Never owned a TPE doll and have a couple questions

[Doll Gamer]

I've read up on the differences in caring for TPE over Silicone, but still have a couple questions. Specifically, do these dolls have any sort of smell? I've read some people say TPE has a strong chemical odor that's hard to deal with, which actually leads straight into my next question. I've only got a couple of smaller silicone dolls right now, but I've gotten firmly into the habit of sleeping with one them just about every night. I've gotten accustomed to the slight silicone smell and don't mind it at all, but if these dolls do have a smell to them, is it gonna be too overpowering to have them lying right next to me all night? Also, would that harm the TPE in anyway? I don't know how fragile the material actually is, but some people's posts make it sound incredibly so. Like, if I slept with her on top of me for example, would it cause indents to the TPE or cause it to break down or anything? Just wondering before I pull the trigger on ordering one.

[riotmac]

i think it depends on the manufacture and the TPE composition if it has a smell. my girl is WM body and theres a faint order but id only smell it if i was cuddling up right next to her but it doesnt bother me but now ive gotten use to it and the corn starch i use has a slight scent to it also. if she did smell id probably wash her body again wash her hair with something id like to smell and then spray her clothes and blanket with something also. if shes sleeping with you got to lay her on a white micro plush blanket to prevent staining her and prevent her staining your sheets with oil.

if she sleeps on top of you shes gonna be heavy but idk i wouldnt want to mess up her wire hands laying on top of me.indentions can happen as long as it didnt cut into the TPE it should go back to normal if shes left off of whats causing it. i bought a body stocking that was to tight with seems on the inside left her in it for a day saw the indentions took her out of it and she went back to normal. another example i bought her a lace nighty she slept in it and the patter of the nighty was on her back just turned her over and it went back to normal after a few hours.

[AtomicPunk]

Generally yes, there will be a slight odor to TPE out of the box. For me, the odor was not strong or overpowering in any way. After the first washing, the odor was reduced even further. I've had Alita for about 3 weeks now and you really need a good "sniff" to detect it. I'm a new owner, and it seems that the latest TPE dolls are less "smelly" and require less skin maintenance (ex. oiling) than say 3-4 years ago. Some folks on here add cocoa powder and cinnamon to their corn starch as a light "perfume".

As for "dents" in the TPE, after a few hours of a drastic position (say from an arm bend) there will be an slight crease, but that goes away fairly quickly once you straighten it out. If it doesn't go away after a few hours you can even apply a warm (not HOT) compress to further the smooth back to normal. I'm a big cuddler w/ Alita and haven't experienced any issues with dents or creases. Some days she even sits in a chair near to me while I work. I'm sure you'd have to have your doll stored in an extreme position for several days to cause long term scars or dents. The habit of returning your doll to a prone position every day for a few hours should be sufficient.

Yes, TPE itself is fragile, and requires ALOT of TLC when moving and dressing. A fall almost guarantees a scrape or cut on the surface of bare TPE. Bet practices are to have your doll covered when moving it around. You'll definitely want something thicker than just stockings or pantyhose.

I've found that the biggest problem by far is feet. It was the one thing i wish I had been told, so I could have at least been more careful. In my case, I have done ALOT of photography, so Alita's been very busy on her feet. I knew about the foot bolts, but did not realize how damaging they can be. If you get standing feet, there will be 3 protruding bolts from the inner foot plate. If you stand your doll up quite a bit, the bolts will eventually tear the TPE on the soles around the bolt. They will tear through socks and stockings if there is movement when standing. Best practice, keep your doll off her feet as much as possible. There is a vendor that sells 3D printed foot bolt caps, I may just invest in those as well. I do know know how effective they are, maybe someone can chime in on that experience. Definately have socks and shoes on when standing your doll up.

But the good news is, TPE can be repaired. There are many techniques of fixing TPE on the forum. Sadly less than a month in, Alita is seriously due for a sole resurfacing this week. I'm going for the hot gun technique. Lessons learned the hard way, but I'm now prepared for anything that happens in the future.

That's what I got. I'm not disappointed in any way with going TPE, I knew what I was getting into. With any large doll, maintenance is inevitable. Knowing there were DIY solutions to potential damage was actually the final hurdle for me making a purchase.

Good luck!

