Aslan silicone ball gag - headgear by ASLAN Leather - review by Owl Identified

This plush, gorgeous ball gag is incredibly versatile. It manages to be tough and sturdy enough to pass the close inspection of experienced players, but is cute and non-intrusive enough to be very appealing to those that are new to bondage and gagging. It requires no preparation besides cleaning the ball itself, so it is ideal for spontaneous sessions that you're looking to add a little power play to. Couples that are BDSM novices may find this an excellent starting point; nearly all non-oral sex acts can be amped up by throwing this gag into the mix. You can ease yourself into more intense bondage by introducing this comfortable and VERY pretty piece in the bedroom or just around the home. However, I hardly mean to imply that this is some how a "light" toy. This ain't no fuzzy pair of handcuffs. This is the real, drool-inducing, moan-muffling, mouth-widening deal. Made out of beautiful finished leather and durable, hygienic silicone, the ASLAN ball gag is a serious and seriously quality bondage accessory.

The ASLAN ball gag has virtually everything you could ever ask for in a gag. As mentioned, the ball itself is made from dense (but not so dense that it's uncomfortable to bite into) silicone and the straps are made from soft, finished leather. My boyfriend and I both tried biting into this thing as hard as we could and we were unable to leave even a dent in the ball. Still, magically it yields very nicely to pressure so you aren't met with tooth-anguishing density when you clamp down during a session. The ball does have a vertical seam running down the center, but it's very minor and with the pearlescent sheen of the silicone it's almost undetectable. It doesn't really create an odd or uncomfortable texture, although if you're someone that's sensitive to textures this might bother you. [ Although I'm guessing that if you're comfortable with having your mouth propped wide open for who knows how long with a big ol' ball then you probably aren't going to get fussy over a thread-like seam ;) ]

The gag is 1.75" in diameter, which is definitely no trifling size. If you have had problems with TMJ, unrelated jaw pains or just have a small mouth (like I do) then you may want to look into a smaller gag to ensure comfort and safety. However, I have a pretty small mouth and I was able to wear this comfortably for about 10 minutes before my jaw started to ache. Just remember that a little detail like this could ruin your whole experience. This is an AWESOME ball gag but it's not one size fits all. You can, however, always take the ball it comes with off and replace it with another if you're really in love with the looks of this one.

The leather straps (with the ball hooked in) measure a little under 18" long from end to end. Buckled at the farthest hole the gag can be as small as roughly 13" around, and at the nearest hole about 17" around. The holes in the strap are about a centimeter apart from one another so you can get a pretty snug and accurate fit; I had no trouble with slipping or uncomfortable tightness. The stitching was flawless in my piece as ASLAN's stitching always is. However, if you ever encounter any trouble with yours, ASLAN includes a little tag that guarantees a lifetime of use with proper care. If during regular use you have trouble with your gag you can send it back to ASLAN and they will replace it free of charge. Pretty damn cool, huh?

One of my absolute favorite features of this gag is the snaps in the front near the ball that allow for a quick release in case of some kind of emergency. For example, the phone rings and you NEED to answer it. Instead of missing the call, you can quickly open the snaps and pick up. This is also an awesome feature if you are new to BDSM or just with a new partner and worry about the restriction of speech. The danger with engaging in BDSM --or even vanilla sex --with a ball gag is that you won't be able to say "stop" or "I need to take a break". If you feel things are getting to intense or just not going as you planned for them to, you can easily free yourself up in order to speak to your partner. As a back-up of course you should ALWAYS have a secondary safety option. For example, a hand signal works very well if your hands are not restrained. If you will be bound, sometimes a pattern of grunts can work in place of a safety word. There are a lot of options and it's definitely worth discussing before hand with your partner.

As a final note about the design, in the past I have had experiences of ASLAN's studs, buckles and D rings rusting somewhat easily. For this reason, ASLAN recommends covering these surfaces with a little clear nail polish to prevent this, and also stresses a specific cleaning procedure which I will get to below. For those with metal allergies I am not sure what the metal components are made of although hopefully someone from ASLAN will answer my question in the forums soon. Once someone does I will update this review promptly, so hang tight ;)

I have covered most of the points of this gag's performance in the above, so in order to avoid repetitiveness I won't go through all of the various ways this thing is wonderful again. The ASLAN ball gag is absolutely wonderful and nearly perfect in its performance. As usual, ASLAN has really thought through all of the details and made an excellent product. The ONLY problem I had with this was a minor one that would be very easy for the company to fix. The hole through the center of the ball, the one that the straps are pulled through, is a little too narrow. On the one hand this prevents the ball from sliding around too much during play, but it also makes removal for cleaning a pain in the butt. Feeding the strap back through the hole takes me a few of minutes of concerted effort, including folding the strap over, poking through with a pen, etc. It's sort of a pain in the butt when you just want to put the damn thing away so you can get back into bed and cuddle already! Still, this is a really minor issues that certainly won't ruin your experience with the toy.

As you know, the ball is made of silicone making it fully sterilizable. After removing the straps it can be boiled for about 3 minutes in a pot of hot water and will be free of nasty microbes. You can also wipe it down with a 10% bleach solution for the same effect. Sharing this gag is 100% safe so long as you do one of those with your ball between uses. For a quick cleaning you can wash it with antibacterial soap and warm water, just be advised that this will not completely sterilize the ball.

ASLAN recommends cleaning the straps when necessary by doing the following. With a wet washcloth, massage a small amount of antibacterial soap into the leather, but DO NOT submerge the leather or run it under water. Once you have lathered up, rinse the washcloth of remnant suds and thoroughly wipe the soap off of the straps. Pat dry with a towel. You may want to leave the gag out for 24 hours to make sure it dries completely, but the tag ASLAN included with the gag did not recommend hang-drying for some reason. I'm not really sure why, but they're the experts so I listen to them.

The ball gag should be stored in a cool, dry place away from jelly, rubber, TPE, TPR and other soft non-silicone materials. If you have other toys made from these materials do not mix them together unless you want your jelly or rubber toy melted! I keep this gag in the plastic bag it came in to avoid this problem.

Like most ASLAN products, this gag came in a clear, plastic Ziploc-style bag. I actually really appreciate the practicality; truthfully, most of my toys end up in Ziploc bags anyway. ASLAN just saves me the trip to my kitchen to find one :) It's especially convenient with this piece because of the silicone ball, which attracts dust and lint. Dust on a dildo is bad enough, but the gag actually has to go in your mouth. Nothing kills the mood like getting a bunch of dust and cat hair jammed in your mouth. If you place the ball directly in the bag after cleaning it, you'll have no trouble with it picking up unwanted particles. Just another reason why ASLAN is a no frills, no bullshit company that always seems to get it right.

THIS THING IS TOTALLY GROOVY. That is all.