best sex doll
Top considerations when choosing a sex doll
Materials
The material question among sex dolls primarily comes down to two options: silicone and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). Each has its advantages, with silicone providing superior durability and a lifelike appearance, while TPE offers a lower cost, better heat retention, and a more lifelike feel.
Ultimately, this is a matter of budget and personal preference, but it can be challenging to develop a preference without first interacting with each material. We recommend combining the two whenever possible, placing a silicone head on a TPE body. This approach keeps costs down without sacrificing a realistic face.
Cost
Very few sex dolls could be called inexpensive. The price of materials and the labor that goes into their construction quickly drive up the cost for manufacturers, and you'll feel that in your wallet significantly. Counterfeit dolls on the market are about half the original cost, but we strongly advise against these for various reasons.
We found that SexySexDoll seems to have the best deals on legitimate products, though Rosemary Doll throws in enough freebies with certain purchases that the costs can offset in their favor.
Customization
You can save a little bit of money by buying a prefabricated doll without customization, but we feel that customization makes this whole process unique. It can be something as simple as changing the eye color of a doll that makes you connect with it more deeply, but you'll have access to a lot more variables than that.
Many sites let you select a head from an extensive collection, with details like eyes, lips, hair, makeup, and more at your discretion. From the neck down, you can adjust skin tone, breast texture, areola size and color, and overall flexibility. We highly recommend opting for the most flexible option you can afford and whatever features a site offers that let the doll stand on its own.
Some sites allow you to build a doll from the ground up, giving you control over more bodily features like bust and waist size. There is also the occasional ability to have them construct a custom head from reference photographs. From what we've seen, their abilities in this department are very impressive, but you’ll have to be able to afford the price, which often runs upwards of $10,000.
Durability
Durability starts with materials, which require different maintenance levels depending on how you use them. TPE is notably more absorbent than silicone, so it can be prone to mildew or bacterial contamination if you don't keep it dry. This is especially true of any orifices. For ease of cleaning and maintenance, we recommend removable sex organs wherever available.
Durability is also one of the reasons we recommend a more flexible skeleton. While additional joints may add to the number of vulnerabilities on a given doll, the lack of those joints makes it too easy to flex the doll in a manner that it wasn’t built to handle. That can potentially damage the skeleton, the silicone/TPE, or other components.
Privacy
There's a potential stigma associated with owning a sex doll, unfortunately. That's just one of the reasons that companies must safeguard your privacy. And a box big enough to contain a life-size sex doll could draw curiosity. Fortunately, most doll companies take pains to conceal the contents of their shipping boxes. With our top recommendations, you don't have to worry about exterior branding or obvious shipping labels giving away what's inside.
As for your online privacy, you can expect all of these companies to use cookies and other trackers the same way almost every site does. But they all employ secure checkout protocols to safeguard your most sensitive data.
What is a sex doll?
A sex doll is a life-size doll with realistic features. They're often made of soft materials like TPE or silicone, and most are anatomically correct enough to allow their owners to use them for sexual pleasure. Some dolls lean more into fantasy than reality, and their appearance may not be entirely human or completely realistic. Still, these count as sex dolls.
Some dolls also begin to drift into the realm of robots, with rudimentary integrated AI systems, pre-recorded vocal responses to pleasure, and even movable eyes and mouths. These are no more or less sex dolls than inanimate silicone models, but they do give us a glimpse into where this market is headed.
Fake doll warning
Believe it or not, there is a robust market for counterfeit sex dolls. Most of the companies on our list are approved vendors for major doll manufacturers, most of which are based in China. These manufacturers make the parts and sell them to the vendors who warehouse them (the exception being RealDoll, who makes and sells products directly). That's why you'll almost always see many more customization options on vendor sites than on manufacturer sites.
But some counterfeit manufacturers and vendors seek to emulate what the best are doing at a fraction of the cost. They will often use the same product photography the original manufacturer created to sell their imitation goods.
You can guard yourself against these dolls: don't fall for prices that are too good to be true. Manufacturers set an MSRP, and most vendors land around 10 or 15% below that. If you see the same doll on another site for 50% off or more, you can be sure it's fake.
