SM & BONDAGE

I've never tried bondage. What do I buy first?

Start with something soft and adjustable. Padded wrist cuffs with a buckle or Velcro closure are the usual first purchase. You can loosen them in a second, and they spread pressure across the wrist instead of along one thin line. Bondage tape is the other easy start because it sticks only to itself, so it never pulls at skin or hair when it comes off. Before anyone gets tied up, agree a safe word and keep a pair of safety scissors within reach. The Burnett Foundation also stresses that a tie must never cut off circulation or press on nerves. Our tip is to try everything on fully clothed first. It takes the nerves out of it.

Leather, vegan or metal? It depends how it should feel

Real leather is the classic for good reason. It moulds to the body after a few uses and smells the part. It doesn't like water, though, and needs a little leather conditioner now and then. Vegan leather looks very close, weighs less and wipes clean, which is why many people choose it for cuffs and collars that see regular use.

Metal is a different mood entirely. Metal Hard makes heavy cuffs, chains and rings that feel cold and final when they click shut. Keep them for shorter sessions, since steel doesn't give. For soft PVC and faux leather, EU rules have limited four phthalate plasticisers since 2020 (Regulation (EU) 2018/2005). The lace pieces, many by Coquette Chic Desire, sit closer to lingerie and are made to be looked at as much as used.

Harnesses, strap bras and all those rings

Ask ten customers what a harness is for and you'll get ten answers. Some wear one purely as lingerie, under a sheer top or over a dress. Strap bras frame the chest with narrow bands and leave the rest bare. Men's harnesses usually run across the chest and shoulders in leather or vegan leather, with metal O-rings where the straps meet. Those rings do a job. You can clip on a leash or connect cuffs to them. Check for the word adjustable, because a harness that fits on only one notch rarely gets worn twice.

The things people ask about with a slight grin

Yes, the teddy bears are real. Fetish Submissive dresses plush bears in tiny harnesses and gags, and they mostly end up as gifts or as a wink on the bedside table. The Armony nipple clamps are more serious. They hold with magnets rather than screws, and some models vibrate as well, so the sensation buzzes instead of only pinching. If knees or backs start complaining during longer sessions, a positioning cushion takes the strain.

Collars, blindfolds, whips and spreader bars are in BDSM items. Cuffs, tape, ropes and every other kind of restraint sit under bondage.