I normally refrain from doing reviews of BDSM type toys. I'll be completely up front and admit that my guy makes his own, has been making and selling the stuff for a decade or better. Commercial products just do not live up to the standards I am accustomed to.

On the other hand, I am addicted to LELO. You see the conundrum I had to deal with here when the LELO sensual bondage accessories came out? I held myself back, kept a choke hold on my addiction right up until I saw the Sensua Suede Whip in the products list. At that point, I caved. I had to have it.

So let's start from the beginning. My first impression started when the box came in the mail. I was startled, unsure how a flogger (because it is a flogger, not a whip) could possibly fit in that little shipping box. I hadn't checked the specs before I requested it so I was expecting a full sized flogger. When I opened the box and was confronted with an inner box the size of your average photograph (4"x6") I laughed out loud.

The Sensua is a mini flogger.

The outer box is beautiful, a shiny black cardboard with a color coordinated image of the product on the outside (so mine shows a purple Sensua) as well as the LELO name in silver. Lifting the flaps on the outer box allows you to remove the inner box, which is typical LELO; solid black heavy cardboard with black LELO text. The top lifts off and the flogger is folded inside, wrapped in a lovely piece of white and silver tissue paper. Super for storage or gifting, absolutely super.

The Sensua itself is 14" long from the tips of its 30 tails to the tip of the handle. Very, very small and unassuming. It is designed for sensual experimentation, for light play, not for the BDSM extremist. It has a transparent acrylic handle with silver accents and soft, supple suede tails. The handle measures in at 5.5" long, the tails at 8.5". A very manageable length for any level of user.

The handle is heavy but not in an awkward or bulky way. It's slender, about an inch in diameter and feels substantial in the hand, which helps to control the tails when you swing with it. It doesn't feel as if it will slide out of your hand or as if you're hitting with a light, flimsy toy. It feels well made, cool and smooth in your grip. The majority of the handle is acrylic, completely smooth and sleek other than the LELO text embossed in the center of the shaft. The end of the handle is capped with a small round silver ball that appears to be either glued or threaded on. Regardless of how it's attached, it's on there securely. I couldn't tug it or twist it off no matter how hard I tried. The other end of the shaft has a small silver cap that holds the tails. It, too, is attached securely.

When it comes to the tails, they appear to be standard; cut, rolled and attached into the handle - also securely. I didn't tug on them too hard since this isn't a product meant to stand up to extreme use, but they definitely do not seem loose in any way. Each 1/8 inch wide tail, as is normal for suede, is a dark purple with lighter purple edges. The tails are pretty luxurious; very soft in the fingers, pet-able, with a distinct though not strong leather smell to them.

This is real suede so you want to be a little careful with it. It's hard to clean and very porous. If you use this on areas of the body where it may pick up body fluid, don't share it with someone else. You can wipe it down with a damp rag or buy special suede cleaner but, in reality, the lifetime of suede is relatively short. The handle can be wiped with a cloth, washed under running water or sprayed down with a toy cleaner or even a mild bleach solution. Just watch that you don't get the tails overly wet or full of harsh cleaner.

Ok. So. Now that you know how it looks and how it was packaged and how it is put together and how it smells and how to clean it, let's talk about how it feels.

In a word? NICE! I was pleasantly surprised. It is so small compared to every other flogger we own that I was quite afraid it would be a let down. Now it's not up to the task of an extreme flogging, not going to leave welts and big bruises, not even going to hurt all that much, but it's quite effective at delivering a nice, substantial thud when you strike the body with it.

Because of its size, it's best suited for smaller areas - light breast whipping, mild genital flogging, sensual bottom swatting. It's not going to cover a large area with each stroke. It also does not feel stingy unless you hit with the very tips of the tips of the tails - which is actually quite hard to do! For the most part, a strike with this flogger will have the bulk of the tails landing as a solid bunch, even if you have no skill or experience, and upon landing feels quite a bit like a nice, massaging thump. It doesn't feel like a whip, doesn't feel like a paddle or slapper or a hand. It feels like a small sized flogger and the sensations it delivers should feel good to just about anyone.

I don't know that I really recommend this for extreme BDSM enthusiasts unless, like me, they collect LELO. It produces a very, very mild sensation. But any level of user CAN use it, which is handy. Even the newest of the new should be able to both swing it and take a few swings from it. It's an excellent first flogger, really well made with quality materials that feel good and don't fall apart on you. It gives you a good idea of what a bigger flogger is going to feel like at a reasonable price.

And if you're just starting? If you just want some sensual, teasing play? This can give you that, too. Wiggle, drag and tickle the tails across the flesh, intermingling in light flicks and it's the perfect experimentation tool.

It may be small but, in reality, I am quite happy with it. LELO has done very, very well making a flogger that can be enjoyed by anyone and managing to make something often seen as kinky and dirty into something luxurious and playful.

There really is no better praise for a product than to say you got a second (or third, or fourth) one.

With the Sensual whip, that's exactly what I did. They're just so nice and petite and perfectly sized for play on smaller areas or in smaller spaces.

And they feel so indulgently thumpy and soft!

These are never going to be the harshest BDSM toy in your box. They're not meant to be. It will be a sensual, fun toy that is a lot easier to keep stored close by than many. Helpful, too, that it looks erotic and sexy, not scary, to those new to kink.