Who benefits from a sex doll?
Sex dolls could benefit just about anybody who wants one, but there is still only a subset of society that considers buying one. The big reason for this is perceived stigma. There is very little research into the motivations or lifestyles of doll owners. But if you read the way the abstracts are written in what few papers exist, it's clear that the authors often intend to find something wrong, immoral, or dangerous about the owners.
The truth is that sex dolls serve more purposes than just sexual gratification. Single men and women buy them, certainly. Couples are a large doll demographic, as are people with disabilities or parents whose children suffer from physical or mental ailments that leave them socially isolated. Some people use dolls to explore their sexuality.
But even if these dolls only existed for pure sexual satisfaction, that shouldn't be a problem. There is far less stigma around other implements used for sexual gratification — from warming lubricants to prostate massagers and a bevy of other sex toys.
Ultimately, it's a matter of perspective, and it does seem that our view on sex dolls is moving in a positive direction, at least if sales numbers are any indication. In a May 2020 issue of Forbes, for instance, Sex Doll Genie co-founder Janet Stevenson said, "We have lots of products in stock, but we can't work fast enough to keep up with demand." The number of people buying sex dolls is much, much bigger than the number of people who’ll admit it — just like virtually any product related to sexuality.
Customizing your sex doll
One of the best things about sex dolls is the degree to which you can customize them. If you're especially budget-conscious, you might end up with a more "off-the-rack doll." Those dolls can be quite impressive, but if you're already spending a bit of money on a doll, there are a few things you can upgrade that can really make it feel unique.
Here are just a few examples of common customization options:
This includes the base head with unique proportions in the cheeks, jawline, brow, and more. It also includes eye color, lips, makeup, and hair (most are wigs you can swap out, but implanted human or synthetic hair is available). Some companies will create a head from scratch based on reference photographs, but this is an expensive endeavor.
Most doll models have a stock body that will fall into one of the manufacturer's various styles. Some allow you to choose the body to go with a chosen head. Others will let you design the body completely from scratch. However, like the entirely original head creation, this can get pricey.
In female and some gender non-conforming sex dolls, you can usually choose from two or three breast construction options, including hollow, solid, or gel-filled. Solid is the least realistic, and gel-filled is the most.
You can set various parameters regarding the appearance and performance of a sex doll's vagina. These include color, shape, and depth. Many models can be outfitted with removable vaginas, which we highly recommend. It makes cleaning and maintenance much easier, and you won't have to replace the entire doll if something were to go wrong.
Most dolls contain an internal steel structure that gives them stability and flexibility. You can sometimes upgrade this structure to what's often called an EVO skeleton or "shrugging" skeleton. These allow for greater flexibility but sometimes interfere with other optional components like internal heaters.
Base doll models have a certain degree of realism. Companies may offer you the option to increase that realism with special paint jobs, the addition of freckles or scars, and other features. Certain companies also offer heating systems to resemble body heat, breathing systems to simulate normal respiration, and human hair implants for the head and eyebrows.
Insider Tip: If you don’t end up with a doll with an internal heating system, you may find that lying under the covers for 10 or 15 minutes will warm it up. Many vendors also offer heating blankets and insertable heating devices.
Not all vendors are created equal in the customization department. Here's a look at how several top vendors let you customize the same base doll from manufacturer WM Dolls. The base model goes by a different name with each vendor, but it's the same 5'2" B-cup redhead you see here.
We've included the base price and what each doll costs if you added all optional upgrades listed in the chart. Other options are also available, but those listed appear to be the core possibilities.
As you can see, only Rosemary Doll and YourDoll offer the same breadth of options, with Rosemary Doll boasting a much larger head collection and an additional color option for eyes and labia. Ultimately, body heating and breathing systems make up the difference in upgraded price.
