Dolls

Dolls differ enormously in weight, feel, price and care. Before you choose, decide how realistic it needs to be, how much space you have and how much time you want to spend on care.

Inflatable, realistic or torso

Inflatable dolls are light, fold away into a drawer and cost little. The Crushious dolls, such as Alicia and Carmen, are 155 cm tall when inflated, made of PVC with three openings. Models like the Crushious Nicole with stroker add a removable sleeve inside for a softer, more realistic feel. Realistic dolls are solid TPE with an internal skeleton: the Dolls by Shots Mandy is about 161 cm tall, weighs 40 kg, can stand on removable bolts and has a USB warming element and three openings. Torsos offer the realistic feel without a full body: the XR Brands Jesse Jane torso is 67 cm tall and weighs 24 kg, and the XR Brands Juicy Jennifer is a life size torso of 51.7 cm and 6 kg with several openings.

Weight, size and storage

Weight is the most practical question. An inflatable doll weighs a few hundred grams, a torso or bodyform roughly 2.4 to 24 kg and a full realistic doll around 40 kg, which takes real effort to move, dress and clean. Measure where you will keep it before you order: realistic dolls are best stored lying flat or in their box, with nothing pressing on the soft skin. Bodyforms such as the XKIN Bodyforms 2.4 kg or the posable XKIN Bodyforms Lyla at 21 kg sit in between and can be found under masturbators.

Materials

PVC and vinyl inflatables are light and easy to wipe clean, but they feel like what they are. TPE is very soft, stretchy and close to skin, which is why realistic dolls and torsos use it; TPR, used for some torsos, feels much the same. A torso lies stable on a bed or a table, so you do not need to hold it during use. TPE is porous and absorbs colour, so avoid dark or non colourfast clothing on a doll and wash new clothes before you dress it.

Use

Use water based lubricant only; oil and silicone lubricant damage TPE and vinyl. With a posable doll, move the joints within a natural range and never force them, because that wears out the skeleton. Warm the doll with its built in element or under a blanket rather than with a hair dryer or on a radiator, because strong heat can deform the soft material. Removable inserts are easier to clean than fixed openings, and Dolls by Shots supplies spare inserts and care accessories with its dolls.

Cleaning and care

For inflatables, wash after use with the valve closed, remove excess water with a towel and let the doll air dry in a ventilated room, away from sunlight. For realistic dolls and torsos, rinse the openings with warm water and mild soap or a toy cleaner, using an irrigator where one is included, then dry them thoroughly inside. Dust the soft skin with a little renewing powder or cornstarch every few weeks so it stays silky and does not turn tacky. A doll that is cleaned, dried and powdered after every use keeps its skin and shape far longer.

Frequently asked questions