With a safe word the sub can feel secure that they can stop the bondage play at any time.  This will make them more comfortable being restrained, and they can get into the game and scream 'No', 'Stop', or beg you not to do something as much as they want without interrupting the game play by having to stop and ask if they are serious. 

If the person that is bound DOES use the safe word, no matter what you are doing, STOP IMMEDIATELY... NO DISCUSSIONS, NO QUESTIONS ASKED!

If the bound partner wants to be released at this point, then release them immediately. You can discuss things AFTER you stop and AFTER your partner has been released.


 

If you're hesitant about being tied up, start out with just a blindfold and then move on to the restraints later. CLICK HERE for Blindfolds

Bondage cuffs with a quick release latch allows you to release your partner in a matter of seconds.  Bondage cuffs are the best way for beginners to get started. CLICK HERE for Bondage Cuffs

A silk binding sash is a good option to rope since it can be tied easily and loosely with common slip knots and bows.  CLICK HERE for Restraints

Use a ball gag instead of cloth.  There's no risk of fibers getting into the lungs, the cloth cutting into the edges of the mouth, or having to be tied tightly around a persons head to prevent it from coming off. CLICK HERE for Gags

Bondage tape is a No Stick tape that holds securely to itself, but is easily removed from the skin.  It is about the same price as bondage rope, but it is typically cut off rather than removed and used again. CLICK HERE for Bondage Tape

You can get a pair of wrist cuffs with metal rings and hogties with quick release latches for around $20 or $30 each. CLICK HERE for Bondage Gear

START WITH JUST A BLINDFOLD:
Many couples like to add some sexual tension and a sense of the unknown by blindfolding the sub. Whether it's the man or woman playing the sub, not knowing what's coming next can heighten your senses dramatically. A gentle touch of the tongue on the nipples always feels good, but it can be electrifying when you can't see it coming.

If one or both partners are curious about adding bondage to their sex lives, but hesitant about being completely restrained and helpless, start out by just blindfolding your partner without any type of restraints. You can put the blindfold on during foreplay, then remove it before having sex, or leave the blindfold on from foreplay through intercourse. 

DO NOT use a scarf as a blindfold. In addition to the problem of knots being hard or impossible to remove, silk scarves can irritate the eyes, as can the dyes used in both silk and cotton scarves.  Since scarves were not intended to be used as blindfolds, the dyes and materials manufacturers use to make scarves are not required to be safe for the eyes, and there is the possibility that injury to the eyes can result from using them. Blindfolds aren't that expensive, starting around $10 and going up in price from there, so you aren't going to go broke buying one.


USE BREAKABLE RESTRAINTS:
If being unable to escape is something your partner just can't deal with at first, start out by 'restraining' your partner with something that can easily be broken out of, such as paper streamers, or a very thin chain like the ones used to make necklaces for costume jewelry. The person being 'restrained' can easily break their bonds at any time. This can help many people that are curious but hesitant about bondage ease into it, then move up to handcuffs or other restraints once they are comfortable with the idea of being secured.


USE A SILK BINDING SASH:
If you're ready to move beyond breakable restraints, or breakable restraints are a little too tame, or too lame, you can use a silk binding sash.  While a silk binding sash can be used to create an elaborate body harness, it also has some advantages for beginners.  Knots can be tied loose enough for the person that is being restrained to pull out of them on their own.  This can make it much easier to get use to the feel of being tied up without using ropes.  The silk binding sash can later be used to restrain your partner more securely, or to create a body harness once they become comfortable playing out bondage games.


USE BONDAGE CUFFS:
Bondage cuffs are not handcuffs.  If you're not familiar with what bondage cuffs actually are, or how they work, read the section 'Cuffs versus Handcuffs'  below.  Bondage cuffs are comfortable enough to be worn all day.  This alone is enough to make some people feel safer using them, but the fact that the cuffs use a quick release latch to attach and remove them makes it quick and easy to release someone that is restrained.  Knowing they can be released from their restraints in a matter of seconds makes many people feel more comfortable when they first start playing out bondage fantasies.


