Basic Intro to Kink and Restraint that won't Break the Bank

SportsSheets SportsCuffs and Tether set is a basic introduction to Restraint and Bondage.

This set is most suited to newer users, beginners, or intermediate users who enjoy either the easy on the budget price or the easier-to-get-out-of cuffs than, say a full leather locking set of cuffs.

The product is intended to be used for light to medium strength bondage and restraint.

Advanced users may not appreciate the lack of leather smell (although the Neoprene has an interesting, yet not overt aroma of it's own) the lack of buckles and locks or the fact that this is, easily seen at first glance, a beginner's set.

The cuffs do the job of restraining, but really cannot be used as a second life as an accessory, like many leather cuffs are. I suppose you could, but they are rather utilitarian looking and look more suited to the Health Club than the Dungeon.

The cuffs are comfortable Neoprene with heavy duty Velcro closures.

Neoprene is the material Scuba Diving Suits are made out of. It is comfortable, slightly squishy, soft and doesn't cause undue sweating. The edges of the cuffs do not dig into the skin and should not cause marks under average use. The Velcro which binds the cuff is heavy duty Velcro. There are no buckles or locks, just the Velcro to hold the cuffs closed. Some newer users may find comfort and security in such a simple system. The cuff can be fit snugly, but not uncomfortably for wrists between about 6 inches in circumference to about 12 inches in circumference. Any larger than 12 inches and the cuff will be open enough that the Velcro will be touching the skin, and it's strong, heavy duty, scratchy Velcro, and would be uncomfortable. You may want to "punish" your prisoner, but rarely do Velcro burns count as "Pleasurable Pain."

Each cuff, which is about 1 3/4 inches wide, has the name of the company on a fabric fully sewn tag, a medium duty O ring, and they share a single spring loaded clip to fasten either to the other cuff, to one or both of the tethers or to a small eye bolt or other ring on furniture or your own St. Andrew's Cross, if you happen to owm one. :)

There are two tethers with the set. They are made of strongly woven nylon, and each is about 1 inch wide, similar to what you would find on a camera strap, or a well made back pack. The tethers include a plastic slider to lengthen or shorten the tether, an O ring and spring loaded clip on each end of each tether. (Two O rings and clips on each tether.) They can be individually tightened to only a few inches long, (albeit with a long nylon tail) or lengthened to about 48 inches each. Two together should fit under a standard Queen Size bed mattress, if the hands or (small) ankles were spread. In a larger bed, or for hands cuffed together play, one may want to attach the cuffs or tethers to bed posts, drawer handles, looped through Stickley styled headboards or chairs, attached to added eye bolts or handles or even attached to spreader bars. If you like, they can also be tied, but we haven't used them this way, so I can't comment on it a lot. Only your imagination limits how you can use these. Well, imagination and some common sense.

the length of each tether is about 43 inches.



A plastic slider adjuster makes changing the length of your tether easy

These are not heavy duty cuffs and tethers. Extreme struggling, with a strong person in bondage could bend or even break the spring loaded clips. These are not for suspension. They tethers are probably not only not strong enough, but the cuffs are not built for this type of extreme play. There are no tabs for support of the wrist or ankle and a broken bone, or at the least a popped arm socket or seriously wrenched muscle or even tearing of connective tissue could result. One must purchase the proper implements for suspension.

This set is meant for starter to intermediate action.

We have enjoyed this set quite a bit. In our bedroom, it is just The Man and me. While investing in a good set of leather cuffs is a great idea for those who may want to go farther, this set is a good option for lots of imaginative play and is perfect for those just emerging into the world of Bondage and Restraint, or for more experienced users, who want a more low key evening. (Not that the action can't get very hot with these, however.)

These cuff do what they are supposed to do, restrain the person wearing them. The tethers are also quite versatile, they can be lengthened and shortened, depending on your mood, what you are attaching them to, or even to take you Sub for a walk, or hold arms (or legs, for smaller people)in place by simply holding on to the tethers, or attaching them to other things. The Top can also hold the end of the tether or tethers, attached to the cuffs, while his or her Sub does what he or she is told.

We are still discovering new ways to play with this set, and it never fails to please.

One issue that bothers me is that the spring loaded clips on the tethers are not large enough to attach to many handles of furniture, and there is no D ring or even a second O ring at the ends of the tethers to "loop" the clip around, in order to place them on larger handles of furniture or appliances. A second set of O rings (or D rings) about 2 inches from the first O ring on the end would allow the set to be even more versatile.
the spring loaded clip, not for heavy usage
the clip is easy to open and clip onto an O ring a D ring or eye bolts set into....whatever

Also, these do fit my petite 6 1/2 inch wrists, which many cuffs, even those in "Pink for Women" do not do. We have to overlap the Velcro, slightly, or let it bump up, so it meets the edge of the cuff well, but at least they fit. I can squirm out of some cuffs, just by virtue of being small. These can be used down to about 6 inches in circumference. Few cuffs give this much allowance, without having to punch new holes in your leather.

the smallest closure is about 6 inches in circumference

the largest closure is about 12 inches in circumference

Neoprene is an easy to care for material. No worries about cracking or flaking, like some leather products. No expensive cleaning materials, no real ritual in care. (Although some people cherish their Leather Care Rituals, and I can understand why.) This material bends and conforms to the body easily and is easy to clean. I usually wipe the cuffs off with a damp cloth, or use a Toy Cleaner on them. The same can be done with the tethers, making sure they are thoroughly air dried before being put away.

