Deluxe door jam cuffs - wrist and ankle cuffs discontinued by Sportsheets - review by skeetm

This is a great set for people who feel like they have an interest in some bondage, but don't want to drop a lot of money on two different sizes of heavy duty leather restraints. These aren't the most durable or the most restrictive cuffs you can buy, but they're versatile, easy to use, and you get enough for every limb. And don't feel like you have to use them in a door. One nice thing about these is that they can be multi-purpose with just a little tinkering. If you want to get into some serious wooden St. Andrew's Cross BDSM scenes, or want ostentatious cuffs to proudly show your subservience, then these aren't the way to go. However, they come in very handy if you want some low-maintenance, quick set-up kink.

The cuffs themselves are made of a fuzzy synthetic material that is very comfortable and soft to the touch. They don't have a lot of padding or weight. A nylon strap gives the fuzzy material some strength. There's a velcro closure that allows you to adjust how tight the cuffs are, and also seals down along the sides so that they can't be easily removed by someone wearing them. There's a plated D-ring that attaches to a strap. Where the ring attaches to the cuff could possibly become the weak point of these rigs. If you pull the cuffs directly away from the strap, the thing could last forever; but when you're wearing them, your natural wrist position puts some lateral stress that might tear the cuff after a lot of use. Also, despite the pictures on the container, the cuffs are not removable from the straps.

The strap is nylon cord with an adjustable buckle to change the length. The buckle is plastic, and isn't the easiest to re-string if it comes loose. The strap that goes into the buckle has a little loop of nylon at the end to keep it from slipping if it's put in right. The top strap forms a ring at the end where there's a heavy-duty vinyl tube with some rubber end caps; this is what holds the straps in place when you're using them on a door.

These cuffs are very utility. They get the job done, but they don't offer a lot of the flare or weight of some of the more expensive or hand-crafted restraints you can find. They look more like something that would be included in a hiking kit rather than bondage wear, but that's part of their charm, and makes them a great starter set for people who want minimal investment but maximum experience.

Right out of the box I would recommend checking the plastic buckles on the strap to make sure the connection is solid. Tug on them to see if they come loose easily. If that's the case, then just make sure to re-string them correctly. The straps may actually be strong enough to take a lot of body weight, but the buckle won't be. The velcro makes these go on and off easily, even if you're just putting them on yourself and need to use your teeth.

The door set-up is very easy for the wrist set. You just throw them over the top of the door while it's open, and then shut it. You can even do it when they're already around someone's wrists. The ankle pair is a little harder, and sometimes won't work well at all. It all depends on the amount of gap you have below your door and which side of the door you're going to be on. If your door frame isn't tight, or you have too much of a gap on the bottom, then these won't hold at all. If there's a lip below the door, then you'll have to put them under the far side and then pull the door back toward you, otherwise they won't fit over the sill. My advice on the bottom set is to have them all set up before you use them on a person.

The cuffs are comfortable, but are not intended for any serious weight. They might hold, but they don't have much padding, and will dig into your wrist. The tubes that hold them in place in the door are very durable, and you won't have to worry about them coming loose before you're ready. I tugged on them quite a bit and they didn't budge. These are good, solid restraints, but they can be easy to get out of if you try. Their position on the top of the door won't stretch a regular sized person enough to keep the cuffs completely out of their reach, but they do create the illusion.

One of the things I like most about this set is their versatility. If you remove the rubber tubes, you're left with a very simple set of restraints that, with a little DIY talent, you can use to attach to bed posts, headboard, rafters, other ropes, or each other. That's what makes these such a good starter set. With just a little imagination, the possibilities are enormous.

The materials of these are all synthetic, so they're very easy to care for. They will hold up to a regular washing machine. Run and then dry on low heat (or just hang dry), but I would remove the rubber tubes before sending them through. The material of the cuffs is absorbent and can get pretty sweaty if the wearer gets hot.

The set of four comes tightly packaged in a plastic hanging box with a cardboard inset. The inset contains some basic instructions, although the restraints pictured on the packaging aren't the same ones that come inside. You could keep the box and use it as regular storage for a little while, but I'm sure it will break before long.

These restraints, if used according to their intended purpose, do more to create the illusion of bondage rather than the real thing. If you do a little tinkering you can get closer to the real experience with just a little imagination. That's the great part about them. For the price, you can't do much better if you're curious, but you can easily escalate their function with just a little imagination. They look simple and are not as intimidating as massive leather cuffs. You can also store them away easily and they don't require a lot of intensive care. If you do decide you want to get into some more intense scenes, then it's time to spend a little more and get a more durable and substantial set; but I would recommend these to anyone.

When I first put these up on the door to run a test and gave them a yank, the strap came immediately out of the buckle. When I reattached it correctly and did the same test, it held on like a champ. My first experience with a partner started out with all four attached, but found that the ankle straps were unnecessary and limited movement.

The cuffs were comfortable for the amount of time we were using them, but they might start getting a little uncomfortable for the wearer if they try to hang from them too much. You can grab onto the strap, but it isn't thick enough to be comfortable as a hand-hold.

Eventually I took out the tubes and attached them to my bed frame with carabiners. I think they worked even better than before that way. You can set up a great four-point body position, and they are adjustable enough to really tighten things up. And in that position you don't put as much stress on the side of the cuff, so it's more comfortable. I will use these all the time.