A slingin' good time with a couple of drawbacks

The Sportsheets Door Sling is an over-the-door sex swing that's really easy to use and makes certain sexual acts easier than they otherwise might be. Marketed at gay men, this swing is actually the very same product as the sling Sportsheets makes for straight folks. I have a friend who's owned this sling for a while and absolutely loves it, so I jumped at the chance to try it when I saw it up for review. My partner and I are a heterosexual couple, and we did our best to test the sling thoroughly to make this a useful review for any potential buyer.

The only information and instructions the swing comes with are the pictures on the box, but it's really very simple. For installation, locate the straps with the black bars on the ends, put those straps over a sturdy door. Close said door. Don't close your fingers in the door while trying to make sure the weights stay on the other side. Lock the door, if possible.




An important note here: these instructions make it sound like getting into the swing solo is a breeze. It really, really isn't. One thing I don't recommend this for is solo use, if only because getting in and out of the sling is a bit tricky and if not a two person job, then at least much safer with a spotter. I absolutely could not get into the swing without a boost from my partner. My partner managed to get in by himself, but not without stress and struggle. Trying to climb out of it for a moment to change the porn video he was watching almost resulted in kicking over his computer monitor. Even the warnings on the box state that this is a product best used with a partner, so it's probably best not to try this sling solo.

The box also advises that you may wish to put padding or a pillow under the sling in case of malfunction. While the craftsmanship on the piece is good, added safety planning isn't a bad idea.

With a partner to help, getting in and out of the sling is a fun challenge that gets a bit easier each time. The fact that it is tricky to get out of without help speaks to the possibilities for bondage play. One could easily secure their partner's hands and feet into the loops to have them even more bound up. Of course, you can't leave the room once they're all tied in, but they aren't going anywhere either.

The materials of the sling are polyester fabric, polyethylee foam, polypropylene webbing, ABS plastic hardware, nickel free metal, and galvanized metal. What this comes down to is that the straps and buckles are like what you find on a backpack, the handholds are sturdy plastic tubes, and the seat is a softer, comfier bit of material with minimal padding. The seat does attract cat hairs and the like, so keep a lint brush handy if you have this out for a while. The bars that secure the sling over the door are metal with rubber ends. These metal bars already appear to have some rust/discolouration, though, which I think must've already been there when I received this because we haven't used the sling near enough to warrant any wear like that. Otherwise, the craftsmanship is solid and I didn't find any loose threads or weak seams. I had full confidence in the piece during use; at no time did I doubt that it could hold me, or think that it was going to break. Knowing that it supports up to 325lbs puts the mind at ease, as well. Of course, it's vital to make sure the door you're using is solid and sturdy too; the sling is well-constructed, but it's only half the equipment involved

While this is travel-friendly in theory, the sling is a little bulky to be taking in a suitcase. When bundled down as small as I could get it, it's about the size of a medium-sized watermelon. Not huge, but not exactly carry-on friendly.

One note to make is that long-term use may cause indentations in the top of your door where the swing is secured. We haven't noticed any issues with this yet, but I'll mention it in the follow-up if we do.

To quote the box:
"You can mount the Over the Door Sex Sling two different ways. The ASS UP position, facing the door is our fave. It's comfortable for both parties, and leaves your bottom's bottom vulnerable for blissful attack. Or, if you're feeling fancy, flip around the for the traditional sling-style position for some serious man-on-man action. It's an ass-rocking, door-slammin' good time."

To be honest, the first option is a bit of a mystery to me. Being in the sling.. facing the door? The box depicts the model sitting in the sling in only one way, facing forward. Try as we might, we didn't get very far in trying to come up with creative positions to use this in, other than obvious adjustments of the leg straps. The height of the sling can be adjusted as well, with a maximum length of roughly 48".

The seat measures 18" x 7" and is covered in a soft material. While the seat is padded, I found that the straps manage to dig in after a while. I'm not a big girl by any stretch, but by halfway through our play time I had deep grooves in the sides of my butt and thighs from where the straps cut in. I've got 30” hips, for reference. Adding a towel or blanket is recommended to diminish the cutting-in.

While the leg straps are adjustable (max 36", not including the stirrups themselves), the hand-holds are one-length (roughly 16" from the top of the door when the sling's installed). If you do choose to hold on, you'll be holding upwards. For vaginal intercourse or oral sex the hand-holds were not necessary at all, but anal was another story.

We attempted anal sex in the sling, but quickly ran into a few issues. It was really just a combination of feeling stable vs. being able to attain the correct angle. When seated in what I felt was a comfortable and steady way on the swing, it was really difficult for my partner to get to my bum. By shifting myself off the swing more he was able to attempt penetration but the angle was all wrong and it just really hurt. When my partner tried to use his anal toys in the sling he had the same issues with angling discomfort. We consulted the pictures on the box: in order to make anal work in the sling, it seems that the seat needs to be very high up, almost against the receiver's lower back, with their bum pretty much all the way off the seat.


This man is way more relaxed and comfortable in this position than I ever could be

This felt super precarious to me and although the foot rests and hand holds could hold me up, I couldn't relax when I felt like I was about to slide off the seat at any second. It also put my back/spine at a weird angle against the door, but that issue was secondary. We had to abandon our anal attempts on the door sling and resort to the bed for that activity.

Vaginal sex worked much better for us. I could sit more normally on the sling, it was easy to find an angle that we both liked, and there was no fuss about having to work to maintain the positioning. It was also fairly easy for me to access my clit for outer stimulation, as opposed to the crowding that often occurs with missionary-style positions. We also really liked the sling for oral, although it was a little more awkward for me to perform on him than for him to perform on me because of the angle. All in all though, it was a real neck-saver. However, pillows for the knees are definitely something you'll want if you don't have nice thick carpeting.

While my friend reported that using her sling was very loud, we didn't find it to be too bad in that department. It all depends on how much and how hard you push back on the door, and my partner tends to pull me towards him (away from the door) rather than pushing back onto me. Results will vary, of course, and I don't think we'll ever use the sling when the roommates are home, but using this was quieter than I had expected. The other discretion factor is that anyone outside will be able to see the straps on the other side of the door, though they may not know what it is that they're looking at. The sling also comes with a silly little door knob hanger that you can place on your doorknob if you want to do away with discretion altogether.

Nothing about this packaging is discreet or subtle. Not a thing. Every side is covered in pictures of an attractive, pleased-looking guy in a tiny thong sitting in the swing. Sometimes he is accompanied by his partner, who is wearing even less. The cardboard box is recyclable, of course, but whether you want to put this out in the recycling box is up to you. It's not a small box, either, so keeping it for storage isn't the most convenient.

I have mixed feelings about this sling. In some respects, I really like it - it adds novelty, it's a little adventurous (in part because I'm the kind of person who never feels completely comfortable if I'm suspended in the air, even if I'm totally safe), and it makes positioning a bit easier and thrusting way easier. However, if the padding isn't augmented properly, the straps cut into my hips/butt/thighs pretty badly, and getting in and out of the sling is sometimes more effort than I feel like exerting, even with assistance. The fact that this totally failed for anal use was kind of disappointing, especially with it being marketed at gay men. Of course, those who feel more comfortable with the sling riding up higher on their back may have more luck, but even my slightly-more-daring partner still had angling issues when he tried a bit higher of a sling placement.