In late October, the International Organization for Standardization announced that it had approved the development of a new safety standard for the quality of sex toys. The international standard, “ISO 3533 — Sex toys — design and safety requirements for products in direct contact with genitalia, the anus or both,” offers guidelines for the design of sex toys such as butt plugs, vibrators and dildos, with requirements for mechanical, electrical and vibration, materials, general safety and user information.
ISO is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland that develops and publishes standards for several industries, ranging from information technology to fluid dynamics and nuclear energy.
Thanks to our great teamwork, we were able to get the standard through the entire development procedure in only 24 months.
Sex toys come into contact with the most intimate and sensitive parts of the body, yet prior to ISO 3533, there were no official guidelines for their quality assurance. That’s why experts from the pleasure products industry and standardization specialists from various countries came together to develop standardized guidelines. As head of the German delegation that participated in the development of the standard, I’d like to explain the details.
What is the exact name of the sex toy standard?
It is an international standard, the ISO 3533:2021. ISO stands for International Organization for Standardization. There are also the German national standards called “DIN,” for Deutsches Institut für Normung or German Institute for Standardization, and the European Standards “EN,” for Europäische Norm or European Norm. These standards are acknowledged all around the world.
What does the standard ISO 3533:2021 cover?
The standard covers safety requirements for sex toys that are intended to come in direct contact with genitals and/or the anus. These requirements relate to the mechanics, general safety and user information. There are, for example, certain requirements for the design, e.g. anal toys need to have a stopper or some kind of retrieval mechanism. Of course, chemical aspects are also important. Manufacturers are obligated to investigate the composition of a product, particularly its biocompatibility. But there are also requirements for the packaging and the instruction manuals.
Who initiated the development of the standard, and why?
The standard was initiated by the Swedish Institute for Standards in 2019. Doctors at a hospital in Stockholm had complained about the deficient safety of sex toys, particularly having to surgically remove sex toys from patients’ bodies on a regular basis.
Who was significantly involved in the development process of the standard?
The ISO consists of delegates from various countries. Most of the delegates involved in the process were from European countries. There were delegates from Sweden, the U.K., France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and Japan.
How long did the development process take?
The development process usually takes at least three years, often longer. Our delegation had to deal with the COVID pandemic during this process, which led to us being one of the first online-only commissions. However, thanks to our great teamwork, we were able to get the standard through the entire development procedure in only 24 months.
How will the publication of this standard affect the pleasure products industry?
First, it’s a standard that is used voluntarily. It gives clear information on how manufacturers can design a product so that it is safe. Over time, we hope this will develop into the industry standard. Public authorities can also rate the safety of a product based upon the requirements that are stated in the standard.
Over the last 15 years, we’ve attempted to tackle the problem of having hardly any framework for safety requirements for pleasure products. At Orion, we were able to develop our own “Orion Standard” in cooperation with renowned laboratories. We looked at chemical and physical aspects of the EU Toy Safety Directive and the associated standard, EN 71, and adapted these standards for our products.
We hope that the development of this new internationally recognized standard will make it easier for more manufacturers to adopt safety guidelines, thus further boosting the overall quality of products — and strengthening consumer trust.
Stefan Schröder is the head of quality and conformity at Orion.
