As someone who loves bondage and restraints in almost all forms, I was anxious to try Rachel's Love Connections out. They look simple enough; there is a collar with a nylon strap coming down and two hand cuffs connected to another nylon strap. The two straps come together by way of a single plastic buckle with the collar facing one direction and the cuffs facing the other (admittedly, it took me a little while to figure this out, there were no instructions and I can't say it was all that intuitive). My husband was a bit dubious at first when seeing this, thinking the single buckle would not hold against my straining body, but after several of his "strength tests" his fears were dispelled.

I noticed one possible pitfall just after opening the package: the Velcro on the collar is only 1 1/2" (3.8 cm) long. This did not make the collar very adjustable; seeming too big for my neck at the tightest it could go and still hold fast.

My husband was surprised at how easily the Love Connections' restraints went on and adjusted. I liked that they were, for the most part, comfortable on my wrists; but would have liked a more snug fit on the collar.

For me, the best use of the Love Connections was for deprivation foreplay. My ankles were cuffed to the corners of the bed, my eyes were blindfolded, and my hands were securely held behind me - punishing my strains with a light choking by the collar (typically seen as a good thing for BDSM fans) - waiting for pleasure, teased with tastes, and at the complete mercy of my man.

Foreplay led to rough, heavy sex. This is where I lost my desire to be restrained by the Love Connections. I found that, when lying on my back during hard sex, the restraints ended up hurting my shoulders. My hands, while having them tied behind my back helped to arch my back and take him in further, ultimately ended up digging into my spine. When I was rolled over for doggie style, the lack of hands put a great strain on my neck (at least with normal cuffs, when tied in front, you can put your hands above your head for support) and in spooning, having my hands held behind me kept him from getting close enough to hit the right spots. Though, to be fair, most of my joints are easily hyper-extended and this may have accounted for some of the pain experienced.

In conclusion, I found these restraints were great for looks, ease of use, and foreplay, however, I had a hard time using them for hard sex.