UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2022: The Tom of Finland Neoprene Ankle Cuffs are no longer sold at SheVibe. Instead, you can get the same functionality and features with the Tom of Finland Neoprene Wrist Cuffs with Lock or Tom of Finland Neoprene Collar with Lock. This restraints review remains as a reference for anyone who is curious about it.
Perfect for liquid scenes or messy play that might be hard to clean up from leather cuffs, the Tom of Finland Neoprene Ankle Cuffs with Lock are neoprene-material cuffs designed to bind the ankles. The cuffs are entirely made from neoprene and metal with no leather or other materials (which makes for easy clean-up!) These ankle cuffs adjust from 7″ to 11″ in length, and the cuffs include a locking buckle. Along with the cuffs, this set of neoprene ankle cuffs also comes with a Tom of Finland-branded high-quality locks and three keys that are compatible with the locks. The locks can be used in the locking cuff buckles or it can be used to hold the two cuff’s D-rings together.
The Tom of Finland Neoprene Ankle Cuffs with Locks come in an interesting Tom of Finland blister-pack packaging. It’s not impossible to get the cuffs out of the package- though it is a bit challenging. The most stand-out thing about the packaging is definitely – well – the lack of discretion on it. Both the front and the back of the packaging features a large illustrated drawing of three men having sex – including three very-prominent dicks. (Well-drawn dicks, but still) Inside of the packaging, in addition to the cuffs, you’ll also receive a complimentary “collector card” of this drawing.
While this isn’t a problem, you *should* be aware of it before purchasing the cuffs for use as a gift or something. If your gift-recipient is easily scared off, well, this packaging is easily the most-explicit kink packaging I’ve ever seen. A couple of packages in the past have had a “sensual” look to them – but none quite as explicit as straight-up pornography.
That being said, in case you didn’t know, Tom of Finland is/was the pseudonym of a very-famous homoerotic artist. The artist has been called “one of the most influential creators of gay pornographic images”. So, with that in mind, the packaging is likely designed to be an homage to the namesake of the company. But that’s not necessarily a commonly-known fact, so, like everything else out there: just be aware of the packaging’s intense lack of discretion when purchasing the cuffs. It doesn’t affect the cuffs in the slightest, but it might affect how you gift them.
One of the large benefits of this set of cuffs is the neoprene material. Neoprene is this lovely compromise point between “leather” and “crappy felt cuffs”. Why? Well, it can feel sturdy enough and high-quality enough to “feel” like good, high-quality cuffs (unlike those felt cuffs), but it’s also not such a temperamental material that it might be hard to clean (like leather). Neoprene can get wet. Neoprene bounces back from being washed with soap with no problem. Neoprene can be covered in bodily fluids – and then thoroughly cleaned afterwards without destroying or degrading your cuffs.
That’s definitely one of the biggest selling points of the Tom of Finland Neoprene Ankle Cuffs with Locks. In particular, these cuffs are going to be fantastic for people who are rough on their cuffs, mess-wise, or people who intend on having intense sessions between multiple people that include bodily fluids or water. Especially if you plan on doing lots of sweating, lots of lubricant, or lots of watersports or other bodily fluids, having a set of Neoprene cuffs is going to be fantastic. Where-as a watersports wetting scene (with urine running down the legs and onto ankle cuffs) might begin to degrade leather pretty quickly (and might be hard to clean up!), these Tom of Finland neoprene ankle cuffs are going to be much more forgiving – especially if you clean them somewhat quickly after your messy scene is over.
Including the material, these ankle cuffs are pretty well-made. The internal ring of fabric of the cuff is made from a softer, plushier neoprene while the external layer is much more sturdy and rigid. All of the layers are well-stitched together, and the single D-ring has riveting on both sides of the D-ring to provide extra support. The cuff feels nice and smooth along the outer material and nice and plushy along the inner material. It’s a good mixture that works really well for a cuff – and makes them pretty darn comfortable for wear too. These should hold up to some pretty intense play – femdom or otherwise – and won’t be uncomfortable while doing it.
