Fantasy and dragon dildos: size, material and care

A fantasy dildo is a dildo that doesn't try to resemble a human body. The shape is borrowed from dragons, sea monsters, tentacles, monsters or pure fantasy creatures, and the colours are often marbled, glittery or gradient. The dragon dildo is the most common subgroup, but shops often use the term for the whole category.

What sets fantasy dildos apart from other dildos isn't just the look. The shape is usually tapered – narrow at the tip and wider towards the base – and the shaft has ridges, bumps, scales or grooves. That means the sensation changes with depth, and the same dildo can be used in different ways depending on how far in you go.

The material is almost always silicone, moulded in a single piece with no seams or electronics. There are exceptions in glass and PVC, and a few models with a motor, but most fantasy dildos are entirely manual. If you want to compare with dildos that mimic a real penis, see our guide to realistic dildos.

Fantasy dildos are often sold with the total length in the name, and that's the least useful figure. The total length includes the base, which on some models is several centimetres tall. Ravager Rippled Tentacle is 20.3 centimetres in total but 16.5 centimetres insertable according to XR Brands, and on Another World the base takes up 3.1 centimetres of 22.4.

The most important figure is the widest insertable diameter. Because the shape is tapered, there are often two or more diameters: the narrow tip and the widest part nearest the base. Ravager goes from 3.0 to 4.6 centimetres. XR Brands' Monstropus goes from 2.5 to 8.6 centimetres – the widest part corresponds to just over 27 centimetres in circumference, which is more than most people can take.

The tapered shape is also an advantage. Epic Nixie is a clear example: the manufacturer's dimension drawing gives the diameter at four points – 30, 30, 35 and 40 millimetres – so in practice you choose the thickness by choosing how deep you go. That makes a tapered fantasy dildo more forgiving than a dildo that's equally thick all the way.

How to read dildo dimensions in general, and what sizes usually suit beginners, is covered in what size dildo should you choose.

Many fantasy dildos are big, and the category has a reputation for being for the experienced. But there are plenty of models in ordinary sizes. Epic Nixie has 130 millimetres of insertable length and a diameter that reaches 40 millimetres at most. Mythology Kuno Utopia has 13 centimetres of insertable length and a diameter of 4 centimetres, and the manufacturer lists it for anal use with two pronounced bulges.

If you're new, choose a model where the widest diameter falls within the range you already know works, and where the texture on the shaft is moderate. Heavy bumps and deep grooves give more sensation but also more resistance. Epic Basilisk is 13 centimetres insertable with 4.8 centimetres at the head and 4.0 along the shaft – moderate for the category – and has a 100-millimetre base plate.

Almost every fantasy dildo in our reviews is moulded in silicone, and that's no coincidence. The shapes have lots of detail – scales, ridges, bumps and grooves – and a texture with many recesses is harder to keep clean than a smooth shaft. Silicone is non-porous, which means the surface can be cleaned completely even in the nooks and crannies. A porous material like PVC can only be cleaned on the surface.

Also look for a solid pour. Most fantasy dildos are moulded in one piece without seams, battery hatch or charging port, which both makes them easier to clean and means there's nothing that can break. XR Brands states phthalate-free, body-safe silicone for Ravager and Monstropus. With several other manufacturers, the phthalate-free claim appears only on a product image or at the shops – for Mythology Kuno Utopia, BPA- and phthalate-free appears on a marketing image but not in the specification.

What manufacturers rarely publish is the firmness. None of the fantasy dildos in our reviews has a Shore value, and the descriptions are all over the place: Mythology calls Kuno Utopia both stiffer than the rest of the range and super soft. Expect the firmness to be hard to know in advance. More on materials in body-safe sex toy materials.

There are fantasy shapes in glass too. Twilight Rainbow Glass Dildo is made of borosilicate glass with ring-shaped bulges that increase in diameter from 1.3 to 5.1 centimetres, and XR Brands states it can be used with all types of lube, including silicone-based. Glass is completely non-porous and has no use-by date.

