When it comes to a spanking I am sort of a wuss. I don't like stinging swats I prefer a dull thud and longer session. Padded paddles really deliver this thud without the sting that I hate.
I love purple so the Purple Fur Lined Paddle by Spartacus was a MUST have.
The paddle arrives minimally packaged in a plastic sleeve, which is fine by me as it's less waste. There is a card attached by plastic tag to the wrist strap. Ok, I say it's a wrist strap but more than likely it was meant as a hanging strap. It's so long, about 9 inches, that it will slide up your hand during use. This makes the strap less useful if the paddle should slip from your hand during use. The wrist strap, aka hanger, is leather though admittedly not high quality leather. It is attached to a metal grommet that is punched into the handle and looks quite snazzy.

The handle and body of the paddle is cut into the traditional paddle shape and is sewn together with waxed thread. The stitching is even and there are no loose areas marring the look of the toy. If you inhale deeply you can smell the leather but it's not overpowering. One side of the paddle is just plain leather and the other side has soft, plush purple fabric solidly glued to the leather. This paddle has seen some heavy use and it hasn't shown any signs of wear.

The paddle is a hefty size, the handle alone is just over 6 inches long and just over 1 inch across. This is large for a small hand like mine but the toy only weighs in at a half a pound. The paddle portion of the toy is about 5 3/4 inches across and about 9 inches long. The paddle has a very flexible handle and paddle face. This can impart a deep thud with the padded side and a very intense sting with the non-padded side. It is very good for actually coming up under the buttocks and lifting them with a swat. The flexibility of the paddle means you have a bit less control over the strength of the swing so pay close attention to the body language of your 'victim'. The flexibility reduces fatigue in the hand, wrist and forearm.

We have found that this paddle is great for a spanking on the breasts, upper thighs, buttocks, genitals, and bottoms of the feet. It doesn't take much from the unpadded side to make the skin blush bright red.
The padded side can provide a deep thudding spanking for those long sessions.
Another great use for the padded side is percussion type massage! It is great for percussing the back, buttocks, all down the legs to the bottom of the feet and back up again! You should be careful if you have been using massage oils or lotions. There is no way to effectively clean the fleecy side of the paddle other than blotting with a damp towel. The leather portions can be cleaned with a damp cloth and some leather conditioner, in fact I use saddle soap sparingly. You really should avoid body fluids with this paddle just to keep the leather protected.

Store your paddle in a dry, dark room out of direct sunlight lest the leather dry out and crack. A damp room could promote mold on your new toy.

When I showed this to Sigel his eyes lit up, scarily so did Arch's. It seems that it's a shared fantasy to have me over their laps, ass up and vulnerable to a good spanking. It might be a sexual thing or it might be frustration at having to live with me...
Either way neither was brave enough to try it out on me until I used it on them first.
One night I had Sigel at my mercy, errr I mean I was giving him a massage, and I brought out the paddle. He tensed but I wasn't in the mood to be evil. I used the fleecy, padded side of the paddle to firmly pound on his tight, sore muscles. He was soon sighing with pleasure as the percussion melted the soreness away. I used it on his shoulders, back, lower back, buttocks, all down his legs and even on the bottoms of his feet.
He was so appreciative that he invited me to lay down on my stomach and soon I was sighing in time to the thuds. Thud, sigh, Thud, sigh, SWAT, AHHHHHH! Yup in the middle of it all he reverses the paddle and lays into my poor defenseless buns! OUCH...so good!
I definitely recommend this paddle to everyone from the rawest beginner to the most advanced.

This is still my go to paddle for those times when I am looking for a more thuddy type spanking. The smooth non padded side can deliver quite a good whallop but it has more surface area to spread out the sensation making it a pretty gentle paddle when all is said and sifted.
It has held up well to even the most forceful blows and the stitching is still tight and even. The purple plush is not crushed or faded and is still firmly attached to the paddle.
We haven't had the need to wash the paddle as it couldn't possibly hope to break the skin, but a good, light, rubbing with saddle soap has kept the leather soft, supple and shiny.
All in all this is a great paddle for warm up or for players that want some warmth to the backside but not bruises.