Bondage tape can be a blast – we’ve got more than 8 kinky and playful ways to show you how to use bondage tape.
From easy beginner techniques to more advanced & thrilling ideas, there’s something for every level of curiosity and comfort.
What is bondage tape?
Bondage tape is a type of non-sticky, reusable tape used in BDSM and bondage activities. It adheres to itself without sticking to skin or hair, making it popular for safely and comfortably restraining or blindfolding a partner during intimate play.
Bondage tape is incredibly popular within the BDSM community, and for good reason. It’s inexpensive, effective, and generally safer than other kinds of commonly used restraints.
This versatile bit of kit can be used for anything from gagging and blindfolding, right through to making homemade lingerie for a fashion statement with a super sexy twist.
Bondage tape vs rope?
The main advantage of bondage tape over other restraints like rope comes from a safety perspective. With bondage tape, much less of a trace is left on the skin following use, whereas rope always comes with the risk of bruises or abrasions.
Naturally, then, when compared to rope, bondage tape is generally a much better option for beginners, as there are fewer safety concerns to consider. And simply put, tape just hurts less – the rope is a much harsher restraint and is way more likely to leave you feeling sore after your session.
Also, using bondage tape does not require knowledge of any knots. You can just take it out of the box and use it!
Safety first
As with any kind of BDSM play, safety should always be your number one priority.
Though tape is generally safer than rope as the tension created is much more dispersed, there are still some important safety precautions to bear in mind. Here are a few dos and don’ts to help make sure your bondage tape session goes as smoothly as possible.
DO:
- Have a good pair of safety shears (like these) close by at all times, in case your partner needs to be freed from their restraints quickly.
- Make sure you have a safe word that you’re both well aware of. A popular choice is the ‘traffic light system’ as it’s very easy to remember. (Red = stop now, yellow = I’m reaching my limit, green = carry on!)
- Agree upon a ‘safe gesture’ if either of you is going to be gagged or unable to speak for any other reason.
- Check-in with your partner regularly to ensure they’re doing ok, especially if playing with bondage tape is something you’re new to.
DON’T:
- Leave your partner unattended whilst they’re in restraints – whether that be tape, rope or anything else.
- Use any type of tape without carrying out a patch test first to check for allergies or skin sensitivities.
- Skip any of the safety precautions above!
Types of bondage tape
There are a whole host of tapes that can be adapted and used for bondage, but traditional bondage tape is definitely the option we would recommend. After all, it was made specifically for this purpose.
Bondage tape is affordable and reusable, which is great news for both your wallet and your sex life. It also sticks to itself rather than to the skin and is odor and residue-free, meaning there should be a minimal sign of it ever having been in place following play.
However, if you’re interested in researching some different types of tape, here are a few you might want to look into:
- Elastic therapeutic tape (great if you have a latex allergy, but very stretchy so not the best for restraint.)
- Box-sealing tape (super affordable and strong, but can be weakened by sweat or other fluids)
- Electrical tape (very durable, but make sure to get a wider roll – some are quite thin)
- Masking tape (cheap and easy to tear, but you may need a lot of layers)
Of course, there are loads of other tapes available, however many of these are extremely strong or harsh on the skin, and some are just plain impractical. Though there are certainly more than this to be wary of, some of the key tape types to avoid are:
- Floor marking tape
- Grip tape
- Pond liner seam tape
- Road marking tape
- Duct tape
Although there are a range of tape options to try, each with its own unique pros and cons, bondage tape is pretty much always the safest choice (particularly if you’re a little unsure of where to start).
In fact, even those who are experienced in using tape often choose to stick with bondage tape as the best affordable, safe, and effective option!
Where to buy bondage tape?
Most adult stores will stock bondage tape, but we like to get ours from Stockroom or Lovehoney.
It usually costs somewhere between $5 and $15.
How to use bondage tape?
The beauty of bondage tape is without a doubt its versatility. Let’s take a look at a few of the most popular ways to use bondage tape to good use!
Blindfold or mouth gag
Bondage tape is perfectly suited to be used as a blindfold or gag, just be sure to use enough tape to keep it secure. As we mentioned earlier, if your partner is unable to speak, make sure they have a safe gesture you will both recognize.
