5 Best BDSM Speculums In 2024, Reviewed by a BDSM Educator

After reviewing several dozen of products, my testers are thrilled to announce that the Bondage Boutique’s Steel Vaginal Speculum got the highest rating in our review. It’s without a doubt made from premium grade materials, expertly manufactured, brilliantly designed, safest, and more versatile than the competitors. And it rose far above the competition, garnering bonus point after bonus point for its comfort, durability, and for being exceptionally arousing to play with. If you or someone you play with has a vagina, then this is the spreader to suit all your bondage needs and desires.

Why You Should Trust Us

Hi, I am M.Christian. Ever since my first introduction to the wild and crazy world of kink back in the late 80s, I’ve tried to learn everything there is to know about its various hows, whys, and wherefores: the knowledge that makes me uniquely qualified to select this year’s best BDSM speculums.

But I’m also smart enough to understand and accept that I can’t know everything, which is why I’ve asked my carefully chosen team of BDSM aficionados, kinky-oriented sex educators, qualified sexologists, and my loyal team of experienced and enthusiastic testers to lend a hand—or other body parts when needed.

How We Picked The Products

Even with my testers and my own quite extensive experience in using and reviewing BDSM devices, it can be more than a little challenging to weed out the good from the great, let alone choose our review samples for this top list. At least it would be if I hadn’t developed my five-point criteria which can be applied to everything from whips to chains, vibrators to restraints, and what we’re all here for, how to select the world’s finest, most high-ranking, speculums.

Fortunately for all you first-time speculum shoppers, it can also be used to help narrow down your own search and turn what might otherwise be a daunting chore into an easy experience. After a meticulous discussion with my trusted testers, I defined key decision-making factors we could measure using well-defined quantitative metrics. These factors included the following:

• Manufacture: Top of the list is whether or not a product was made by a BDSM community-approved company such as The Stockroom, Bondage Boutique, Lovehoney, or Extreme Restraints.  Each of these highly respected manufacturers is known for producing the highest scoring, most comfortable, durable, and safe speculums or anything else kink-related.
• Material: Another key element we considered was if a review sample was created from the highest grade steel, plastic, or other materials.  It’s another reason why we limited our contenders to kink-community-approved companies like Bondage Boutique, Extreme Restraints, Lovehoney, or The Stockroom.
• Design: Because every BDSM toy must be created to be as safe as it is efficient and enjoyable, we also paid a lot of attention to how well-designed any of the devices we reviewed were.
• Safety: On the same subject, we awarded the most points to speculums made by highly respected manufacturers as they more often than not understand BDSM is not about neither pain nor excitement but ensuring those indulging in it won’t be harmed. For medical fetish play, a Graves speculum can be good for single or multiple partners. A Collins or Cusco speculum can also be great for anal use and great fun for those who like to play nurse.
• Versatility: Though not as important as what a spreader was made from, how well it was built, if it was expertly designed or not, or is as safe as possible, we dished out a few extra marks to products able to be used in more than one way.  However, because speculums tend to be created for one, and only one, orifice, we didn’t penalize any single-use ones. A graves or cusco speculum can be good for multiple partners if sufficiently cleaned. Otherwise, I suggest disposable speculums for when you or your partner wants to play doctor.

I began my selection process with the dozen most popular and highest-scoring speculums currently available.  After my testers then reduced them to ten, I next asked my carefully selected gang of BDSM experts, professional sexologists, and experienced sex ed instructions what they thought of them.

During testing, we rated each review sample based on the criteria listed above starting from 0% (Worst) to 100% (Best). Each score was calculated using different weighted metrics depending on what we deemed most important. The majority of the total rating comes from Manufacture (30%) and Material (30%). After that comes Design (15%), Safety (15%), and Versatility (10%).

Everything We Tested

In this chapter, you can see a comparison table with all the products we tested. As you can see, each row has the test criteria our team used during the testing. To make our testing process even more transparent, we also included the raw test data so you can see how the products performed with each test criteria.

Name	Bondage Boutique	KinkLab's	Stockroom
Category	Vaginal	Anal	Budget
Average Rating	96%	95%	90%
Design	96%	92%	89%
Safety	95%	93%	90%
Manufature	95%	96%	92%
Versatility	94%	93%	90%
Price & Value	93%	91%	96%
Price Tag	$29.99	$69.95	$8.00
Material	Steel	Steel Blades	Plastic
Color	Silver	Silver	Transparent

1. Bondage Boutique Steel: Our Vaginal Speculum Pick!

Why I love Bondage Boutique’s Steel Vaginal Speculum:

There’s simply no better spreader in the world today that’s as precisely made, superbly engineered, crafted from the highest grade materials, or as flexible and low risk as Bondage Boutique’s Steel Vaginal Speculum.

