Review: NS Novelties Glo Bondage Glow In The Dark Flogger

[Description: A white and black flogger, laying across some disk props from Tron, signed by actor Bruce Boxleitner.]

content warning: impact play

Let me tell you about my first date with my spouse.

We met on LiveJournal, and I flew down to visit them for the first time after a long digital courtship. (I did this safely, and it was nearly 10 years ago, don’t @ me.) They picked me up at the airport, and brought me to a few of their favorite places. Once or twice they tried to kiss me, but I was shy and dodged it in the park and other places. When we tired of being out and about, we went to their house, and watched their favorite movie because I’d never seen it. After, they pulled me into their lap and kissed me, softly, tenderly. From then on, that movie and our first kiss are forever intertwined in my memory.

The kiss? Wonderful.

The movie? Tron.

If you’re not familiar, Tron was a pioneering 1982 science fiction film in which a man is brought inside of a computer, to experience an incredible digital world of minimalist design and glowing lines, peopled entirely by “programs,” including the very noble title character of Tron himself. Tron was denied an Oscar for special effects because they were done in computer which, at the time, was considered to be “cheating.” Seriously. But even now it is an incredibly beautiful, stylized movie, full of uniquely glowing imagery, and even the sequel Tron Legacy, while excellent and striking in its own way, doesn’t have the same aesthetic and didn’t use the same techniques because the techniques were so unique.

So, when the opportunity came to review some glow-in-the-dark kink items, I knew we needed them, and so when Canadian sex toy shop Naughty North offered to let me review the Glo Bondage Flogger, I needed it. If not for me, then for Damien, and for the memory of our first kiss.

[Description: The flogger laying across the disks again, but this time the lights are out and the handle and edge of the disks are glowing.]

Our affectionately nicknamed Trondage set is actually the Glo Bondage series from NS Novelties, who also brought us the Stardust line, the Rear Assets line, and some lovely rainbow Pride dildos. NS Novelties excels in aesthetically pleasing but fairly functional toys at an extremely affordable cost. The Glo Bondage flogger retails at $39.99 Canadian, and let me tell you something: the glow, she works.

As with all the glow-in-the-dark stickers, bracelets, and spider rings you had when you were ten, the glow works after exposing the white handle of the toy to light for some time, and then turning out all the lights and admiring the firefly-like faint green glow. It does not glow under blacklight, but we did find that it makes the later glow much stronger to expose it to a blacklight first, so that was a fun experiment. It’s a strong, steady glow, and very fun to admire.

That said…um…let’s be honest, the glow-in-the-dark feature isn’t really usable in a kink scene.

Here’s the things about flogging someone: you should probably be fully aware of where their body is at all times. Missing the mark or landing a blow poorly can cause serious harm to the bottom which, in case you weren’t aware, is bad. The glowing handle of the flogger is simply not enough light to see by, and the falls are not lit at all, so the risk of hitting someone in the wrong spot is definitely present.

[Description: The flogger laying out, with a lightcycle from Tron over the top, looking like the flogger falls are the light trail.]

If you are a visually-impaired top, you may have practiced other methods of ensuring that your blow lands appropriately; perhaps the glow would still be cool for you and/or for your bottom. In that case, awesome! You are the only demographic for whom this toy is optimally designed. Somehow, I’m not convinced NS Novelties was creating this line with that in mind, but who cares?

For sighted tops…yeah, you should probably do impact play with the lights on, not guided by the very faint glow of the flogger’s handle. There are other kinky things you could do in a dark or dim room, but impact? I wouldn’t risk it.

So, let’s be real, the glowy flogger is mostly just a gimmick. It looks neat, it’ll be fun to pick out your toy in a dark room, but mostly, the glow aspect and the impact aspect aren’t compatible.

So, let’s set aside the glowing Tron aesthetic, and look at the actual toy. Independent of the gimmick, is this a good flogger?

For a beginner flogger, it’s fine. Aside from, of course, being affordable, it’s very light in every sense. The handle feelslike it might be made out of flimsy cardboard because it’s so lightweight, but Damien and I have both basically tried crushing it to no avail, so it’s stronger than it seems. Everything is surprisingly well constructed; the falls, strap, and the overlay of the handle are all PU, neatly trimmed and stitched into place with no uneven spots, and held together very securely with black metal hardware. My first flogger ever actually fell apart after enough use, but I genuinely don’t see that happening with this thing, which is great! Durability is important, even for inexpensive toys.

[Image description: The flogger with four vintage Tron action figures.]

The white handle is very pretty and unique, considering the black and red colors that dominate the impact toy market, but it does have a risk of getting smudged permanently. And the light weight is actually very nice for a top who has grip issues or otherwise doesn’t want to hold onto a heavy toy.

As for the falls…well. Each fall is made of a thick layer of PU, almost feeling like craft foam to the touch. So, the blows are very light, with a very soft sting at the squared-off tips. They’re very good for someone new to impact, or for someone who likes impact but doesn’t have a very high pain tolerance. It’s quite gentle, even on bare skin. In fact…exclusively on bare skin. I tried to get a spanking through my underwear and I couldn’t even feel it.

The sound is great, though. It’s a lovely snapping sound when it hits, wherever it might land, skin or cloth. Honestly? The sound is pretty hot. I’d happily just listen to my spouse smacking this thing around for a while, or maybe as a preliminary to other activities.

Again, the lightness of impact is not a bad thing for those looking for it! And for me, if I’m out of practice at being an impact bottom, it’s kind of a nice warm-up before moving onto other toys (especially with that noise!), but I don’t think my spanking desires will be fulfilled by this guy alone. Generally speaking, I’m not sure this is a toy I’ll be going for very often for personal use.

If I wanted something for a similar price but a little more intense from Naughty North, I’d probably try out the Scandal crop for $34.99 Canadian.

And if I just wanted to enjoy the glowy feature and not deal with the weaker impact? I’d absolutely get the Glo Bondage cuffs, which I will be reviewing next time! You might even be able to use the glow feature in a scene—with great care and awareness, I could imagine doing a wax play scene in a dark room, since you don’t have to be quite as precise with that as you do with impact, and since the candles would add some light. (Although, you know, still avoid face and genitals with hot wax, please. If you don’t think you can do that, turn the goddamn lights on.)

[Image description: The flogger’s falls tucked into the cuffs; top image shows them with the lights on, the second glowing with the lights off.]

I’d also be interested in the Glo Paddle, which I suspect would have a more solid impact, although again, I probably wouldn’t be able to use the glowing and the smacking at the same time.

The Bottom Line

For someone looking for a very lightweight, but durable, flogger, this is a decent toy! I’d definitely recommend it for anyone new to impact or with a low pain tolerance, especially if they’re on a tight budget; it would also be nice for a top who can’t handle a heavy toy, as long as they don’t mind the blows being on the gentle side. The glow feature does work as advertised but, for the most part, isn’t super practical. But it still looks pretty cool, and it’ll stand out against any other toys in your collection for sure—lights on or off.

Buy from Naughty North for $39.99

Want more like this? Check out my impact toys tag and my science fiction tag!

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