BDSM

Restraints

Don't move!   Exchange power through limiting movement.

Restraints are one of the most popular BDSM products due to their relative ease of use and approachability.  It is easy to understand the general idea of how to use a simple set of cuffs or tethers.  

Cuffs​

We explore and control our world, and each other, through our hands.  A simple way to exert control and experiment with power dynamics is to remove one partner's ability to use their hands.  This makes cuffs easily the most popular restraint out there.  They also come in a huge variety of materials, colors, enclosures, and styles, but all simply restrain the wearer's ability to move and/or use their hands or feet.  When deciding when choosing a set of cuffs, consider these three factors:  How comfortable are they, how escapable are they, and what is the purpose?  This is why we often recommend soft material cuffs with hook and loop fasteners for those just getting started... high level of comfort, easy to fasten and release, and decent resistance.   If you are experienced and want as little ability to escape as possible, choose thicker and stronger materials with buckle enclosures and lock loops.   Most cuffs can be adapted to fit a variety of restraint situations and are a must have for any BDSM newbie or seasoned practitioner.   

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Hogtie

A hogtie restraint is a "x" shaped restraint system with cuffs on each end, two for the wrists and two for the ankles.  Borrowed from ranching, hogtying is the act of immobilizing a person by securing all four limbs together (usually behind the back).   The cuffs most often connect to a soft, sturdy material (like nylon) "x" or strip, but use of metal is popular as well.  This restraint style is extremely effective at putting the submissive in a helpless state in both movement and position.   So, if complete immobilization in an open space or surface is the desired scene, a hogtie kit is fast, easy and effective.

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Bed

Bed restraint systems are a clever creation that enable near any bed to be converted to an easy, comfortable, and versatile bondage center.   The system utilizes the mattress as the key element.  The shape and weight of it, combined with the submissive on top of it, make it simple and effective.  It is comprised of nylon straps running under the mattress with four connection points extending from the side or end.  Cuffs are attached to the ends to complete the tie down for wrists, ankles, or both.  This system is perfect for comfortable "spread eagle" restraining, allowing for easy practicing of all kinds of BDSM activities.   The real genius is storage.  Just leave the straps under the mattress, tuck the connection points, stash the cuffs wherever you like, and this invisible bondage system is ready for the next session!

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Binders

Want to restrain hands or feet, but cuffs just aren't restrictive enough?  Look to acquiring binders.  Binding systems are usually designed as full wrap around enclosures for arms or legs.  The wrap is made of tough, rigid fabric combined with a series of buckles or cinches to bind limbs into near complete immobility.  The most common binders are for the arms and range from simpler straps to a full "mitt" running the from upper arm to past the hands.  The prisoner look is very appealingly submissive and very restrictive.  Just a word of caution to the dominant, determine a release plan beforehand as binders can create greater pain or paresthesia (loss of feeling) concerns.​

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Bars

An very versatile restraint component, a bar is a must have for any BDSM enthusiast.  As it sounds like a spreader or bondage bar is just that, a metal bar or rod with cuff attachment points at the ends (or more).   Some can adjust their width, while others are fixed.  A bar keeps the wearer's legs or arms spread, making for limited mobility and for increased access to intimate parts of the body.  Bars also offer greater physical control of the submissive by gripping the bar itself.  What makes bars even more practical and versatile besides simple spreading or wrist/ankle restraint is they can also be used as collar leads, hogtie centers, suspended cuffs (with ceiling systems), and position aids.  

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Tape

Notice how the everyday plastic wrap we use in the kitchen or wrapping merchandise sticks so well to itself?  Bondage tape works the exact same way.  Made of thin plastic, but thicker than wrap, bondage tape "sticks" to itself with no adhesive.  Just wrap it enough times and you have a very effective restraint for hands, ankles, arms, legs, or anything!  It can used over and over and cut to your own desired lengths.  It is easy to use and looks completely ordinary if spotted by prying eyes.  If you want a cheap, but surprisingly strong, bondage tool, tape is the way to go!

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Rope

Talking about rope and bondage could take up pages as there is much more to it than meets the eye.  Rope can be used in a large range of BDSM activities from simple cuffs to ornate harnesses to tricky suspension scenes.  Unlike a pair of cuffs, though, it is not as easy as slapping a pair of cuffs on your eager sub.  Tying a knot appropriate for the activity at hand and with the required safety takes some prior knowledge and planning.  Decorative knot tying, like Shibari, for certain takes plenty study and practice.  The rope's material is very relevant to each type of desired tying, each with its own variable qualities like tooth (friction), elasticity, and strength.  Thickness, weight, length, color, and cost factor in to choosing a rope.  Safety scissors are must have for emergencies.  Rope bondage is a more intimate, methodical, and deliberate than any other bondage or restraint tool.  Practitioners report a deeper connection, a more soulful experience beyond the restraint alone.  If want to explore more about rope, we recommend The Seductive Art Of Japanese Bondage by Midori, or Two Knotty Boys Showing You the Ropes.

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Collars

While many collars in BDSM are symbolic or part of the aesthetic, others are for restraint.  Two main types are the most popular, leash collars and posture collars.  A leash collar has at least one attachment point for a snap hook or similar clip.  The materials used for leash collars include comfy neoprene, classic leather/faux leather, and metal.  Posture collars are recognizable by their wideness and slight dipped shape that rests under the chin.  The posture collar keeps the wearer's head movement more limited, propping their chin upward in rigid "posture".   Combine a posture collar with a leash to really keep your submissive tame.  There are bondage systems that involve collars as well, like neck cuffs, collar and clamps, and collar and anal plug.  

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Benches, crosses, stocks, and other furniture

If you can dream a way to lock down your lover or restrain your sub, it might very well exist.  A variety of bondage furniture exists to exact more specific positions from the would-be submissive.  These heavier pieces of equipment appeal to users for a combination of aesthetics, context, and strength of restraint.  The famous St. Andrews cross, the big "X" with cuffing points at the ends, is perfect for a blindfolded, head-to-toe access session.  A bondage bench locks down your partner in the perfect position for a delightful flogging scene.  There are bondage boards, cages, chairs, swings, and more that can put us in the most physically and psychologically submissive lock down.  It really comes down to your budget, space available, and the kinks/fetishes you want to satisfy.  Bondage furniture is usually found with more experienced practitioners, but there many options now available to anyone who wants to satisfy their power dynamic wants.   

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