Its elegantly glistening, smoothly polished surface makes it resemble less of a piece of BDSM equipment and more of a strikingly elegant work of art.  Each of my testers remarked that if it wasn’t for what it was created to do—as efficiently and comfortably part vaginal lips to aid in gaining access to its most intimate areas—they would have displayed it for all to see and admire.

We also thought Bondage Boutique’s adjustability is worth noting, particularly because its skillfully constructed widening or narrowing mechanism is as smooth as it is stable. Even once my testers and I feel it might accidentally slip, loosen or tighten unexpectedly.

Minor Issues I Found During Testing:

However hard my testers and I tried, we could find anything about Bondage Boutique’s Steel Vaginal Speculum we didn’t feel was at least amazing.  Time after time, we gave it high marks for its quality workmanship, awe-inspiring design, and how it rose far above the BDSM toy-making competition in every way that truly matters.

That said, it’s worth mentioning some people may not be fond of how cold and unyielding steel speculums can feel.  Otherwise, we unanimously loved this spreader and highly recommend you give it a shot.

Why Bondage Boutique’s Steel Is The Best Vaginal Speculum:

It takes a lot to forge a low-risk, well-made, and meticulously designed spreader but ten times that’s necessary to craft anything close to this highest-ranking, competition-topping steel speculum from Bondage Boutique. The moment my testers and I got our hands, or rather our or someone else’s vagina, on it we knew no other one before or since could ever hope to measure up to Bondage Boutique’s Steel Speculum.

Made all the better because its steel construction is remarkably easy to clean and, if you’re into that sort of thing, can be cooled or slightly heated for temperature play scenes. But there’s more—way more—to admire about Bondage Boutique’s Steel Speculum and why we agreed whole-heartily to award it our top prize:

• Manufacture: For a vaginal speculum to be anywhere close to being good, let alone the best, it must be crafted by BDSM-community-renowned experts like those over at Bondage Boutique. Every inch of their steel vaginal spreader is a sign of their experience and competition topping expertise and attention to detail.
• Material: In the, excuse the expression, “wide” world of speculums, steel is one of the most popular materials to use.  Arousingly heavy, effortless to clean, great for temperature or speculum play activities, and tougher than the toughest plastic, Bondage Boutique knows they had to make their erotically supercharged spreader out of it.
• Design: Kink-equipment expertise isn’t limited to crafting toys like this high-scoring spreader but knowing everything there is to know about creating it to be painless, sexually exciting, long-lasting, and simple to adjust.
• Safety: Bondage Boutique knocks its kinky sex toy-making competitors out of the park by focusing less on pain or pleasure but ensuring their products will be as safe as possible.  Their steel vaginal spreader is a perfect example of this, so while there’s always at least a small possibility of injury during insertion, if used correctly this spreader is the safest my team and I have played with.

Features:

• Material: Stainless Steel
• Measurements: It Is 6″ Long With An Insertable Length Of 4.5″.
• Colors: Silver

Pros:

• It’s an amazingly well-constructed stainless steel speculum.
• Its rigid handles prevent slippage, making it easy to control.
• Its adjustment screw is perfectly sized and placed, allowing the screw to be effortlessly narrowed or stretched.
• Steel is great for temperature or speculum play scenes.

Cons:

• Not a great choice if you or your partner aren’t fond of metal speculums.
• Its adjustment screw can be tough to operate, especially if a lot of lube is involved.

View On Lovehoney

2. KinkLab’s Sims: Our Anal Speculum Pick!

Why I Love KinkLab’s Sims:

Amazingly heavy, remarkably durable, and with lots of temperature or medical play possibilities—not forgetting adding something extra to medical equipment scenes—Kinklab has outdone itself in producing what my testers and I have mutually certified as the best anal speculum.

Forged from high-quality, body-safe steel and able to spread a full 3.5″, Kinklab’s Sims speculum is every anal enthusiast’s dream, or rather “wet” dream, come true.

Minor Issues I Found During Testing:

As with Bondage Boutique’s Steel Speculum, Kinklab’s anal toy may not appeal to people who are not into metal BDSMs or who might feel intimidated by its impressive weight and size.  Though also like Bondage Boutique’s if the thought of being spread open wide gets you all hot and bothered then Kinklab’s Sims could be right up your anal examination alley.

If you want another BDSM toy solely used for some anal action, you can check the best anal hooks we ranked and tested here.

