Reference

Glossary: the terms in the reviews, explained

Every term that appears in a review or on a category page, with the meaning it has here. Where a value comes from the manufacturer’s specifications, it’s stated in the explanation. If a term isn’t included, it’s because I don’t use it.

Elin Sandberg · Updated July 1, 2026 · 7 min read

Sound and sound levels

dB(A)

Sound level weighted based on how the human ear perceives different frequencies. The scale is logarithmic: a ten-decibel increase is perceived roughly like a doubling of sound intensity. A dB value without a specified measurement distance can’t be compared to another—the same product can be listed as 45 or 55 dB(A) depending on whether the microphone is ten or fifty centimeters away, and manufacturers rarely state the distance, power setting, or surface together with the figure. Each review therefore presents exactly what the manufacturer writes, with a source, and states when the information is missing instead of filling the gap with an estimate.

Background level

The room’s own sound level with the product not running. This determines what a published value is worth: 41 dB(A) given in a room that itself sits at 38 dB(A) is not the same as 41 dB(A) in a quiet room, because then the room accounts for a large part of the sound. In practice, this information is almost always missing from the manufacturers’ specifications, which is one of the reasons their dB figures can’t be compared directly.

Resonance

Amplification of vibration through the surface. A hard tabletop can add several decibels compared with the same product on a towel. This is another variable behind the figure a manufacturer arrives at, and it is almost never reported together with the value.

Material

Medical silicone

Also called platinum silicone. Pore-free, without plasticizers, withstands 60-degree water, and does not react with water-based lubricants. The first choice in this product category, and the only material where the surface can be disinfected instead of being replaced.

TPE (thermoplastic elastomer)

Collective name for a group of soft plastic blends. It can be safe, but the blend must be declared in order to be assessed—in the cheapest end of the range, that is rarely the case.

Softened PVC and “jelly rubber”

Soft plastic that has been made flexible with plasticizers. The surface is porous and can’t be disinfected. Avoid it in this product category.

Phthalates

A group of plasticizers, including DEHP, used in softened PVC. Several of them are restricted in the EU under REACH, and Kemikalieinspektionen has repeatedly found them in products sold in this category.

ABS plastic

Hard, smooth plastic used in handles, buttons, and charging contacts. Just as hygienic as silicone as long as the surface is untreated and intact.

Technology and features

Air pressure technology

Drive technology that uses suction and pulsing air against a limited area instead of vibration throughout the entire product. Quiet throughout compared with an eccentric motor, but more dependent on the size of the tip fitting.

Rotating eccentric motor

The classic source of vibration: an unbalanced weight on a rotating shaft. Cheaper to manufacture, noticeably higher noise level, and it spreads the vibration throughout the entire product.

Cruise mode

A function that keeps the effect constant when the product is pressed against the body, instead of the motor slowing down under pressure. Most noticeable on the highest settings.

Lithium-ion battery

The battery type used in practically all rechargeable products in the category. Loses noticeable capacity after about 300–500 charging cycles and is rarely replaceable, which makes the charging solution more important than battery life in hours.

Water resistance and electrical safety

IPX rating according to IEC 60529

Standardized indication of what the manufacturer states the product can handle according to the testing in IEC 60529. IPX6 means powerful water jets—showering works, submersion does not. IPX7 means submersion in one meter of water for 30 minutes, which is enough for a bathtub and for cleaning the entire product under running water. If the information is completely missing, the product should be treated as not water-resistant.

CE marking

The manufacturer’s statement that the product meets applicable EU requirements. It doesn’t say anything about quality or material choices, but its absence on an electronic product sold in the EU is a warning sign.

Buying, price, and legal matters

Right of complaint

In the EU, the seller is liable for defects present at delivery that appear within at least two years (the legal guarantee), regardless of what the manufacturer’s warranty says. Rules outside the EU differ. The warranty is a voluntary extra from the manufacturer, not a limitation of the law.

Right of withdrawal

Fourteen days in the EU and EEA when buying online. For hygiene products that have been taken out of their packaging, it rarely applies in practice—check the store’s terms before opening the packaging.

Affiliate link

A store link that gives the site a commission when you buy. The commission is paid by the store; it is the same regardless of which product is recommended and is always clearly marked. See affiliatepolicyn.

MethodHow I make my assessmentWhich sources are used and what the 0–10 rating scale means.ArchiveAll reviewsThe terms in practice, product by product.About the siteAffiliate policyHow the store links work and what they do not affect.