The downsides are those of all glass: it doesn't give, so 5.1 centimetres in glass is no beginner size, and it's brittle. The manufacturer warns against dropping the product on hard surfaces, and one with a crack or chip should be thrown away. Read more in are glass dildos safe?.

Fantasy dildos are often used anally, and there the base is the most important safety detail. A dildo for anal use must have a base clearly wider than the shaft so it can't slip in completely. Epic Basilisk is the clearest example in our reviews: the base plate is 100 millimetres against a widest part of 48 millimetres.

Not every manufacturer publishes the base dimensions. For Mythology Kuno Utopia the base diameter is missing even though the manufacturer lists the product for anal use, and it isn't published for Another World either. In that case, check the base when the product arrives, and don't use it anally if it isn't wide enough. Mythical Mates lists Another World for both vaginal and anal use.

Most fantasy dildos have a suction cup, and several are harness-compatible according to the manufacturer: Kuno Utopia, Another World, Ravager and Monstropus. For Epic Nixie and Epic Basilisk no source says whether the base fits a harness, and for Twilight Rainbow XR Brands promises neither a suction cup nor harness compatibility. More on harnesses in how does a strap-on work, and on suction cups in suction cup dildos.

For anal use you need plenty of lube, as the rectum doesn't produce any of its own. Go slowly, use the tapered shape to your advantage and stop if it hurts. A toy that has been used anally must be washed before it's used vaginally. See also lube for anal sex.

The texture is what makes a fantasy dildo special, and it's also what demands the most when cleaning. Wash with lukewarm water and mild, unscented soap before and after every use, and work through all the recesses – a soft toothbrush used only for that is handy. Rinse thoroughly so no soap residue is left in the grooves, and let the dildo dry completely before you put it away.

Use water-based lube on silicone. XR Brands explicitly states that only water-based lube may be used on Ravager and Monstropus, and Mythical Mates' user instructions for Another World say the same. Oil-based products leave a greasy film that's particularly hard to get out of a grooved surface. Glass is the exception: all types work there.

Don't boil a fantasy dildo unless the manufacturer explicitly allows it. XR Brands' instructions for Ravager stop at warm water and soap, and for Another World and Epic Basilisk no temperature limit is published at all. The dishwasher is ruled out for the same reason. The full rundown is in how to clean sex toys.

Store the fantasy dildo clean and dry, ideally in its own pouch so it doesn't touch other toys or collect dust in the texture. Several of the marbled models have colours that vary between units, so don't expect yours to look exactly like the product image. Storage tips in how to store sex toys.

Part of the category is made for people deliberately looking for large dimensions. Monstropus is an example: 19.3 centimetres of insertable length and a diameter that grows to 8.6 centimetres near the base. The review points out that this figure should be a deliberate choice – it's considerably larger than the rest of XR Brands' tentacle range.

If you go up in size, do it gradually and with more time and lube at each step. A tapered shape helps because you can stop at the diameter that feels right. Also think about weight: large silicone dildos are heavy, and the suction cup has to handle the weight if you want to use it hands-free.

Choosing by total length. The base can account for several centimetres, and the widest diameter tells you more than the length.

Using a dildo without a wide base anally. If the base isn't clearly wider than the shaft, it isn't made for that, whatever the shop says.

Using silicone lube on silicone. It can permanently damage the surface. Water-based is the safe choice.

Skimping on drying. Moisture left in scales and grooves is what gives bacteria a chance.

Trusting the shop's dimensions. In the reviews, shops sometimes give rounded or completely different dimensions from the manufacturer, and one shop confused diameter with circumference for Epic Basilisk. The manufacturer's own dimension drawing is the safest source.

A fantasy dildo suits you if you want something other than a realistic shape – because the texture gives a different sensation, because you like the aesthetic, or because the tapered shape makes it easy to vary depth and thickness. It also suits anyone who wants to be able to size up gradually with the same toy.

If you're completely new to dildos, a smaller fantasy dildo can be a good first buy, but do read 10 things to know about your first dildo first. More models compared side by side in best fantasy dildos and under dildos. How we read manufacturers' information is described under how we review.