Silicone vs PVC vs Resin Figures: Which Material Is Right for You?
Anime figures come in three main materials: PVC, resin and silicone. Each one changes how a figure looks, feels, poses and ages. This guide explains the differences in plain terms, so you can decide which type fits your collection. It also shows where LORIBEAR's platinum silicone NSFW figures fit in.
Silicone vs PVC vs resin figures: quick comparison
| PVC figure | Resin statue (GK) | Silicone figure | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel | Hard plastic | Hard, heavy, rigid | Soft, skin-like |
| Posable? | Fixed pose (articulated action figures excepted) | Fixed pose | Yes, when built over an internal skeleton |
| Typical production | Mass-produced, injection-moulded | Small runs, often hand-finished | Moulded and hand-finished |
| Main risks | Leaning or warping in heat, paint stickiness over time | Chips and breaks if dropped | Dye transfer, dust, over-bending joints |
| Care | Dust only | Dust only; handle with care | Gentle cleaning and correct storage |
PVC figures
PVC is the standard material for mainstream anime scale figures and prize figures. It holds sharp sculpted detail and paint well, and mass production keeps prices accessible. The trade-off is that a PVC scale figure is sculpted in a single fixed pose. Some "cast-off" PVC figures have one or two removable parts, but the body underneath is still hard plastic. PVC can lean or soften if it is kept somewhere hot for a long time.
Resin statues (GK)
Resin statues, often called garage kits or GK, are usually made in smaller runs and finished by hand. Resin allows large, dramatic dioramas and very crisp detail, and it is heavier and more rigid than PVC. It is also brittle: a drop that a PVC figure might survive can chip or break a resin statue. Like PVC, a resin statue keeps the single pose it was sculpted in.
Silicone figures
A silicone figure replaces the hard shell with a soft body. LORIBEAR uses platinum silicone over a posable metal skeleton with neck, shoulder, elbow, wrist, hip, knee and ankle joints, plus metal wire in the fingers. As a result, the same figure can sit, stand, lean or hold a fighting stance, and its outfit can be fully removed or changed. That is why silicone is the material of choice for a true cast-off anime figure. The trade-offs are care and space. Silicone needs gentle cleaning, protection from dark fabrics that can transfer colour, and a stable place to stand. LORIBEAR figures are 62–80 cm, larger than a typical 1/7 PVC figure but far smaller than a life-size piece.
PVC vs resin vs silicone: which should you choose?
- Choose PVC if you want an affordable figure in a fixed pose for a shelf.
- Choose resin if you want a dramatic, display-only centrepiece and can keep it away from knocks.
- Choose silicone if you want a figure you can re-pose, photograph and dress, with a soft body instead of hard plastic. Start with LORIBEAR silicone anime figures or the Best NSFW Figures buyer guide.
Related reading: NSFW figure materials and sizes, How to Pose a Silicone Figure and the care and cleaning guide.
Genuine LORIBEAR is sold here on the official site, at gkdoll.com and through authorized LORIBEAR resellers. Every figure ships in a plain brown carton holding the printed LORIBEAR box, with a black anti-counterfeit card (scratch off the coating and scan the QR code). See how to verify a genuine LORIBEAR.
Which material suits you?
Choose PVC for affordable, fixed-pose shelf statues; resin for high-detail, limited garage-kit style pieces that must be handled carefully; and silicone if you want a soft, posable figure with changeable outfits, such as the Tifa Lockhart NSFW figure, the Yor Forger NSFW figure or the Chun-Li NSFW figure. Browse all silicone anime figures.
Frequently asked questions
Is silicone better than PVC for figures?
Neither is better in every way: PVC is rigid and low-maintenance, while silicone is soft and posable but needs protection from sunlight, heat and dyed fabrics.
Do silicone figures need special care?
Yes, gentle cleaning with mild soap and lukewarm water, full drying, and careful posing; see how to pose a silicone figure.
What is inside a LORIBEAR silicone figure?
A posable metal skeleton inside a platinum silicone body.