When I first received the Twisted Love Ties from Sportsheets I was a little wary of them. The first thought I had about them was that they remind me of large bread ties, Marla had the same reaction. I could already see the convenient use of them as a fast light bondage item which would be rather versatile, so I was also excited to try them.

The Twisted Love Ties easily slip around wrists or ankles, and can be wound around multiple times or crossed over themselves, attached to themselves or to other objects, all sorts of combinations. They basically feel like foam wrapped around a bendable spine with a fabric cover.

They seemed overly stiff at first and while they were somewhat easy to mold they just didn’t seem like they would be that comfortable. I experimented with them right away and wasn’t too impressed so didn’t end up actually using them during play until quite some time later.

Every time I used the ties by themselves they were rather uncomfortable. Although they bend rather easily by hand they are not easily bent when already around a wrist or ankle, which made it difficult to have them on for long periods of time as moving the limbs around at all wasn’t easy. Although the idea of bondage is to restrain movement the bottom generally tends to squirm and wiggle within the bonds, the ties were too difficult to put perfectly around to restrict movement within the ties and were too uncomfortable to use on their own.

Where the Twisted Love Ties really shine, however, is when coupled with a hard object, specifically I used them with a spreader bar. I think they work so well combined with a hard object because the hardness of the spreader bar makes the slight stiffness of the ties feel soft in comparison. They slipped easily through the loops on the end of both spreader bars I tried them with, and were great for using the spreader bar on knees specifically as well as ankles.

While I wasn’t impressed with the ties by themselves I know I will be using them over and over again with my spreader bars. All three of us are impressed at how well they work.

Much thanks to Sportsheets for letting me review their Twisted Love Ties!

Name: Twisted Love Ties

Manufacturer: Sportsheets

Type: Light & quick bondage item.

Material: Foam-covered bendable metal.

Length: 22 inches each

Rating: 4 Lotuses (out of 5) – Very Good & Highly Recommended

I have been fascinated with spreader bars for quite some time and even had the luck to review one a couple of months ago and ever since I’ve been wanting to try more. Just as not all sex toys are created equal not all BDSM products are created equal so I love to try as many variations of similar products as possible when I like the design or idea of a toy.

The idea of being bound to a spreader bar, being helpless and unable to close my legs or keep my cunt and ass from being teased and played with (or doing the same to someone else) is highly appealing and arousing. Because I’m a larger woman with quite a bit of thigh on me, however, it was somewhat easy to keep my thighs together and not be as exposed when using the other spreader bar, and the same thing happened with this one when used around my ankles. I’ve heard this complaint from a number of people, and I have a solution to it below.

We tried it first with the Axovus ankle cuffs connected to either side of the bar which was definitely sexy and made it difficult to move around too much but wasn’t as exposing or immobilizing as I had always imagined a spreader bar would be. Because of the way the cuffs attached to the spreader bar, with carabiner snap hooks, I could close my feet together closer than the 36 inches the bar itself is. Don’t get me wrong, it was definitely hot, but it lacked something as I could move my ankles around much more than I wanted to be able to.

After watching the porn movie Champion I was struck with a brilliant idea due to something that happened during my favorite scene: a cane was used as a spreader bar tied not around the ankles but around the knees. This looked sexy and sounded like a brilliant idea that I knew I had to try!

Neither of us are particularly skilled with rope so the next time we used the spreader bar we also used an item I had recently received from Sportsheets, the Twisted Love Ties. They are sort of like giant twist-ties that hold together surprisingly well and slipped easily through the loop on the end of the spreader bar.

We wound the Twisted Ties right above each of my knees on either end of the spreader bar and that worked much better than using the spreader bar on my ankles, it forced me to keep my knees spread wide so all of my nether regions were on display and it was an easy bar to hold on to while fucking me. It was pretty delightful, and definitely my favorite use of a spreader bar thus far. I know that we are going to use it and the other spreader bar I have over and over.

