Love cuffs - handcuffs discontinued by NMC Ltd - review by pootpootpoot

Love Cuffs are light restraints designed to be used on the wrists (they will likely neither fit nor be comfortable on the ankles of most people). They can be used either with or without their pink furry sleeves, which add a playful element to the piece but may be too flashy for some.

I would suggest these cuffs for beginners only, as advanced and medium-level users likely already own cuffs almost identical to these or better. However, they are very portable and unintimidating, so they're great for an on-the-go user or someone new to restraints.

The cuffs themselves are well constructed, and although they are not meant to be subjected to heavy struggles they will hold up beautifully if treated well. While it was hard to find any concrete information on the packaging, they seem to be constructed of mostly nickel, so those with nickel sensitivities should avoid this product. If pulled against, the thin arms of the cuffs cut into my skin and left thin red marks on my wrists that faded after about forty minutes.

The pink sleeves are soft on the outside and scratchy on the inside. Mine were very poorly stitched, barely held together by thread that didn't match the fabric (the thread was very light, almost white). In use, they did provide a much needed level of comfort to the thin cuffs - although I hadn't planned on using them, they really improved the feel of the cuffs and made me more likely to use them.

I didn't really expect much from these cuffs in terms of performance, but I was pleasantly surprised by the furry sleeves! They really changed the whole feel of the cuffs, and while they look a bit silly (in my opinion) they take the cuffs from 'pretty uncomfortable' to 'soft and furry'. Even with the sleeves on, it was extremely easy to utilize the emergency release tabs.

I did wish the chain connecting the cuffs was a bit stronger - while it didn't snap, I could feel that it was really straining when I pulled against it. Other than that and the shoddy stitching on the sleeves, the cuffs are pretty well constructed for light restraints, and can take a bit more of a struggle than my other low-end cuffs.

The pink fur sleeves can easily be removed and run through a washing machine or hand-washed (I found machine-washing had no adverse effect on the fur), and the cuffs themselves can be cleaner with a cotton swab and rubbing alcohol.

I just toss mine in my toybox, but to keep them safe from cosmetic scratches you could keep them in a ziploc bag or wrap them in soft cloth (such as a t-shirt or sock).