It’s Cuffing Season!
The Ties that Bind: a Toy Box Tease
Tis the season for cuffing! “Cuffing season” is the term for the period of time where single people begin looking for short term relationships to get them through the colder months. It usually begins around October and ends after Valentine’s Day. Gotta cuff that person close and tie them down! So what better toy to pull out of the toy box to review than wrist and ankle restraints.
My husband and I have never shied away from using toys and trying new things in our sex life. We established that pattern early on in our relationship. Something that is pretty common for couples to try is tying up a partner or restraining a partner for sex. According to a study, “21% of women and 22% of men said that they have tied up a partner or been tied up during sex before.” We both enjoy the trust and sensory feelings that restraining each other can create.
One of the first methods we used were my husband’s neckties, but we also tried toy metal handcuffs. The cuffs were fun, but the metal was uncomfortable on the wrists and left bruises if we tried to pull against them, which I didn’t like. We decided that we wanted a more comfortable way to restrain each other. We bought our wrist restraints prior to even getting married and added the ankle restraints much later when we got further into kink and wanted to explore complete immobilization.
Our restraints come from a company called Leather Creations. This company has been online since 1996 and has been providing great bondage and kink gear for many years. Their site is very simple and utilitarian, if a bit dated, but to me that indicates that they are more focused on the quality of their products than their website. We have bought a few items from them, and we keep coming back for the quality they produce. This company also has one of the best return policies and product warranties that I have ever come across. They definitely value the satisfaction of their customers.
The wrist and ankle restraints that we own are black leather with a synthetic, fuzzy lining that feels like sheepskin. The wrist restraints come with a lockable buckle, and both have a loop and D-ring. They are “belly cuts” of leather, which means this leather comes from the underside of the cow. This means that the leather is more likely to have cuts, scars, and imperfections because cows are clumsy and drag their bellies against rocks and fences. This doesn’t impact the quality of the leather, only the aesthetic. Since we weren’t planning to shoot porn with these, we cared more about the durability than the look, and the belly cuts of leather are actually heavier, stronger, and more durable.
The synthetic lining of the cuffs make them extremely comfortable to wear. They are very soft and sensual, and you can really pull hard against them without leaving heavy marks or bruises. According to their site, Leather Creations chooses synthetic fibers over natural fibers because of its resistance to rotting and mildew. You can clean the cuffs by wiping them with a damp cloth and allowing them to air dry. Because there is no way to really wash these, I don’t use them for pick up play. I have only used them with playmates that I have vetted for sex.
The wrist restraints measure 3” wide and about 10” long. The ankle restraints have the same width, but they are approximately 14” long. We have the standard buckles on the ankle restraints, but we opted for the lockable buckles on the wrist restraints. I haven’t played with locking the restraints onto his wrists very much, but I like this option. I think it would be enormous fun to take my husband to the dungeon with these padlocked onto his wrists while I wear the keys around my neck with his cock cage key.
One of the most useful features of these restraints are the loop and D-ring. This feature allows me to use a rope with the restraints to create complete immobilization. I can also use carabiners to lock the wrists and ankles together, onto a spreader bar, or other dungeon furniture. This feature gives me lots of options for how to restrain my partner, and using carabiners allows for quick position changes with minimal movement.
These restraints are very durable. That is one of their best qualities. We have never had an issue with the stitching coming loose or the leather drying or wearing out. We have had the wrist restraints for almost 20 years, and the ankle restraints for over a decade. They are just as comfortable, durable, and good quality as when we bought them. They are very affordable as well. The wrist restraints we own sell for $35.49, and the ankle restraints cost $36.49. They are sold in pairs. I am considering buying an unlined set for pick up play due to how affordable and durable these are.
The downsides of these are few, but there are a couple. These only come in one color: black. If you are looking for something more feminine or frilly, this isn’t the option you want. The size is also very standardized. They fit both my husband and myself, but I have to significantly overlap the restraint to buckle them to fit me. If you have smaller wrists or are different bodied, this might be an issue.
Final rundown:
Pros:
- Comfortable
- Good quality and durable
- Great company with return policy and warranty
- Affordable
Cons:
- No color variety
- One size length with just using the buckle to adjust the size.
If you are looking to try some bondage and want something good quality, durable, affordable, and sensual, this is definitely the top of my recommendations. I give this a score of 5 out of 5. My toy box would not be the same without these!
As usual, here is my quick disclaimer that I am not a licensed health or sexual expert, all opinions are my own and do not constitute medical advice. Join me on the Mōn app to discuss this review in more detail. If you enjoyed this review, reach out to me on Twitter or Instagram with more ideas. If you want to support more reviews and other articles, please consider buying me a coffee!
