Can You Use Silicone Lube on Silicone Toys? What 22 Makers Say
Published 6 minExplainerThe Short Answer
Water-based lube is safe with every toy, so if that's what you use, you can stop reading. Silicone lube is the one that can turn some silicone toys sticky, and whether it does depends on the toy's silicone and on the lube. That's why the makers don't agree with each other.
So we read what they publish. Of the 17 toy makers we quote, 13 tell you not to use silicone lube on their toys, Doc Johnson says it may not be compatible, and only SquarePeg and Mr Hankey's say yes. Tantus says both, on different pages. None of the five lube makers promises it's safe either, and they're the ones selling it.
Do what the maker of your toy says. If it says nothing, use water-based, or test the silicone lube on a spot you won't use first.
What the Toy Makers Say
Read on each maker's own US site, help center, product page or manual on October 26, 2026. Fleshlight's sleeves are TPE, not silicone. LELO calls lube a moisturizer. We-Vibe's FAQ adds that you should only use water-based lubricants from known manufacturers.
Tantus is the one to read twice. Its silicone page says its toys are safe with premium silicone lubes like pjur. The store listings for its Perfect Plug, its cock rings and its paddles say "Not recommended with Silicone Lube." Its FAQ suggests water-based or oil-based lube for best results, and the Swiss Navy silicone lube it sells is listed with "Do not use with silicone toys." We'd use water-based with anything from Tantus.
Mr Hankey's is the other yes with small print. Its FAQ says its toys are used with all types of lube, silicone included, and that its own 30-day test found no problems. Its usage and safety page asks for a 24-hour patch test first and says lube damage is not a manufacturing defect, so a toy you ruin that way may not be replaced.
What the Lube Makers Say
| Maker | Silicone lube on silicone toys? | In its own words |
|---|---|---|
| Uberlube | Not unless the toy maker says it's compatible | "We do not recommend the use of any silicone lubricant with silicone toys" |
| Swiss Navy | Not unless the toy brand confirms it | "unless your toy brand confirms it's compatible" |
| Wicked | May not be compatible | "may not be compatible with certain silicone toys" |
| Sliquid | Usually fine with platinum-cured silicone, not with soft "skin" silicone | "platinum cured silicone toys will not react with silicone lubricants" |
| pjur | Often fine, test first | "Many users successfully combine our silicone-based lubricants with toys." |
Read on each maker's own site on October 26, 2026.
Three of the five tell you to ask the toy maker, which brings you back to the first table. Sliquid and pjur lean toward yes, and both still hedge. Sliquid says soft, "skin" type silicone will react, and pjur says to test first.
Why They Disagree
Silicone isn't one material. Makers blend it to different softness, and Sliquid says the soft, skin-like kind is the one that reacts while Platinum-cure siliconeSilicone set with a platinum catalyst instead of tin. It cures cleaner, with nothing left over, and it's the claim to look for on a silicone toy. More in the glossary toys usually don't. When a toy does react, Uberlube says it may swell or get sticky. It doesn't dissolve, whatever you've read. A toy that turns tacky is still silicone, so a drop of lube can't tell you whether yours is real silicone.
SquarePeg goes the furthest. It says it hasn't seen silicone lube damage its SuperSoft silicone since that came out in 2006, and calls the dissolving story an urban myth that likely started with silicone toys stored against vinyl. Vixen is at the other end and calls it a chemical reaction that breaks down the surface, which is why its no covers hybrids too.
Fun Factory's reason is a different one. It says silicone lube is so hard to wash off a toy without residue that the toy can't be kept clean, so it says never, for hygiene rather than for damage.
Steel, glass and hard plastic don't have this problem. Uberlube lists plastic, glass, ceramic and stainless steel as safe with its silicone lube, which covers an njoy Pure Wand and most glass toys.
How to Test a Lube on a Toy
Test only when your toy's maker allows silicone lube or says nothing about it. If it says no, believe it. You'd risk the toy, and Aneros says silicone lube voids its warranty.
Mr Hankey's asks for a 24-hour patch test on a part that doesn't go inside you, and its FAQ suggests a little lube on the underside overnight. Uberlube and pjur both say to test a small, out-of-the-way spot. Bad Dragon, which says no to silicone lube, sells sample discs so you can test any lube on its silicone without risking a toy.
Leave the lube on for a day. If the spot feels sticky, swollen or rough afterwards, that toy stays on water-based.
Which Lube to Use
Water-based is our default for every toy, and Sliquid H2O is the bottle we'd buy. Silicone lube lasts longer and stays put in the shower, so it's worth having for sex without toys, for steel, glass and hard plastic, and for the toys whose makers say yes. Uberlube is our pick there.
Hybrids sit in between, and the makers split on them as well. b-Vibe, which says no to silicone lube, sells its own silicone and water hybrid. Vixen says never, and Doc Johnson says hybrids may not be compatible with its silicone. With hybrids, follow the maker of the toy too.
Our lube rankings and our guide to choosing a lube cover the rest, from flavor to condoms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use silicone lube on silicone toys?
Only if the toy's maker says yes. Of the 17 toy makers we quote, read on October 26, 2026, 13 say no, Doc Johnson says it may not be compatible, SquarePeg and Mr Hankey's say yes, and Tantus says both. Water-based lube is safe with every toy.
Does silicone lube ruin silicone toys?
It can make some silicone toys sticky or swollen, depending on the silicone and the lube, but it doesn't dissolve them. Uberlube says an incompatible toy may swell or get sticky, and SquarePeg says it hasn't seen silicone lube damage its toys since 2006.
Can I use silicone lube with Tantus toys?
Tantus says both. Its silicone page calls premium silicone lube safe, but its Perfect Plug, cock rings and paddles are listed as not recommended with silicone lube, and its FAQ suggests water-based or oil-based lube. We'd use water-based.
Can I use silicone lube with Bad Dragon toys?
No. Bad Dragon's help center says not to use silicone-based lubes, and it suggests testing any other lube on one of its sample discs first.
Is hybrid lube safe for silicone toys?
The makers split. Vixen says never use silicone or hybrid lubes, Doc Johnson says hybrids may not be compatible, and b-Vibe sells its own hybrid. Follow the maker of your toy, and test first if it says nothing.
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