Sportsheets Thigh & Wrist Cuffs Set

December 1st, 2010

THIGH & WRIST CUFFS SET

THIGH & WRIST CUFFS SET
$51.69 from Of Sex and Love Store

I have long wanted a set of thigh cuffs for a unique reason. I want to train myself not to clench my thighs shut during orgasm. Unfortunately, I haven’t had a lot of opportunity to do so, what with moving and all. Fortunately, Sportsheets Thigh and Wrist Cuffs Set will do the trick just fine.

I was expecting something similar to the cuffs that come with the Under the Bed Restraints but these are a bit higher quality in my opinion. The cuffs are made of some sort of Neoprene and feature a song lining on the inside. The outside has a slightly rubbery feel to it and the material has give and stretch to aid in comfort during use.

A backpack-like strap runs the length of the cuffs and there is a single O ring (like a keychain) sewn into the strap for attaching to other cuffs, restraints, etc. The stitching is reinforced around the loops where the ring is attached and feels secure. The strap extends past the edge of the wrist cuffs, where a piece of velcro is sewn to the back of the strap. The velcro is not sewn on as neatly as it could be but I’m nitpicking.

The straps are each variable in length with the wrist straps ranging from six to 15 inches in diameter while the length of the thigh straps is between 14 inches and 25 inches. You can potentially use the wrist cuffs on a person with smaller wrists by overlapping them but the design of the thigh cuffs does not allow this. The thigh cuffs are also wider than those for the wrists by about 1/4″. This isn’t problematic for the thigh cuffs but I do find the wrist cuffs to be just wide enough to slightly hinder movement.

The thigh cuffs also differ in that you can adjust the width of the cuffs. Again, it uses a hard plastic adjuster similar to what you would find on a backpack. A single tug on the strap tightens while you have to lift up the plastic tab to loosen the cuffs, making it impossible for the cuffed to break free. This offers an extra ten or so inches; however, it won’t look as neat as a thinner thigh, where the edges of the cuffs can touch or overlap. The end of the strap is hemmed so that it cannot completely slip through the plastic adjuster, making it a full loop, unlike the wrist cuffs, which can come open fully. Thus, you will need to slip the thigh cuffs on over a foot.

Each thigh cuff has a snap type hook attached to the O-ring. Because it is keychain style, you can remove the hook and replace one of your own but I hate removing keys so I probably wouldn’t. The wrist cuffs didn’t get as nice of treatment: only one cuff has a clasp to attach to the other. If you want to attach the cuffs to anything else but the matching cuff, you would have to buy another clasp and slide it onto the ring.

Now, for my personal thoughts. The velcro enclosures of the wrist cuffs are less than ideal and become less effective if your wrists are larger because there is less velcro overlap to secure the cuffs. With a bit of effort, I could pop open the cuffs when they were more widely secured. However, this was not the case when I had the cuff as tight as comfortable so that more velcro secured it. I much prefer the adjuster on the thigh cuffs. It’s easy to take off if need be, and just as easy to tighten.

The foamy Neoprene is thicker than the other Sportsheets cuffs I have and offers a bit more padding if you’re the struggling type.

The included clasps are super functional, but I know that sometimes snap hooks loosen over time, so the keychain-style rings are great if you ever need to replace them. The hardware setup does offer a limited range of motion, of course. The bound person will have between 2-3 inches of movement when both wrists are in the cuffs and attached to one another. The thigh cuffs offer around 5″ of movement. If you want to bind someone’s thighs to their wrists or separately bind the thighs and wrists, respectively, you can. Anything fancier will require the addition of hardware such as a chain.

One thing that really bothers me is the lack of a fourth clasp. You could hog-tie someone, if they’re limber enough, without a chain, but the 3-clasp setup makes it asymmetrical and will unevenly stress the body. The body wouldn’t stress if you bind each wrist to the corresponding thigh, but the hardware will be of differing lengths for each side, and that totally bugs the perfectionist in me. Again, it’s easy to fix but I don’t see why Sportsheets couldn’t just throw in an extra clasp with this set.

Minus that and my general dislike to velcro, the Thigh and Wrist Cuffs Set is one that I see being extremely useful for my future bondage.

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Categories: BDSM, Reviews

“Paint Brush” Whip

November 22nd, 2009

Paint Brush Whip

Paint Brush Whip

This product is no longer available.