Hand bondage
Using tape to restrain your partner’s wrists is a great, simple place to start if you’re new to the exciting world of bondage tape. You can tie their wrists together either in front of them or behind them, depending on what position you want them to be in.
To do this, simply wrap the tape around their wrists a few times until the restraint feels nice and secure.
Leg bondage
You can also restrain your partner’s legs. There are so many different ways and positions to do so. For example, you can tie their ankles or thighs together, but you can also connect their upper leg to their lower leg.
This is a simple way to restrain your partner in a bunch of different positions.
Hands and leg bondage
If you’d like to take things a step further, you might decide to restrain your partner’s legs whilst their hands are also tied up. There are a few options here – for example, you could tape their ankles together or to an object (which we will cover in just a moment!)
You could even tape each wrist to an ankle if they’re flexible enough to do this.
Whole body bondage
This is a little more advanced, but using bondage tape for the whole body or hog-tie-type bondage can be amazing. Using tape is a particularly great option if you’d like to try this but are apprehensive about using harsher restraints like a rope to start with.
Bondage tape and furniture
Bondage tape can also be used to secure your partner to pieces of furniture if you like. For example, you could tie their ankles to the end of the bed or their wrists to the headboard.
It all depends on the furniture you have available, of course, but can definitely be a lot of fun to experiment with. Just make sure whatever furniture you choose to incorporate is sturdy and won’t fall onto your partner during play.
Bondage tape and wand
Incorporating toys into your kinky sex or BDSM play can be fun all around, but have you ever considered strapping a wand or vibrator to your partner with some bondage tape and watching them squirm from a distance? This is a great option for a forced orgasm session, too, if that’s something you’re into.
We’d definitely recommend using bondage tape over any other kind of tape for this, as it won’t be as affected by bodily fluids. As always, be sure to have your safety shears nearby, too, in case the sensations get too much for your partner, and never leave the room when they have a toy strapped to them.
Bondage tape as lingerie
Why stick with using your bondage tape for restraint? This nifty piece of kit can be super-hot when used as lingerie. For example, bondage tape can be wrapped around your or your partner’s breasts (start wrapping from the bottom to create a ‘push up’ effect – this will probably be comfier, too).
Make sure to wrap the tape around a few times if you’d like to keep your ‘lingerie’ secure for any length of time. Or for a simple yet tantalizing look, why not create nipple covers from bondage tape? Honestly, the world is your oyster here – pretty much any lingerie looks you fancy can be created from this versatile tape.
Tips for using bondage tape
- When rolling the tape onto your partner, make sure there is 1.2 inches (3cm) of overlay so the tape can stick properly – if there is no overlay it will just fall off.
- For the same reason, if you’re planning to connect two pieces of tape, ensure you have at least 3.9 inches (10cm) of overlay.
- During play or a session, find a place to put your pieces of tape so they’re easily to hand when you need them.
- Rolling back the tape is easier with two people – one to roll the tape and the other to hold it.
- When wrapping with bondage tape, the first loop around doesn’t need to be aesthetically pleasing, so don’t overthink it! Once that first loop is complete, it will become easier to build layers that are more visually pleasing and look how you want them to.
- Also, don’t worry if the tape is loose initially – once it sticks to itself after that first loop, you can start to build up the tension. It doesn’t have to be perfect first-time round.
To sum up, bondage tape is a really great choice for complete beginners and BDSM experts alike. The tape is incredibly versatile and can be used to create everything from blindfolds, gags, and wrist/ankle restraints right through to hog-tie and other full-body restraints. Whatever you’re looking to try out, bondage tape will likely be the perfect sidekick!
Considering its amazing versatility, it’s also a really affordable option. By the time it’s been reused so many times that it needs throwing away, you will have absolutely gotten your money’s worth.
Learn 60 bondage tape positions
There’s only one thing left to do – order your tape and play!
And if you want to explore bondage tape further, get Bondage Tape Guide.
The bondage tape guide has more than 60 unique positions in which you can tie your partner
Each position is explained, step by step, how to get there + with ideas on what you could do in that position.
We took the time to do the research, to try all the positions and filter out the not-so-good ones, and then, after all that we took the photos. All the photos are unique, sexy, and very informative.
From our workshop
[…] Explore bondage tape together. Start by doing pretty, lingerie ties and continue to […]