I then fold the product into a satin Sugar Sak, and put them in a closet. I do admit, they are thought of often while hiding away in my closet. And the sight of the red satin bag which contains them often causes my heart to skip a beat and my breathing to quicken. *sigh*

These come in a flatish square plastic clam shell package, with a photo of a woman bound to a chair on a slip of thin cardboard showing. There were no instructions in our set. It's pretty self explanatory, I would think, but safety warnings would have been helpful. (Not that we were going to hang me from the ceiling with these or anything, but it's amazing what some people will try with the wrong equipment.) The package has been long thrown away, but I think it included the standard "Novelty Use Only" or something similar. This seems adequate CYA warning for most equipment.

We chose not to store the set in the original package. (I believe we destroyed the cardboard insert and then recycled the package, it's been a long time since we purchased it and my memory has faded as to what we did with it, or what it was exactly like.)

We store ours, now in a Large red Sugar Sak, and there is more than enough room for the two cuff, the tethers as well as a few other related toys. As it is not used as often, these are stored separate from our Every Day sex toys.

The package is certainly nice enough for gift giving, if your friends would enjoy such an interesting gift. (I know I would!)

One of the nice things about this set for beginners is that is "seem safe." When I wrote a short erotic story, featuring this set, for an other site, people who were very new to Bondage or who had never tried it, said they would be "more comfortable" using this set than others; due to the fact that it doesn't lock, it looks fairly harmless, and that in a "wrists together" bondage pose, either above the head, in back of the body or in front of the body, the Velcro can even be removed by the wearer if necessary.

However, experienced Players may find this set not to their liking for the very same reasons. More advanced sets or locking leather cuffs might be a better purchase for some people with more experience or who want to go further with their Bondage Play.

Some people are afraid of "freaking out" when they try Restraint Tools and Toys. Most do not do so. But many people feel more comfortable knowing they have "an out." Although trusting one's partner, especially if that partner is going to be putting you in a position of their being in Complete Control and you in a position of Complete Submission. Trust is paramount. Although the Velco cuffs are nearly impossible to remove when in an "arms extended" position (unless you can get your teeth in there and grab the Velcro. Yeah, I'm a Brat.) You can see why many see this set as being "too easy to escape." Although many who play with Restraint and Bondage, psychological restraint will keep them in Bondage, despite perhaps being able to release themselves, physically.

I do have to mention something, I do sometimes attempt to remove these myself while wearing them. Partly, just too see if I can do it, partly.....because I'm a Brat. (which is how I know in what positions self release is possible.)

Also, I want to add; One should really be careful with "Abandonment Play." (Where the Top leaves the room, while the Bottom in Bound.) Not only can it be a safety hazard (especially if the Bottom is gagged or candles are lit) but in some people, fear and panic may arise at this time. It is recommended to not leave your Bottom alone while in Restraint, unless s/he knows you will be right back, and s/he is able to breath unobstructed and can call for you and you can hear her/him from where you are. (NO going downstairs to get some cookies or outside to have a cigarette. Wait until after the Scene is over, please.) Unless both of you have an understanding and are well versed in this type of Play. My Man has used the bathroom, while I am in Restraint, but the bathroom attaches to our bedroom, I am not gagged and he could hear me if I called. Some do want a Safe Word while using toys like these. Sometimes a color (Red usually means Stop, Yellow means, Slow Down or back it up. Some people use "Banana" or "Pineapple" I know a woman who uses David Hasselhoff as her Safe Word. There is no shame in using a Safe Word. Even Tops use them at times, when they think things may get out of hand, or if, for some reason they want the action to slow down or stop. It is always necessary to talk over what your Limits are before Hard Play, and to not be afraid to let the person you are Playing with know your strengths and weaknesses. A Good Top will cease immediately when hearing the Safe Word (or seeing or feeling a "Safe Signal") and that is a sign of a Good Dom, in my opinion.)

We use these depending on our mood. He may request (demand) I retrieve them for him (and often one of both of us starts to giggle, as he tries to be really stern about it) or I may ask to take them out. We have found myriad ways to attach these to our bed, a chair, a doorknob or other places. I prefer my hands bound over my head (no, not so I can "escape" I just like it this way) while he likes certain acts performed with my hands behind my back. I don't struggle hard enough to stress the spring loaded latches. I know they are probably the weak point of this set, and I don't want to destroy a perfectly good set of Bondage Toys, just to be extra Bratty.

We have found these certainly superior to metal cuff, either "costume quality" (not comfortable, and they often jam) or heavier nickle "Law Enforcement" type cuffs. I don't like marks, and he doesn't like leaving them on me. Metal cuffs whether they have cloth, faux fur or feathers covering them or not, have a tendency to dig into skin and cause pain that one doesn't necessarily want. They also leave marks. I don't want to show up at the PTA meeting with my wrists looking like I spent the night in Lock Up at the County Jail. (Even though we may have pretended I did.)

I also wanted to add, that these cuffs also fit my ankles. They, at 12 inches in circumference at the largest (that's all the way around) will not fit everyone's ankles, but they are as as comfortable there as on the wrists. Also, an additional set can be purchased for Four Point Restraint or even Hog Tying. You could actually Hog Tie with two sets of these cuff and only one set of two tethers, if you do it right, and your Bottom is reasonably petite.

The cuffs will fit other types of tethers and the tethers will certainly fit other types of cuffs. Some people (some people I know) may add some eye bolts or extra handles to places in the bedroom, for even more places to secure the cuffs and tethers.

While these don't compare to a high quality pair of padded leather cuffs, they do the job, are comfortable, and leave a lot to the imagination.

The most important things are to have an understanding before the cuffs go on, have a safe word, use it, if necessary and only Play Hard with someone you trust.