Rosemary Doll
Best overall, best for silicone and TPE dolls, and best for customization
Pros
- Sources from top industry manufacturers
- Largest array of head choices
- Special offers include various free upgrades
- Hyper-realistic silicone option
- Photos provided before shipping
- Layaway options available
- Speedy production times on custom dolls
- Take 13% off
Cons
- Price match guarantee has lots of loopholes
- Limited selection of trans dolls
- Sale offers vary by brand and can get confusing
Rosemary Doll offers an enormous range of dolls, with more customization options per manufacturer than anyone else. That makes them a great choice to grab a basic model and outfit it with everything from a new head to special features like a body heating system or real human hair.
Perhaps the most compelling offering from Rosemary Doll is their hyper-realistic silicone. This body painting is available on silicone models and takes their realism to greater heights than just about any other brand. And while various add-ons for any doll can raise the price dramatically, the base prices for these hyper-realistic models are remarkably low — almost enough to compete with TPE models.
Rosemary Doll also offers regular sales that make their prices much more competitive. These sales can vary by brand, but they often include free second heads, skeleton upgrades, standing feet, clothing, removable vaginas, gel breasts, and more.
AI robots
Rosemary Doll has a selection of seven robotic companions made by AI Tech. What sets these robots apart from others is the integrated LCD touchscreen on the back of their heads. That's where you can customize various parameters of the doll through a straightforward Android operating system.
They come with an advanced chatting function that can understand and respond to you from an internal bank of words, phrases, and sentences.
AI models are outfitted with touch sensors in the arms, legs, breasts, and vagina, allowing them to respond to stimulation. Their speech function provides a moaning sound in response to your touch. They can perform subtle facial expressions with eyes that can blink and look around.
AI Tech robots also have full-body heating systems to bring the doll's temperature to roughly 98.6 degrees. Unfortunately, the controls for that heating system are separate from the touchscreen interface and require the use of an additional outboard controller.
Total customization
It's possible to use Rosemary Doll's services for a complete custom job, including a custom, one-of-a-kind head the company can make from scratch. All you have to do is provide them with at least one reference photo (more photos should increase the accuracy of the final product).
From there, they'll create a demo head for your approval and then mold the final head. After that, you can have the head placed on any body type with any proportion, colors, and special features available through their partner manufacturers.
It takes some time, and the cost ranges from $3,000 to $10,000, but it's the most comprehensive custom work you can get.
RealDoll
Best high-end and best for automated features
Pros
- Highly respected manufacturer
- Outstanding AI options
- Collection is all silicone
- All dolls come with gel breasts and buttocks
- Male dolls are far superior to competitors
- Magnetic faces make swapping appearances easy
- Measurements and dress sizes provided
Cons
- Extremely expensive option
- Surprisingly limited in some customization areas
- Long production times
- No male AI models available
If there's one name that anyone who's heard of sex dolls might know, it's RealDoll. They've had some impressive press coverage, including a spot on the HBO series Real Sex in 1999. Back then, they were described as the "world's most expensive sex dolls," and that title holds true today.
The question is whether you get what you pay for in terms of quality and service. For the most part, that answer is yes. RealDoll's products are made to strict specifications exclusively out of silicone. They offer some of the most realistic appearances, and their customization options are generous, if not comprehensive.
Two areas of their business that deserve praise are their male sex dolls and AI dolls. Even the best manufacturers make their male dolls with what seems like a limited imagination. Female dolls come in all shapes and sizes, but most male dolls are nearly identical, with about 2% body fat and some unappealing faces. RealDoll makes male dolls that seem much more human. Sure, there are muscular models with next to no body fat, but there are also dolls with a more natural appearance.
On the AI side, RealDoll offers their RealDollX line. Their AI features include responsive movement in the following areas:
- Eyes
- Eyebrows
- Mouth
- Neck
RealDollX models can also be outfitted with a custom electric sensor that translates your touch into simulated arousal for the doll. She closes her eyes, moves her mouth, and audibly moans. The experience builds toward an eventual climax.
RealDoll smartphone apps
RealDoll's AI models integrate with their X-Mode smartphone app that you can use to make adjustments to their responsiveness, voice, and other aspects of performance. There are two other noteworthy RealDoll apps, as well.
