Leather has long been the material of choice for impact play: paddles, floggers, whips, crops, even padded canes. I get it — the smell, the feel, the routine that develops with proper leather care; it can all be sexually intoxicating. But for those of us who are kink-inclined as well as being concerned about hygienic and/or vegan-friendly toys…there haven’t been many other options.
That is, until Tantus developed their line of silicone paddles.
Silicone is a fantastic material, and one that will last a lifetime with very minimal care from its owner. It’s body safe, hypoallergenic, & non-porous. It can be cleaned with soap & water/toy cleaner or it can be sanitized with boiling water, a solution of 10% bleach/90% water, or by placing it in the top rack of the dishwasher. With proper sanitizing between uses, it can safely be used with multiple partners. And as an added bonus, it’s surprisingly cool to the touch. This can feel rather glorious during use — soothing the warm & reddened skin that develops from continued spanking.
Tantus’ line of “silicone sensation toys” includes 5 different paddle designs: the Pelt, Thwack, Wham Bam, Snap Strap, and Plunge (very similar to the Thwack — but with an insertable, dildo-shaped handle). All are made from a velvety soft, matte-finish silicone that attracts hardly any dust, hair, or lint. All designs also include a small round hole near the end of the handle for ease of hanging/storing. Each paddle has a small raised Tantus logo, but packaging is extremely minimal. (If ordered from Tantus, your paddle will likely arrive in a clear plastic sleeve — but if found in a brick & mortar store, a simple hanging tag will probably be the only piece of branding.)
My review will focus on the Pelt & the Wham Bam. However, it you’d like to see all of the Tantus paddles in action, I highly suggest watching Ducky DooLittle’s short video review.
The Tantus Pelt resembles your stereotypical paddle. It is rather short and gently rounded; its impact area being more of an oval than a circle. It’s total length measures in at 11.5″, with approximately 5″ being used for the handle. The width of the paddle ranges from 1.25″ at the neck to approximately 3″ near the rounded tip. (The handle has a maximum width of 1.75″.) The silicone is thicker on the handle (0.5″) than it is on the face (0.25″), allowing it to be more flexible when swung. The Pelt is firm & short enough that it will easily maintain it’s shape when held vertically, not bending in either direction.
The Wham Bam is a rectangular paddle with a much longer and thinner shape, somewhat resembling a belt. In fact, it’s very similar to the Snap Strap — but not quite as long. The Wham Bam has a total length of 15″, with almost 2/3 of that space being devoted to impact area. The width ranges from 1.25″ at the neck to an even 2″ along the length of the face. The shape of the handle is identical to the Pelt, as is the thickness of the silicone. Even though the silicone is just as thick and firm, the added length makes it much more difficult for the Wham Bam to maintain its shape when held vertically. It easily wants to wobble and droop slightly to one side.
Of the two, the Pelt is definitely the easiest to control. The shorter length gives it amazingly quick snapping power. With just a flick of the wrist, it lands firmly and evenly in the precise spot that was aimed for. In fact, I’ve found that there’s almost no reason to involve my elbow or my shoulder in swinging the Pelt as I can get all the intensity I need from simply changing the speed of my smaller movements.
The Wham Bam, on the other hand, takes a bit more practice. The long floppy shape can become awkward & anticlimactic with small movements, providing a disappointing experience for the receiver. The aim can also be tricky for inexperienced spankers — myself included. (There have been many apologies offered for accidentally hitting my partner too high or wrapping around his hip.) However, there does appear to be more variety available with this particular paddle. While it’s possible to control the Wham Bam with only quick flicks of the wrist (for less intense hits), it’s most effective when used with more of an exaggerated swing. The focus of the impact can even be changed so that it’s solely on the tip (similar to a whip) or spread out along the entire length (more like a paddle). However, as you can see in the video below, focusing impact on the area near the handle doesn’t give very good results.
If I could say only one thing about Tantus’ silicone paddles, it would be this: They are not for the faint of heart. The silicone provides a “bite” unlike any other implement I’ve ever experienced as part of my personal adventures in impact play. (This includes leather paddles, leather floggers, rubber floggers, and of course, hands. My experience with canes, whips, & crops is practically nonexistent.)
In fact, I actually bruised my leg while trying to get a decent video for this review. Experiencing growing amounts of pain & still unable to capture that lovely “pop!”, I eventually gave up and asked my wonderful partner to help me out.
The Pelt, with its wider surface area, is ever-so-slightly less intense than the Wham Bam — but it still feels sharp & stingy (especially when compared to the “thuddyness” of stiffer leather paddles). My partner and I can best describe it as an amplified version of hand-spanking; more intense impact with less exertion on the part of the spanker. The Pelt is capable of a range of sensations, from surprisingly light warm-up taps to a rather intimidatingly loud snap. No matter the intensity, I have found the Pelt to be fairly manageable…at least for a while.
The Wham Bam, on the other hand, can very easily surpass my pain threshold. With its added length, it falls much heavier and the initial sting lasts longer — especially if the impact is focused in the tip. It’s almost impossible to get a nice, gentle warm-up; more often than not, the paddle either flops against the skin with no real impact at all or it jumps straight to making my body twitch in fear & my muscles tighten from the pain. My measly limits prevent my partner from getting in a good swing with the Wham Bam…and although he can certainly take more than I can, I have still occasionally put too much power behind my hits. It’s definitely not a “let loose” kind of toy for either of us. It provides the kind of impact that will jolt us out of our trance — not lull us into a sense of subspace.
This may not sound very beginner-friendly, but my best advice in the case of Tantus’ silicone paddles is to know what you like beforehand. The intensity of these paddles (especially the Wham Bam) is probably not going to be the right fit for a first time spankee — in fact, it could very well be terrifying. Take some time to get to know what types of sensation you enjoy and where your limits are. (How much warm-up do you need? How hard do you like to be spanked? Do you prefer “thud” or “sting”? How long can you endure? etc.) And for the person doing the spanking, it’ll probably be much easier to start out with tools that offer tighter control and provide a wider range of sensation.
With that being said, if you know that you enjoy stingy & rather intense impact play, the Tantus paddles seriously cannot be beat. They are of absolutely impeccable quality, completely hygienic, and they pack a major wallop. Plus, at approximately $50, they are some of the most affordable impact toys on the market.
Pros: body-safe & nonporous silicone, shareable, 5 designs offer a range of possibilities, provides very powerful impact with minimal exertion, high-quality yet affordable
Cons: might be too intense or stingy for some individuals, longer paddles (like the Wham Bam) can be a little difficult to control
Special thanks to my affiliate, Tantus, for providing me with the Pelt in exchange for an honest & unbiased review. (I had already purchased the Wham Bam some time ago.) If you would like to add any of Tantus’ silicone paddles to your own collection, please consider doing so here.