Fleece lined blindfold by Spartacus - review by KinkyShay

This blindfold is multi-purpose, but is marketed as a BDSM accessory. BDSM players would use it in a variety of scenarios that having a blindfolded partner would arouse the senses. Some of these scenarios might be bondage, sensation or impact play. My experiences with this blindfold have been in a BDSM setting, though with some modifications, I could see myself using it as a simple sleep mask as well.

There is no learning curve with this blindfold. Beginners and advanced BDSM players alike will likely enjoy it. A person who would enjoy this blindfold would trust their partner and feel safe in his or her presence.

When I initially opened the package and got a sense for this blindfold I wasn't wowed by it. The description says it is leather, yet it didn't have that leather "feel" and smell. However, I really like the minimal style, and this blindfold has an understated, classy, feel.

When I tried it on, I found the fleece side, which one would assume would be very soft, is a bit abrasive. The fit, after less than five minutes, was too tight for me. It began giving me a headache, and my head is not on the large side.

I think with some home surgery, the blindfold will be much more comfortable. I'll need to find a way to replace the too-tight elastic. I'd also add a second elastic, so it has one that sits above the ear line and one that sits below. Once it doesn't fit as tightly, I assume the abrasive feel of the fleece will subside.

There is one issue I wasn't prepared for. While amusing, it was less so when dealing with the after effects. The black dye in the leather (around the edge of the mask) bleeds onto ones face after wear. I brought this blindfold to a BDSM-themed party and tried it out with two partners. After each of them removed the blindfold, they were left with raccoon-style black dye around their eyes and the marks were quite resistant to removal.

As I mentioned above, this blindfold got a test run at a BDSM-themed party, and I took the opportunity to ask people what their thoughts were after they had worn it for a while (about 20 minutes). The feedback I received was that it does indeed block out 100% of the light. For one person, it became uncomfortably too tight in about ten minutes. For another, it was too tight after fifteen minutes. Both said the fit of the elastic in back seemed off, that it didn't sit in the right spot. I agree. In it's most "natural" position, the elastic sits directly on my ears and makes them stick out. It feels uncomfortable to me.

However, with the issues mentioned, I do think it's worth some surgery, and I'll likely be able to morph it into a decent, comfortable blindfold. Hopefully I can discover why the dye bleeds, and/or cause it to stop making raccoon eyes on my partners.

I care for this blindfold the way I would clean leather shoes. I use a damp cloth and saddle soap. As needed, I might use mink oil to condition the leather, depending on how many more issues of the dye bleeding arise. I store the blindfold in my duffel bag that acts as a toy bag. Immediately after use, however, I let it air out for a while, and clean it, of course, before packing it away.

The blindfold arrives in a cardboard box that was larger than it needed to be. There were no instructions inside the plastic bag holding the blindfold, but there didn't need to be any.