Ooo, what’re those?

M and I have been looking for comfortable ankle restraints forever.  Even though I have skinny ankles for a fat chick, a lot of cuffs dig into my skin, even if they’re not tightened all the way.  Probably more or less because of how much I move.  So in the hunt for comfortable (and locking) ankle restraints, I purchased these Locking Ankle Restraints by Spartacus.

How’re they made?

These cuffs are made of thick, sturdy black leather.  Sewn to the inside is a layer of soft black fleece..  The cuff is twelve inches long, two and a quarter inches wide and about a quarter inch thick.

There is a band threaded through slits in the top piece of leather.  It, too, is made of sturdy black leather.  It’s about fifteen and a half inches long and an inch wide, and it’s about a tenth of an inch thick.  Attached to one end of this band is the buckle with a loop on the end of the tongue to thread a padlock through.  About three and a half inches from the buckle is a triangular d-ring holding an o-ring in place.  The band has eight holes at about half inch intervals. 

The leather, though thick and sturdy, is soft and flexible.  And the cuffs aren’t too terribly heavy, but the extra weight is noticeable.

What’re they for?

These cuffs can be used for a number of things.

Obviously, they can be used to restrain the legs of your partner.  They’re great for extended wear around the house.  And if your partner has larger wrists, you could use them to restrain the arms of your partner if you like.  I mean, not at the same time, obviously.  But they’ll work as wrist restraints for people with larger wrists as well.

How are they?

Rayne’s Rating:
Pros:	Cons:
soft flexible sturdy locking comfortable	noisy

I love these cuffs.  Like, a lot.  I wear them regularly, and not just for play.

They’re great for extended wear.  Even on the hottest days, they don’t really make me sweat much, which is saying a lot considering their lined with fleece.  They don’t cut off my circulation in use, or dig into my ankles, or spin around on them.

I have three minor annoyances with them.

1. They’re noisy.  You’d swear I was walking around with a full-on chain attached to my ankles.  I have to tip-toe around the house when M’s on a conference call for work.

2. It’s uncomfortable sitting Indian-style in these cuffs.

3. You know how most belts or collars have a piece of leather or metal to thread the loose end through to keep it from flopping all around? These don’t.

I know… I hear you.  “But Rayne, they weren’t made to walk around or sit Indian-style in.”  And that’s why I haven’t let it affect my rating.  These cuffs seem to be made specifically to hold your partner in place comfortably, and they do that well.  Being comfortable for extended wear is just an added bonus.

Anything else I should know?

Locks not included.

After threading the tongue through the desired hole in the band, slip a padlock through the loop and lock it, and you’re good to go.  You’re going to want to make sure the side with the buckle overlaps the side without if you need to use any of the holes beyond the first four.

Try to keep these cuffs from getting wet, and allow them to dry thoroughly before storing to prevent mold or mildew.  If they must be cleaned due to fluids or something, a damp cloth will do the trick.  For serious staining, use Saddle Soap, or something of the like.

If you feel the need, condition them with some sort of leather conditioner.  But I’ve found that the more leather gets used, the less conditioning it needs.  And since we use these so often, I’ve not had a reason to condition them.

Leather does have a tendency to mold or crease if it’s left in one position for too long.  If you use them often, they will begin to mold to the contours of your ankles.  For this reason, when not in use, you’re going to want to store them in a place that they can lie flat.

Where’d ya get ’em?

I bought these Locking Ankle Restraints from that store but you can pick them up straight from the manufacturer.