Rouge wrist cuffs by Sportsheets - review by Ayumi

These cuffs are anything, but cruelty free, of course in the strict sense of BDSM play. They are great for beginners, but also accessible enough in design for more advanced users looking for a lighter night. The way the cuffs are designed, they are not terribly easy for the wearer to remove even with heavy tugging on the button buckles.

These cuffs are for use on the wrists, but can be used on ankles (more details later on). They can be used by any gender, but may not be suitable for people with larger wrists and ankles (see design details). Do I believe with more intense play they might come undone? Yes, it is a possibility, but they are extremely functional with D-links that you can use to tie whatever you want to it. Whether it is a rope, a scarf, a chain --it can be linked up with another toy like an under-the-bed restraint system or tied to another pair of cuffs linked to ankles. Also, it can be discreetly placed in any bag or pocket to carry wherever you please for any kind of play you might like.

This is my second pair of cuffs and I love the design better than my last velcro pair. I always look for comfort, versatility, fit, and the test of time.

1) Design: I love the rouge color of the cuffs, but they are a little brighter than I expected. The material on the inside is black. If you like the black and red combination like I do, then these certainly satisfy that aesthetic need.




2) Craftsmanship/Material: The product seems well made, but the cuffs consist of a smooth faux-leather on the outside. Faux-leather is water resistant and tear resistant, however the stitching looked like simple thick-threaded stitching with a black thread. If you are into heavy BDSM play, these cuffs won't last a long time. They may be resistant to tear and water-play, but they cannot take a heavy beating. The material inside is a very comfortable faux furry black (cruelty free). It feels velvety on the skin, but if you were planning on doing heavy tugging on the cuffs, there would need to be more padding since the actual edges of the cuffs might chafe into the skin depending on what compromising position you are in. They are bendable in either direction, but once snapped on, they do not go anywhere. The cuffs had no distinct smell to it and they each have a D-Ring on one side for extending the versatility in your play.(No animal products were used to make this item).

3)Size and Fit: Along with comfort, I am petite and my wrists are on the smaller side. There are snap buttons. The first makes it tighter, the second makes it more loose. I have to use the second button. My wrists are about 6 inches (15 cm) in circumference so the cuffs fall off when I use the larger adjustment. That said, you would need to measure your wrists before buying this product! I tried it on my ankles to get a better idea of where they might be used and I had to use the second buckle closer to end of the cuff and the fit was very snug, almost a little tight. My ankles are about 7.5 inches (18.5 cm) in circumference. On the same setting for my partner's wrist, he found them to be too tight. So please, measure before you buy, especially guys. I think average users might find themselves using the looser setting more.

Length:
9 1/2" (length is deceiving because of where the snaps begin)
Width:
1 1/2" (comfortable size for most wrists)
Closure:
Snaps (1st snap is about 0.8 inches away from the edge, second snap is about 1 inch away from the second snap)
Weight:
0.2 lb (extremely light!)





4) Special Features: As mentioned, the D-rings can make the play you want to get into more versatile. If you wanted to tie your partner to the bed, to a table, to other toys...you get the idea, there are many different possibilities, except suspension. It is always important to be safe and anything too intense might get someone hurt so play at your own discretion!

This product worked extremely well for my partner and I. I am a little bit more advanced in BDSM play, but he is a beginner and they are a great non-intimidating progression. We started out small with scarves and ties (nice little accessible household items) and for him this was a step-up. They are easy to use, but not too flimsy. They are accessible in that imagination can be used or more simple things can be tried. So in terms of inculcating him just a little bit more, the product definitely met my expectations and the non-intimidating, simplistic design was wonderful for what we needed it for.

I have to admit that the care and maintenance of this product was a little difficult to figure out. You can easily wipe the faux leather, but the material inside will absorb just about anything. You can take a small sponge and scrub it out with small amount of detergent and warm water and leave it to air dry. I personally would not use soap for danger of coating to be left in the material. I wouldn't necessarily say the toy is hard to clean, however, it is a pain to wait for it to dry. I store all of my toys, undone or unbuckled in a large dark chest. Whatever works best for you, they should always be kept in a cool dark place.

The box that the product came in was discrete. One label was on the top of the package “USPS Priority Mail” with the minimal information needed for shipping. No other labels were on the package. And the box is a recyclable cardboard box, easy to break down or big enough to be placed for storage in a corner, but not too large to be obtrusive. The packaging paper in the box was placed on the top so that none of the products could be seen and on the bottom around the products so they didn’t move around in the box. The receipt was discreetly placed at the bottom of the box.

The cuffs themselves included no instructions, but are pretty self-explanatory. They were wrapped in a thin cardboard with one staple at the top, with "Rouge" and a heart on the top and "Cruelty free" written across the packaging. It was easy to remove and I really did not expect anything too extravagant with this product.