My only complaint about the design is the small “Tom of Finland” plaque that each cuff has. It’s relatively unnecessary and it adds another surface that needs to be cleaned around. Most cuff companies get away with an internal fabric tag – or no branding at all – so this is slightly frustrating. On the bright side of this, the edges of this plaque have been nicely sanded and rounded down, so no matter how much I’ve attempted to drag the cuff’s plaque against my skin for any type of pain or scratching, it doesn’t work. So it’s not too much of a safety concern during play.
In addition to the high-quality, these cuffs also come equipped with locking buckle mechanisms. Both of the buckles include a small hole that a small lock can be slipped into. By slipping a lock into this little hole, you make it impossible to pull the strap out of the buckling mechanism – effectively “locking” the ankle cuff onto your captive. The included Tom of Finland lock does fit through this locking mechanism, but you’ll likely need “Mini” sized locks from the home improvement store (versus regular/large locks) outside of the Tom of Finland brand.
In addition to the cuffs themselves, your purchase will also come with two Tom of Finland locks and 3 corresponding keys. I’m actually super impressed by these lock and key sets. These are not your typical “comes with keys” junk. They feel like high-quality brand-name locks from the home improvement store – but with the Tom of Finland logo on them. Most “comes with keys and locks” sets I’m quick to toss into the garbage. These seem amazingly high-quality, and we’ve used them for a month (regularly) without any issues. These will likely make it into my regular lock rotation – and the keys and the locks are very distinct which are going to make them so easy to pick out from all of my other lock and key sets.
In fact, the Tom of Finland locks and key sets can be purchased all on their lonesome, so obviously, other people are just as enamored with their included “lock and keys” as I am. It’s definitely a very awesome added bonus. You can use the locks to lock the cuffs’ included D-rings together. You could also choose to use the locks threaded through one of the locking buckles to lock one of the cuffs onto your captive’s ankle. It’s entirely up to you. Though more locks can always increase your available options.
In addition to looking pretty sexy on their own, it’s worth mentioning the obvious: these Tom of Finland neoprene ankle cuffs are a pretty standard black design – which might make them perfect for matching any other kink gear you have around. If you’re really particular on how well your pieces match, you’ll be glad to know that Tom of Finland also makes a matching set of wrist cuffs. They look exactly like these – but only with a bit smaller length.
Luckily, like most neoprene, these cuffs will be easy to clean. That’s really their biggest selling point. The material can be easily wiped down and cleaned after every use. Bodily fluids? Sweat? No biggie. Wiping the cuffs down with a slightly damp washcloth is a good regular cleaning option, but if you end up getting those aforementioned messes on here, I’d go with a more thorough clean with warm water and anti-bacterial soap. Unlike leather and other delicate materials, these cuffs can be cleaned up pretty thoroughly (and pretty easily!) which makes them a fantastic choice when you think there might be messes.
Keep in mind that not all of the cuffs are neoprene. For example, you still have to deal with the metal rivets and the metal buckle of the cuffs. While this isn’t the end of the world, those are spots where a bit of mold or moisture could get stuck (leading to problems down the line) if you aren’t careful. For that reason, make sure the cuffs are fully dry before throwing them into storage – and if you have the time, take a bit of extra time to dry the metal areas with a soft towel before putting them away when possible too.
Overall, I’m really, really fond of the Tom of Finland Neoprene Ankle Cuffs with Locks. They’re really nice quality, clean up nicely, and the added locks and keys weren’t thrown in as an “afterthought” – they’re actually pretty great quality too. This experience with the Tom of Finland’s ankle cuffs has led me to check out some of the other Tom of Finland’s products – so yes, it’s a really good pair of cuffs, and I’d highly recommend them. If you plan on using them for messy fun, they’re fantastic for easy cleaning – just make sure you’re especially careful about cleaning the details and drying.