[DG]

Some blends of TPE have a strong odor, while others do not. I have three WM males and their scent was a bit sweet and floral, not bothersome at all. Once exposed to air for a few days, the smell tends to dissipate, and especially so after a nice spritz soapy water bath and re-powdering. It will not damage the doll to lay with her, as long as her arms are at her side with the palms in the lateral position at her side, or if her palms are facing downward over her hips. If she lies on top of you and you move around, yes you risk some level of damage.
There are different types of TPE, you have firm, soft and ultra soft. Manufacturers do not like to go with the ultra soft as it is the most easiest damaged forms of TPE. You just have to be a little more careful and gentle around TPE than with Silicone. Also, silicone and TPE cannot touch as they give off a chemical reaction in where the silicone begins to sweat and indent, while the TPE hardens and becomes brittle.

[Doll Gamer]

Yes, TPE itself is fragile, and requires ALOT of TLC when moving and dressing. A fall almost guarantees a scrape or cut on the surface of bare TPE. Bet practices are to have your doll covered when moving it around. You'll definitely want something thicker than just stockings or pantyhose.

I've found that the biggest problem by far is feet. It was the one thing i wish I had been told, so I could have at least been more careful. In my case, I have done ALOT of photography, so Alita's been very busy on her feet. I knew about the foot bolts, but did not realize how damaging they can be. If you get standing feet, there will be 3 protruding bolts from the inner foot plate. If you stand your doll up quite a bit, the bolts will eventually tear the TPE on the soles around the bolt. They will tear through socks and stockings if there is movement when standing. Best practice, keep your doll off her feet as much as possible. There is a vendor that sells 3D printed foot bolt caps, I may just invest in those as well. I do know know how effective they are, maybe someone can chime in on that experience. Definately have socks and shoes on when standing your doll up.

Good lord ... I'm glad I posted here early into my looking at these dolls. This was a solid reminder of why I'd decided to just stick to silicone and avoid TPE entirely. Is there even an option to get one of these dolls without those bolts on the feet? I'd gladly pass on them if that were possible. If this material truly is so fragile that you have to be careful just handling it, or cover the doll with clothes, that even then have the chance of staining the material, then that's a hard pass for me. I feel like it completely defeats the purpose of what I want a doll for in the first place. I can't even imagine how you could safely have sex with a TPE doll if you have to consider every single move before you do it... Beyond that, I usually have one my dolls sitting with me on the sofa or something pretty often. If it's a risk just to move her around, just to be able to be near her, then I can't see it being worth it for me.

Regardless, I appreciate all the info. It might not have been what I wanted to hear, but I think you just saved me from a $2000 heartbreak

[Willus]

I want to say I never had any issues with the TPE Zoe was made from. She was a JY made with their Platinum TPE, which doesn't need oiling.

I'll be honest, I was always gentle and careful with her, and she didn't stand up a great deal, but had no issues with the TPE at all - washed/powdered it a few times but that was all it ever needed. I can't really compare to WM TPE (yet, will be able to soon) but the JY Platinum seemed really strong and durable.

That said, despite being so careful Zoe's back broke where the hinge is welded to the hip bar after 6 months. I guess I got unlucky, but I'm waaaay more worried about skeletons now than I am about TPE.

[Mr Franz]

Like everything else in life, all depends on your likes and dislikes. Me, I much prefer the feel and look of TPE over silicone. As for smell, my WM purchased in late 2017 had no smell to speak of when new and none at all now. I need my dolls to stand so those 3 small bolt heads protruding from the bottom of each foot don't bother me in the least. Yeah, TPE requires a bit of maintenance, but to me that's a plus as I thoroughly enjoy taking care of them, dressing them up and just playing with them.

Nearly 3 years now since my TPE gal was purchased and aside from the dreaded finger wires, she's still in perfect condition. Even softer now than when she first arrived.

[Doll Gamer]

Like everything else in life, all depends on your likes and dislikes. Me, I much prefer the feel and look of TPE over silicone. As for smell, my WM purchased in late 2017 had no smell to speak of when new and none at all now. I need my dolls to stand so those 3 small bolt heads protruding from the bottom of each foot don't bother me in the least. Yeah, TPE requires a bit of maintenance, but to me that's a plus as I thoroughly enjoy taking care of them, dressing them up and just playing with them.

