Lelo's Sutra Chainlink Cuffs are exquisite. That being said, they're fairly expensive. Where does that leave you, as a buyer? You know you want them, but will you always feel as if you paid too much for them? Will they be good enough? You probably already know the basics of these cuffs: silk and suede, a single beautiful piece of craftsmanship, and strong enough that they can take some tugging. But there are also some small perks Lelo added to a traditional cuff design that you haven't necessarily read about. I'll review both the major points and the minor ones.

First, let's get one thing straight: these cuffs are not flimsy. Even after learning this while cuffed up, I decided I'd better really be able to back this up. I've been sitting here for the past few minutes trying to rip apart my $80 cuffs, and to no avail. After pulling with significant force on every piece of stitching, I have to admit they still look as pristine as ever, beautiful purple silk and high-quality metal chain. Nevertheless, I would not (and I would not advise) clipping one end to a wall and straining with all your might. The force you can exert trying to pull your wrists apart is much less than if you throw your whole body into it. With my hands cuffed either behind my back or in front of my chest, my arm muscles will give out long before the cuffs show signs of problems.

The Sutra Chainlink Cuffs, then, are not only for show; they can take some roughhousing. At the same time, they will clearly not be able to handle extreme treatment. They're silk and suede, not leather. But this is some well-made silk and suede.

Now that that's out of the way, let's move on to the specifics of the design.

The design of the Sutra Chainlink Cuffs is simple, but the craftsmanship is impeccable. First, the whole set is one piece, with nothing detachable. I like this; there's nothing to lose. However, it does make them perhaps a little less versatile than they could be. For instance, you couldn't use these cuffs to tether your hands to opposite posts of a bed. If you want to be spread out as much as possible and tied down, then the Sutra cuffs aren't the way to go.

First in the nitty-gritty details let's talk about the chains. Lelo says they're made of nickel-free coated metal. I have to say that they are very light and very strong. Each chain link has a small sliver of an opening on one end, but there's not a chance in the world you're going to accidentally pry them apart. Each end is connected to a larger ring, which I'll describe along with the stitching when I talk about the material. On the far ends of the cuffs are small carabiner-like clips. The gate of the clip lends a little resistance when you press it in, which is good because that way it stays in place and springs back into closed position. The best thing about these clips is that they can spin 360 degrees on the metal ring they're connected to. This makes putting the cuffs on someone else's wrist (or even by yourself!) quite easy. If the gate isn't lining up with the chain, you can spin it either way.

Now, let's move on to the material. The part which will be touching your wrist is not the smoothest part of the cuffs. Lelo doesn't want your wrists sliding too easily. To add a little friction, the inside of the cuffs is silk in the "Lelo jacquard" pattern, as they call it. It's a leafy design which still feels extremely soft to the skin, but isn't slippery. The back of the cuff material, the part facing away from your wrists, is sheepskin suede leather, unbelievably satisfying to touch. Then, as a little bonus, there's a separate strip of super-smooth and soft silk with no pattern running between the metal rings on each end of each cuff. Although you don't feel this material as you're chained up (just like the suede), it looks wonderful and the person fawning over your restrained wrists gets to stroke this amazing material.

The band of silk in between the two cuffs is this patternless silk as well; wonderful to the touch. Now, every end of the smooth silk sewn around a ring, connecting the entire cuff set together. These stitches are really the only part of the Sutra cuffs you would have to worry about breaking, and as I related above, they can put up with a lot of strong pulling and show no signs of wear. The ring will slide around and pull the material taught, but everything holds together well.

The Sutra cuffs are one size fits most, and they do provide a lot of variety in the sizing. However, there is a limit to how small and they will be able to clip. Also, the larger you make the cuffs, the more you may have some skin contact with the cold chain, which is no silk. For these reasons, it might be worth it to try on a pair before purchasing online if you're concerned about sizing.

I cannot complain about the Sutra Chainlink Cuff's performance. They're luxurious, easy to put on, and hold up exceedingly well. As I've indicated, there are some limitations to having two cuffs permanently connected. Nevertheless, they perform exactly as intended.

Because silk and suede are not easily cleaned, the best way to care for the Sutra cuffs is to keep them away from anything that could stain them. Leave the lubricant to the person not chained up, and just keep them away from potential problems. I would say that these cuffs are best kept in the bedroom.

Lelo's packaging for the Sutra cuffs is well-done. As opposed to the box for Lelo's blindfold (Intima, the cuffs fit perfectly in the small black box provided. The thin cardboard outer box has a picture of the cuffs and describes them, but the inner box is quality black cardboard which says nothing but "LELO" on the outside. It's perfect for storage. On the inside, no instruction book is included but there is a piece of quality tissue paper to place your new cuffs on.

I own a decent number of Lelo products, and this may be the one which I would struggle most trying to improve. I've noted what I believe are potential problems, but in my experience, none of these things have been issues. The Sutra Chainlink Cuffs have added a lot of intensity and style to many an evening. I've never regretted my purchase.