Carrying the sweet title of “gates of submission”, the Closet Cuffs, from the Lux Fetish brand, is a soft BDSM accessory specially designed to tie you or your partner to a door. Door handcuffs of a sort.
This isn’t the first time I’ve come across this type of accessory online. I’ve been wondering for a while how it’s made, and whether it stays securely in place.
So we decided to test them.
Packaging
The packaging is a cardboard box quite simple. No worries there: by definition, handcuffs are sturdy, no need to fuss about how you’ll store them, they’re not easily damaged.
The illustration is a bit kitsch. A hunk is giving kisses to a tied-up woman, and the same woman is smiling in black and white in the background.
But anyway, we don’t really care about the packaging (which I’d call disposable). What we’re interested in is the handcuffs inside.
The door handcuffs
A nice surprise when opened: it looks fairly sturdy. Not the “you can also do mountaineering with them” kind of sturdy, but quite solid for a soft BDSM accessory (which isn’t always the case).
The rings are fairly thick, they don’t deform when you pull on them. The carabiners are fine.
The door cuffs themselves have a fairly soft, but solid look. They are made from a kind of very thick black padded fabric (quite similar to a hiking rucksack strap, soft in the middle and reinforced along the edges).
Fastening and adjusting the cuffs
They fasten with a long strip of Velcro, which leaves a very wide range of size adjustment. On me, they fit just as well on the wrists as on the ankles, and there is still room to spare.
In short, we are not on the “leather and chains” side of BDSM, but we are far from the cheap frilly cuffs you find in all the sex shops and in the “policeman” costume of the little 5-and-a-half-year-old nephew.
Attaching the cuffs to each other
A carabiner, attached to one of the cuffs, allows them to be fastened together, and therefore, to be used without any additional accessory.
Although it is quite convenient for use without a door, I would still have one small criticism about this carabiner: it cannot be removed. This means that, when the cuffs are not fastened together (for example, if you are tied to a door with your arms spread apart), it dangles. Not a big deal, but I’m making a note of it.
Comfort
The cuffs are comfortable, and hold quite well. When your wrists are fastened together, you can remove the cuffs yourself by unfastening the Velcro. But they don’t open accidentally, and do not slip. I think it’s just right for soft dom/sub.
As for care, just be careful not to leave the Velcro open on a duvet or a jumper; but, as things stand, unless you’re fervent mohair fetishists, you’re not supposed to be doing erotic things in a jumper.
The door handcuff straps
The “door-specific” attachment system is simple, but well thought out.
Two adjustable straps, which attach to each handcuff at one end, and which feature at the other end a plastic cylinder, which you wedge on the other side of the door (at the top, of course) before closing it.
Needless to say, you’d better choose a sturdy door. The term “closet cuffs” is not really appropriate; not all cupboard doors are suitable.
Might as well warn you straight away: if you really want to be tied up with your arms in the air, you’d better not be too tall. Or else, have a sizeable door.
Otherwise, in most cases, you’ll be in the same position as the lady and gentleman tied up on the packaging. You’ll have to bend your arms; in short, it’ll be more comfortable movement-wise, but it’ll take a little away from the “constraint” aspect sought by the somewhat BDSM accessory.
The simplest thing is to give you some dimensions:
At its shortest, 33 centimetres of strap stick out from the door, plus about 7 cm of carabiner and ring. At its longest, 69 (hehe, not even on purpose) centimetres (plus the carabiner and ring, which do not change size).
For a door that’s two metres and a bit, and me at 1.60 m, it works a treat by setting the straps to their minimum length.
Conclusion on the Lux Fetish door handcuffs
The good points:
- It stays soft without looking twee (understated, credible sturdiness).
- The concept is original, and works (at least on most internal doors).
- The cuffs can be used separately. Tying yourself to a door is all very nice… But an accessory intended solely for this use might be a bit too niche. You should rather see the Closet Cuffs as a pair of handcuffs with a bonus feature.
- They don’t cost all that much : less than 25 euros. That’s a bit more than frilly handcuffs, but for a much nicer accessory.
The bad points:
- The straps are perhaps a little too long (or rather, not adjustable enough).
When it comes to BDSM accessories, I generally have a preference for designs that are a touch more “theatrical”. The more it looks like it came straight out of the depths of a dungeon, the better. That doesn’t stop it from being soft, it’s just about the look. If you’re going to put on a show, you might as well add the special effects.
But I did like the Closet Cuffs, for theirfunctional originality, their understated design and their well-executed practicality. In short, a very honest product for a sane price.
Review score
Pros
- Understated look
- Original and functional concept
- Handcuffs usable separately from the device
- Not very expensive
Cons
- Straps slightly too long
