The Bound by Diamonds ankle cuffs are a shiny, sparkly pair of very feminine cuffs aimed at those who want the look and suggestion of bondage without the commitment, or price of, restraint. They will not hold against even half-hearted struggle. They will not be comfortable for more than very short-term wear. They will not look super-elegant or be something you could wear out about town. They will not last very long.

They will, however, be a non-threatening introduction to the world of "here, let me tie you up and see if it's fun..." They might be a good starting option for those who have a fear of being truly restrained. They are cute, in a vinyl-and-cheap-rhinestones way. They'd also make a passable prop for photography, as long as you don't do any macros on the cuffs themselves.

The design leaves me with very mixed feelings. I know that it's designed for beginners. I know that it's not designed to actually restrain someone. I know that it's designed to be budget-friendly. That doesn't change the fact that they come off as rather cheap, and bit tacky.

When I first pulled them out of the package, I nearly went into an asthma attack from the chemical stench. After airing out for a few days, it mostly dissipated, but you have been warned – they should market these as a scent torture toy!

The body of the cuffs is a rather sharp-edged vinyl. A satin ribbon is threaded through unfinished flaps in the vinyl. Little toggle clasps are threaded through the ribbon. The soft, slippery ribbon is then used to tie the cuff shut. Even when tied with his best boy-scout knots, these things still loosened as soon as I pulled a little bit against the cuffs. They are NOT serious, or even semi-serious bondage gear. They give a hint of naughty bondage to play-time. The one exception to this is that they have some potential for psychological bondage: if you struggle enough to pull these loose, you'll be punished!

Now, as for the whole “bound by diamonds” selling point for this line of beginner gear. Some of you may remember this from when you were very small children. They made this plastic-cord netting, rather rigid, with a really cheap plastic “gem” bonded at each intersection of the cords. This webbing could then be cut into any shape, and would look like instant “jewelry” : a wide strip for a diamond cuff, a narrow strip for a delicate necklace, a short strip for a ring. They weren't comfortable, but they were safe to give to small children who might swallow small rhinestones that popped off regular kiddie jewelry.

That's what the “diamond strands” on these cuffs are. Completely unfinished, raw-edged, pokey strips of that stuff. From a distance and in low light, it's sparkly. Just don't look too closely, or they'll be asking when “Pretty Pretty Bondage Princess” hit the toy stores.

In use, these cuffs put the final nails in their coffins as far as I was concerned. If the room wasn't downright chilly, they stuck to the skin unpleasantly. If we attached them to anything and I shifted position very much, the harsh edges of the cuffs cut into my skin and chafed. If I pulled against them at all, the ribbons started to slip, and the loosening made the chafing worse. After a gentle round of foreplay, we took them off so I could actually enjoy sex. There were red marks all around where the cuffs had been, because I can't just lie still when I'm having an orgasm. Are we not supposed to move at all while wearing these? Because that's just not practical!

If nothing else, these cuffs are easy to care for. Wipe them down with soapy water, and towel dry. If you need to wash the ribbon, thread it out through its loops, toss it in the washing machine, then thread it back through. Getting the cuffs all lubey shouldn't be a problem, either. It might even make them more comfortable, though your knots will never stay in place. You can store these just about anywhere, anyhow - the material isn't picky - but you might end up with the chemical smell all over the other things you store it with.

While they're a cute idea, and look nice in the product photos, these just aren't well executed. They could have been a nice, pretty pair of cuffs if they'd bothered to improve the design and materials a bit. They had potential, but they ended up being tacky, stinky, uncomfortable, and almost useless. If you really want to try out bondage with pretty, non-threatening cuffs, look elsewhere.

Alternative uses:

Water-bottle cozy. Because who doesn't want a bondage-themed water bottle when they're jogging? Or in the board room?

Tie the ribbons together to make a statement belt. Then you'll always have your cuffs on hand... even if they don't work very well.

Slappers. Because that vinyl stings on impact! Just make sure you take off the hardware first.

You could use them as a de-masculinizing cock sheath. It'd be uncomfortable, to keep him from getting too excited, and girly, to keep him from remembering that it's a cock down there, and you could use the clasp to attach a leash. Take your blinged out pet for a walk! Attach said pet to other cuffs for sparkly predicament bondage!