The only negative about the bar is that when using it on my knees the 36 inch length was actually a little long, it forced my hips a little too widely apart to the point of discomfort after about ten or fifteen minutes. Because of this I’m interested in trying the 24 inch spreader bar from the same company as I think that would be a little more comfortable.

You can find the 36 inch Spreader Bar in Siren Red, Baby Pink and Candy Purple or the 24 inch in Siren Red, Baby Pink and Candy Purple, along with other Bondage and BDSM products and sex toys of every flavor on SexToy.Com.

Much thanks to SexToy.Com for letting me review the Siren Red 36 inch Spreader Bar!

Name: Siren Red 36 inch Spreader Bar

Manufacturer: Pinnacle Design & Fabrication

Material: Aircraft-grade Aluminum

Length: 36 inches

Rating: 4 Lotuses (out of 5) – Very Good & Highly Recommended

Fun Factory Week continues with a new and slightly unusual FF item!

Did you see the start of Fun Factory Week with the Boss (Lady) review yesterday?

Note: I recently had to slice the RAM of my computer in half, because of that my video isn’t recording as nicely as it used to. Some of the video is extremely choppy, and I apologize, but I think you get the idea.

Cuffies are a new Fun Factory item that I think are absolutely adorable. They are meant to be light bondage items with the cuffs being fashionable and discreet enough to wear with an everyday outfit but with hoops on them to attach the included aluminum chain. Fun Fatory actually has a few different designs including Hippie which are brown and turquoise and close with cufflinks, and Freestyle which are the ones I’m reviewing today and are black/grey and orange and close with ribbon.

The cuffs themselves are made out of rubber, which is something I’m actually disappointed about. The rubber means that the cuffs have no breatheability whatsoever so they end up getting your wrists sweaty even after a short period of use. This kind of defeats the idea of being able to wear them casually for long(ish) periods of time or even wearing them for long periods of play time, especially in the warmer months. I would imagine I would enjoy wearing them more in the cooler months, however.

Other than the breatheability issue I think they are cute and definitely serve their purpose. They are definitely not a heavy-duty item but they can withstand a small amount of resistance and would be extremely fun for quick bondage especially in public. I imagine quick and dirty park sex with wrists bound by the chain of these cute babies, maybe behind the back with the penetrating partner holding onto the chain… or any other quick fantasy. That is definitely what these cuffs are made for and where they shine.

Being able to wear them discreetly is also a plus, as they can be a focal point for power play if used correctly, since they are bondage items that don’t really look extremely kinky or out of place. A jiggling of the chain in the Top’s pocket or a simple touch or tug on the cuffs themselves from the Top can remind the bottom that s/he is subject to be bound at any given time. There are really many possibilities to the use of these adorable cuffs.

Much thanks to Pink Cherry for letting me review Fun Factory Cuffies Freestyle!

Name: Cuffies – Freestyle

Type: Wrist Cuffs

Manufacturer: Fun Factory

Materials: Rubber (cuffs), ribbon, and aluminum (chain).

Length: 7 3/4″ cuffs, 23″ with chain
Width: 1 1/4 to 1 1/2″

Rating: 3 Lotuses (out of 5) – Good & Recommended

For some reason I expected this to be longer, but it’s really quite short. I know it says on the product page that it’s mini, but I still imagined it to be the size of the other rabbit flogger I have, which was the inspiration for me wanting this flogger. It’s short, which isn’t bad, because that means you don’t need full swings to get at places, and it works well on just about anywhere large or small.

Like I said, I have a rabbit flogger, which is nice and soft and is “impact caresses” as Onyx and I have phrased it. The rabbit-only flogger is wonderful for those who don’t like pain at all, or when you want to be nice, or just for giving a soft massage of sorts. I like the feeling of fur flogging but was interested in having a bit more oomph to the sensation as well, so when I saw the fur AND leather flogger I knew I had to try it.

The leather definitely adds sensation. It’s not super stingy, as said above I would give it a one out of three for stingyness, so there’s definitely a little bite to it but hardly any at all. The impact caressing of the rabbit fur added to the slight stingyness of the leather creates a unique sensation. I really love the juxtaposition of this flogger against the other long suede flogger that we have and against the rabbit-ONLY one as well.