RealDollX
The RealDollX app allows you to imbue your AI RealDoll with a personality. The app also helps you get more out of your doll, suggesting new positions and other ways to spice things up. It's still in a developmental stage, and the company says it will soon include new features like augmented and virtual reality.
RealGirl
RealGirl is RealDoll's digital girlfriend app. Unlike their other apps, this one doesn't require you to own a sex doll at all. It's more about offering you a relationship with a customizable woman in a digital space. Users that find the relationship rewarding might want to consider upgrading to a sex doll.
SexySexDoll
Best budget option
Pros
- Very competitive pricing
- Many enhancements are also less expensive
- Great head selection
- Offers more freebies and upgrades than some competitors
Cons
- Fewer brands than some other vendors
- Relatively small selection of male dolls
SexySexDoll has pricing that often edges out the competition. Though it isn't universally the case, you can easily find models that cost you about $100 less than they would cost at Rosemary Doll, for instance.
And low pricing extends beyond baseline price as well. The most budget-friendly sex doll will be one that comes with standard-issue features as opposed to add-ons, nice-to-haves, and all of the various customization paths that you could choose. But while SexySexDoll has strong starting prices, the cost-saving pattern often extends to those optional features as well.
This means, if you are interested in investing a bit more for enhanced features like body heat, moaning, and ultra-soft body, you often find that they're a bit more affordable here. Same with the innovative, lubricant-free TPE removable vaginas, which make cleaning and maintenance a breeze and perform excellently — at SexySexDoll, they're among the least expensive that we encountered anywhere. Some other vendors only carry the removable silicone inserts.
The company also offers freebies and upgrades — like an extra wig or customizable joint stiffness — more often than any vendor except perhaps Rosemary Doll. When you combine all of these factors, you stand a good chance of saving money at SexySexDoll.
There are a few tradeoffs, though, as always. In terms of selection, SexySexDoll excels in some cases and falls a bit short of competition in others. Their head selection is robust and only surpassed by Rosemary Doll. At the same time, they carry fewer brands than some other top competitors, and their selection of male dolls is small compared to other vendors.
Sex Doll Genie
Pros
- Excellent search filters
- Low base prices
- More eye colors than others
- Large selection of male dolls
- Pricing tiers can save you money
- Factory photos available for authenticity
- Selection of AI dolls available
Cons
- No simulated breathing option
- No lubricant-free TPE vagina insert option
- Production and delivery may take up to six weeks
If you don't know where to begin, Sex Doll Genie might be daunting, but on the other hand, the website may be the easiest site to navigate if you already know something about what you want in a companion. They let you search for dolls based on the following parameters:
- Material
- Features
- Butt size
- Weight
- Cup size
- Ethnicity
Even within those categories, you can use subcategories and additional filters to refine your search. This makes it particularly easy to find a base doll that's as close to what you want as possible, potentially saving you money in upgrades and customization.
We've already made our case in favor of silicone heads on TPE bodies to get you the most realistic experience for the best price. Sex Doll Genie features a whole section of silicone head and TPE body hybrid models you can choose from and customize as you see fit. That's impressive, though there are some optional features we would like to see them incorporate into their catalogs.
Sex Doll Genie also offers a three-tier pricing structure that allows you to choose your level of service in exchange for potential savings. Here's how the three tiers break down:
*The Genie Guarantee simply states that if there are any defects or mistakes with your order, the company will repair or replace it for free.
**Post-purchase support includes free lifetime spare parts, video repair tutorials, and more.
AI robots
Sex Doll Genie's companion robots come from AI Tech, the company Rosemary Doll uses. But Sex Doll Genie offers nine robots to Rosemary Doll's seven.
Your Doll
Pros
- Very low base prices
- Works with nearly 30 major manufacturers
- Fully custom heads available
- Useful search categories
- 43 AI models
- Implanted pubic hair available
- Body and face freckle options
Cons
- Limited number of heads to choose from
- Unlisted return policy
Your Doll is a verified distributor of sex dolls from nearly 30 manufacturers worldwide. Their base prices are among the lowest in the industry, even if only by a few dollars compared to the competition. Still, with common freebies like standing feet, EVO skeletons, and hyper-realistic body painting, you stand to get a lot for your money. Your Doll is also one of the few companies to offer freckles as an option on your companion's face or body.
