The Fantasy Box guides
Pleasure, explained properly
Honest, shame-free advice for first-timers and the curious. No jargon, no judgement — just everything we wish someone had told us.
Most sex toy advice on the internet is written to sell you something specific, or buried under so much clinical language it forgets this is supposed to be fun. We started writing these guides because we kept answering the same questions from customers: what's actually body-safe, what's worth the money, and what on earth do you buy first when you've never owned a toy.
Everything below is free to read, written by the people who curate our boxes, and honest even when the honest answer is "you don't need to buy anything yet." Start with whichever question brought you here.
The complete guide
Everything about mystery boxes in one place.
New to all this?
Never owned a sex toy? Start here — everything a first-timer needs, minus the overwhelm.
Sex toys for beginners: your first purchase, explained
What to buy first, what to avoid entirely, body-safe materials, lube pairing and how to buy discreetly — the honest starter guide.
Read the guide →10 date night ideas for couples
Ten easy date night ideas — at home, out on the cheap, and a few that end up somewhere rather more interesting.
Read the guide →Buying guides
Choosing a toy or a box — what to look for, what to ignore, and what to buy first.
The sex toy mystery box, done properly
What makes a mystery box worth buying: our tiers from £29.99, who each suits, and why every box is worth more than you pay.
Read the guide →The best sex toys for women: an honest buyer's guide
Toy types explained, rumble vs buzz, materials, lube pairing and exactly what to buy first — without the marketing nonsense.
Read the guide →The best sex toys for men: an honest buyer's guide
Strokers, rings, prostate toys and vibrators explained — texture, materials, lube pairing and exactly what to buy first.
Read the guide →How to choose the right sex toy box
What the best sex toys for women have in common, how to read sex toy reviews, and how to match a box to your experience, body and budget.
Read the guide →Care & safety
The unglamorous bits that protect your body and double the life of everything you own.
Body-safe materials: read the label like a pro
Silicone, glass, steel, TPE and jelly rubber compared, plus what every label buzzword actually means.
Read the guide →How to clean sex toys (and keep them safe)
Step-by-step cleaning by material, what to use instead of harsh cleaners, drying, storage and when to retire a toy.
Read the guide →Also on the blog
Longer, more opinionated reads on pleasure, looking after your toys and what really goes into a mystery box.
Read the blog →Start here: choosing in four steps
If you only read one thing on this page, read this. Nearly every question we get answers itself once you work through these four decisions in order.
- ◆Decide who it's for. Solo, a partner, or both of you together — this rules out more than half the catalogue immediately, and it's the first thing our boxes ask you.
- ◆Pick the sensation, not the shape. Broad rumbly vibration, pinpoint buzz, suction, pressure or stretch. Shape follows sensation, never the other way round.
- ◆Check the material before the price. Body-safe silicone, glass or stainless steel only. Anything porous — jelly, TPE, 'rubber' with no named material — can't be properly sanitised.
- ◆Buy lube in the same order. Water-based with silicone toys, always. The cheapest upgrade to any toy you already own is a better lube.
What a good first purchase looks like
A good first buy is versatile, quiet, rechargeable and easy to clean. It should not be the biggest, fastest or most feature-heavy thing you can find — novelty wears off in a week, and a toy that intimidates you stays in the drawer.
That's exactly why we build boxes rather than sell single toys. A box pairs a toy with the lube and extras that make it work, so nothing arrives half-useful. Our Tease box (£29.99) is one toy, one lube and plenty of trouble; Fever (£49.99) steps up the contents for people who already know what they like; and THE UNKNOWN lets you choose the fill yourself.
Common questions
I've never owned a sex toy. Where do I actually start?
With something small, rechargeable and made of body-safe silicone — and with lube. Read the women's or men's buyer's guide above, then pick the entry box rather than the biggest one. You can always add more later; you can't un-spend £80 on something that doesn't suit you.
How do I know a toy is body-safe?
Look for a named material: 100% silicone, borosilicate glass or medical-grade stainless steel. Vague words like 'jelly', 'rubber', 'skin-safe' or 'phthalate-free' with no material named usually mean porous plastic, which can't be fully sanitised. Our body-safe materials guide breaks down every label.
What lube should I use?
Water-based is the safe default and the only one to use with silicone toys. Silicone lube lasts longer but degrades silicone toys; oil-based lube destroys condoms. When in doubt, water-based.
How do I clean and store everything?
Warm water and unscented soap for non-porous toys, dried fully before storage, kept apart from each other rather than jumbled in a drawer. The cleaning guide covers every material, including what to do with anything battery-powered.
Is a mystery box a good idea if I'm fussy?
Yes, if you tell us what you're after — every box is matched to who it's for, and THE UNKNOWN lets you share your mood, preferences and exclusions while we handpick the contents.
Will anyone know what's arrived?
No. Everything ships in plain, unbranded packaging within 3–5 working days, and the name on your bank statement reads FB Retail.
Why we write these
- ◆Because 'body-safe' isn't regulated, and someone should tell you what it actually means before you spend £40 on jelly rubber.
- ◆Because the best toy is the one that suits your body and your evening — not the one with the biggest marketing budget.
- ◆Because ninety seconds of proper cleaning is the difference between a toy that lasts years and one you bin in a month.
- ◆Because every guide ends in the same place: a better night in, whether or not you ever buy a box from us.
Ready to order your box?
Boxes from £29.99, packed with products worth more than you pay. Discreet delivery in 3–5 working days, plain packaging, no subscription.