The Paint Brush Whip is a flogger-esque impact toy, the unique shape of which lends itself better to novel uses than demanding ones. Because the vinyl falls are sewn in two long rows so they land wider on the skin. It’s a unique sensation which is flogger-like, with a twist. This also means that the weight of this whip is distributed differently and it handles differently than a true flogger. I imagine that flogger elitists would be opposed to this because it does wield a bit sloppier than most floggers (not every fall hits the mark and there are always several which seem to have a mind of their own) but if you just want to try something new and don’t mind that this is more novelty than anything else, the Paint Brush Whip is fun.

Made of a hard leather handle and vinyl falls, the Paint Brush Whip is heftier than most of the other impact toys I have tried, despite its relatively short stature. It measures in at only 13″ in overall length, 5.5″ belonging to the falls – rounded strings of vinyl which are blunt cut at the ends – themselves. Of course, this means you must be relatively close to your target which is not necessarily a con, just something to be aware of. In fact, it could be a pro if space is limited.

While the individual strands have some elasticity, because of the material, there is much less as a whole. Combined with the short length, this toy isn’t the best if you want to be able to pull the falls back and let them snap forward. In my opinion, basic over or underhand throws are most efficient. The paintbrush whip is easy enough to use with just a flick of the wrist. Of course, you can use heavier full armed throws if you so choose. Although heavier than other impact tools I’ve used, the Paint Brush Whip is still quite comfortable and easy to use. In fact, I think the weight of the falls makes it easier to throw and maximize sensation. The sensations fall in a light to medium range. They will sting, warm and redden the skin but they are not ferocious.

The vinyl falls were quite stinky, I might add. They don’t smell like phthalates but they definitely smell like something and the smell was strong. I can even still smell it despite the fact that I’m sick (but it has lessened since day one). It might be better to store this whip with a little space, not locked up tight with other toys which may take on the scent. Luckily, it can be hung with the provided loop, sewn into the handle, so it can be aired out easily while stored. The loop is too small to wear around the wrist, however. Also, it’s sewn in permanently and nonremovable. The loop is also where the tag was attached. It was the shape of a paint bucket with metallic purple paint “spilling” out and was quite pretty.

The leather of the handle is quite firm. Like the slapper I just reviewed, it’s two pieces sewn together near the edge. Unlike the slapper, however, the sewing is much messier. There are loose threads in a few places and more than one place where sewing errors are visible. It seems that, in these places, the sewing just backtracked and went through the holes one more. It’s definitely not as nice looking at the slapper.

The falls are attached through the widest edge (3″) – which gives this piece its paintbrush appearance – and there is an additional row of stitching to secure them. For my purposes, I think the paintbrush whip will hold up well but I wouldn’t expect it to last a lifetime. Where the falls are pressed between the layers of leather, the handle is thicker and it thins toward the opposite end. There does seem to be some sort of reinforcement between the layers in the narrow part (1 1/4″ wide) of the handle, which makes it the firmest part of this whip. The narrow part also has “Sportsheets” etched into it which actually looks pretty neat. Although the leather is fairly smooth, the handle widens just a bit at the end, which makes it more secure to hold.

Although I do not anticipate having to clean the Paint Brush Flogger much, I would simply wipe it down with a damp cloth and pat it dry.

Ultimately, I found the sensations of the Paint Brush Whip by Sportsheets to be unique. I enjoyed using it but recognize that it’s perhaps not the best example of a flogger overall, because of its unique design. If unique is your thing, give it a try but if you are one of the aforementioned flogger elitists, I might get something a bit more traditional.

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Categories: BDSM, Reviews

Under the Bed Restraints

November 20th, 2008

Under the Bed Restraints
$69.99 from Babeland

I was excited that Babeland would be kind enough to supply me with some Under the Bed Restraints. It seemed like the perfect way to finally bring my interest in BDSM from the internet to the bedroom (and real life). I knew the restraints had been rated highly by many folks before, so I expected a quality product that would allow me to truss up my husband easily.

After the restraints arrived, I spent nearly 2 weeks being unable to use them because of lack of time and other intrusions. We had jested back and forth about using them and finally decided to have them set up for his next “weekend” off. I finally got the chance.

Under the Bed Restraints by Sportsheets were in a smaller package than I expected, but this didn’t mean they would be less impressive. The plastic clamshell box was disappointing with its display of a naked woman that leaves little to the imagination. Sportsheets has since upgraded this to a cardboard box featuring a different woman, so I guess that’s an upgrade.

I was surprised to open the package and see such a small pile of straps, clips, rings and cuffs. I was also worried about how much work it would be to get under the bed as I would be the eonly person installing them, and our mattress is quite large at 17″ high. Despite all my reservations, Under the Bed Restraints came through.

The restraints come with the cuffs unattached, which is how I left them when installing them. There are a total of five straps: one connector strap that goes beneath the mattress and four that connect to either side of that center strap to make the four wrist and ankle straps. Each strap in the set is 60″ long.

