The KinkLab “Experimental Kink Kit” comes with a cherry red leather blindfold, two matching leather wrist cuffs, a double sided snap connector for the wrist cuffs and a 15” black feather tickler. Since this review is rather long, I’ve broken it up by component.

Cuffs: The leather on both the blindfold and the cuffs is really quite nice. The color is rich and even, and the leather is firm enough to hold its shape while still bending easily.

At 2” wide the cuffs are pretty comfortable to pull against, since any tension is distributed over a relatively wide area. The cuffs are stiff enough to dig in a little on the edges, depending on positioning, but overall I thought they were marginally more comfortable than rope, leaps and bounds more comfortable than metal handcuffs, and less comfortable (but more sexy) than neoprene cuffs.

Perhaps more importantly, the cuffs are also quite effective. They are adjustable for wrists from 6-9” in circumference, and they “buckle” easily and securely. While the closure will hold just fine with just the attached leather band, you could add a small lock (think luggage sized) if you like the idea.

Besides the closure loop, the cuffs also have a second metal loop for attaching hardware, rope or anything else you might desire. The only caveat is that the loop is fairly small. Our 6mm bondage rope went through just fine, and the included snap-hook worked great. The opening is only about 1/2"/1cm, though, so thicker rope or hardware may not work with these cuffs. On the other hand, thin things you probably have around the house like kitchen twine and shoelaces would work just fine.

My only real complaint about these cuffs is that the leather is unfinished on the inside. It makes them look and feel a little bit cheap, which is a shame because other than that they seem to be really high quality.

Clip: There’s not much to say about the included snap-hook. It works for binding the hands in front, above, or behind the body. It matches the hardware on the cuffs. You could most likely buy the exact same clip at your local hardware store for a few bucks, but it is nice that they save you the trip.

Blindfold: The blindfold has a layer of firm red leather on the outside and a much softer black leather on the interior. There is a nice ring of padding circling each eye. The strap on the blindfold is a single, wide, black elastic band.

I thought the blindfold was quite comfortable to wear, and stayed in place pretty well during rough play. A little bit of light does slip though the edges by the nose, unless things are adjusted perfectly, but it won’t really stay perfectly in place while you move around. So you don’t get total sensory deprivation with this blindfold, but I still had no idea what my partner was up to while I was cuffed and blindfolded on the bed.

Feather: The feather appears to be a real ostrich feather dyed black. It came carefully packaged, so it was in good shape and not ratty looking the way feathers can get when they’ve been beaten up. My partner and I both though the concept of the feather was a little cheesy, but we did try it out. I actually rather liked the very light tickling sensation it created, which was a nice surprise.

Cleaning/care: According to my internet research, both finished and unfinished leather can be cleaned with saddle soap and leather conditioner. The clip can be cleaned with soap and water. Just be sure to dry it off to prevent rusting. As far as I know, the feather can’t really be cleaned at all.

Overall: Overall, I like the individual products in this kit. I’m just not quite sure who I would recommend this particular combination of products to. At $50 the kit seems to me to be on the pricey side for something you are just “experimenting” with. Why not use scarves or neckties and a clean feather duster?

On the other hand, if you are ready to invest in somewhat more serious bondage equipment, or just really enjoy leather, I think the KinkLab Bondage Basics Restraint Kit would be a better bet. It is more money, but it comes with ankle cuffs and 25’ of rope rather than a snap-hook and a feather. The bondage possibilities for this kit make my head spin. You can always pick up a few snap-hooks at a hardware store, and if you want feathers, they are easy to find at craft stores.

That said, if the product combination in the Experimental Kink Kit appeals to you, I think you will be happy with the quality of the toys.

The day the kink kit arrived in the mail, I insisted that my partner and I try it out. He leads a hard life, ‘tis true. Anyway, after a little making out, he attached the cherry red cuffs to my wrists and asked me to kneel up in the middle of the bed. He then slipped on the blindfold and clipped the cuffs together behind my back. After a few swats to the ass, he got out the feather and trailed it lightly all over my body.

I actually kind of expected to hate this as I really, really hate being tickled, but it was too light of a touch to really tickle much. Instead it made me all shivery despite the summer heat. Things got rather wild after that, and I thoroughly tested the strength and security of the cuffs and the blindfold. They both held up beautifully to my struggling, and I look forward to testing them again in the future.

While the feather from this kit is collecting dust on the back of my dresser, we've been using the cuffs and blindfold quite a bit. I particularly like the blindfold. It's easy to use, stays in place pretty well and looks nice.