How to Choose the Right Firmness?

Choosing the right silicone firmness can make just as much difference as choosing the right size or shape.

A softer toy can feel forgiving, flexible and comfortably squishy, while a firmer version of the exact same design can make every ridge, curve and texture much more noticeable. There is no single “best” firmness - the right choice depends on the toy, its size, its texture and, most importantly, what kind of sensation you enjoy.

At Fiery Faerie, our toys are available in four firmness options:

Firmness	Shore Hardness	In a Few Words
Extra Soft	00-20	Extremely squishy, flexible and compressible
Soft	00-30	Soft and forgiving with a little more structure
Medium	00-50	Balanced, supportive and versatile
Firm	10A	Highly supportive with very pronounced texture

Not sure what those Shore numbers mean? Keep reading - we will make it simple.

What Is the Shore Hardness Scale?

Silicone firmness is commonly measured using a Shore durometer scale.

You will often see fantasy toy makers use values from both the Shore 00 and Shore A scales. These are separate measurement scales designed for materials with different ranges of softness.

That means you should not simply compare the numbers themselves.

For example, Shore 00-50 and Shore 10A are not fifty versus ten on the same scale. Shore A begins in a firmer range than the Shore 00 scale.

For our toys, you only need to remember this progression:

00-20 Extra Soft → 00-30 Soft → 00-50 Medium → 10A Firm

Extra Soft - Shore 00-20

If maximum squish is what you are looking for, Extra Soft is the answer.

This is our softest silicone. It compresses very easily, bends with very little resistance and feels plush in the hand. A rough comparison would be the softness and give of a gummy candy, although the exact sensation naturally depends on the shape and thickness of the toy.

Extra Soft allows prominent features to deform more easily under pressure, which can make intimidating textures or larger dimensions feel much more forgiving.

Extra Soft may be a good choice if you:

• love extremely squishy toys
• prefer gentle, forgiving sensations
• are choosing a large or girthy model
• want pronounced textures to feel less intense
• enjoy a toy that flexes and moves easily with your body
• prioritise comfort over rigidity

Things to keep in mind

Extra Soft has very little structural rigidity.

Long or narrow toys may bend considerably during insertion, and some models will not stand upright on their own. That softness is part of the appeal, but it also means Extra Soft can require a little more guidance during use.

The material may also make very fine surface details feel softer and less pronounced than they would in a firmer version of the same model.

Choose Extra Soft when you want maximum squish and minimum resistance.

Soft - Shore 00-30

Soft keeps much of the comfortable, yielding character of Extra Soft while adding a little more structure.

It still compresses easily and bends, but it is less floppy than 00-20. For many toys, this makes Soft an excellent balance between comfort and usability.

It is particularly well suited to larger models or toys with substantial surface texture, where a little extra give can make the overall experience more approachable.

Soft may be a good choice if you:

• are newer to fantasy toys
• prefer softer sensations
• are buying a larger or girthier model
• like textured toys without wanting every detail to feel extremely intense
• want flexibility without going all the way to Extra Soft
• want the toy to conform more easily during use

Things to keep in mind

Soft toys can still bend under their own weight, particularly if they are long, narrow or top-heavy.

Compared with Medium or Firm, you will also feel less defined pressure from small ridges and surface details.

Choose Soft when comfort is your priority but you still want some structure.

Medium - Shore 00-50

Medium offers a balance between flexibility and support.

It still has noticeable give when squeezed and can bend, but it keeps its shape considerably better than Soft or Extra Soft. That additional structure makes it easier to guide and allows the shape and texture of the sculpt to come through more clearly.

For customers who do not have a strong preference toward either very soft or very firm toys, Medium is the most versatile place to start.

Medium may be a good choice if you:

• want a balance of softness and support
• want to feel the sculpted texture clearly
• prefer easier positioning and insertion
• want more focused pressure from the toy
• want a model that holds its shape better during use

Medium is particularly useful when the design itself is relatively slim or flexible and you want a little additional structural support.

Things to keep in mind

The same extra support that makes Medium versatile also makes texture more noticeable.

A heavily textured or very large toy in Medium can feel considerably more intense than the same model in Soft.

Choose Medium when you want a dependable balance between squish, control and sensation.

Firm - Shore 10A

Firm is our most supportive option.

It requires considerably more pressure to compress and resists bending much more strongly than our Shore 00 silicones. Because the silicone deforms less during use, the shape of the toy remains more defined.

That means curves, ridges, knots and other sculpted details are felt much more strongly.

Firm may be a good choice if you:

• already know you enjoy firmer toys
• want maximum definition from the sculpt
• prefer strong, focused pressure
• want excellent structural support
• are choosing a relatively small or smooth model
• want minimal bending during use

Things to keep in mind

Firm can dramatically increase the intensity of textured designs.

A feature that feels subtle in Extra Soft can feel completely different in Firm because it compresses much less against the body.

For this reason, we generally consider Firm a more specialised choice rather than an automatic upgrade from Medium.

Choose Firm when you deliberately want resistance, stability and maximum texture definition.

The Same Firmness Can Feel Different Between Toys

This is one of the most important things to understand when choosing your firmness.

Shore hardness describes the silicone itself - not exactly how the finished toy will feel.

The geometry of the toy matters enormously.

Toy Size

A thick piece of silicone has much more material resisting compression than a thin piece.

As a result, a large toy in Medium can feel substantially more rigid than a very small toy made from exactly the same Medium silicone.

This is why simply saying “I always buy Medium” does not tell the whole story.

As toys become larger and girthier, choosing a softer silicone can help compensate for the additional bulk.

Shaft Thickness

Thin shafts flex much more easily than thick ones.

A narrow model in Soft may bend dramatically, while a thick model made from the same silicone can feel surprisingly supportive.

If a design is long and slender and you dislike excessive flex, moving one step firmer may make sense.

If a design is thick and substantial, moving one step softer can make it considerably more forgiving.

Shape

Different sections of one toy may even seem to have different firmness despite being made entirely from the same silicone.

A thin tip can bend easily while a thick base barely moves at all.

Nothing has changed about the material - there is simply more silicone in one area than another.