It’s not super fancy, but it definitely is unusual. While it doesn’t have any fancy braiding on it the flogger itself is well made and while the price may seem a little much for a small flogger it will last you quite a while. It would be perfect for sensation sluts as well as a great warm-up flogger for pain sluts. Overall I highly recommend it!

You can find the Fur and Leather Flogger, along with other BDSM and Fetish products and sex toys of every flavor on SexToy.Com.

Much thanks to SexToy.Com for letting me review the Fur and Leather Flogger!

Name: Mini rabbit fur and leather whip

Type: Flogger

Manufacturer: Unknown?

Material: Rabbit fur and leather

Length: 9 inches (falls) 14 inches (total)

Sensation: Stingy – 1 (out of 3)

Rating: 3 Lotus’ (out of 5) – Good & Recommended

Name: Fur Lined Paddle

Manufacturer: Sportsheets

Material: Leather and faux-fur

Length: 14 inches
Width: 3 inches

Fur-Side Sensation: Thuddy – 1 (out of 3)
Leather-Side Sensation: Stingy – 2 (out of 3)

Rating: 3 Lotuses (out of 5) – Good & Recommended

Much thanks to Sportsheets for letting me review their Fur Lined Paddle!

Name: Single Rose Crop

Manufacturer: Ruff Doggie

Material: Leather

Length: 24 inches
Width: 1 1/4 inch rose

Sensation: Stingy – 1 1/2 (out of 3)

Rating: 4 Lotuses (out of 5) – Very Good & Highly Recommended

Experience

I was blown away the first time I saw a picture of this crop and just knew that I would have to get one. It’s absolutely gorgeous, and despite a few minor disappointments (see video) I really have enjoyed it and highly recommend it! In addition to being generally great as a crop in and of itself, the addition of the rose detail is just wonderful and makes it all the more special.

The crop definitely didn’t disappoint. It’s gorgeous and detailed with leaves on the long green stem and wonderfully crafted, all of the braiding is even and tight. It produces a fair amount of sting too, even though it doesn’t have any thorns (though that would be a wicked idea for a ouchy blood play cane) and is overall wonderful and beautiful!

You can find the Single Rose Crop, along with other BDSM and Fetish products and sex toys of every flavor on SexToy.Com.

Much thanks to SexToy.Com for letting me review the Single Rose Crop!

Name: Adjustable Spreader Bar

Manufacturer: Kinklab

Material: Steel

Length: Eight options between 25 and 37 inches (adjustable)

Rating: 4 Lotuses (out of 5) – Very Good & Highly Recommended

Experience

I’ve been intrigued by spreader bars for years, but never got around to owning one until now. When I saw the Adjustable Spreader Bar I knew I wanted to try it. Not only was it a spreader bar that could fulfill my desires of wanting to use one, but also because it’s adjustable I thought it would be the perfect first spreader bar to own. It adjusts from two feet to just over three feet with eight different options in between.

We used the Axovus ankle cuffs in conjunction with the spreader bar, which worked really well. There were a few minor issues such as because of the rather long clips we were using to connect the cuffs to the spreader bar I could get my feet a few inches closer together by moving them inward around the spreader bar. I’m quite a squirmer and love to figure out what I can get away with when bound so that was one of the first things I noticed.

I also could kind of keep my thighs together, which I attribute to being quite a large person. With thinner thighs I might not have been able to, but because of the girth of my thighs I was able to squeeze them closer together than my knees or ankles. This wasn’t a huge deterrent and didn’t take away from the overall feeling of helplessness and restraint, but is definitely something to keep in mind.

I really loved that it’s so easily adjustable, Onyx even adjusted it while I was already hooked into it. We really were hoping that the pins could be used to clip wrist cuffs to, but they’re not made strongly enough to be able to do that which makes sense since they need to be removeable.

