Rachel's love links - restraints discontinued by Rachel's Pleasures - review by AndroAngel

I think the Love Links have the potential for a ton of different uses. Because they're made of nylon, they won't be damaged by water; so they can be used efficiently for light bondage in the shower. They can also be used in light or moderately heavy scenes, and work well to give the impression of being unable to escape without putting the submissive in a position where they cannot escape; which is good if an emergency release is desired. This also makes them good for anyone interested in self bondage. They're extremely user friendly, and very simple. Excellent for beginners and more advanced users alike. They're very portable, easy to store, and discreet. I could easily fold them up and tuck them in my pocket like a wallet. They're great for the Dom/me on the go who wants to have safe, comfy cuffs on hand at any time.

The Love Links are much prettier in person. I wasn't aware that they came in a variety of colors, but mine are black edged in red. The padding shows outside of the nylon portion of the cuff; which does take away from the appearance a bit, but seems to be there to protect the skin from the much rougher nylon. The soft side of the velcro is the side facing inward, so there's no need to worry about velcro burns.


The entire thing smells very vaguely of synthetic material, but it's not a bad scent at all and easy to ignore. One downside is that on larger areas of the body, such as the ankles; the padding doesn't cover all the way around the cuff, and the bare skin can be exposed to the nylons rough texture. It was also slightly difficult to keep the unattached portion of the padding in place while putting the cuffs on.

Overall though, I'd say the Live Links are a well constructed, sturdy set of cuffs that should hold up well to wear and tear.

We were honestly surprised by how well these held up to the abuse we put them through to test them. My lover describes them as "extremely comfortable and safe, and just the right distance apart to grope your partner."

The first thing we tried was tugging them to test the integrity of the design. I tried it first, and then a friend of mine claimed they looked flimsy and made a valiant effort to tear them apart; the cuffs didn't budge. Finally, I put them on my lovers wrists and asked him to pull them as hard as he could; the cuffs stayed firmly in place and his wrists remained perfectly unharmed. My lover is an athletic man, so we were impressed with how well they held up to him.

The next thing we tested was if they'd chafe when he fought them. So, I put them on him, secured them at a fixed point and he threw his weight against them, pulling in several different directions. Then, he stood and braced himself while I grabbed the connector between the cuffs and tried to drag him forward by them. Not only did they stay firmly fastened throughout; when we removed them there wasn't a single mark on his wrists. According to him, it didn't hurt at all to fight them, and they cushioned his wrists comfortably.

Because they're adjustable, the cuffs work well for securing wrist to wrist, wrist to ankle, or wrist/ankle to bed post. With a few pairs, it would be possible to do a hog-tie, tie someone spread-eagle on the bed, or secure someone into any other position where the wrists and ankles are bound. They could also work as a hobble, but the bound party would have to take extremely tiny steps. Another use we thought of for them is securing his wrists above his head while I flog him, because they're extremely easy to fasten over or around a bar.

Rachel's Love Links come in a clear plastic package through which the cuffs are clearly visible. On the front of the package is a picture of a mostly nude woman wearing a bikini top and the love links, nothing else. By this point, any hope of discretion is long gone and the words on the package just seal the deal, as it has a detailed description of the box's contents next to the naked lady as well. It does reclose, so it could presumably be used for storage once you take out the insert. No instructions were included.