Bathmate Cock Rings Review (Barbarian, Spartan & Gladiator)

One item sorely lacking from our sex toy collection is cock rings, so when Bathmate contacted us to ask if we would like to review their new Bathmate Power Rings range, we jumped at the chance.

It can be difficult to imagine what advantages, or pleasure, can be had from using something as simple as a cock ring.

Up until a few ago, my partner and I failed to see the point in them.

It wasn’t until we began indulging our passions for chastity, tease, and denial that we began experimenting with cock rings again, finally discovering how useful these unassuming little objects can be. 

As soon as the Bathmate cock rings arrived, we began putting them to the test.

Product Information

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The Bathmate Power Rings are made from a trademarked material called “Elastomex”, which the packaging describes as a TPR/TPE blend.

TPR stands for thermoplastic rubber and TPE stands for the thermoplastic elastomer. These materials are generally phthalate-free but are often porous.

TPR/TPE is generally considered to be the middle ground when it comes to sex toy material safety, sitting somewhere between jelly (Which often contains nasty chemicals and is very porous) and medical grade silicone (Which is free from all nasty chemicals and is virtually non-porous).

I was sent the following cock rings from Bathmate (and at the time of writing, these three are the only cock rings available in store):

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The Gladiator

The Gladiator cock ring is the smaller of the two donut shaped rings (The second being the Barbarian). The diameter of the hole is 0.7 inches and the thickness of the ring itself is 0.5 inches.

Being made from an extremely stretchy TPR/TPE material, it should fit comfortably over a broad range of penis sizes.

We found that the Gladiators size made it most suitable for use as a cock ring (as opposed to a cock and ball ring).

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The Barbarian

The Barbarian is the larger donut shaped ring. The diameter of the hole is 0.8 inches and the thickness of the ring is 0.6 inches.

This makes the Barbarian slightly larger than the Gladiator, but again, this ring is extremely stretchy and should fit comfortably over most penis sizes.

For males who are average sized or smaller, you may find that this ring will also fit well around both penis and testicles.

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The Spartan

The Spartan is Bathmate’s medium sized ring. The diameter of the hole is 0.75 inches and this ring is shaped like a metal nut, or a cog.

The Spartan may look different from the other two Bathmate rings, but during use it feels very similar, thanks to the stretchy material

Our Experiences With The Bathmate Cock Rings

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As the largest of the three rings, we decided to slip the Barbarian over his penis and testicles, rather than just over his penis.

The Barbarian worked extremely well when used this way and within a minute, his erection had become noticeably firmer. With the Barbarian in situ, I slipped the Gladiator (the smaller donut ring) onto his penis.

The Gladiator, being just as stretchy as the Barbarian, fit comfortably but tightly enough that his erection grew firmer still.

To finish the look, I wrapped the Spartan (The cog shaped ring) around his already swollen testicles. Overkill yes, but fun nonetheless. By the time I had finished, I had created my own version of a cock and ball sling.

I was pleased to find that all three rings fit well. Each did a good job of holding the blood inside his penis, increasing the size and firmness of his erection. They were generally comfortable, but the material used to create the Bathmate cock rings is incredibly draggy. This is good news because the friction stops the rings from pinging off when you don’t want them too.

The downside however, is that the rings will occasionally cause nipping/chafing sensations (especially if you move around a lot while wearing them) and can even pull out the odd pubic hair. This irritation was minor and happens with most cock rings, but it can become more irritating over extended periods of time.

Each male will have his own unique experience while wearing a cock ring. For my partner, his penis felt more sensitive to touch, yet conversely he took longer to reach orgasm. The rings don’t stop him from losing his erection (for example, if he ejaculated or was simply not in the mood), but they do slow the process down slightly. I personally got a kick out of feeling how hard he is and could feel a noticeable difference during penetration.

I think the best results we got from using the Bathmate cock rings was when he used them in conjunction with his Hydromax x40 Xtreme penis pump. My partner pumped his penis until larger and more swollen than usual, then we slipped the Gladiator cock ring onto his penis immediately afterwards. We found that the cock ring helped to maintain the larger, more swollen erection for longer than usual. 

Using the cock rings in conjunction with a penis pump would be the best method for those who want to increase the size and firmness of their erection for one session. I also believe this combination would help with some cases of erectile dysfunction, but do bear in mind that if you are not aroused, or struggle to maintain an erection naturally, it will inevitably go down again as the blood drains out. It will simply be slower than usual.

All of the Bathmate cock rings are incredibly stretchy, so I doubt it would be important to choose the rings based on a correct fit, but I do recommend the two smaller rings (the Gladiator and the Spartan) for use on the penis alone, especially if you are of average size or smaller.

The Barbarian can be used as a cock ring, but due to its larger size, it might be better suited to men who have a larger than average girth. For small to average sized men, the Barbarian could be used to fit over the penis and testicles at the same time. I believe all three will fit most men, but how well they fit will depend on the size of your own package.

Thankfully, all three rings withstood stretching well beyond the amount we needed them to stretch, so they proved themselves to be durable too.

Downsides

I wasn’t amazingly impressed with the material used to create the Bathmate cock rings. Knowing that they are most likely porous means they can’t be sterilised and have potential to hold bacteria and other nasties inside their pores. I would have personally rated these rings even higher, had they been made from pure silicone, but when I consider that the Bathmate Cock Rings are unlikely to ever be inserted into the body, I feel a lot more relaxed about using them.

Due to the nature of the material, the cock rings do have a slight oily odour, which lingers for a while. This odour is mild (compared to jelly materials) and only noticeable if you hold the rings directly under your nose. There is no risk of them stinking out your room, like some sex toys do.

Summary

My partner and I really enjoyed using the Bathmate cock rings. They were nice and stretchy, but durable too and I can see them lasting a long while. They function well as stand-alone cock rings, but also work wonders when teamed up with a penis pump, or paired together to create a more intense squeeze.

The only thing I had issue with was the porous nature of the material, but I was prepared to forgive because these rings will not be inserted into the body. At just £6 each (at the time of writing) the Bathmate cock rings are good value for money and I highly recommend grabbing a few to team with your penis pump.

The Bathmate Power Rings were kindly sent to me free of charge from bathmatedirect.com for an honest review. This does not affect, or sway my opinions of the product and I will always portray my own experiences, good or bad. Affiliate links are used within this post.