The paddle just came in a plastic bag for protection. It does have a tag on the end with a girl slapping her own thigh with the paddle. It gives a website that links to the xoxplay.com website that includes contact information in case you end up having a problem. It shows of some of their other toys as well.

I'm not sure why I expected this paddle to be lighter, but I did. It was a surprise when I lifted it out of the box. It does weigh about a half a pound and is made out of what feels like genuine leather. One side of the paddle is the leather and the other side is covered in soft, black fleece. The back side is just a general continuation of what the leather on the handle looks like. It's twelve inches long as well, so it's not a long paddle, but with a width of six inches, it is a wide paddle. It's a good-sized paddle - my boyfriend is a smaller guy, but the paddle area itself easily covers all of his butt. There's a metal ring at the bottom that has a nice, soft leather strap hanging from it so you can hang the paddle if you want.

One thing about the plain leather side is that it scratches up pretty easily. I picked it up and ended up putting a "nail" mark into the plain leather side. It didn't go through the leather at all, but you can definitely see the indentation of my nail. The fleece side seems very durable and seems stitched really nicely onto the leather. It doesn't look like this paddle will be coming apart anytime soon. It appears to be two layers of leather stitched and glued together with the fleece layer being an extra layer on that side. The stitching itself was done really nice and neatly - no stray threads anywhere. The edges of the paddle have been smoothed and shined. The fleece itself is really nice, but if you have animals, be prepared to have to use a lint roller to get cat hair off of it.

I tried this on my boyfriend to get some advice on its use. He says that the fleece side doesn't hurt in the slightest. He compared it to be hit with a heavy piece of cardboard. He says there is no distinct stinging to being hit with the fleece side even when I was giving him really heavy wacks. It moved his body, but he says he experienced no pain.

As for the non-fleece side, well, I don't even think I'd hit with that side lightly unless you wanted to cause pain. He says it's completely stingy, and even a light tap made him scurry away. After I ordered him to come back, I slapped his butt medium-strength with it, and it left his butt red. So with that knowledge being known, unless you intentionally want to cause pain, I would leave the leather side alone. Because it's so smooth, it causes definite sting.

From the user's side, it is a little heavy for constant swinging, but the weight is what makes it either so painful or so thuddy. The handle itself is a little over an inch wide - great news for a female Dominant like me. Paddles are usually made for male hands, but this one fits perfectly in my smaller hand. I'm sure it would go well with a male hand as well. The handle itself has a little bit of flex, but nothing noticeable while you're using it. It certainly won't bend or crease. It does have a slight give to it, but nothing compared to any slappers. The weight of this paddle makes it pretty hard for it to have much give.

Cleaning is a bit tricky with this. I certainly wouldn't stick it in the washing machine, so there's really not any way to clean the fleece properly. Because of that, I say you should probably keep it away from bodily fluids or any sort of lubrication. As for the leather parts of it, feel free to wash those down with a warm washcloth.

I have to say that I recommend this paddle to beginners or experienced players. Beginners can easily swing with the fleece side and not hurt anyone, and experienced players can have fun mixing up the sensations during play without having to switch toys. It is an amazingly done paddle that looks like it will be very durable and last a long time.

I did not try this toy out in water, but I'm not sure how well a paddle would hold up to water. Most impact toys are not meant for water play. I'm honestly not sure if the fleece would restore itself, so I wouldn't recommend another user try it either.

I just had the boyfriend bend over a chair while he gave me different details about the feeling of this toy. All-in-all, he voiced general love for this paddle and says he actually likes it.

I'm still really fond of the Leather Paddle with Fleece. It's honestly what I use for "punishment" half the the time. If the boyfriend is "bad", the fleece side provides the sensation of being spanked without most of the pain that is usually involved. If I want to be mean and give a really mean final hit, the backside delivers quite well.

Surprisingly, the paddle has actually held up really nicely. The faux fur hasn't pulled away from the leather in the entire time we've had it (about two months). It still works great, and I'm not seeing any sort of creases along the handle either which is always a great sign. The faux fur is just as soft and fluffy as the day we bought it too.