My first reaction to a product is always to the appearance of the packaging. Tie-ups by Doc Johnson come in a blue box with less than alluring pictures on the package. The packaging puts me in the mood of a casual toy, I suppose making it less than threatening to those who do not have the enthusiasm of a serious BDSMer. Despite being put off by the initial impression, I wasn't dissatisfied with the product.

The feeling of having these wrist cuffs on is a solid one. There is nothing flimsy about them. They have soft padding and a strong connection, making the experience satisfying but not painful. The adjustable velcro straps allowed them to be comfortably used by both myself and my partner, an accomplishment we haven't achieved with more traditional metal cuffs due to the difference in our wrist sizes. The solidity of this toy allows the person cuffed to feel really bound without cutting off circulation or creating pain. The detachable nature of the cuffs is also useful for comfortably tying my partner to beds or other furniture.

When it comes to usability of the toy, I only have two complaints. The velcro is unholy loud. Like, don't use this toy with roommates in the apartment without loud complaints in the morning loud. Maybe that is a slight exaggeration, but loud enough to make me self-conscious, and I'm not shy. The other problem with the toy is that the plastic joiner between the two cuffs only goes together one way. This makes for fumbling when trying to reattach the cuffs after a position change.

These are not the cuffs I would expect an experienced and serious BDSMer to use, but I found them perfectly sufficient as an affordable pair of cuffs for casual bondage. They are not uncomfortable, and while not being particularly attractive, they do create the visual experience I desire from binding my partner.