For some reason good ankle cuffs have been difficult for me to find. I own quite a few pairs of beautiful and functional wrist cuffs, but all of the leg restraints I've seen have always looked hokey or cheaply made to me. I was never in love with the sterile hospital-esque feel of the Luxe white collection from ASLAN, but of the near dozen ASLAN products that I own none have ever disappointed me. I purchased these cuffs to fill the void in my BDSM collection and in spite of the creepy clinical feel to them, I couldn't be happier with them.

These Luxe White Ankle Cuffs (for which ASLAN makes a matching wrist cuff set, collar, harness and even a cute white ball gag to go with them) are just about the sturdiest around, which was immediately apparent to me when I took them out of their packaging. Do not be fooled by the photos because these are some seriously chunky restraints...I'm talking over a half an inch thick! Unlike the Jaguar cuffs from ASLAN the Luxe set is made from a thick leather strap which is lined with a thickly padded leather cuff with a vinyl-like feel to it. This padded cuff is about three inches in across and covers the ankle fully when fastened, and this plush lining is definitely handy if you get into rougher BDSM play. For those that are into suspension or predicament bondage that involves a lot of struggling, these cuffs ensure that you get pain only where you're supposed to (such as on the flesh under the whip!) and not around your joints. The Luxe cuffs are aptly named in this way; they are truly luxurious. You get all the strength and durability of tougher and rougher leather cuffs, but with a much more delicate finish.

One problem with these squishy cuffs is that for whatever reason I find them to be much less breathable than other leather restraints. If they are fastened snugly, your skin starts to become moist with sweat after about ten minutes. A half hour later and there's full fledged perspiration happening. I'm not an especially sweaty person but these thick straps heat my skin up a lot and cause some rather unpleasantly humid conditions underneath them. If you plan on wearing these for over an hour you may want to consider some kind of barrier (like a cotton sock) to place between the strap and your skin to absorb moisture. This will prevent chaffing and general ickiness.

Besides that single shortcoming these are truly beautiful and luxurious ankle restraints. Measuring a whopping 13" in length they will fit just about anyone. There are six notches in the belt strap allow for about four inches of variance, the tightest of which is slightly loose on my very petite ankles. Overall it's a great fit for me, because I recognize my ankles are a little difficult to fit perfectly. The belt is fasted to the plush cuff with a series of nine large, sturdy metal rivets. I've had some cuffs where the rivets have popped out - never in all my struggling with these has one even come the littlest bit lose. That combined the sheer quantity of them binding the two materials makes me very confident in their durability. Both the strap and the plush cuff are stitched precisely and tautly with what looks like white nylon thread; there are no flaws or loose stitches in either of my cuffs.

The ASLAN Luxe White Ankle Cuffs are also fitted with not one, not two but three D-rings which gives you far more options to work with than most in terms of bondage and suspension. You can hook each ankle up to a spreader bar with one D-ring and use another set to connect the ankles to the wrists, waist or any other area that is fit with a loop or D-ring. For the suspension-minded there is no end to the possibilities of rope ties and more. And with the buckle's devious little loop for a lock to be slipped into, your bottom can abandon all hope for wriggling out of these. Unfortunately the width of the loop is only about a quarter of an inch so it's not quite large enough for a big old Master Lock to be snapped into (I know, that would look so epic and menacing, right?) It is big enough for a medium sized lock which can be purchased at a hardware store, and you'll of course want one for each ankle. It really adds that little something extra, that "don't even think about trying to escape" cherry on top.

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Many wearers will find that these super-duper long cuffs will probably need to be overlapped over one another in order for them to be fastened properly, which can be a mild but wholly tolerable inconvenience. These also tend to kind of spin or rotate on the ankle if they are not anchored to stretcher bars or something similar, due to the slick finish on the plush cuffs. This is another very mild inconvenience that shouldn't really be much of a problem.

Besides that and the sweat issue, these cuffs are about the most wonderful, sturdy and comfortable ankle restraints on the market. ASLAN includes a lifetime warranty with all their products, so if ever something goes wrong with your Luxe friends you can mail yours to the company and they will send you back a brand new replacement pair. Of course, if you take good care of yours then you'll probably never need to, right? I would recommend a little clear nail polish over the rivets to keep them from tarnishing, but besides that these things don't need much care to be kept in good shape for a long, long time.

Because these will likely get a little damp with sweat during your play the best (and quickest) way to clean your cuffs after use is to give them a once over with a baby wipe. Should you for any reason get blood, ejaculate or other more, um, stubborn fluids on them, ASLAN recommends gently scrubbing the spots with a wet toothbrush and a little anti-bacterial soap. Once you've cleaned these spots be sure to wipe off all soap residue with a lightly dampened washcloth. You can also rub your leather down with alcohol to be a bit more thorough in your cleaning, but this can also dry out the leather so advance at your own risk on that one. ALWAYS be sure to dry your cuffs out completely before putting them away to prevent them from molding or mildewing. A solid 24 hours in dry weather will be enough to dry them, but if it's humid out when you dry these then veer on the side of caution and wait an extra 24 hours. Leather should be stored away from sunlight which may dry and bleach the material and should be kept in a dry place.

Keep in mind too, these are white cuffs and the unfinished underside of the straps are particularly vulnerable to staining. If things tend to get especially messy during your play you may wish to look elsewhere for restraints!

I've been ecstatic since receiving my FYN Flogger Case because my Luxe White Ankle Cuffs FINALLY have something besides a crinkly plastic bag to sit in. These definitely scuff up easily, especially if they're hanging out with other darker dyed leathers. If your BDSM play gets messy and I you like it that way, you should look out for black restraints instead. But for a snow white, eerie kind of clinical feel, or just a shocking absence of color to draw the eye? These are really stunning and work amazingly.