I have been lusting after this gag for a while as my only other gag had bitten the dust recently, and I was without one. So after I had enough credit put aside, I bit the bullet and got it.

The Beginner Ball Gag by Tantus is indeed suitable for beginners and advanced users alike. It has a single use as a gag to keep your partner quiet, whether you are inflicting pleasurable and consensual pain or tickling to no end.

The gag is simple to use: all you do is stick the ball part into your partner's mouth so his or her teeth rest on the neck of the gag (unlike with other ball gags where it stretches the wearer's mouth wide and makes it stay that way). You then secure the Velcro straps, which come with it, snugly around your partner's head.

In many people's opinions (including mine), the design of the Beginner Ball Gag is quite similar to a baby's pacifier. The reason for this is to ensure comfort versus pain from having your partner's jaw spread wide for periods of time.

The gag is made of pure 100% medical-grade silicone and is resistant to bite marks as well as being perfectly smooth and seamless; it does, however, have a Tantus stamp in the silicone below the actual ball, which can be irritating against one's lips or mouth region.

When I first got this toy, I rinsed it off with hot water and stuck it in—and, to be honest, it tasted awful. A week or so later when I had time, I stuck it in a pail in the sink and ran very hot tap water all over it for several minutes (the straps are removable, by the way). After doing this, it did taste a bit better; but still, it's not much better than rubber, in my opinion.

The Beginner Ball Gag is well made with leather straps that have Velcro, and I expect it will last a long time. If it doesn't, however, I shall make a follow-up review in regards to future issues.

I haven't used this toy too much, but the times I have used it, it has been slightly annoying. I have poor teeth (genetically), and they tend to slant in somewhat (on the bottom, especially); because of this, the ball squeaks against my molars and can be kind of a turnoff. It doesn't help that the ball isn't overly big either, which would likely help stop the squeaking at the very least.

It met my expectations only halfway. It's a good gag—don't get me wrong—but I just seem to prefer the classic ball gags that most people are used to more than this one. This gag does keep me from coherently speaking, but I can push it out even if it's strapped as tight as can be; so that, again, is kind of a turnoff for me.

Because this gag is silicone, you can remove the straps and boil the gag for a few minutes or stick it in the top rack of the dishwasher and run it with no soap. You can also use a 10% bleach solution (air dry it and then rinse it thoroughly because, if you do this, you don't want your partner gagging on the bleach taste), toy cleaner, and (of course) hot water and a mild soap.

If the leather straps get dirty for some reason, you can wipe them down with a damp cloth and air dry them. Don't use too much water with the cloth though, or it may cause them to shrink or crack over time.

You can store the straps and gag apart if you wish, making this very compressible for storage.