They were stiff, a little thinner than I was expecting as they are made from only one layer of leather and not two, smelled like paint instead of leather due to the dye that was used, and said dye left some streaks on one of my wrists that would not come off easily even though I had it on for less than ten minutes the first time I tried them on.

And they HURT. Applying any pressure to the cuffs in those first ten minutes had less than stellar results, and for me, someone that likes to struggle and pull against restraints until it clicks in my head that I'm not going anywhere, this is a problem. I'm sexually submissive, and I've currently been exploring the D/s lifestyle with a significant other who is also a Dom. But, for me, I usually can't submit entirely, even in a sexual situation, until I've really tested both my Dom's ability to control me and the restraints being used. For me, this is a good portion of the fun/foreplay. I enjoy the struggle for power and control, and sometimes our encounters can become quite interesting as I'm physically very athletic. So any restraints that we use will inevitably get put through its paces. They will either survive this test, or they will die a slow and painful death. There is very little middle ground where I'm concerned.

But at the same time, I don't care for restraints leaving bruises on my wrists or ankles and that is exactly what I thought these were going to do and with very little exertion on my part. They weren't anything like the higher end Locking Restraints for my ankles that I received as a free assignment which are also made by Spartacus. Those are made with two layers of higher quality, supple leather stitched together along with a plush fleece lining. I fell in love with those as soon as I pulled them out of their bag and my enjoyment of them has only grown. My review of them will be posted soon.

But I've since figured out that even though these wrist restraints are also locking, and on the outside look identical to the ankle restraints, they aren't really the closest “match” to the locking ankle restraints. There is actually another pair of Fleece lined wrist restraints made by Spartacus which I think are meant to be the match to those, even though they do not lock, like these do. But, like the ankle locking restraints, their price tag is over $75, so they might not fit within everyone's budget.

I was torn on what to do with these, and to be totally honest I'm still not completely sure, but since it was a buy-out assignment I knew I still needed to write a review on the cuffs regardless, and I didn't want to do that until I had given them a chance to change my mind.

So, while trying out the Under the Bed Restraint System, Thighcuffs, Tethers, and the ankle Locking Restraints for the first time (all of which I will be publishing a series of reviews for soon) I dragged these out as well to give them their fair due.

I'm glad I did this, as having done so earned them an extra couple of stars. They've proven themselves a decent pair of cuffs for the price once they had a chance to warm up.

Yes, they are thinner then I would like because it's only one sort of thick layer of leather versus two layers which you will find with the higher end cuffs, and yes, I still don't care for the way they smell even though that little issue is beginning to fade and they're starting to smell more like leather… But after wearing them a second time for a little while, they suddenly weren't so stiff and were no longer cutting into me or bruising my wrist bones the way they did when I first tried them on. They also didn't transfer any more dye to my skin. And I will say that the hardware on them is definitely good quality. If nothing else, these babies are definitely not going to fall apart on you.

They held up well and despite my issues with them, I realize that the reasons for why I still feel a little negatively towards them is probably just because they are not as nice as the higher end cuffs. Which is hardly their fault, since they were placed in this particular price bracket for a reason.

It's like being mad at a Toyota for not being a Mercedes-Benz. In the long run, it doesn't really make much sense, does it?

These are evidently not like the Jaguar Cuffs by ASLAN Leather or the higher end Fleece Lined Wrist Restraints that match the ankle Locking Restraints I received. But for their price range, these are a good, no-frills, pair of leather cuffs. They would work well for someone on a tighter budget or someone who was just looking for an interesting way to spice up their sex life… or even as an introduction to the BDSM lifestyle.

But I imagine anyone planning to spend considerable time in their wrist restraints over the coming years – like I am – might just want to go ahead and spring for a pair a little bit better made. I know I will be doing this soon as I'm now planning on getting the Jaguar Cuffs given all the glowing recommendations. When I do, I will have a better basis for comparison and I will be sure to post a follow-up review on these cuffs at that time.

Regardless though, the sight of them, un-tethered but still buckled around my wrists while I had my arms wrapped around the back of his shoulders while he was on top of me, my ankles and thighs still restrained via the ankle restraints and thigh cuffs, anchored down by the under the bed restraint system, was highly erotic and something I'm not going to forget anytime soon…

But more on that experience to come when I post the reviews on those products which should hopefully be within the next few days.