Paddles, Canes, Crops & Slappers
Paddles, canes, crops & slappers are impact toys for consensual spanking: a paddle spreads the blow over a wide surface, while a crop focuses it on a small tip. To choose, think about the intensity you want, because the material and stiffness decide whether the sensation is gentle or heavy. You can buy paddles and whips online here, with the material and size given on each product listing.
What are paddles, canes, crops & slappers?
They are tools for spanking for pleasure, with the agreement of everyone playing. Crops and paddles are the most popular spanking tools, and consensual spanking is the most widespread BDSM practice in the world: most couples who try some BDSM start here. The sensation runs from gentle to intense depending on the force and, above all, the material of the tool: a tingle or a sting on the surface of the skin, or a deeper thud.
This category includes crops, paddles and slappers, as well as floggers and double-sided models. Almost two in three listings that state the material are leather or vegan leather, on their own or combined with silicone, and the rest are silicone, PVC or metal. Wood is rare: two bamboo paddles from Kink, measuring 32 × 5.5 cm, and a nine-tailed whip from Fetish Fantasy with a handle and beads made of wood. If you want other pieces for the same play, take a look at the BDSM section or the BDSM kits, which bring several together in one box.
Types of paddles, crops and floggers
Each shape spreads the blow in its own way.
- Riding crop: the most versatile. It is flexible, with a small tip, and the blow is precise and easy to control. It can go from a tingle to something intense. Some have a feather to alternate between caresses and strikes.
- Paddle or slapper: a flat, wide surface that spreads the blow. Perforated ones are lighter and solid ones hit harder; padded ones are the gentlest.
- Flogger: several tails or tassels that fall on the skin at the same time and give a diffuse sensation, more like a massage than a blow if used gently.
- Single-tail whip: one single strip, much longer than a crop. It is hard to control and is for people who already have some practice.
- Cane: rigid, with an intense and precise impact. It is only for people who already have experience.
- Double-sided: two sensations in the same tool. The Scandal paddle from CalExotics has a plush side and a firm one; the Metal Hard spanking paddle has leather on one side and stainless steel on the other; the Bound to Please silicone paddle has one smooth face and one textured, and several crops have a feather on the other end to alternate caress and strike.
What the studies say
In a representative sample of the Belgian population, with 1,027 people, 46.8% had at some point taken part in at least one BDSM-related activity and another 22% had fantasised about it (Holvoet et al., 2017, J Sex Med).
In Australia, a representative sample of 19,307 people found that those who had practised BDSM were no more likely to have experienced sexual coercion or to feel unhappy or anxious than the rest (Richters et al., 2008, J Sex Med). Both studies look at BDSM in general, not just spanking.
Safety and care
Talk beforehand about what you fancy, where and how hard, and agree a safe word to stop. Force should go from less to more: start gently and build up depending on how your partner reacts. Between strikes, a caress is a good way to check how the skin is doing.
To clean them, check the material on the product listing. Silicone, PVC and metal can be cleaned with lukewarm water and mild soap or a toy cleaner. Leather, including vegan leather, is wiped with a barely damp cloth, left to air dry and never submerged; if a piece combines leather with another material, treat it as leather. If a tool passes from one person to another, clean it first. If it has touched broken skin, bear in mind that leather cannot be disinfected well: it is best for that tool to be used by one person only.
How to choose
- Shape: a crop if you want a precise blow on one spot, a paddle if you prefer to spread it, a flogger for a more diffuse sensation.
- Material: leather and vegan leather tend to be more flexible; metal and rigid models hit harder. Silicone and PVC are the easiest to clean.
- Length: the product listing gives the total measurement. A long crop or whip delivers more force at the tip and needs more control.
- Paddle surface: the listing gives the width and length. The larger the surface, the more the blow is spread.
- Handle: look for a comfortable grip and a wrist strap if the listing mentions one; it helps you control each strike better.
- Double-sided: if you don't know what intensity you like, a paddle with one soft side and one firm side lets you try both.
Frequently asked questions
Where is it safe to spank?
Only on areas with muscle and fat: the buttocks, which are the safest and most common area, and the back of the upper thighs. Never on the lower back, the kidneys, the tailbone, the spine, the nape of the neck or the joints.
What is better for beginners, a paddle or a crop?
A padded leather paddle or a crop with a flexible tip. Both let you control the intensity easily and give a satisfying impact with little risk of overdoing it. Leave rigid canes for when you have experience: they are much more intense than they look.
Does spanking with a paddle hurt a lot?
It depends on the force and the tool. With gentle strikes you feel more warmth and sting than pain, and you decide the intensity together, building up gradually.
What is the difference between a crop and a whip?
A crop has a single small tip and the blow is precise; a flogger falls with several tails at once and the sensation is more spread out. In listings, many crops appear as “whip”: check the photo and the length to know what it is.
Is a crop only for striking?
No. With the tip, or with the feather that some models have, you can also brush and caress. Alternating caresses and gentle strikes is a good way to start.
What is vegan leather?
A synthetic material that imitates the look and feel of leather without being of animal origin. It is cleaned the same way as leather.
How do I know if I need to stop?
When your partner says the agreed word, when they hesitate, or when the skin breaks or bleeds. Ask often, especially the first few times, and lower the intensity before reaching that point.
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