If you’re into spankings, the most basic type — and the cheapest — is a bare-handed spanking. You can do it in any position and under any (consensual) circumstances. You don’t have to spend money, figure out storage, or hide anything from prying eyes. If you never use anything other than your hand, you’re just as much a spanko as those of us with multiple toy boxes, bags, and entire rooms.

But if you want to upgrade your spanking fun, a good kinky toy is the way to go. Kinksters tend to be a creative lot, so if you can imagine a material or a shape, it’s probably been made into something you can hit your partner with. Here are six types of BDSM toys great for next level spanking and impact play fun.

Paddles

Of course we had to mention this one! While we (currently) specialize in wooden paddles, you can also find them in leather, resin, coriander (yes, really), and any hard material that can be shaped, molded, or created into a paddle shape. We’ve even seen a cement paddle. It seemed more for show than for use, but still…OMG. The weight and material will often determine whether a paddle causes a sting or a thud. Some do both. The size of the paddle area will also dictate how it feels against the body. Larger paddles tend to spread the sensation across the skin while smaller paddles focus it in one area.

Canes

Yep, we went there again, showing our clear bias. Like paddles, canes can be made of different materials although Delrin continues to be popular. They come in a variety of lengths and diameters. Thinner canes will be whippy and bendy. Thicker canes aren’t very bendable and have more of a thuddy feeling. What makes canes unique is how the impact is felt within the body. The thinness of the material means the sensation can’t be diffused across the body and (from my perspective) tends to simply go deep into the body. (I call it bone deep. Your experience may be different.) Canes don’t have to be painful. As with all impact toys, the force behind the strike makes a big difference. But canes can draw blood if it strikes hard enough.

Crops

We love our crop. And yes, it looks like a riding crop. In fact, it is because we bought it from a tack shop. Sex toy retailers sell “sex toy crops” so you can pick one up at an adult store or you can buy the real thing. They don’t have to cost a lot unless you want a high-end version. We went with a simple one. It’s black, made of leather, and has the smallest, flat tip that you expect with a crop. The impact can best be described as stinging and annoying, but in a good way. One smack probably won’t hurt much, but repeated smacks, either over a large area or in one place (John Brownstone likes to do both) will definitely bring the pain. There’s no thud to this one, but it’s also one that’s great for beginners because it’s also not so heavy as to potentially cause serious harm. (Note: Every impact toy carries some risk of harm. It’s just a matter of degree.)

Dragon Tail

Think of this like a larger version of a crop. The tip that strikes the body tends to be longer and wider than a standard crop so it covers more surface area. The surface area reminds you of a dragon’s tail (hence the name) so it’s wider toward the bottom and tapered at the tip. The sensation can vary depending on what part hits the skin. Strike with the tip and it’s a burning kind of sting. Strike at the widest part, and it’s still sharp but more of a smack than a burn. If it lands on the edge, you get a combination of both with a sensation similar to a cane (blame that thin edge). Ours has a very long handle so John Brownstone can reach me even from a few feet away. He loves “torturing” me with it so I feel like I can’t get away from it — which hits him right in the sadistic feels.

Straps and Belts

Belts are often the first pervertable spanking toy people play with. Like your hand, it requires you to spend no money, and it can hide in plain sight. Another version of that is a strap. Some look a little like a belt, but most are fairly distinctive. The paddle end is often a “belt” or strap. It may be folded double so that the end is a giant loop or it may be multiple layers stacked on one another but not attached. Depending on the material, the width, and the intensity of the strike, straps can hurt as much if not more than a belt. The sensation is similar, although, as with everything, individual toys will provide a unique experience. If you’re not sure how you feel about a strap, try a belt first.

Floggers

At first glance, floggers can be intimidating because the method to use them that’s not always as straightforward as a cane, paddle, or crop. The strands come in a variety of materials which changes the sensation. Suede feels very different from stiff leather which feels different from plastic, paracord, or even cables (yes, there are floggers made out of cords and cables). But like every other impact play toy, how the top or Dom throws it will determine the sensation. A soft, slow impact feels much different than a quick, sharp impact (it’s the difference between a thud and a sting). While you should definitely practice how to throw a flogger before using one, it doesn’t have to be as complicated as some of the techniques experienced floggers often use (example: Florentine). A novice willing to practice first can wield a flogger to great effect.

So which one should you buy? There’s no right answer. Some people want all of them, and others will only want a few. Think about the kinds of sensations you enjoy (giving or receiving) and start there. If you only ever buy a single type of toy, like floggers, that’s okay, too.