Bondage comes in all kinds of flavors and forms. Contrary to popular belief, it needn’t be all spiked leather cuffs and ball gags. Instead, this deeply erotic practice spans everything from latex-clad dominatrixes to silky soft restraints and feather teasers – and just about everything in between! But no matter whether you and your partner prefer to exchange tickles and licks, or more extreme kinds of exquisite torture, both ends of the spectrum share communication, consent – and of course, constraint!
That’s especially true for certain practises of dominance that although somewhat niche, for their aficionados present pleasures sublime. Remember: fantasy and desire is pleasingly unique to each and every one of us. These may not all be your ‘thing’ – but if they are, it is essential you do your research before giving any of them a go. Now, read on for pleasure, pain, and everything in between…
Baby, I’m in Chains
Champions of chains use metal shackles and links to take common BDSM role play scenarios up a notch. Think a willful inmate requiring serious reprimanding by a prison guard who’s nothing less than a stickler for discipline. Or perhaps a headstrong hostage needing some very specific coercion in the dungeons of some medieval castle…
Metal handcuffs, hooks and chains offer two distinct erotic slants: first, they’re difficult to escape from, rendering the submissive totally at their dominant’s mercy. Visually, they also present a pleasingly sensual contrast between hard, tough metal and soft skin that proves quite the turn-on. And don’t get us started on that distinctive clinking of chains as they’re fastened… It goes without saying that this one calls for a high degree of trust and communication before shackling up: the immobilized party needs to know they will be able to escape their bonds. In other words, before you go full-on dungeon, discussion is essential.
Not Just for Last Night’s Leftovers
While the majority of what’s lurking in your kitchen cupboards won’t immediately fire up the libido, one utensil in particular takes fetishists to boiling point: cling wrap. Wrapping a partner in the not-so-humble plastic film until their limbs are completely immobilized, compressed skin still visible, can be aesthetically pleasing indeed.
For the restrained, the tightness, closeness and, well, cling of the material is also deeply sensual. Connoisseurs of the kink may even take things up a notch by wrapping the head, leaving breathing holes for the nose and mouth. Torso-wise, nipples and genitals may be left uncovered, open to intense teasing with fingers, vibrators, or perhaps ice. Like others, the erotic element lies here not just in immobilization and control, but also the very real dangers cling wrap play presents. Not for beginners, it calls for close attention on the dominant’s part at every single step.
A Reason to Love Vacuuming
Remember when Han Solo got frozen in carbonite in ‘The Empire Strikes Back’? Latex vacuum beds – or vac-beds – create a similar aesthetic. A very specialist piece of kit, it’s effectively a latex bag that gets airtight shut with our pleasure seeker inside. Air gets sucked out via a suction pump to create a vacuum, resulting in the material clinging tightly to every curve of the restrained person’s body. Most feature a breathing tube connecting the person’s mouth with outside.
For users, the erotic benefits of vac-beds are twofold: first is visual – that latex-clad form, totally immobilized for the dominant’s aesthetic pleasure. The second, experienced by the person locked inside the bed, is the thrill or (or for some, sense of security) of total isolation, immobility, silence and darkness. Obviously, this one carries serious risks. Used correctly, asphyxiation is unlikely; but panic attacks are much more likely and can be just as dangerous. The person outside the vac-bed must constantly monitor partners, and attentive aftercare is a must.
Knot for the Faint of Heart…
The Japanese have long elevated bondage to an art form – quite literally, in the case of intricate shibari and kinbaku rope practice. The two closely linked terms (they’re sometimes used interchangeably) relate to the aesthetic pleasure of immobilizing subjects with ropes tied in elaborate, highly ornate knots. Kinbaku generally refers to wider sensual eroticism of this elegant rope play: the sensation of the material on the skin, the vulnerability of the tied partner, and the exertion of control.
True pros take things up a notch with dramatic suspension knots, holding the body in poses spanning the comfortable to the… less so. As with everything else on this list, shibari calls for a lot of homework before you go started. Rope burn is no joke!
Final Thoughts
If any of these very singular forms of bondage appeal to you and your partner, it’s essential you do your research. Check online forums, make safety a priority, and only play in an environment of absolute trust. New to bondage? Consider starting your pleasure journey with sex-cessories that although softer, promise erotic possibilities galore such as sensually silky BOA ties. Above all, have fun getting all tied up in the particular pleasures of bondage!
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