When choosing kitchenware, baby products, or seals, you often choose between plastic, rubber, and silicone. Though they look similar, they differ greatly in durability, safety, and cost. Picking the right material directly affects your experience and health.

Safety Comparison: Silicone leads by a large margin

• Plastic: Easily releases harmful substances under high heat. Low-quality plastic may retain chemical odors, posing long-term health risks.
• Rubber: Most types (natural or synthetic) have strong, persistent smells. Poor chemical stability means it may leach harmful ingredients when in contact with oil or chemicals.
• Liquid silicone: Non-toxic, odorless, and chemically stable. Produced with pure materials, it meets food-grade and medical-grade standards, making it safe for food, baby’s mouth, and direct skin contact.

Durability Comparison: Silicone comes out on top

• Plastic: Hard but brittle. Cracks easily in cold, deforms in heat, yellows and breaks with long-term use.
• Rubber: Elastic but prone to aging. Narrow temperature range (-30℃ to 80℃). Quickly hardens, cracks, and loses elasticity under sunlight or high heat.
• Liquid silicone: Wide temperature range (-50℃ to 250℃). Excellent aging resistance, UV resistance, and chemical corrosion resistance. Does not deform, yellow, or crack over time. Service life is 3–5 times longer than plastic or rubber. Great rebound elasticity also maintains shape after repeated use.

Price Comparison: You get what you pay for

• Plastic: Lowest raw material and processing cost, most affordable price, but worst quality and safety.
• Rubber: Mid-range price and processing cost, suitable for general industrial use, but average in durability and safety.
• Liquid silicone: Higher material and equipment cost, complex processing with high precision requirements, so products are relatively expensive. However, due to its long lifespan and infrequent replacement, it offers higher overall cost performance.

Conclusion

Each material has its place:

• Plastic: For low-cost, disposable items.
• Rubber: For general industrial and low-frequency use.
• Liquid silicone: The best choice for food contact, skin contact, baby products, and situations requiring durability, safety, and precision.

A slightly higher upfront cost brings long-term health protection and a much better user experience.

Regarding liquid silicone rubber, please refer to our website for details: IOTA Liquid Silicone Rubber