The bar itself is lightweight enough that it is easily movable by the person tied or someone else, and doesn’t put strain on the ankles (or wherever else it may be used) when they are held up via it. It’s very sturdy as well, and at no point did I think I was going to bend or break it with my vigorous squirming.

Overall I really enjoyed my first experience with spreader bars and know that it won’t be the last. Thank you very much to Tabu Toys sex toys for allowing me to review the Kinklab Adjustable Spreader Bar!

I’m kind of a sucker for hearts and things with hearts on them. I was really attracted to the Heart Impressions Crop for that reason. We have a paddle with a cut-out heart that occasionally leaves imprints if hit with hard enough (ouch!) which can be really fun for pictures and the like, or for a good excuse to hit really hard, so I thought a crop that does similar would also be fun to have around.

Unfortunately, I have been unable to get the crop to actually leave an impression. I think this has to do with the fact that the leather isn’t very thick (which is normal for crops) and so there isn’t much of a distinction between the leather of the crop and the cutout. I was a little disappointed that it didn’t actually leave a heart-shaped mark, and think that the Impressions Mood Slappers from Sportsheets may do a better job at this.

However, even though the crop didn’t actually leave a mark it did still work very well as a cute short crop that is not super stingy but can sting if needed. The sting is highly variable depending on the force with which it is hit, of course, but with average force it’s not that stingy. I think of it kind of as a warm-up crop, or maybe a crop for those who don’t like a lot of sting but enjoy the impact. It makes a wicked sound, too, which I really enjoyed. It sounds a lot worse than it actually is, probably because of the red layer in between the leather loop.

While it didn’t do it’s intended purpose–impress a heart–it still works really well as a crop in general, and is still super cute. I think it would especially be the perfect crop for a beginner or someone of any level who enjoys less of a sting or likes a warm-up crop. As long as you keep in mind that the impression doesn’t work too well and just buy it for it’s other qualities I would highly recommend it.

Much thanks to Sportsheets for letting me review their Heart Impressions Crop!

Name: Heart Impressions Crop

Manufacturer: Sportsheets

Material: Leather and (possibly) nylon for the red color between the crop loop

Length: 16.5 inches (without leather loop handle) 24.5 inches (including leather handle)
Width: 2 inches (striking tip) 1.5 inch (heart)

Sensation: Stingy – 1 (out of 3)

Rating: 3 Lotuses (out of 5) – Good & Recommended

As I mentioned in my Large Rubber Whip review Onyx and I are big fans of impact play toys. SexToy.Com actually has a very extensive although somewhat disorganized BDSM and Fetish section which has almost anything you could desire from beginner to advanced BDSM gear. Because of this vast selection I got to pick out quite a few different fun toys to play with including the Red Wide-Tipped Riding Bat.

The handle and tip are black while the shaft of the riding bat is red, though they do have an all black version as well. The Red Wide-Tipped Riding Bat is exactly that: wide-tipped, about two and a half (2 1/2) inches across at the leather tip and the entirety of it is about two feet (24 inches) long. It feels sturdy and well-made as well, it doesn’t feel light or flimsy like some other crops and bats I’ve held, which is definitely a plus.

According to XeroMag’s Kinky Dictionary (XeroMag has a lot of wonderful BDSM information especially for a beginner) the difference between a riding crop and a riding bat is that while they are very similar a bat is “usually slightly shorter and with a wider leather striking tip.” Although not all retailers abide by the same definitions, as I’ve seen implements with a wide tip like this referred to as crops, but even so it’s a good general distinction to make.

With crops and bats, unlike canes and floggers, one hits only with the very end of the bat instead of the majority of the object. The wider the end of the bat the less stingy the sensation, which was the majority of my reason for wanting this bat. I have a thinner tipped crop which has a sharper sting to it. While the Red Wide-Tipped Riding Bat does also sting, the sting it produces is much less sharp and more of a thud.