Nearly 3 years now since my TPE gal was purchased and aside from the dreaded finger wires, she's still in perfect condition. Even softer now than when she first arrived.

I guess it really is just personal preference. Maybe it's just that I'm used to how low maintenance silicone is by comparison, but if TPE really does tear over nothing and stain super easily, it's just hard for me to see the upside. Especially if I intend to move her around a lot. Maybe I'm just being paranoid since I've never owned a TPE doll, but prior to reading some of these comments, it didn't seem like it would be all that bad. My take away now is that her feet are doomed to tear, I can't move her, I can't bring her to bed because oils in the TPE will stain the sheets, I can't dress her safely yet must to avoid damaging the skin when she's moved around and she has to stay in a certain stationary position almost constantly to avoid permanent dents and creases... Hopefully I'm blowing things out of proportion here, but it just sounds like it wouldn't be my cup of tea at all if this is actually the case. All that said, if you've had one for three years, it's obvious they can be kept for a while if cared for. I'll have to give it some more thought, for sure, before I actually purchase any TPE doll.

On a different note, you mentioned you stand your dolls up on those metal foot studs pretty often. I'm curious, can they stand through shoes or socks? That'd actually be kinda nice if she could actually use some nice shoes.

[AhMyDolless]

I think the real question regarding smell isn't so much do they have a smell but how long does it last?
You can have the sweetest smelling doll on the planet but in a normal sized room with it standing/sitting/laying down all day that smell will accumulate to where its just inescapable. Suddenly what was at first a "light smell" becomes an overpowering in not very noticeable smell that lingers in the air for days.

The power/intensity is in the accumulation, not the projection in of itself in the air, your own nose (inner) and surfaces. Think radioactivity half-life and its the same thing. There's a rate at which these things give of a smell but if there's little to no air flow it will just mount like shoveling snow from a driveway and tossing it higher and higher on a snow bank.

Over time just a with any half-life measurement the rate at which the smell is emitted decreases exponentially; meaning once the emission drops off enough you'll realize the same amount of time doesn't accumulate as much as when you first opened her out of the box. And that rate of emission and total accumulation will go down further still. But it does take time in a closed environment with no air flow. And even air flow you'll still notice it.

And that's not counting the stuff clinging to surfaces (i.e: your bed and flooring) though.

For me it took about week for those emission levels to truly die down.

I'd give it a few days of just letting her air out in an open environment (living room, garage) before snuggling up.

[Panther68]

Hmmm....me thinks that you judge TPE as too inferior.

Ayumi face planting outdoor on concrete and dirt.

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She cleaned up pretty nice. Not one single scratch on her. Spent over an hour picking dirt and tiny rocks off of her, but no cuts or scratches. When dolls fall, it like a falling tree. Thump!!!! no sliding or rolling unlike us humans that get road rash as we try to break our fall.

Ananya face planting in Utah during our cross country road trip. Again, no cuts or scratches. Fortunately the color of the dirt was the same tone as her skin, so cleaning on the road wasn't so bad.

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[AtomicPunk]

Good lord ... I'm glad I posted here early into my looking at these dolls. This was a solid reminder of why I'd decided to just stick to silicone and avoid TPE entirely. Is there even an option to get one of these dolls without those bolts on the feet? I'd gladly pass on them if that were possible.

Of course you can get a model without standing feet, thus no bolts.

I don't mean to talk you out of a TPE doll. They are not so fragile that you can't enjoy them, or have them last a long time. TPE just needs a little extra TLC, that's all.

Oh, and I just gave Alita a good sniff. NO odors at all after 3 weeks.

It's a trade off. Softer, more life like = slightly higher maintenance. Just like women. LOL.


--------------------------

Holy Cow Panther! A very nice recovery indeed. I think that photo of her post face plant could win in a zombie contest.

[Dollfriend]

I would say it is a 50/50 chance the Doll may smell, I have had TPE Dolls smell bad for years, and I have had TPE Dolls Smell bad at the beginning and over time the smell dissipate to nothing, it is just the luck of the draw, sometimes the smell is tolerable, sometimes it is not, again its a 50/50 chance, and no TPE dolls are not so fragile they will just fall apart if you fart loud in front of them, but if you are very unlucky this can happen also. there are reasons TPE Dolls are less expensive than silicone Dolls...

