Pipedream Products‘ Spread ‘Em Bar Kit is lightweight, portable and easy-to-use. The neoprene restraints are one-size-fits most, and secure with velcro closures that are surprisingly strong and will withstand most any struggle you (or your partner) challenges them with!
It's a fabulous alternative to heavy steel shackles (which, while I LOVE, am not always in the mood to play with) and it's a quick alternative to what can be messy, tedious, time-consuming rope bondage.
There are four included restraints (one for each wrist, one for each ankle), plus a bonus… a collar.
The collar, which attaches to the wrist spreader bar, is a delicious added touch. It's something I wouldn't have thought to add, but makes the whole kit ever more delightful and suited to many, many more evenings of debauchery!
The wrist restraints are attached to the ends of the wrist spreader bar (the smaller metal bar of the two in the kit) by spring-loaded clips. I can't get them quite as tight as I'd like on my wrists (I prefer snug bondage), but they definitely hold me without danger of my hands slipping through. There's no escaping these babies! In fact, I'm all secured as I'm typing this… yes… typing while in wrist restraints and spreader bar in the middle is a skill. (*Takes a bow*)
And yes, the ankle restraints are similarly connected to the larger ankle spreader bar on either end with spring-loaded clips of their own.
Both spreader bars are capped on the end so you don't have to worry about getting scraped-up by the metal or your favorite lingerie getting snagged! Do beware, though, that the velcro will catch on lace! So if you're playing with lace lingerie… you've been warned! This kit, therefore, is much better suited to full nudity or pvc/latex/leather get-ups. Just sayin'…
The distance bewteen the wrist spreader bar and the neoprene collar is adjustable, so you can have your hands (or your partner's) restrained with the spreader bar up close to his or her chin or down by his or her knees! Love the flexibility of design here. And if you're in the mood for something different, you can unclip the spreader bar from the collar and attach the wrist restraints directly to it. How cool is that?
It should be noted here that the wrist or ankle restraints could then, just as easily be spring-clipped to the opposite spreader bar, creating a lovely hog-tie in a pinch, with no other tools or accessories needed!
Wrists to ankle bar… ankles to wrist bar. Cross-over or cross-body clipping for more fun. Flip over your partner and do a classic hog-tie with this kit, but let the spreader bars give you added accessibility to all of his or her erogenous zones! After all, what's some kinky fun without being able to get to the naughty bits uninterrupted?
Now having my hands bound and apart is one thing… but not being able to close my legs when my clit is throbbing and my juices are running down my thighs is just fucking delectable. And I can fight and fight against these restraints, and I know I'm always going to lose.
At the same time, this kit wins bonus points for being totally easy to get out of in a snap, if there is a safety issue, a ptsd-trigger or something you need to tend to in real life, like a ringing telephone or the UPS man at the door. Hee. It's safe and effective bondage, secure while your in it, and quick-release for when you need to get out stat. Gotta love that. I do.
Also, it's so user-friendly, that if you're into self-bondage or phone sex or any kind of self-directed kink activities (whether or not others are present with you), you can totally get in and out of this kit by your lonesome, and it will take good good care of you and assist you in reaching the Big O.
It's like having a partner spread your legs and hold 'em nice and open while they tend to your pussy or your cock… It's like when your lover takes your hands away and pins them above your head (yes, you can do that with this kit). But you can do it yourself, in the privacy, comfort & safety of your own space, with your toys or whatever gets you off the hardest.(If you do want to use this to put your hands above your head, I suggest spinning the collar around so that the connector isn't in your face, or simply clipping the wrist restraints directly to the collar and ditching the tiny spreader bar.)
The possibilities with this kit really are endless. Yumm.
The longer spreader bar (for between your ankles) features two D-rings evenly spaced bewteen the ankle restraints that can be used for more bondage fun and alternate positions. You can also use those rings to clip the ankle restraints closer together if the whole bar is too much of a reach for you or your partner.
Remember guys & gals, if you take care of your toys, they take better care of you! Don't let your spreader bar kit fall into disarray. The Velcro will get all tangled up, and it won't be handy when you need it most.
Any self-respecting bondage-slut knows that throbbing bits need what they want when they want it. If you wrap everything up nice & neat, and store it in the included slick black canvas case (complete with lock & two keys), it'll be ready to serve when you need it most!
Overall, this is a great kit. It really is one-size-fits-most, and it's so versatile that it's easily worth the money for those new to bondage and looking to start exploring with something friendly, as well as for advanced hardcore players alike. Give it a go! It stays near the top of my toybox… just wish the canvas bag was a few inches longer so my canes would fit in it, too… Hee.
If you do give it a whirl, tell Pipedream that Bella sent you, and let me know how you like it!
Blissfully yours,
Mistress Bella
Full Disclosure: We did not purchase this product, it was sent to us specifically for review. Our policy is to, regardless of how we acquired a product, review it fairly and openly. No writer for Life On The Swingset will ever deliberately mislead our readers into believing that a product is good because of anything we received from the company. We are open and honest, and cannot be bought or bribed. If we love a product, we'll tell you, if we don't, BELIEVE us, we'll tell you that too. End disclaimer.
