Of all the brands of bondage gear we’ve used, when it comes to restraints, Zado has to be a favourite. I’ve not had one product of theirs that has failed to impress me, and the Zado Leather Neck and Handcuffs set is no exception.
I find something supremely sexy about wrist to neck restraints. I’ve had my various limbs trussed up in many different ways, but nothing is quite so thrilling/horrifying for me as being unable to lower my arms. It gives me no choice but to have my hands flapping near my head, often slapping myself accidentally whenever I’m jerked without warning. And if the Fella decides, in a moment of pure devilment, to tickle me, I can do fuck all about it other than scream.
Wrist to neck can be achieved with any old cuffs and collars, but I get a rush of mental stimulation just by watching the Fella take out a position specific set. Knowing what he intends to do from the off is unnerving, and totally fucking hot!
These Zado Leather Neck and Handcuffs are lovely bits of kit. Sleek black leather and cold silver metal make up the collar and cuffs. I’ve said it before, but as much as I like having different colours at hand for softer play, role play or general fun bondage, I always appreciate the psychological impact of black and silver.
I don’t know if it’s just personal association, but I’ve come to view these colours as ‘serious’ pieces. They look harsh, usually feel super sturdy, almost utilitarian, even, and I know that when they come out I’m not gonna spend the following hours giggling. Our play will be heavy.
And for heavy play I appreciate comfort, and that’s exactly what I get from this Zado set. Outwardly, the collar and cuffs look menacing; all glossy leather and skin chilling metal. But the reverse of the leather straps is soft, the edges slightly padded by the super neat finishing strips. They’re so well made, and not a stitch is out of place
THE COLLAR
Size wise, the collar measures up at 19.5” and will accommodate a neck between 14 & 17”. Users at the larger end of that scale will find that they have a gap between the two pieces at the back. I have a 15.5” neck and the back crosses over by about 1cm.
At 2” in width, the collar is a chunky one. I have quite a short neck so I’m left with very little room to move. Turning my head feels chokey, as does looking down, and dipping my head back gives me an uncomfy stretching pressure around my throat. The moral of the story would be to not do any of those things, but doing them is really part of the fun.
The hardware on this collar is ace. A smallish D-Ring adorns the centre, just waiting to have a leash attached. The set didn’t come with one, but we have a plain black and silver leash that works just fine. About 2” away from that centre piece on either side is a large O-Ring. They’re perfectly positioned for attaching the wrist restraints, and big enough to have other pieces attached if you should fancy giving that a go. We’ve tried slotting rope through there with success, and also attaching ankle cuffs with light chains. More rings = more possibilities, and that’s always welcome.
THE CUFFS
Just like the collar, the cuffs are 2” in width. When on the wrist they look substantial and feel strong. Length wise, they’re 12.5” and will fit wrists between 7” and 12”. I don’t think I’ve ever known anyone with a 12” wrist, so they could comfortably be used as ankle cuffs for those (like the Fella) with slim ankles.
The D-Rings on the cuffs are the same size as the one on the collar, so are pleasantly matching. Attached to each with a single link of chunky chain is a 2” trigger clip. It isn’t removeable so if you want to use the cuffs without the collar you need to attach each clip to the other wrist’s D-Ring. With the size of the rings and length of the clips, you get approximately 4” of hand freedom when all of the pieces come together.
IN USE
Like I said above, this set is super comfy in use. The leather is soft and flexible but it isn’t so glossy or over-padded that it makes you sweat and chafe. When the metal pieces clash there isn’t a tinny, costume jewellery sound. There’s a metal on metal clink that sounds heavy and reminds you that the kit you’re wearing is stronger than you. I’ve intentionally pulled against it for testing purposes and there’s no way do I have what it takes to split the leather or loosen the hardware.
What I love about a lot of bondage restraints is their versatility, and this Zado Leather set is definitely versatile. We’ve used it as intended, with all three pieces connected. We’ve used the wrist cuffs on their own, as wrist to ankle cuffs, and even with a hogtie connector. If you have ankle cuffs, rope can be used to turn those and this set into a full body restraint. Sometimes, depending on our play, we’ve used the collar with just a leash, purely because the Fella knows that, on the rare occasion that I agree to crawl (I have no problem with crawling, but my knees do) I’m gonna half choke myself.
CLEANING
When it comes to leather, I’m a great advocate for spot cleaning. If you find you’ve ended up getting crap on your kit, a wipe with a soft, damp cloth takes care of it. Toy cleaners and such are best kept out of the way as they can fuck up the leather’s finish. Every now and again, the leather will benefit from a proper clean with leather specific cleaner, and will be kept nice and supple with a leather conditioner. Also, leather should never be stored wet cos it’ll go mouldy, but at the same time should be allowed to dry naturally (i.e. not on the radiator as this will just dry out and warp the piece).
We hang all our restraints on a wardrobe rail to help them hold their shape, but if you can’t do this I’d recommend keeping them flat in the bottom of a drawer. If you just fling them in, you’ll run the risk of the leather twisting. If that happens it’ll no longer lie flat against the skin when in use.
BOTTOM LINE
There’s a world of fun to be had with this set, whether your fun be of the giggly kind or the sobbing kind. It’s great quality, looks dungeon worthy, feels good against the skin until your play partner decides they don’t want it to. We love it and would encourage you to give it a shot if this is the type of kit you’re looking for.
If it is, you can pick one up by clicking the banner below and visiting Orion.