[Mr Franz]

Like everything else in life, all depends on your likes and dislikes. Me, I much prefer the feel and look of TPE over silicone. As for smell, my WM purchased in late 2017 had no smell to speak of when new and none at all now. I need my dolls to stand so those 3 small bolt heads protruding from the bottom of each foot don't bother me in the least. Yeah, TPE requires a bit of maintenance, but to me that's a plus as I thoroughly enjoy taking care of them, dressing them up and just playing with them.

Nearly 3 years now since my TPE gal was purchased and aside from the dreaded finger wires, she's still in perfect condition. Even softer now than when she first arrived.

I guess it really is just personal preference. Maybe it's just that I'm used to how low maintenance silicone is by comparison, but if TPE really does tear over nothing and stain super easily, it's just hard for me to see the upside. Especially if I intend to move her around a lot. Maybe I'm just being paranoid since I've never owned a TPE doll, but prior to reading some of these comments, it didn't seem like it would be all that bad. My take away now is that her feet are doomed to tear, I can't move her, I can't bring her to bed because oils in the TPE will stain the sheets, I can't dress her safely yet must to avoid damaging the skin when she's moved around and she has to stay in a certain stationary position almost constantly to avoid permanent dents and creases... Hopefully I'm blowing things out of proportion here, but it just sounds like it wouldn't be my cup of tea at all if this is actually the case. All that said, if you've had one for three years, it's obvious they can be kept for a while if cared for. I'll have to give it some more thought, for sure, before I actually purchase any TPE doll.

On a different note, you mentioned you stand your dolls up on those metal foot studs pretty often. I'm curious, can they stand through shoes or socks? That'd actually be kinda nice if she could actually use some nice shoes.

First off, in my experience they don't tear nor stain all that easily. TPE is much more elastic than silicone. If you're rough with them, drag them around, bang them into things, that's another story. Same with dressing them in cheap dark clothes. Yeah, they're gonna get stained, but then silicone can stain too under the right conditions. With TPE though, most light stains disappear on their own. I've only managed to get one stain in 3 years and that's exactly what happened. Gone in less than a week. I generally just stick with white and pastel shades though, to avoid the issue and test anything I'm unsure of before putting it on my doll.

Feet too, as long as the protruding bolt heads are adjusted properly, (extending slightly beyond the sole of the foot), no reason the foot should tear. In 3 years, I've only had one miner foot scuff near the big toe of one foot, the result of a foot bolt not being extended far enough. Of course I do keep shoes and socks on my doll when she's standing, which she does nearly 24/7. Even in shoes though, you still need standing feet so the protruding bolts alone bear the dolls weight, otherwise yes, the TPE will sustain damage, but I've seen non-standing silicone dolls suffer the same fate.

No problems whatsoever with dressing. I'm constantly changing my doll's outfits and posing her. Never once damaged her in the process. Just have to exercise ordinary care when doing so. As for oil stains, from what I've read here, my doll may be somewhat unique in that regard. While others report heavy oil staining, my WM just never leached any oil. So I guess like smell, that can vary one doll to the next. It's true, leaving them in certain positions for extended periods unprotected, like lying on their back on a hard surface or sitting for too long, can leave compression marks. Same with tight clothing, but like stains they usually go away on their own. For instance, I like tight full cut panties. They look great, but if I leave them on my doll for a few days, she gets indentations from the tight elastic. All I do is change her into something less binding and in the same amount of time it took to get the indentations, they're gone again.

I guess the great TPE vs Silicone debate will rage on forever, but I look at it this way; an SUV is generally more versatile and durable than a car, but not everyone wants or needs an SUV.

[QL57812]

I bought a TPE JY doll and was worried about the same thing after reading a bunch of comments on here. Turns out she only had a very faint smell and it was kind of nice. After one cleaning and an oil rub, she just smelled clean and like the oil. As far as denting, she did have one dent from shipping and it disappeared by the next day. It seems it takes pretty hard and blunt pressure to dent, like maybe if you left her leaning on the edge of a counter. I've slept with my doll and no denting.

[Doll Gamer]

I've slept with my doll and no denting.

What about the oil issue? Does it seem to stain the sheets or anything? The smell thing seems like it might not be as big an issue as I thought it'd be after reading what everyone else is saying, but it seems like I'm getting mixed signals on whether or not it's fine to have a TPE doll in bed.