USE A SLAVE COLLAR:
Having anything around your neck can be a scary sensation, especially rope.  You should never tie rope around the front of a person's neck.  While rope bondage does not typically involve tying anything around a persons neck, and it's seldom necessary to actually secure anyone's neck in a bondage fantasy, many couples enjoy using a collar and leash on the sub.  This can be used to simply lead the sub around, or to guide them to the areas of the body they are to perform oral sex on.  For many people, the collar is just part of the bondage outfit, like a corset or high heels and isn't actually used for anything but appearance to enhance the bondage fantasy.  Many people think about using a dog or a cat collar, but there are plenty of slave collars available that are made to fit a human's neck comfortably that are less expensive than a dog or cat collar.  If you're thinking about using a choker-chain style of dog collar, DON'T.  Whether you approve of using them on a dog or not, we shouldn't have to explain why using a choker chain on a human's neck is a bad idea.


USE A BALL GAG INSTEAD OF CLOTH:
Many people don't like the feel of a cloth gag so much they will agree to other restraints, but refuse to be gagged.  Having a cloth gag tied around their head can feel very restrictive, and many times it can create a fear of suffocating.  Using a ball gag can help eliminate these fears.  In addition to the risks of using a cloth gag, a ball gag doesn't have to be tied tightly around a persons head to stay in place like a cloth gag does.
DO NOT use a scarf as a gag. Just like the dyes and even the material can injure the eyes when using a scarf as a blindfold, silk scarves can irritate the lips.  They can also cause an allergic reaction and injury to lips and possibly the lungs as well. Like blindfolds, ball gags start around $10 and go up in price from there.   


TALK ABOUT THE RULES:
Once you're ready to move on past the paper or thin chains to real restraints and bondage play, talk about it beforehand.  Discuss what you plan to do. Lay out some ground rules and decide what will  and will not be allowed such as spanking, whipping, pinching, etc.

Even though the safety rules are usually more subjective and trust based between couples that are in a long term or committed relationship, it's important to understand that when rules and limits are established, these rules and limits are sacred and are NOT to be broken at any time during the game.  Breaking the rules even once can cause your partner to loose all trust in you, and they may never allow you to restrain them again.



Using Bondage Cuffs

As we mentioned above, when we use the terms 'cuffs', 'bondage cuffs', 'wrist cuffs' or 'ankle cuffs', we aren't referring to handcuffs. 

Bondage cuffs can be secured to each other or to a fixed object with quick release latches, but they can also be attached to other objects, such as a hogtie.

The hogtie contains four leather straps attached with a steel ring to form and X shape.  At the other end of the leather straps are medal D rings with quick release latches attached.  When wrist and ankle cuffs attach to the hogtie, the wrists and ankles are secured together via the hogtie.  Leather hogties usually come with quick release latches already in place for attaching wrist and ankle cuffs.  A hogtie can either be used in front or in back of the body.  While having sex with a person whose arms and legs are secured behind their back isn't very comfortable, or sometimes possible, oral sex is possible an the quick release latches let you quickly move the hogtie to the front of the body or remove it completely.  Leather hogties only cost about $20.

Some people prefer to use padlocks to attach the cuffs to a chain because it looks kinkier and adds an increased feeling of Dominance and submission to the bondage play, but a quick release latch is just as secure as a padlock and allows the cuffs to be removed from each other or the attaching point quickly and easily.  Since it's the latch or padlock and not the actual cuffs that are attached to a chain, eye bolt or other object, the cuffs themselves stay on when the person that is wearing them is moved to different locations or into different positions.


Bondage cuffs aren't that expensive

There is no doubt that bondage cuffs are more expensive than plain rope, and more expensive than bondage rope.  While some of the more professional wrist and ankle restraints can cost close to $100 a set, you can get a good pair of wrist or ankle cuffs for $20 to $30.

Other than the convenience of being able to move from one position to another quickly, there are other reasons many couples that enjoy adding bondage play to their sex life prefer to use bondage cuffs instead of rope;

• The Kink Factor:  Many people think that a set of cuffs look or feel more kinky than rope, especially leather cuffs.  For full body restraint, a set of leather cuffs and a leather hogtie is hard to beat when it comes to looking kinky.
• Comfort:  Cuffs, especially padded ones, are very comfortable.  You could wear a pair of wrist and ankle cuffs all day with no discomfort.  This is beneficial for couples that enjoy playing out a long fantasy where one of the partners is a 'slave' for most of the day.
• Safety:   Pulling against the restraints is half the fun.  A good pair of bondage cuffs aren't tight around the wrists or ankles and they can't tighten up, so the person being restrained can pull against the cuffs as hard as they want without the risk of cutting off the circulation to their hands or feet.