One frustrating thing we found when utilizing their customization options is that some features were relegated to an add-on section instead of being right there as part of the primary customization and purchasing page. Other sites incorporate storage solutions, clothing options, and care kits on the same page as hair color and skeleton options. That makes it much easier to ensure you get everything you need in that first shipment, and it's something we hope Your Doll adjusts in the future.
Your Doll also sells AI sex dolls, and they boast a larger number of base models than anyone else in our guide. They also have robot companions with three-speed automatic oral sex functions. Many other AI companions don't even offer the mouth as an available orifice due to the mechanisms involved in their speech and expressions.
But their AI manufacturer, SE Doll, limits the dolls' robotics and intellect to the head. That means it lacks the touch sensors and body heaters standard in other AI companions. You can add the heater during the customization phase, but there is no option to add touch sensitivity.
Joy Love Dolls
Pros
- Standing feet have protection caps
- Some models come with free suspension kits
- More vagina insert options than most
- Discounts on additional heads
Cons
- High price for implanted human hair
- Limited eye colors
Despite "Love Dolls" being part of their name, Joy Love Dolls trades in more than just sex dolls. Their catalog includes a wide variety of sex toys for men, women, and couples. They also sell lingerie, lubricants, condoms, and more.
Joy Love Dolls has friendly base prices on customizable companions, but some of their optional features are more expensive than the same upgrades available elsewhere. For example, implanted human hair typically costs between $400 and $500 from most vendors. Joy Love Dolls offers implanted human hair for $600.
You can get the same brand of AI companion robot from Joy Love Dolls that you can from Your Doll. The big differences are that:
- Joy Love Dolls has slightly fewer models.
- Your Doll has somewhat better prices.
- Joy Love Doll offers a robotic body option.
- Your Doll has more feature categories and options.
The robotic body option is a new framework for SE Doll's AI robot companions that allows for significant automated movement with the help of a handheld remote. The usefulness of this varies from person to person, but you should know that the robotic body option makes it impossible to incorporate an internal heating system.
Sexy Real Sex Dolls
Pros
- Good options for implanted hair
- Easy to shop by height and cup size
- Free worldwide shipping
- Photos sent before shipping
- Layaway available
- Discounts for military and emergency personnel
- Accepts crypto payments
Cons
- Lacking many premium upgrades
- Male options are a bit generic
- Customization system is poorly organized
Sexy Real Sex Dolls is a verified vendor for 20 major doll manufacturers. They have plenty of options to satisfy most tastes, and their customization system is straightforward, even if it lacks some of the finer points you'll see elsewhere.
SRSD has one of the largest head selections on our guide, and they make it easy to pair a silicone head with a TPE body, which is one of our favorite approaches to a custom build. They keep pace with most competitors in other customization areas until you start looking for premium features.
Top-shelf upgrades like body heat, simulated breathing, and moaning aren't available on every sex doll. And there doesn't seem to be much logic behind which dolls can and can't have those features. Our testers couldn't find a common denominator; neither materials nor brand seem to influence their availability.
However, these upgrades tend to be costly, so if you're not interested in them, you might prefer SRSD for their head selection. And if you're lucky enough to choose a base model that can accept these upgrades, they'll be an option for you.
We also appreciate that SRSD offers discounts to military and emergency personnel, including:
- Active duty military
- Veterans
- Police
- Firefighters
- EMTs
Why you should trust us
Over the past two decades, Innerbody Research has helped tens of millions of readers make more informed decisions about staying healthy and living healthier lifestyles.
We extensively test each health service or product we review. Our content provides you, our readers, with an unbiased exploration of at-home health options, free of marketing jargon or gimmicks. We evaluate products and services based on their adherence to quality and the latest medical evidence and health standards. We ask ourselves two simple questions: Would we buy the product or service ourselves if it weren’t part of our job? Would we recommend it to family and friends?
Additionally, like all health-related content on this website, this review was thoroughly vetted by one or more members of our Medical Review Board for accuracy.
Post a Comment