Why KinkLab’s Sims Are The highest-rated Anal Opener:

Whether new to anal examination or an experienced spreader user, every person I gave Kinklab’s Sims speculum to wouldn’t shut up about how thrilling it was to play with.  More than several of my testers said they’d like to score it higher than just ten out of ten, suggesting I should push my rankings to eleven just to show how phenomenally great Kinklab’s Sims is. We all thought its pair of blades was great for examination scene play because they allow a finger or more to be inserted without discomfort. If you do insert something, don’t pull it out quickly which can lead to pain.

But that’s not the end of why my team and I raved about his extremely high-ranking, competition-dominating, steel anal spreader from Kinklab:

• Material: As I said, for making the weightiest, exceptionally intense, and kinkiest anal speculums nothing beats this gleaming goodness of steel blades. Joining Bondage Boutique, Kinklab celebrates this material’s universal appeal with their brilliant and, according to my testers, their scene’s hands-down favorite: Kinklab’s Sims with steel blades.
• Design: Kinklab’s BDSM-toy-creating talent is up front and center with this awesomely sexy steel anal speculum.  Deceptively simple, a lot of care and thought was put into making it effortless to use, arousing to be spread by, and as safe as Kinklab could possibly make it.

Features:

• Material: Steel Blades
• Measurements: Its Blades Can Extend 3.5″.
• Colors: Silver

Pros:

• It’s made by Kinklab, one of the BDSM community’s most respected toy manufacturers.
• Its blades are crafted from high-grade, medical-grade steel.

Cons:

• It may not appear to those who find steel speculums uncomfortable.

View On Stockroom

3. The Stockroom’s Plastic Speculum: Our Budget Pick!

Why I Love The Stockroom’s Plastic Speculum:

If you want a finely-made, expertly designed, and professionally manufactured speculum that’s also insanely affordable, then look no further than this body-safe plastic one from the kink community’s respected, highest scoring, companies.

The Stockroom has outdone themselves and then some by offering this male or female speculum for the outrageous low cost of just $8. No, you didn’t hear that wrong; for less than $10 you can pick up this exciting, comfortable, and multipurpose speculum—certifying it as our choice for this year’s budget pick.

Minor Issues I Found During Testing:

Let’s be honey, in BDSM toys and everything else you get what you pay for.  Not that The Stockroom’s Plastic Spreader isn’t awe-inspiring, because it most definitely is, but it’s still a pretty basic toy.  Still, you can’t beat its low cost, which many of my testers noted makes it a no-brainer to get three or perhaps even four at a time.

Why The Stockroom’s Plastic Speculum Is Our Budget Pick:

I dare you to try and find a well-made, expertly designed for boys or girls spreader for less than this one from The Stockroom; one of the kink community’s most popular, highest-ranking, and widely respected BDSM manufacturers.

Though there are plenty of other great reasons why my testers and I voted The Stockroom’s Plastic spreader as our budget pick:

• Manufacture: It’s not easy to build an eight-dollar speculum capable of extended uses and repeated cleanings while simultaneously balancing safety with sexual stimulation.  But The Stockroom not only pulled this impressive feat but did it with style.
• Versatility: Setting itself apart from many of the high-scoring ones on our list, The Stockroom’s Plastic spreader offers a multitude of thrills for boys or girls insertion scenes—firmly earning its position on our top list. Its low cost also means you can throw one of them out when you’re done with it.

Features:

• Material: Bodysafe Plastic
• Measurements: It’s Available In Three Sizes. The Small’s Insertable Is 3″, The Medium’s Is 3.5″, And The Large Is 4″ In Length.
• Colors: Transparent

Pros:

• Its less than ten dollar price tag, and the ability to be used for vaginal and anal spreading scenes, is simply too good to pass up.
• Its plastic construction is durable while also easy to clean.
• Its low cost means it can be easily replaced if damaged or you can throw it out at the end of your scene

Cons:

• It’s not as solidly constructed or can be as thoroughly sterilized as metal speculums.

View On Stockroom

Other Good Alternatives

Lovehoney’s G-Spot Stimulating Intimate Part Spreader because everyone needs to start somewhere and this innovatively designed and high-quality manufactured g-spot spreader is the toy all you novices should or rather must buy. If you do, you’ll be well on your way to exploring the myriad sexual delights of speculum play—and could very well put you on the arousing path of being an enthusiastic and extremely happy kinkster.

Good recommendations for amateurs also include some nipple play activities using nipple suckers and nipple clamps. They give you the right amount of “BDSM feeling” for that solid foundation to try more daring toys in the future. For the best nipple suckers and best nipple clamps, you can check their reviews by clicking their respective links.

