This gag is great for muffling all those moans and screams that come along with tormenting and teasing the loved one you have tied to your bed. Or for avoiding waking the neighbors if you have thin walls. It doesn't completely silence them (and honestly, who would want to do that? All the little noises can be some of the best parts of sex!) but it keeps them quieter and adds a tone of struggling to the gasps and moans. I will say, however, that this is probably not a good first gag. It's big. I could see someone new to bdsm being a little frightened by the big, two inch rubber ball that is supposed to go into their mouth. Also, even for more experienced users, I'd shy away from this one if you have a small mouth. It might be uncomfortable. But it does work pretty darn well as a gag; it's hard to talk around two inches of rubber.

I really like this gag, it seems to be very well made. The leather is good quality and the buckle looks like it could hold up to some serious wear. The ball itself is sturdy, but pliable enough to be comfortable. It's firm but not hard, so your teeth can sink into it a little. I also doubt it would be very easy to bite a hole in it or rip a piece off. I expect it to last a good while.

The strap has many holes for the buckle, so it will fit a wide range of sizes, and those with smaller heads can always punch extra holes in it if they need to. The strap is long enough that it would be pretty hard to find someone it would be too small for. Speaking of size, as I said earlier, the ball is big. Some people may have problems sticking this in their mouth and keeping it there comfortably. I showed it to a friend of mine and he was agog at the size of it, and amazed to see me pop it into my mouth comfortably. Hey, I have a big mouth. A smaller gag wouldn't work as well for me.

As much as I like this gag, it does have some small drawbacks. For one, the ball is not removable, which makes cleaning it a little difficult. I use a soft cloth with some mild soap and water to clean the ball, and then wipe it off with a wet cloth so as not to get the leather too wet by cleaning it under running water. Also, because the ball is not removable, there are no easy-open snaps like some gags have, so it could be more difficult to remove quickly in case of emergency or panic. The only way to get it off is the buckle (which thankfully is easy to use). For me, the biggest drawback is the taste/smell. Ahh, the taste of rubber. Blech... When I first opened it up, the smell was incredibly strong, and after a quick, light rinse and wipedown, when I stuck it in my mouth the taste was overwhelming, almost burning. After a couple washings, the taste is bearable and the smell is milder, but still there. However, I've found a good solution to this issue—rub a few drops of your favorite flavored lube on it before you put it in your mouth. Mine's the Toko Aroma Strawberries and Champagne. Liquid candy would be great too, I just keep forgetting to pick some up.

One more thing about the ball being made from rubber—some people have sensitivities to rubber, and those people should definitely not get this gag. Go for silicone or some other material instead. One last little gripe—it wasn't nearly as pearly as I expected from the pictures. Mine looks more like a plain, flat black, and one of the reasons I picked this one out was that it was supposed to be shiny. Maybe I just got an odd one, or maybe the black one isn't as pearly as the other colors, but either way, it doesn't have the nice sheen that is shown in the pictures.

For me, this gag works perfectly. It's fairly comfortable, and it muffles any sound I try to make without completely silencing me. I can't talk around it, scream, or moan very loudly, but little whines and moans can be heard. This is why I'm giving it a 2 on the bee scale. It stays in place very well, the straps are comfortable and not scratchy, and the ball is soft enough to not hurt my teeth. The only thing I didn't like so much was that the taste of the rubber was almost burning the first couple times I used it, until I scrubbed it a few times and started rubbing some flavored lube on the ball before using it.

This gag is a little more difficult to care for than some other gags on the market. The ball is not removable, so to clean it you have to work around the leather. It is also impossible to really clean the inside of the slit in the ball where the strap goes through it without figuring out some type of tool to use. Maybe a strong pipe cleaner would work. I use a soft cloth and mild soap to clean it, and I don't submerge it in water or put it under the faucet while cleaning it to keep the leather from becoming damaged. Always dry it very thoroughly before putting it away. I store it in a cloth bag to keep it from attracting lint and dust. Rubber tends to be a dust magnet, and you don't want dust in your mouth. You will want to keep this gag wrapped up or in some sort of container to keep it clean.

This ball gag will come to you beautifully packaged in...a plain clear plastic bag. Not even a zippered plastic bag, but one that has to be ripped or cut open. No instructions for use or care, no packaging that can be used for storage, not even a little tag saying what it is or who made it. And it's clear, so there isn't the slightest bit of discretion. If you want to give this as a gift, you are going to have to find something nice to put it in yourself.