Sex and Mischief Cross Cuffs review: A unique must-have for your BDSM collection

Kim’s Rating: 5/5 

Pros: Attractive, easy to use, affordable, adjustable, versatile

Cons: Elastic will likely wear out after lots of use

Overview

The Sex and Mischief Cross Cuffs are a BDSM toy that combine elastic and faux leather for an easy-to-use, secure wrist restraint. They are designed to hold the wrists crossed in front of, above, or behind the body, rather than side by side as with standard cuff restraints. They’re pretty unique in this regard. I don’t think I’ve seen any other restraint toys that operate quite like this! I really liked them for ease of use and the novelty of how they are constructed.

How to use the Sex and Mischief Cross Cuffs

The cuffs have two parts: elastic cuffs to get the wrists comfortably in place, and pleather straps to secure them together. The wearer slips their hands into the elastic cuffs, then their partner tightens the straps. The straps use a D-ring mechanism to tighten, rather than a buckle, which I found to be quicker and easier. It didn’t require as much fiddling as a buckle, and was very easy to adjust to the exact size needed. 

Design and appearance

The Sex and Mischief Cross Cuffs are red and black, which is an appealing color scheme for BDSM play. The elastic cuffs are black, the straps are dark red, and in the front, there is a red pleather “X” holding the whole thing together. They look very sleek when worn.

The design is also practical. As stated above, they’re easy to get on and off (though you will need a partner’s help). The materials appear to be durable; everything is held together with iron alloy rivets and rings. Since the cuffs use elastic, they will probably eventually wear out; however, the straps would still easily hold the wrists in place even without super-tight cuffs.

Unboxing and packaging

I received these cuffs from The Sex Shed, and their packaging was discreet. It came in a manila envelope with no indication as to what was inside. Upon opening, the product box was in good shape - no damage during shipping.

The product itself comes in a cardboard box featuring an image of the cuffs being worn. On the back of the box, the instructions, materials, and features are listed. The cuffs themselves were in the box with no additional packaging. This was not a problem, because they aren’t particularly breakable.

Cleaning and maintenance

Since the Sex and Mischief Cross Cuffs are not meant to be used on the genitals or internally, minimal cleaning is required. They are made from plastic, metal, and polyester, so they can be rinsed off; the packaging doesn’t say anything about soap, but I imagine a gentle castile wash would be fine. Make sure you dry it thoroughly, because you don’t want the iron parts getting rusty!

User experience

These cuffs were very comfortable! The wide elastic wrist cuffs protect your wrists from the pleather straps, so they don’t dig into your skin. They are fully adjustable and can be tightened to your exact preferred size. They have two extra d-rings, as well as a central o-ring, to attach other cuffs or restraints to (i.e. hog ties or carabiners), so you can create combinations of restraints easily.

Getting them on and off by yourself would be difficult, so these cuffs are definitely for use with a partner. It may take a few minutes to learn, since you don’t typically see toys with D-ring closures on the market, but it’s not hard at all once you read the instructions.

Price

At under $30, these cuffs are not expensive at all for the quality. They are pleather, rather than leather, so if you are a leather enthusiast they aren’t the toy for you. But for most purposes, these cuffs are cost-effective and a great value for what you get.

Final word

This product exceeded my expectations! You never know what you’re going to get with lower-priced BDSM supplies, but I was very happy with these. They have a secure hold while being very comfortable. They can also be used in a variety of positions - behind or in front of the body, or above the head. It would be easy to connect them to a pair of ankle cuffs to create a hogtie, or to attach them to a rig or cross with a carabiner. Just please don’t use them for suspension - you need specialized equipment for that!

They’re very attractive, and gender-neutral, which I appreciate. I feel they’d be appropriate for beginners and advanced BDSM practitioners alike, since they’re easy to get on and off while maintaining a secure hold. If you’re into restraints, the Sex and Mischief Cross Cuffs would be an excellent addition to your toy collection. Since Sex and Mischief has a pretty sizeable line of affordable BDSM supplies, it would be easy to get other matching items to create a visually-cohesive set.,

Click here to get these cuffs or explore the whole sex handcuffs category should these become out of stock.

Review written by: @kimadamskieducator

Kim Adamski is a Connecticut-based sexual health educator with 15 years of experience creating safe, conversational learning spaces, recognized as Black Noise Magazine's 2026 Kink Educator of the Year and credentialed as a Licensed Community Health Worker and Certified HIV Testing Counselor.