Sex Sling vs Sex Swing: What's the Difference and Which Should You Buy?

People use "sling" and "swing" as if they meant the same thing. They don't, and buying the wrong one is an expensive way to find out.

The short version: a sex sling is a slab of leather or canvas hung by its corners, and you lie in it. A sex swing is a bundle of straps, and you sit in it. Everything else follows from that, from how long you can comfortably stay in it to how many holes end up in your ceiling.

If you already know you want to be flat on your back with nothing to hold up, buy a sling and skip the rest. If you'd rather experiment, or your playroom doubles as the spare bedroom, a swing probably makes more sense. This sex sling vs sex swing guide is for everyone in between.

Sex sling vs sex swing at a glance

If you only read one part, read this table.

What is a sex sling?

Picture a hammock, only shorter and a good deal stiffer. Four chains or straps, one per corner, run up to a frame or to hooks in the ceiling, and some designs add a fifth behind the head. You get in backwards, shuffle your hips to the front edge and lie down.

Then you do nothing, which is the whole point. The panel has your back and your neck, and if there are stirrups it has your legs as well. Nobody is gripping a strap or tensing to stay upright. It's no accident that slings have been a fixture of leather and fetish playrooms for so long.

Ours are built that way. The heavy duty sex sling is one thick panel of full-grain cowhide on solid metal D-rings, and not much else.

One thing that trips people up: the "worn" sling

Search for "sex sling" and some of what comes back isn't a sling at all, at least not the hanging kind. It's a padded strap that sits behind your neck and loops round your ankles or thighs, so your legs stay up while you lie on the bed. Nothing is suspended.

There's nothing wrong with them. They cost little, need no fitting and live in a drawer. Just don't expect one to take your weight. We sell a wearable leg support sling if that's what you had in mind; everything below is about slings that hang.

What is a sex swing?

A swing is all straps. The usual layout is one under your bottom, one behind your back and a stirrup for each foot, gathered at a bar or ring overhead. That's why a swing can hang from a single point, two at the most.

You sit up or lean back, and you keep a hand on the straps to steady yourself. Less of you is held, so more of you can move, and that's what people buy them for. They sway. Some bounce on a spring. A few go round in circles.

The main types of sex swing

You'll come across four.

• Traditional. Seat, back strap, stirrups, hung from a ceiling hook or a stand. If you want the widest choice of positions, it's this one.

• Door. It hooks over the top of a closed door, so there's no drilling and not much money involved. The catch is the door itself, which gets in the way.

• Body. The standing partner wears the harness and takes the other person's weight, so it's not for everyone.

• Spinning. A traditional swing on a swivel. It turns a full circle.

Sex sling vs sex swing: the key differences

Comfort and support

No contest: the sling. Your weight is spread over a whole panel, so nothing digs in. With a swing you're sitting on a narrow strap, and sooner or later you notice it. You're also holding on the whole time, which your arms and neck will remind you about. Ten minutes in, who cares. An hour in, you will.

Positions and movement

Here the swing gets its own back. Sit, lean, turn to face the other way, stand up in the stirrups if you like. A sling does one thing, on your back with your legs up, and does it very well. Most people who buy a sling already know that's what they're after.

Hanging points and space

One strong point overhead is enough for a swing. A sling wants four, set far enough apart to keep the panel open. No four points? Then you need a frame.

And frames are big. The two heavy duty ones we checked were about 1.2 m wide, between 1.5 and 1.75 m deep, and not far off 1.9 m tall. Get the tape measure out before you order.

Set-up and storage

You can have a door swing up before the kettle's boiled. A ceiling swing means one fixing, done once. Slings ask more of you: four chains to get level, or a frame to put together.

Putting it away is a different story. A swing goes in a bag. A sling on ceiling points usually just stays where it is, although a frame does come apart if you need the room back.

Materials and durability

In a sling, the panel is what holds you, so it has to be tough. That's why you mostly see leather or heavy canvas. Leather is dearer and outlasts canvas, and full-grain is the strongest leather there is.

Swings are mostly padded nylon webbing. It's light and it washes. You can get them in leather too, and we make a leather sex swing with leg supports for people who want both.

Price

A swing is the cheaper way in, door swings and plain nylon ones especially.

There's simply a lot more leather in a sling, and you pay for it. Don't forget the frame, either. If you need one, it may well cost more than the sling you hang in it.

Which should you choose?

Go for a sling if you want to lie back, fully supported, and stay put for a long session. It helps to have a spare room, or a corner you can give up to a frame. And if you want something in leather that will last for years, this is it.

Go for a swing if variety matters more to you than comfort. It's the better pick when space is tight, when it has to be packed away afterwards, or when you've only got one safe point to hang from. It's also the cheaper place to start.

Can't drill at all? A door swing or a worn leg support sling needs no fixings. For a proper sling without holes in the ceiling, you want a free-standing frame.

Our slings and swings range has both, if you'd like to compare.

How to hang a sling or swing safely

This part applies to both, and none of it is optional.

1. Know the weight limit. Everything has one. Our heavy duty sling is rated to 250 lbs (113 kg). Your frame, chains, clips and hooks each have a limit too, and the lowest of them is the real limit.

2. Fix into something structural. A timber joist or a concrete ceiling, in other words. Plasterboard alone will not hold a person. Not sure what's up there? Ask a builder.

3. Allow for movement. A body in motion loads a fixing harder than one lying still, so leave yourself a wide margin.

4. Check it every time. Straps, stitching, clips, fixings. Before anyone gets in.

5. Start low. First time out, hang it so the person inside can still get their feet on the floor.

6. Don't leave your partner alone in it. Not even for a minute. And if you're adding arm and body restraints, agree a safe word beforehand.

Pregnant, or dealing with a back, neck or joint problem? Talk to your doctor first.

Looking after your sling or swing

Leather isn't hard work, but it does need some. After use, wipe it with a damp cloth and a leather-safe cleaner, and let it dry by itself, well away from a radiator. Twice a year, give it some conditioner. There's more on leather care in our leather harness guide.

Nylon and canvas are less fussy. Go by the maker's label, since a lot of them can simply be washed. Either way, look over the metal parts once in a while for rust or wear.

FAQs

Is a sex sling the same as a sex swing?

No. You lie in a sling, which is one wide panel under your whole back. You sit in a swing, which is straps and stirrups. Shops are careless with the two words, though, so look at the photos before you buy.

Which is more comfortable, a sling or a swing?

For most people, the sling. There's no strap digging in and nothing to hold on to. Swings are fine for a short session. Over a longer one, the narrow straps and the gripping wear you out.

Can I use a sex sling without a frame?

You can, provided you've got four solid points to hang it from, in timber joists or concrete. Renting, or not allowed to drill? Use a free-standing frame. You lose some floor, but you keep your deposit.

Which is better for beginners?

Usually a swing. It's cheaper, it needs fewer fixings and it packs away, and a door swing is the easiest of the lot. The exception is if you already know you want to lie back with full support. In that case, start with a sling.

Which is better for a small room?

A swing, easily. One hanging point, and room to stand next to it, is all it takes. A sling needs four spread-out points or a frame roughly 1.2 m wide and more than 1.5 m deep. In a small bedroom there won't be much floor left.

How much weight can a sling or swing hold?

There's no single answer, because it changes from one product to the next. Check the maker's rating first. Then check your frame, chains and fixings, since the weakest of them sets the limit.

Made up your mind? Have a look at our slings and swings, which we make to order. If you're still not sure, message us on WhatsApp and ask.