Spread'Em for Beginners

The Spread'Em Bar and Cuffs set is made for bondage and can be used in plenty of different positions. In general, it's meant to keep someone's legs apart and hands together. It also includes two straps to attach the wrist cuffs to the lower bar which restricts how far you can move your hands. This set would work for someone just starting to explore bondage since it includes both bars, four cuffs, a strap, a collar and a blindfold. All of the pieces you need are there. It would also work for someone who wants a travel-friendly bondage kit since it comes in a long thin case that zips shut and is pretty lightweight.

You can use the longer bar to keep someone's legs apart on their back, on their knees, or when standing. You can attach their hands to the smaller bar and then to the lower bar which forces them to keep their hands down by their thighs, or if you have tethers, you can attach their hands to something else (a piece of furniture, for example). The packaging comes with several illustrations as suggestions, but I'm sure you'll be able to think of more ways as well. In other words, it's a pretty versatile set.

This set consists of two bars, a strap, four cuffs, a collar, and a blindfold.

The two bars are made of some lightweight metal. The longer one - meant for the legs - has four rings attached; the narrower two are about 8" apart and the outer two are at the ends of the bar which is 24" apart. I like that there are options on where to attach the cuffs, but I wish the bar were longer because when you attach ankle cuffs to the bar there is still enough flexibility to close your thighs completely which goes against the point of the spreader bar. The shorter bar - meant for your hands - is only 12" long. It has a ring at each end (to attach the wrist cuffs) and a ring in the middle (to attach it to the lower bar). The strap is neoprene, adjustable, and permanently attached to the shorter bar. I'd also like it if this bar were longer.

The cuffs are very basic, black, velcro cuffs with a softer fabric backing. The velcro strip is extremely long which means they will fit any size wrists or ankles but which can also be annoying. The collar is identical to the cuffs but with a D-ring in the front. It is a little short to be a collar, and I found it uncomfortable. The blindfold is very flimsy and is the same one that comes with all Pipedream Products.
I liked that the design is very versatile, but I wish the cuffs were better quality. In general, this set will hold you well but probably not stand up to a lot of rough use.

The set comes in a black fabric case which is just barely large enough to hold it. It can be frustrating to put away, but once in, it is very secure and about as discreet as a bondage set gets.

This set definitely feels very different from cuffs on their own and also very different from under-the-bed restraints. It worked well and was fun to use both for someone on their back and on their knees and with and without the hands tied down. For keeping someone's legs spread (the real point of a spreader bar), it worked better when the person tied up was on their knees. It frustrated me (and not in a good way) that, when on their back, the person strapped to the bar could close their legs completely. We didn't try linking the wrists to the ankles standing up, but I think it would work that way as well.

In general, this set added a lot and was easy to set up. If the bar itself were longer, it would be nearly perfect.

The Spread'Em bar and cuff set comes in its discreet black case but with a really indiscreet cardboard sleeve attached. There are no instructions, but the piece of cardboard lists the contents of the set and shows it on a mostly naked blond woman in several poses. While the pictures are really helpful in suggesting ways to use the set, they are very obvious, and they seem to take the place of written instructions.