To install the under-the-bed restraints, I slid one end of the connector strap and one restraint strap under the head of my mattress, beneath the bed skirt. I pulled the restraint strap until it was roughly even with the other restraint strap, and that side of the connector strap was centered beneath the mattress. I mirrored the process for the foot of the bed, which was more difficult because the left restraint was trying to go over the bed skirt rather than under.

After I straightened it out, I attached the cuffs to each restraint. Each cuff is outfitted with a metal clip (like on the end of a dog leash), and each strap is fitted with a ring where the clip is attached. I pulled on the cuffs for good measure to make sure there was no give in the connecting strap beneath the bed. I adjusted the straps so they had as much room as possible because of our large mattress. We have a queen-sized bed, and I can see this being too small for those with larger beds unless the mattresses are very thin.

After installing the restraint system, I adjusted the straps so there was no slack and tucked them, along with the cuffs, into the bed rails beneath the skirt. They became virtually invisible after I smoothed the bed skirt back down over them. I was excited at the thought of reaching down and cuffing my partner with the seemingly “invisible” restraints. You could also tuck the cuffs beneath the edge of the mattress. This also makes storage extremely easy, and unless I move the bed, I don’t have to do anything but reach for the cuffs when I want to play.

All in all, installation took about 10 minutes by myself and was not extremely difficult despite a cat who kept chasing the straps and working beneath my bed skirt. I only had to lift the edge of the mattress, and then I slid the restraints beneath it, so it was not as much effort as I would have thought. I have also repeated the process twice more since I first got these with no more difficulty.

During this process, I took some time to get to know the restraint system. The straps are woven nylon, similar to some belts, attached to keychain-like rings, and the metal clips seemed to be pretty standard. For someone creative, imitating this setup would not be very difficult. Furthermore, if something breaks on my restraint system, I can replace it without trashing the whole set.

I was impressed with the cuffs, which are lined with super soft felt and measure in at 9.5″, which makes them long enough for even fairly wide wrists. They are fastened with velcro, which makes them easy to use and easy to take off in a hurry, such as if the kids come home early. 😉 The velcro straps are quite long and allow the straps to be adjusted from 5″ to 13.5″ inches (if you don’t mind feeling the velcro on your wrists). Although velcro can be easily pulled apart, these cuffs felt very secure for the type of pulling they would experience.

Putting them on my partner was just as easy, although he wasn’t resisting much. I did use my body weight in my aid when he resisted at first, something that should work for many. The cuffs wrapped comfortably around his wrists and ankles as he lay face up. As I started to tease him with a bullet, I found the straps for his legs had too much give and easily adjusted them by pulling on the straps with one tug. I felt assured that should I need to do the opposite (give slack), that I would be able to do so with one move as well.

I felt that the straps were very secure around his ankles, but no more than a minute after I’d cuffed one wrist, he had gotten out. He has extremely long fingers and was easily able to undo the straps. I would find this much more difficult or even impossible because of my short fingers, but so you might want to consider who will be trussed up. I have continued to use the restraints with other cuffs to eliminate that issue.

Depending on the way someone struggles, they could pull the straps far to one side. The straps also like to slip when not in use because of my bed skirt, and the same would happen on an adjustable base. However, moving them back into place is easy enough by tugging near the cuffs.

Speaking of maintenance, I have yet to wash these as they haven’t gotten any lube or fluids on them. Technically, you could put them into the machine, especially if you put them in some sort of bag. You can also hand wash them without too much hassle. I would let them hang dry, of course.

I thought the restraints added a nice aspect to our play. I was able to tease and tickle him, and, after I tightened the straps, he was helpless. I know he also enjoyed the sensation and felt no discomfort from the cuffs. Under the bed, restraints would also work well for someone who is on their stomach for impact play, such as spanking or flogging. You could also stimulate someone’s chest/breasts or genitals while they’re on their back.

However, your positions are somewhat limited. A person could be spread eagle or stretched with arms above their head and legs closer together or a combination of spread and close limbs. It would be harder to pull the arms and legs together on each side, but you could figure it out. While you could do doggy style, it wouldn’t make as much sense with the restraints. The restraints could be used to bind someone of the right height who is leaning over the bed for better access to genitals and to make a better target of the ass. But you can’t do everything with Under the Bed Restraints.

And that’s okay. They’re practical and easy to use and store bondage solution, and I heartily recommend Under the Bed Restraints to anyone interested in bondage, amateur or pro!

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Categories: BDSM, Reviews

Image © MisterUnlucky; used with permission.