Choosing a BDSM restraint

When starting out with BDSM what can often happen is someone or a couple has an initial interest, maybe ties someone to the bed posts with some scarfs, a belt, an old clothes line and realize they like it and want to get into it more. 

But where to start when the range of BDSM equipment can seem sexy, but possibly intimidating with its range and overall look. 

Well, for many, restraint is where it started, so lets begin the exploration there.

The most basic BDSM restraint would probably be wrist and ankle cuffs. These really appeal to most, and are an easy way to make what started with the old clothesline a little more erotic. 

BDSM wrist and ankle cuffs are grouped according to three broad factors: color, closure and lining.

Color of your cuffs - For the vast majority black leather has a classic BDSM feel and is never going to go out of style. It also sets off the shiny hardware well. 

But for some, black can be either overdone, its everywhere, or seem to rough. So a different color might work better here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Closure of your cuffs - This refers to how the cuffs are tightened onto someone in a BDSM session. Usually this is with a buckle and within that there can be buckles with a locking tongue or just regular buckles. The other main style is hasp closure. 

These fasten in the same sort of way a hasp lock on a garden shed door fastens.

Buckle cuffs have the advantage of being self contained, you don't need a separate padlock. They can take slightly longer to get on however, but this is usually of minimal concern. 

Hasp cuffs fasten much more quickly and don't always have to be used with a padlock. A strap can be run through the hasp instead using that as the tie point to a bed post if one wants. If locks are used the overall restraint effect can be more intense in a BDSM bondage situation. We strongly recommend attempting to get all your locks keyed alike and of good quality if going this route. You do not want a key ring as large as a prison warden and sketchy locks to fumble about with when using these. 

Lining - BDSM cuffs can be lined with different materials or totally unlined. The lining can affect both the price, as well as how snugly the cuffs fasten. As lining increases, the overall cuff thickness also increases and thus getting a snug fit for a bondage scene could be more difficult. However lining can also add a deluxe feel to a cuff that is nice to have. Generally though, the choice of lining amounts to personal preference. 

So once you get your cuffs, then what? Well, you might want to consider a few things. If you are just starting out, you might want to avoid scenes that require involved set up. The simplest thing you can do is fasten two wrist cuffs together with a double ended snap or padlock, Thus immobilizing someone's hands either in front of them or behind them. Just doing this can have a real psychological impact. If you have two snaps you could have them face down with their wrists fastened to their ankles in a hog tie set up. This will have even more psychology in it as it is a very intense restraint position. 

If you have some rope you could tie cuffed wrists and ankles to the bedposts, but this is more involved as now you are tying knots. You might want to consider something with pre attached snaps on it such as a short dog leash or our connecting chains. 

More BDSM cuff styles After a while you may want to consider some additional cuffs. These are usually for more advanced or involved BDSM bondage scene. One possibility would be thigh cuffs. 

A nice thing about these is someone's wrists can be immobilized to their thighs without them getting in the way as they are if simply tied in front or in back.

Another thing to consider would be a spreader bar. 

These are either fixed or adjustable and come either with or without cuffs. They can be a simple and fast way to spread someone's legs apart without having to rely on bed posts and the like.