Extreme Restraint’s Huge Equine SpeculumFor our experienced readers who don’t want to horse around with other, inferiorly-made, not as high ranking, pony-themed speculums. Saddle up your favorite submissive, introduce them to the wild, and I do mean wild, west delights of this galloping great product and they’ll be whinnying for you to ride them until the cows come home. With this device, you can explore the frontiers of your erotic imagination and finally live out your idea of a perfect equestrian spreader.

What Is A BDSM Speculum?

A BDSM speculum is a device designed and created to safely and comfortably expand a person’s vagina or anus, thus gaining easier access for a variety of med activities like insertion play. A majority of speculums used by the kink community for medical play scenes are the same employed by medical professionals. They can be made from a large assortment of materials, including body-safe plastic, silicone, or steel [3].

Note: The product above isn’t in this particular review but it’s one of the best medical fetish toys we tested. The Bondage Boutique’s Speculum is crafted from transparent, body-safe plastic, so you can view or show off your vaginal walls and G-spot like never before. In addition, its excellent design and focus on comfort means you’ll barely know it’s there.

A graves speculum is frequently used for insertion play involving large objects due to how they can open vaginas or anuses. Different types of spreaders are used for playing doctors or for examination or treatment scenes. If your scene is more about examination or looking deep within your partner, be gentle and use a suitable device.

How To Use A BDSM Speculum?

Never forget that while speculums can be sexually enjoyable, especially during a medical play-related BDSM scene, they are above all else built to be used by real doctors or nurses. As such, you must be extremely careful not to use a speculum too roughly or attempt to stretch someone’s butt or vagina too far.  If you do, you run the risk of causing serious harm to the delicate tissues of those areas [2].

Note: Aside from using a speculum, you add some sensory deprivation action with the help of BDSM blindfolds. If you have a fashionista side, getting a BDSM mask would be a better option. But if you’re in a pinch, then perhaps you could give some of our semi-safe DIY BDSM blindfold ideas a try.

In light of this, I recommend using them slowly and carefully while maintaining clean lines of communication between you and the person on the receiving end of one like establishing a safe word or safe words. At the first sign of discomfort, immediately stop what you are doing and, if necessary, carefully remove the speculum.  But whatever you do, do not pull it out without applying a lot of appropriate lubrication to reduce the possibility of irritation or injury[1].

Should any bleeding occur when you insert an object, do not hesitate to seek out medical assistance as any delay increases the possibility of injection, thus making a bad situation a million times worse—and never insert anything that cannot be easily removed

How To Clean A BDSM Speculum?

Do not try to clean any speculum without first checking with the company or site it came from for how to do it correctly.  Occasionally, that information may not be readily available but that doesn’t mean you should do it yourself.  Instead, contact the manufacturer—and only if no response is forthcoming then you may attempt to wash your speculum.

For steel speculums, use warm water with either mild antibacterial soap or sex toy cleaner, making sure to dry it thoroughly to properly maintain it.  The same method can be used for body-safe plastic speculums though extra care is needed not to use anything that might negatively react with what it’s made from. For more tips, read our guide on how to clean sex toys here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How To Store a BDSM Speculum?

The most effective method for storing a BDSM speculum is to place it somewhere dark, away from direct sunlight, and free from excess heat, cold, or moisture. More about storing your BDSM toys in this guide.

How To Make a BDSM Speculum?

No one should ever try to build their own speculum or any homemade BDSM toy.  I cannot stress this enough, as the likelihood is far too high the result will at least be uncomfortable and at most outright physically dangerous.  If you or anyone else feels otherwise, then I strongly suggest you talk to BDSM experts who I’m sure will agree that speculums should always be bought and never, ever made by hand.

How Wide Does A BDSM Speculum Go?

Depending on the type and if it’s designed for vaginas or anuses, speculums can be expanded several inches.  But to avoid injuring the person it is being used to, do not use it too quickly or without sufficient lube.

How Long Can You Leave A Speculum In?

Speculums can be used for several minutes at a stretch, though there is no normal amount of time because no two people are built the same way or identically experience the same levels of arousal or discomfort.  Take my advice, that rather than trying to determine how long a spreader can be used for instead ask and keep asking your partner if they are enjoying it [1].

Primary Sources

1. Netdoctor. Vaginal Speculums Explained (March 2019)

2. Lascivity. Playing With Speculums: A Primer (November 2022)

3. The Atlantic. Why No One Can Design a Better Speculum (November 2014)

M.Christian

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M.Christian

M.Christian loves nothing better than exploring the intersections of sex and technology. They regularly appear on sites like Kinkly, Tickle.Life, Sexpert, Queer Majority, Killing Kittens, Sex for Every Body, Future of Sex, and dozens more on topics like BDSM safety, sexual education, senior sexuality concerns, queer and gender issues, as well as reviewing numerous sextech products and adult entertainment sites.
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