Faux fur (pronounced fow fur) is a fur-like fabric made out of synthetic fibers. True to its name, faux Fur ("faux" is a French term that means "artificial") is a man-made version of animal fur developed in 1929 and made commercially available in the 1950s.
Due to its softness, faux fur offers a lot of benefits for bedroom toys. You'll regularly see it included in impact toys like paddles; common impact play materials like leather, wood, or acrylic can have a stinging, painful sensation when spanked on the skin. That isn't the case for faux fur; because of faux fur's plush softness, faux fur still handles the same but the resulting "spank" is much softer.
Some people also prefer faux fur toys because of the softer visuals. Brighter colors, like blue, pink, purple, and yellow may be unattainable by toys made of genuine leather or unpainted wood. Especially for people who prefer to stick to the softer, gentler aspects of BDSM, the visuals of bright, pastel colors toys may be part of the appeal of faux fur.
Ruff Doggie Styles' Faux Fur Flogger made with black suede and purple faux fur tails
While faux fur is most common in paddles, you may also find it on floggers or different types of sex furniture like waterproof sex blankets.
Faux fur is also called fake fur, synthetic fur, vegan fur and fun fur.
More About Faux Fur
Faux fur is not as easy to sterilize as other common materials like acrylic or plastic. Ensure that you undertake proper cleaning procedures if sharing faux fur items between partners.
Some types of faux fur may clump up if they come into contact with bodily fluids like blood or sexual fluids. Other faux furs are machine-washable and may come out from the washer feeling softer than the day you bought them. Make sure you consult the care instructions for your faux fur product to know how to care for it to keep your faux fur feeling as soft as possible.
The use of faux fur has several advantages and disadvantages.
Since it is not an animal byproduct, it discourages animal farms and the energy requirements and wastes associated with these fur farms. Cleaning and care can also be easier with faux fur items as harsher chemicals can be used to clean sex toys between uses. For the consumer, the biggest impact may be the price tag: because faux is more plentiful than animal fur, these items are much more budget-friendly.
However, faux fur's synthetic design also brings disadvantages. Many faux fur blends come from coal, petroleum and limestone. These blends don't biodegrade as quickly as their animal fur counterparts. The rising desire for faux fur also means that they are increasingly made in sweatshops, where employees may be treated unfairly.
Critics and proponents regularly argue about whether faux fur is environmentally "better" for the Earth because of these advantages and disadvantages.
