This is a bit of a departure from what we usually review, but Minerva and I have both been exploring recently and have decided to branch out into some more kink-friendly accessories and toys! This is pretty exciting for both of us, and I'm hoping out readers will enjoy a wider range of review items as well.
First up is the Ball Gag Berlin in black from the team at MEO; a wonderful group of people to do business with. Just a word of warning, their site is decidedly not safe for work, but if you are interested in kinky gear you should definitely check them out when connected to a reliable network. Even though their target demographic is homosexual men, they were kind enough to ship me, a generic cishet lass, a box of high-quality bondage gear in exchange for the usual unbiased review. I loved engaging with them and found that they answered all my questions, shipped using an unmarked box for ultimate discretion, and provided me with a tracking number. I only wish our damaged postal system lived up to the MEO standard, or I would have published this review ages ago.
One of the reasons I was so interested in a ball gag (y'know, outside of its intended context) is the fact that I tend to grind my teeth. A lot. I clench my jaw and scrape my molars together to the point that the surface area of my teeth gets slowly worn away, and this seems to happen most frequently in … amorous moments. Perhaps it's exacerbated when I'm distracted or my mind is otherwise occupied with other things. In any case, it's uncomfortable and I seem to have very little control over it -- even when I think I'm relaxing my jaw.
Consequently, of the qualities I was looking for in a product like this was a solid silicone ball. Some products are made from hard plastic, which might be uncomfortable to bite on, and others listed the material as "rubber," which is a bit ambiguous in terms of sterilisation. Silicone seemed to be the way forward because of the non-porous nature of the material, and I prefer the look of the solid ball as opposed to the kind with breathing holes. Silicone just seems like a more durable and biteable material for me, but it was difficult to find a really good-quality product that met my materials specifications while also looking good.
MEO's packaging is pretty minimalist, which is great as it keeps costs down. The Ball Gag Berlin comes in a nondescript clear plastic bag with the product label attached, and a brief primer to Safe, Sane, Consensual Kink for the uninitiated. I got the medium 45mm-sized ball, but upon receiving it, I admit to feeling a little concerned that it would be too large. Ball gags are kind of meant to be slightly uncomfortable, forcing the user's mouth open and holding it there, impeding their ability to speak. A too-small gag would be a touch comfortable to really do its job, but I've been told by dentists that I have a smaller than average 'bite,' meaning that my jaw does not open quite as widely as average. Despite the misgivings, the gag is perfect for me – not too small as to be ineffectual, but not overwhelming either. It's just the right size for my jaw and definitely does its job. The rounded shape of the sphere restricts the movement of your tongue and almost entirely eliminates speech. Sure, you could probably make some garbled sounds if you really tried, but it would be more like whale-noises than actual words.
This brings us to the serious bit. When using this gag with a partner, it's very, very important to establish a safe signal that will indicate distress or ask for a check-in without needing to use words. This could be anything from a series of short, repetitive sounds that would be out of the ordinary for such an encounter (even if it's just mmnf-mmnf-mmnf), repeated taps on your partner's body, or snapping your fingers. Heck, even jazz hands are acceptable as long as they get attention. Make sure to agree on a signal beforehand just so that everyone is in the know, but I'm fairly certain that your partner will stop to ask if all is well when you start clicking your fingers a la Addams Family during an intimate encounter. Unless, of course, that is a regular part of your sex life, in which case we need to hang out.
Another minor safety concern is breathing. From my limited gag experience, I would encourage users with breathing conditions related to asthma, anxiety, illness, or basic allergies to exercise caution when using such products. A combination of a blocked nose and an overproduction of saliva means that you might panic and get into a bad situation. As mentioned earlier, some 'beginner' ball gags have breathing holes to mitigate problems such as these, so if you struggle with any conditions that may impact your breath control, it might be a good idea to take that into account. Be safe, babes!
If you choose to go for a solid silicone gag, this particular one is constructed in a very sturdy fashion -- no loose bits, fraying edges, or dodgy stitching. It's perfectly finished and the leather is thin enough to be really supple and comfy. You can clean it with a wipe-down from a very mild soap using a soft cloth, maintaining it with a leather-conditioning product semi-regularly to prevent cracking. The silicone and metal parts can be cleaned with regular soap and water to remove any saliva, but just be careful to not oversaturate the leather.As for wear, it's easy to buckle the strap at the nape of your neck, but it may serve you to allow for a slight amount of movement -- unless you kind of enjoy being a tiny bit uncomfortable. If the strap is tight, you may not be able to raise or lower your head, so it will be stuck in the same position for a while. If it's too loose, you can almost spit the gag out. Perhaps best to err on the side of caution for newbies then? I find that I like a bit of play in the strap length so that I can pull it back against my molars for really biting down, even though this means the metal rod puts pressure on the corners of my mouth; or push it forward to the front of my mouth with my tongue if I feel like it. Also, wearers with long hair will probably find that it tugs a bit around the buckle. There's no sure-fire way around that, but you can put your hair up in a bun during wear and remove the gag with caution to minimise pulls.
Once you've made suitably flamboyant accommodations for safety (I vote for safety-oriented jazz hands), you're free to enjoy the product as you please. Kinky BDSM encounters? Check. Roleplay? Check. Just plain shhh, we have to be quiet this time? Uh, check. If you've ever been curious about trying a ball gag, I would definitely recommend the MEO Ball Gag Berlin -- it's pretty much the perfect fit for me.
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