It’s always nice to support a homegrown company, producing exciting and kinky products. I’m also working on providing more reviews for more bondage-style products – and thankfully, this review ticks both boxes!
KinkCraft are a UK based company who produce kits to make your own bondage toys. That’s right – you can make your own handcuffs, floggers and whips. They feature online tutorials on how to make these toys (which you can buy and make using your own materials) OR you can purchase the kits and get the course videos for free.
However, for the lazy (myself included), they do offer ready-made products – and it’s a pair of the ready made Handcuffs that made their way over to me for review. Firstly, the people behind KinkCraft are so lovely. It’s taken me a bit longer to get this review done, and they have been extremely understanding. So as a company, I cannot fault them. Thumbs Up!
Why would you use Handcuffs?
Well I don’t want to speak for everybody else, but in our bedroom – I do like to feel restrained. It’s that feeling of not having total control and having limited movement. Cuffs are great to achieve a sense of restriction, but without having to go the whole hog(tie) and be trussed up like a christmas turkey. Don’t get me wrong, we have our door restraints, under-bed restraints and spreader bars (and I am working on reviews for these, I promise!) – but sometimes, you just want to keep it simple. A blindfold, some good cuffs and a few implements of pleasure and torture is enough for a night to remember.
The feels when your hands are tied and someone is gliding a pinwheel down your back… pic.twitter.com/AOg9eJ7Lal
— The Big Gay Review (@thebiggayreview) April 7, 2016
First Impressions
After deciding on the colour, size and clasp style (yes, even on the ready made, you can still customise your pair slightly) they were whizzed over to me quickly and discreetly. When I opened the envelope they were sent it (well protected) I was greeted by the cutest little purple box. It felt like I was about to open the box and see like, a diamond necklace or something. The KinkCraft logo is embossed on the lid which feels incredibly sophisticated. A lot of thought has gone into packaging these.
The pair I chose where Large (20.5cm wrist) in purple, with the ‘shackle’ style fastening. They are metallic clasps where you unscrew a little pin to open and secure. I chose that style because, honestly, it looked so much prettier than the other options! I’m a sucker for something shiny, what can I say. The cuffs are made from Paracord – which I am reliably informed is what parachute suspension cords are made from – meaning it’s durable and extremely flexible. As such, the cuffs to have this mixed feeling of being slightly springy, but also extremely rigid. With good care, these cuffs should last a life time.
In Use
These cuffs are one of three handcuff designs that KinkCraft offer, and are all designed to offer a different sense of restriction. The Figure-8 cuffs are designed to be lightweight, easy to put on and offer slightly less restriction than the other 2 pairs. The Connected Cuffs offer more restriction, but the same lightweight feel so they are comfortable for wear for prolonged periods. The Handcuffs are the most restrictive of the 3. Once on, there is very little you can do in the way of movement, so I wouldn’t recommend these to anyone who perhaps likes having the added safety net of being able to move and/or escape when things get uncomfortable.
My dear other half (bless him) really gets panicky when hooked up and it’s too tight or restrictive – so whilst our regular restraints are OK as he can get in and out of them quickly by himself if necessary, it was up to me to put these cuffs through their paces. I had planned to lay on my stomach with my hands cuffed behind my back – however I am sadly just not that flexible. I’m working on it. Honest (puts donut down). So we settled for having my hands cuffed in front of me, with me lying on my back.
Obviously what happens from here is totally up to you. I mean, I could bore you with all the sordid details of what happened once the cuffs were on, but that’s not really going to tell you anything about the actual cuffs. Maybe later.
The cuffs have this beautifully intertwined weave that rubs against the skin – not in an uncomfortable way – I was able to wear them for over an hour without any chafing or discomfort from the material. They are firmer than what I am used too, but not in a bad way. Now i’m guessing that because we don’t have a massive bondage set up in the bedroom, it was slightly odd knowing what to do with my hands. I could rest them on my tummy, but as they were quite restrictive, the way they held my wrists wasn’t really ideal – so I took to just holding my hands above my head. I’m thinking of installing some sort of hook or something above the headboard for the future.
The shackle style fastening looks beautiful but boy is it fiddly! You will definitely need assistance in placing them on and removing them. It’s also important to make sure you have them on the right way – on side of the shackle fastening has the thread for the pin to screw into – and in a slightly darkened room, it’s tricky to see which side it needs to go in – so there were a few awkward moments where I’m lying completely naked, blindfolded and the Mr is flapping around trying to get the cuffs in the right way. But look, we’re still amateurs at this. We’ll learn.
Clean-up and Maintenance
So far, these have not come into contact with anything that would warrant cleaning the cuffs, however should you need to give the cuffs a bit of a spruce up – then a good scrub with some warm water and then dried THOROUGHLY before being put away. I’d recommend putting them over the radiator to ensure they completely dry out. You don’t want any water to remain. However, so far, we’ve not yet felt the need to do anything like that – but the option is there.
When finished, they can be safely tossed in with any of your other gear – although personally, the little storage box that they arrived in is just so darn cute, than I will be storing them permanently inside that.
Summary
In terms of performance, style and overall sensations – I have to give the Handcuffs full marks. It restricted my movement (but not totally) but enough to heighten all other sensations during their use. They are beautifully constructed and don’t really look like handcuffs, so if you accidentally left these out somewhere, I don’t think anyone would really be any the wiser as to what they are.
As I mentioned, this style is the most restrictive, and with the addition of the shackle style fastening, they are not really for those who perhaps feel a bit panicky when using restraints, or like the idea of being able to free themselves easily if things get a bit too much. But for those who don’t mind and want to add something a little bit more unique to their collection of cuffs and restraints – you can’t go wrong with these.
Where To Buy
You can order your HandCuffs from KinkCraft for £35 where they come in 4 sizes:
- Extra Small (16.5cm)
- Small (18cm)
- Medium (19cm)
- Large (20.5cm)
They are available in Blue, Red, Black, Purple and Pink colours and you can choose from 3 different fastening types: The metal ‘shackle’*, the metal ‘buckle’ or plastic ‘buckle’.
*I will say, those with limited dexterity in their fingers – you’d be best going off for the regular buckle fastening.
I would like to thank KinkCraft for sending the HandCuffs in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this, or any other product we receive for review. All thoughts and experiences are 100% genuine and my own. Affiliate links have not been used in this post.
The Lowdown | KinkCraft Ready Made Handcuffs
Pros: Durable material, discreet design, beautifully made and packaged and they are comfortable and provide just the right amount of restriction.
Cons: The shackle fastening is beautiful but fiddly, and not easy to use in a darkened room. Not good for those who want a quick escape.
Bottom Line: If you are serious about your cuffs, these are heavy duty, beautiful and will add a level of sophistication to your bondage play time.
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