn’t orgasm with a toy?
Now, not all cheap sex toys are crap. That’s why I wrote this article in the first place. There are quite a few toys on the budget end of things that can be decent as long as you temper your expectations. That is:
- Powerful toys cost money. You can’t squeeze power out of a bunch of dollar store parts. Not only is a powerful motor expensive, but a powerful motor puts out more movement, which requires the supporting parts be more expensive. You simply can’t have an ultra-powerful vibrator that costs nothing.
- Durable toys cost money. Movements and vibrations shake around internal components. These components need to be strong enough to resist the movement, or they snap. Durability of tiny metal and plastic parts cost money because they use more material. Expect cheaper toys to die faster.
- Quality materials cost money. Pure silicone material is getting more affordable for the average sex toy maker. That doesn’t mean that it’s as cheap as rubber or PVC though. Since sex toys are unregulated, this might also mean that a toy calls itself “silicone” but is actually a silicone blend of 92% rubber and 8% silicone. If ever in doubt, cover your sex toy with a condom. It makes for easier cleaning too!
- Wishlist features cost money. You aren’t going to get a remote-controlled vibrator or Bluetooth controlled prostate massager for $50. Anyone promising otherwise is going to be a shitty experience filled with non-responsive toys. Remember: parts cost money. Wireless transmitters are especially pricey. If you manage to find a Bluetooth toy at an “unbelievably” low price, read the free app’s fine print very, very carefully. They may be selling the sex toys at a loss because the real product is getting at the data in your phone.
Updated: October 2025, June 2025.
