Love, sex, feminism and cats: Babeland Review: Heart 2 Heart Cuffs

I've moved sites. Click here to read my Heart 2 Heart Cuffs review for Babeland at elodieonlove.com.

K and I only recently got into bondage, and we've been loving it. So when Babeland offered the Heart 2 Heart Cuffs for review, I grabbed them. Made of sturdy and attractive red and black leather, they're a definite upgrade from the cuffs that came with our Sportsheets Under the Bed Restraint System.

These Heart 2 Heart wrist cuffs measure about 2 3/8 inches wide, and will fit 6 to 9 inch circumference wrists. They could technically be worn on teeny ankles, but they're not big enough to recommend as ankle cuffs. To fit my boyfriend's wrists, they need to be buckled through the last hole out of seven. When I wear them (pictured), they're buckled through the second-to-last hole. If you have large wrists, measure before choosing these cuffs.

Each cuff is made of red and black leather, fastened together with a series of metal studs. These studs go all the way through the leather and touch the skin, but cannot be felt when worn. The leather feels soft and a touch like suede against the skin, making the cuffs comfortable to wear for quite a while. I start itching once I've been wearing the cuffs for over an hour, though, so if you have sensitive skin like me, they are not the best choice for extended wear. They're very sexy on both women and men, and K particularly likes how they look on me.

These cuffs can take quite a bit of punishment. I asked K to try to tear them with his hands, and he didn't mar them at all. We didn't risk testing if he could pull the red leather off the black using his full strength, but I tried to and couldn't. The D-ring and buckles are completely secure; when these cuffs are attached to each other or something else using connectors, you won't be escaping through brute strength. You can finagle your way out of them if you can reach the connectors or buckles with your fingers, though, which makes these cuffs good for beginners and others who want light to medium restraint. Unfortunately, the cuffs don't come with a connector. We pillaged our Sportsheets Restraint System for that purpose, but if you don't have connectors, locks or rope, you'll need to buy some with the cuffs, or improvise.

Overall, the Heart 2 Heart cuffs are a great choice for anyone looking to step up from cheap velcro cuffs. They work, they're comfortable, they're durable, and they're sexy.

You can get the Heart 2 Heart cuffs, and other kinky, sensual and fun adult products, at Babeland, a great sex-positive, woman-friendly store. While you're there, check out Babeland's Goodie Bags, filled with essentials like lube and condoms. Until the end of 2010, for every Goodie Bag purchased, Babeland will donate $2 to a GLBT cause.