The pink heart play paddle looks innocent enough, but when wielded correctly it can cause a good amount of pain. It's sturdy and stylish and perfect for anybody who's looking to play around with a paddle without having to invest a lot of money for something they might not like. However those with more experience with paddles will still be able to enjoy this paddle too.

This paddle is on the small side, but is very easy to hold and maneuver with one hand, even with small hands. Without the 5" wrist strap, the paddle is a total of about a foot in length. The handle is just over 1 1/2" in width while the part that'll be making contact with the spankee is 3" in width. The handle has a nice pattern of metal studs that line the edge and go up a few inches to create a visual base to the main portion on both sides. Above that you have 3 hearts that are each about an inch tall and stacked vertically. The leather appears to have been stretched over a raised design on the paddle, so there's no chance you're losing your hearts unless the leather comes loose from the paddle. There also aren't any visible seams anywhere, although there are stitches all around the top portion of the paddle. It seems exceptionally well made, especially for the price. The leather itself is smooth under the fingers, not buttery soft or anything, but pleasant to touch. The only part of this paddle that might not hold up a long time is the wrist strap, as it almost feels like an afterthought with no finished edges and a spot where there's some obvious delamination from where the bend in the handle was.

This paddle is capable of delivering light, stingy blows and it's also capable of delivering something a little more ouchy. The pain associated with it still feels more like a sting, even when it really hurts. If you strike just right, you'll be able to leave behind some heart impressions. They're most noticeable after a single strike rather than a repeated assault to the area, which will just result in a whole lot of red. On bare skin it leaves beautiful red marks, and for a different sensation, you can hold the wider end and paddle with the studded handle.

Leather is a porous material, so if bodily fluids get on this you should keep it for use with just that person. On the plus side, the price makes it practical to buy more than one if you need to. You can use a leather protector if you really want to, otherwise you can just spot clean with a damp cloth and a mild soap if needed. You should store it somewhere it won't get dirty and that can be anywhere from inside a drawer to hanging on a rack really.

The packaging was a large clamshell type deal. It was easy to get into and didn't really have any kind of instructions with it.

As with all things in impact play you should be careful where you deliver blows. Make sure to avoid the kidney area and the spine unless you and your partner both know exactly what you're doing. This paddle is best for impact on the behind and thighs.

I'm so happy I bought this, really I am. We're very slowly exploring the world of kink and are having fun playing with things that we've never experienced before. This paddle was chosen partially because of the price, being something that I wouldn't hate myself for buying if we ended up not liking it, but also because let's face it, it's freaking cute. It is definitely a bit girly, but surprisingly my husband doesn't mind using it. We don't get to play with this much but that's a combination of needing to be in the right mood for this, and also living with my mom and brother down the hall. Sure, they know we have sex, but they don't really need to hear us playing around with stuff either.

As a complete newb to the world of kink I don't have much to compare this to, but I will highly recommend it to anybody who's thinking about getting it.