// December 16th, 2010 // No Comments » // BDSM Articles, Featured
There is a variety of off-the-shelf bondage equipment on the market. Not everything is worth your money. Here are some useful toys as well as some that are best left in the shop
Glove Cuffs
Glove cuffs are leather gloves in which the hand can be folded and strapped down that way (much like a boxing glove). They are very restrictive, since the fingers cannot do anything anymore and are kept in one position that cannot be changed. That usually leads to quite a bit of frustration.
There are various designs around, make sure you buy a pair that also has good quality wrist cuffs (either intricate or attached), so can do more with your your cuffs than merely secure the fingers.
Backstraps
A backstrap is a collar and a pair of wrist cuffs, interconnected with an adjustable band. Their function is to keep the arms folded on the back, attached to the collar.
The interconnecting band should be adjustable, in order to be able to either bring the arms higher or lower as well as to adjust the whole thing to the slave’s physique.
Backstraps are erotic, rather than functional. They are good for soft, erotic play, but not very functional in sessions that are a little more rough. In fact, they might be dangerous, since moving the arms will have a direct effect on the ability to breath. For erotic BDSM however, they function very well, provided you have managed to find a good design.
When you go out to buy backstraps you need to compromise between softness and sturdiness off the leather used. If the leather is too soft, the whole will deform quickly and becomes an ugly thing that you do not want to use anymore. If however the leather is too thick, it doesn’t fit into the erotic setting it was designed for.
The other thing to watch for is the size of the collar and cuffs. Often, these will be too broad and too wide. If that is the case, better leave it on the shelf. The collar should be somewhat wide, since a thinner collar will soon become painful and actually rather dangerous, since the pressure in on the front of the neck, as soon as the arms are being dropped.
Thighcuffs
Thighcuffs are a classic example of things, that are best left where they were: on the shelf in the shop. They are an invention of the porn industry and they probably look good in pictures, but they don’t work. Due to the cone-shape of the thighs, all they do is fall off. If you want your slave in the position as in the picture, use rope. Leather cuffs simply will not do the trick.
Singlegloves
Singlegloves are a “look before you leap” toy. Their objective is to fully secure the arms on the back. They are great to have, IF your slave can handle this position. Many people simply can’t and if that is the case, buying a singleglove is simply a waste of (quite a bit of) money.
A singleglove is expensive and one of the things to pay a lot of attention to is their fit as well as adjustability. They should have straps that secure the wrists, elbows and upper arms, as well as straps that go over 
the shoulders to hold the whole thing in place. There should be room enough to get the arms in properly and they should go all the way up to the armpits. Do pay attention to the cone shape, so they will not block arteries in the upper arm.
Off the shelf singlegloves hardly ever fit and most are of rather poor quality. If you want to buy one, it is a much better idea to find a local leather crafter and have one made to measure. That actually will not be more expensive than buying one off the shelf. In fact, it will probably be somewhat cheaper and in any case better.
A singleglove is very restrictive and they have a high erotic charisma. Also, they make the very straining arm position somewhat easier to maintain, since the entire arms are supported by their leather encasing. For a position like this, that is a plus and your slave will probably be grateful for that..
However, do be critical. As we said, not everyone can do this and the position can easily dislocate shoulder joints or even break bones. So, unless your slave is able to handle this position, do not buy one. Try using rope first to ascertain if really can do what you want.
Article and Photos Courtesy of Wasteland.Com
