Beginner’s Guide to Bondage

A ball gag is designed to muffle the voice of the wearer or prevent them from speaking. They do not usually impede breathing. Usually strapped around or over the head with a rubber ball that sits inside the wearer’s lips and teeth, a gag is used to instil a sense of submission.

Because the wearer can't talk, the wearer has to become more creative with communication and their partner better at understanding their lover’s requirements during play. Other types of gag including bits, hooks, rings and ratchets can also be found under this category.

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All-in-one solutions for bondage scenarios. Often marketed for beginners, bedroom bondage kits generally include a pair of ankle cuffs, a pair of wrist cuffs, a blindfold and some form of whip, flogger or paddle.

Some other bondage kits include ball gags, ticklers, collars and leads, ropes, bondage tape, spreader bars and more elaborate restraints.

Kits are a wonderful way of building up your collection of bondage gear, and tend to work out cheaper than buying all items separately.

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A blindfold prevents the wearer from seeing anything. Blindfolds can be styled in a classic sleep mask style or as a scarf that requires tying.

By restricting eyesight, the wearer's other senses are sharpened. This can increase sensitivity to touch, taste, smell and sound. The blindfolded lover is likely to feel less self conscious about experimentation.

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Sometimes confused with blindfolds, a bondage hood covers either half of the head and face or all of it. They come in many different guises, some without mouth, nose or eye holes and some with completely open faces.

Bondage hoods are used to change the appearance and for sensory deprivation. There are some functional hoods which incorporate gags and restraints.

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Bondage rope is any length of rope sold with the express intention of being used to tie up a person. Bondage tape is a form of tape designed specifically to use on a person to bind them or to create clothing. It is self-adhesive, offering a skin-safe alternative to other tapes.

Bondage rope is especially designed for tying people up and should not be substituted with ropes found in DIY stores and similar, which are often harder on the skin and too inflexible to tie intricate knots.

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A chastity device refers to anything fitted to or over the genitalia to prohibit sexual function or access.

Some of these are worn for a visual effect (such as in a role play scenario) but many found in this category will permit long term wear by the user, allowing other bodily functions but preventing sexual contact with others and themselves.

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Either a decorative charm that can be hung over the clitoris or clitoral hood, or a device that clips directly onto the clitoris resulting in a mixture of pain from the clamp, and pleasure from the movement of the device.

Clit clamps applied to cause pain can cause a numbing sensation to the clitoris to accentuate sexual frustration along with a slight pain that can be arousing. Clit clamps also cause enlargement of the clitoris which can be beneficial for assisting in clitoral contact during sex.

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Often decorative, but some of these function as cock rings – offering better stimulation to partners and a longer-lasting erection for the wearer.

Others are used to stretch or temporarily deform the appearance of the penis and scrotum, sometimes with discomfort or mild pain, which is all part of the pleasure.

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When used together, a collar and leash form a bondage device that can be used to control the wearer by moving them using the lead. The collar when worn alone is often a symbol of ownership, but can also correct posture or be worn for decorative purposes.

Some collars feature lockable buckles which prevent removal by the wearer to accentuate the feeling of helplessness or being owned. Many collars are fitted with a frontal O-ring to allow leads, harnesses and bondage equipment to be connected to them.

Explore more collars and leashes here.

Any form of toy that uses electricity as a stimulus for erotic sensations or pain-inflicting purposes. Electro sex toys have many attachments, with everything from dildos, butt plugs and bullet vibrators to electrified gloves, penis bands and nipple clamps.

The sensation of electro toys is akin to vibration with a deeper-penetrating feeling. The levels are variable, so you can start off very gently and work your way up to ensure you’re always comfortable with the levels you’re working with.

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A feather tickler is made either entirely or partially from feathers used to tickle and tease the skin. The feeling of a feather running over the skin excites the nerve endings and causes you to get goosebumps, making you more sensitive to touch temporarily.

Feather ticklers are often used during foreplay to enhance erotic sensation and cause a sense of anticipation for sexual contact which heightens mental arousal.

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A flogger has several surfaces which all hit the skin at roughly the same time. As floggers spread the force of the hit over a larger surface area, the pain felt is often less than is caused by a whip.

Floggers are brilliant during foreplay - just tease your lover by running the fronds up and down their skin to set their heart pumping.

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A form of wrist restraint which connects the two hands together. A single unit composite of two wrists cuffs and a chain, they are usually made from metal in the standard police style.

Handcuffs are traditionally used to secure the hands behind the wearer's back but can also be used to secure the wrists around an object, fixture or fitting to prevent the wearer from moving from the position they are placed in.

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A decorative facial accessory designed to transform the appearance or conceal the true identity of the wearer. Commonly worn at fetish and swingers parties and events to avoid being recognised in person, in photos or on film.

Masks are also used in role play between partners to create a new image.

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A category incorporating anything considered to be medical in nature. Including but not restricted to gynaecological equipment, douches, urethral sounds, and electrostimulation kits.

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An article that either clips onto, hangs off of or sucks onto a nipple to increase sensitivity or size, cause pain to the area or provide pleasurable sensations. They are usually adjustable to allow you to control the pressure exerted on the nipple.

Vibrating nipple clamps follow the same principal but are teamed with vibrating bullets to enhance sensations further. Once the clamps are removed, nipples appear swollen and feel more sensitive.

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A machine (usually electrical) designed to simulate thrusting movements to allow the user to have penetrative sex as they would with a partner.

These often have faster thrusting settings that can be more physically gratifying for the user than sex with a partner, and are popular for use in fantasies of ‘forced orgasm’ (often also involving bondage).

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A flat device, usually with a handle, that is used in the same way as a hand is to spank another person or oneself. They come in varied textures to cause different sensations which either amplify or absorb force to make the impact harder or softer.

Most paddles are made from leather, which is much softer against the skin than wood and provides an audible ‘thwack’ that accentuates the experience of being paddled or spanked for both partners. Spankers are often used as part of sensory play to accentuate touch by awakening the nerve endings and inducing an adrenaline rush in the spankee.

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A whip has a singular surface with which one can hit another person to inflict pain. They come in a variety of different shapes, sizes and styles.

Similar items include riding crops and canes. They all tend to provide a sharper sting than paddles and floggers.

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An article to be worn either around the wrists or ankles, which will restrict movement or can be used in combination with something else to restrict movement.

In this category you'll find a wide range of body restraints in all sorts of combinations - for example neck-to-wrist, wrist-to-thigh, ankle-to-wrist.

Explore more wrist and ankle restraints here.