Minx - dildo harness by ASLAN Leather - review by Lady of the Lab

I think the Minx harness is best for those who have owned harnesses before, are looking for a harness that will fit larger hips, and have dildos that are at least 4" in circumference. As a novice to harnesses I probably should've waited before investing in such an expensive harness, but I wanted to indulge in a wonderful leather harness as my first for a special partner.

Because of the cleaning routine involved maintaining the leather, I think this harness would be best used for special occasions. I also would strongly advise only sharing the Minx with a fluid-bonded partner because the porous leather material does absorb body fluids; unlike a silicone toy it cannot be fully disinfected.

NOTE: A fluid-bond between sexually active partners is "the agreement to share bodily fluids with someone" (Dr. Jeana Jorgensen, "The Importance of Fluid Bonding").

The high quality leather is what really sold me. It is really soft and will mold to your body with use. The leather is on the thicker side and it probably is not thin enough to fit underneath clothing. Initially it smelled wonderful, but because the leather is porous it will pick up scents. The double up dildo cuff that comes with the Minx is also made of the same black, quality leather.

This harness is not waterproof; I didn't list this as a con because I knew that it wasn't going to be waterproof. The metal components are nickel plated and the string for lacing the corset back seems to be nylon. The 2" diameter O-ring is black, porous rubber.

ASLAN Leather's Minx harness uses an interchangeable O-ring system for holding dildos. It comes with a rubber 2" diameter O-ring (6" circumference). Because I do not have any toys close to 6" in circumference, I opted to test out how interchangeable O-ring system was. I discovered that there is a limit to the size of O-ring that will fit. From my experience the smallest metal O-ring diameter that will fit is 1½" in diameter (~5" circumference); the fabric was taut (no slack) over the 1½" O-ring holding my purple Mistress dildo.

I was hoping that I would be able to use this with smaller (less than 4" circumference) dildos, but the O-ring section of the fabric was really designed for larger dildos.

I took a leap of faith that the combination of the corset back and adjustable buckles would be versatile enough to fit my 34" hips. Did the harness fit? Yes. Did I feel like a Minx? No. On ASLAN Leather's website the Minx's one size fits all ranges from 30" to 60" in the hips. For the price I was expecting the fit to be great. Instead it was good (a little loose).

Although the sizing didn't work out for me, I do believe that the larger range will work for those who would not be comfortable with the Jaguar's narrower range (26" to 44" in the hips).

The easiest way I found to put this on is to have one side ready (completely buckled), step into the harness, then adjust the other side so that it's even. I felt no chafing and my Mistress was held pretty securely in place. The snaps for changing out the O-ring are a minor hassle. I like to take the metal O-ring I bought separately out when I am cleaning the harness to spray it down with a 10% bleach solution.

The "double up dildo cuff" that comes with it is meant to allow the wearer of the harness to enjoy anal penetration by holding either a small dildo (less than 6") or butt plug. If using a butt plug it would probably be better if it has a flat base; I didn't have a chance to try it with a more curved base for the handle such as the Bootie butt plug.

As a novice to wearing a harness I only tried a few positions, but for the positions I did try the harness held up pretty well. I didn't feel any stimulation to my clitoris while wearing it, probably because of how the harness fit on my body.

Being a novice to not only harnesses, but quality leather as well, I tried following ASLAN leather's cleaning directions that are included with the harness. The directions advise using a damp cloth with a little bit of soap, making sure that the harness is DRY before putting away for storage. You always want to make sure not to store/let it dry in direct sunlight. I hang mine up rather than keep it in a drawer so it is more accessible.

I found that the recommended cleaning directions were not enough for removing the scents from play. After Kindred's suggestion on the EF forums to directly contact ASLAN leather, I sent an email via their website. The same day I received a response from (presumably) Carrie Gray, owner of the company: "I suggest you try Lexol leather cleaner and on occasion you can condition it with Lexol leather conditioner when the leather shows signs of drying out". I tried this method and it worked.

I was intrigued by the ASLAN leather company because their mascot is a lion wearing a black hat... and because a certain talking lion from The Chronicles of Narnia shares the same name. Panthera leo is the scientific name for lion (using binomial nomenclature).

Sadly, I plan to return this harness after having only used it a handful of times. I simply cannot roar like a minxish lion when the fit is not wonderful. I learned that I do like leather harnesses and that I would be willing to try another ASLAN Leather harness.