Open Wide: the Quick Guide to Mouth Gags

Maybe you’re craving the feeling of biting down hard on something in the heat of the moment, watching drool dribble down your partner’s chin, or buckling new bondage gear around their head that forces their mouth open and ready. Whatever your reason is, your curiosity brought you here, and it just might be time to fulfill your fantasies. The wet and wild world of mouth gags is full of possibilities. Like other bondage gear, mouth gags are designed to amplify the erotic experience of both the enforcer and the wearer. 

There are a variety of types of mouth gags and materials that each have their own benefits and unique features. If you’re feeling uncertain about what you want, our writers at Bondesque compiled our knowledge to help you find the best gag for your needs and desires. From how to use mouth gags to the most popular styles and materials, keep reading to find answers to your questions and recommendations based on your needs.

What is a mouth gag and how do I use it?

Mouth gags are a type of bondage gear designed to restrict someone from using their mouth freely. Many folks are familiar with the classic rubber ball gag, but did you know there are other types? Gag styles featuring open rings, bits, and even dildos are all examples of mouth gags that have their own unique uses. 

For example, say you want someone to forcefully hold your mouth open to stuff it with something naughty (we won’t suggest what to put in there in this blog but something tells us you’ve already dreamt up a few ideas). You may want to consider a ring gag, a gag made with an o-shaped ring that conveniently transforms your mouth into a gaping, vulnerable hole ready for whatever comes next.

Leather O-Ring Gag

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Here’s another example, just for the sake of stirring the imagination: you have a noisy, squirmy sub who can’t seem to keep their mouth shut. Full-head harness gags were designed to significantly muffle and restrict the wearer by buckling around the head at several points rather than a single point at the back of the head like traditional gags. Even the squirmiest of subs won’t be able to break free from a good head harness gag.

Leather Ball Gag Harness

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Why should I use a mouth gag?

The main reason you need to add a gag to your toy chest is simply a desire for mouth restriction, whether you’re giving or receiving. Although mouth gags are bondage gear, they aren’t limited to BDSM play. They’re the perfect companion to all sorts of sexual activities, so let your imagination run wild. Many people enjoy using gags for reasons such as:

• Muffling moans and other sounds
• Enjoying the satisfying pleasure of biting down on something
• Surrendering control of their mouth to another
• Adding the excitement of messy, endless drool
• Restraining someone and forcing them into vulnerable positions
• Enforcing activities like mouth stuffing or forced oral sex
• Heightening humiliation

If you’re into or curious about any of these things, you just might want to get a new gag!

The Most Popular Mouth Gag Styles

It would be nearly impossible to describe every style of gag, but we’ll go over some of the most common styles and their purposes to give you a sense of the options awaiting you.

Ball Gags

Ball gags are a great entry point to the gag world, and there are plenty of affordable and beginner-friendly options. The classic ball gag stuffs the wearer’s mouth with a ball, holding it open and making it difficult to vocalize and swallow. Ball gags cause plenty of drooling, adding a touch of humiliation. Just perfect for those who love a wet and messy time! And who doesn’t love the look of a ball gag? 

Breathable Silicone Ball Gag

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Open Mouth Gags

Open mouth gags are any gag that forces a mouth open and keeps it at least partially unobstructed. Gags like open rings, spiders, sleeves, claw gags, and funnels force the wearer to receive whatever is put inside their mouths, transforming them completely into a hole. 

Silicone O-Ring Gag

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Bit Gags

Bit gags feature a strip of material, like silicone or leather, to bite down on. In comparison to ball gags, bit gags allow the wearer to bite down more comfortably and don’t stuff the mouth as fully, making them a great option for beginners, those who experience jaw pain, and wearing them for extended periods of time. Bit gags can also be used for more than simply mouth restriction. Pony bits for pony play, dog bones for pup play, and other animal-related shapes add to pet play scenes both through visuals as well as reinforcing that animals don’t speak.

Leather Pony Bit

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Head Harness Gags

Traditional gags typically consist of a single strap wrapping around the head, but full head harness gags add additional straps and coverage, making it much harder for the wearer to push out of a gag. Some harnesses include lockable buckles and contact points to clip or hook in more bondage gear – chains, rope, and cuffs – just to list a few. This style can vary from strappy styles that leave the face and head mostly open to styles where much of the face is covered, further dehumanizing the wearer.

Ball Gag Harness

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Service Gags

Service gags are any gag that forces the wearer into a functional object. Dildo gags are a popular service gag that turns the wearer into the perfect rideable toy. Other unique gags include features like toilet paper roll holders, funnels/urinals, or ashtrays, forcing a sub into the role of a household item.

Dildo Mouth Gag

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Common Materials

While gag styles may be just about endless, materials tend to stick to a core group: silicone and rubber, metal, and real/vegan leather. The most beginner-friendly gag material is silicone, especially smaller ball gags with air holes for ventilation or bit gags. Softer materials are easier on the mouth, teeth, and jaw, while increased ventilation is ideal for breathing. Some gags are made entirely out of silicone (including the straps), making them easier to clean, though all gags can generally be cleaned with toy cleaner or a warm soapy rag. Metal gags and mouth spreaders are less comfortable and not recommended for long periods of time but can make for intense heavy bondage scenes, especially medical fetish play.

How to Add a Gag to Your Collection Safely

Adding gags into your sex life doesn’t mean immediately going from zero to a full-blown medieval dungeon. In the context of people and couples with an established sex life, we recommend bringing up the idea of playing with gags outside of the bedroom before things get hot and heavy. Describe your fantasy and how you think it will add some spice and pleasure for everyone involved. If everyone is on board, it’s a quick and easy add to your bedroom life that can also include fun activities like blindfolds or cuffs. Not sure how to have sensitive conversations like these? Check out this comprehensive blog we put together on having conversations on BDSM safety with your partners.

Gags are generally quite safe, but all bondage gear carries risks and should be approached with SSC (safe, sane, consensual) and/or RACK (risk-aware consensual kink) in mind. Gags restrict speech and breathing so having a non-verbal safeword during use is key. This can look like three hard slaps to the surface the wearer is on, dropping keys or another object, or three hard grunts distinct from normal BDSM grunts and groans, to name a few.

Who’s Ready to Gag?

With so many options available to you, it’s hard not to imagine how a good mouth gag couldn’t fit into your life. Whether you’re into BDSM or just want to add something new to your sex life, gags suit all sorts of fantasies. This quick guide was designed to expose you to a variety of options outside of the classic ball gag and send you in the right direction – we hope that you found what you need and then some! Explore the plethora of mouth gags we offer at Bondesque, and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us!