One of the benefits of using a crop or bat is that the striking area is very small, which means it is able to get in to smaller and more delicate areas than a large flogger for instance. It is also wonderful for striking back and forth between inner thighs or getting the tops or bottoms of breasts. Probably the most common use, of course, is on the ass.

With the right amount of force it can be wicked, just like most impact play toys, but it can also be massaging as mentioned above and a nice thuddy addition to any round of impact play. It’s really very affordable as well, at under fifteen dollars and while it can pack a pretty good wallop because it’s thuddier than a regular crops it is ideal for those who enjoy impact and sensation play but who shy away from the sting. Too often crops and bats are automatically associated with being stingy, and although this one can be stingy with enough force it’s much more subtle and pleasurable for us thuddy-loving folk.

You can find the Red Wide-Tipped Riding Bat (or Black Wide-Tipped Riding Bat) along with other BDSM and Fetish Toys and sex toys of every flavor on SexToy.Com.

Much thanks to SexToy.Com for letting me review the Red Wide-Tipped Riding Bat!

Name: Red Wide-Tipped Riding Bat

Length: 29.5 inches
Width: 2.5 inches (striking tip)

Sensation: Stingy – 2 (out of 3)

Rating: 3 Lotuses (out of 5) – Good & Recommended

Between Onyx and myself we have a good amount of impact play toys, though there are so many out there I always am interested in new and different kinds of floggers, canes, paddles, and etc. to include in our play.

When I saw the Black Large Rubber Whip was available for review I was intrigued. Onyx and I had actually just been to Babeland not too long before I got it and had looked at their bdsm gear section. While it’s not extensive it does have a good amount of quality products, and this Rubber Whip is no exception.

It’s a very basic design, two knobs and a piece of plastic piping with dozens of strands of rubber looped through them, anchored on the other side by the wrist strap. They actually have two other whips almost identical to this one, the difference is color and length, the Pink Medium Rubber Whip and Red Mini Whip (the latter would be wonderful for whipping close sensitive areas like breasts or genitals).

I’m not really sure why it’s called a whip rather than a flogger. In contemporary usage, as far as I know, the term whip is generally reserved for single-tail whips–like what Indiana Jones uses–while the term flogger is actually used as a somewhat catch-all term for something with multiple tails (usually leather but also rope, rubber, or etc.) and a handle. That’s what I’ve found others to say as well. Though another distinction could be along the lines of the thuddy to stingy continuum, such as the thuddy toys are floggers while the stingy toys are whips, but this isn’t as widely used since floggers and whips can produce a wide range of sensation depending on how and where they are used.

That query out of the way let’s get to what you’re actually interested in: how it feels to use and to take it! ‘Cause the information about the toy itself is only useful if you know it’s going to do what you want it to.

Well, what I really like about the Black Large Rubber Whip is that it has a good amount of versatility to it, though most floggers do. It can be light and teasing, trailed softly across sensitive exposed skin. It can be soft and thuddy, launched lightly at a bare bottom to evoke pleasure more than pain. And it can be harsh and stingy, snapped quickly to make the tips lick at tender flesh.

This range of sensation isn’t rare in the stingier end of floggers especially, that’s part of why I love floggers so, because one toy can be so versatile. As a poly queer switch I’m all for versatility.

Because it has such a range, also, it can be useful to beginner and advanced kinksters alike, making it a nice addition regardless of skill level. Due to the material of the strands, rubber as opposed to a harder or thicker material, it is rare for it to leave marks of any kind. Now, this could be a negative for those of us who like marks (myself included) but there are times when you don’t want to have marks on your thighs, ass, and lower back or wherever else you are wanting to use it. This toy is especially nice for great sensation and impact play without the worry of getting marked up in the process.

It’s lightweight and the handle is easy to hold on to while using it. While the handle is smooth plastic there are knobs on either side so there was no slipping in my hand while I used it. It’s also affordable, and while it is simple it’s good quality. Overall I’d say if you’re interested in a versatile and affordable flogger to add to your collection, this is a good one to consider.

Much thanks to Babeland for letting me review the Black Large Rubber Whip!