{"id":301,"date":"2013-10-30T06:55:08","date_gmt":"2013-10-30T06:55:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/?p=301"},"modified":"2026-03-05T17:44:55","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T16:44:55","slug":"basics-bondage-beginners","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/basics-bondage-beginners\/","title":{"rendered":"The Basics of Bondage for Beginners"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Listen to this article:<\/strong><\/p>\n<!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-301-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/The-Basics-of-Bondage-for-Beginners.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/The-Basics-of-Bondage-for-Beginners.mp3\">https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/The-Basics-of-Bondage-for-Beginners.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/author\/lauriemintz\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"doctor-banner alignnone wp-image-47728 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/laurie-mintz-doctor-review-banner-white.jpg\" alt=\"lelo laurie mintz doctor review\" width=\"270\" height=\"90\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>If the word \u2018bondage\u2019 fills your mind\u2019s eye with shocking images of leather masks, uncomfortable looking spikes and being locked away in a dark cellar somewhere in central Europe, you, along with almost everybody in Hollywood it seems, have probably slightly misunderstood what bondage actually is.<\/p>\n<p>Bondage is the idea of enjoying sexual gratification through the act of being restrained. All that other stuff is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/six-myths-about-bdsm-debunked-by-science\/\">BDSM (or Bondage and Discipline with Sadomasochism if you will)<\/a> and, put simply, the difference between bondage and BDSM is with bondage, you can enjoy the gain but without the pain.<\/p>\n<p>For this reason bondage is fast becoming one of the most popular ways for couples to spice up their sex lives and now that we\u2019ve helped clear up exactly what it is, let\u2019s take a look at the five best ways you can begin to explore the naughty side you never even knew you had.<\/p>\n<h2>Tip #1: Take It Slow<\/h2>\n<p>Although bondage is on the lighter side of risqu\u00e9, it\u2019s still a step up from what even the British Medical Journal refers to as \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/2019-sex-survey\/\">vanilla sex<\/a>\u2019 so we recommend you take it easy at first.<\/p>\n<p>The popularity of bondage toys has skyrocketed over the last couple of years; the use of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/intima-silk-blindfold-review\/\">blindfold<\/a> stops the wearer from seeing what is happening and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/get-tied-down-an-illustrated-guide-to-the-top-5-handcuffed-sex-positions\/\">cuffs<\/a> prevent them from moving. This sensory deprivation \u2013 which is of course one of the best and most important aspects of bondage \u2013 can be a little unsettling for newbies.<\/p>\n<p>Taking your time and moving through the gears not only reassures the restrained partner, it\u2019s also a wonderfully tantalizing way to tease them to even greater excitement. Despite what <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/lelo-50-shades-grey\/\">Fifty Shades of Grey<\/a> might say, there\u2019s plenty of time for wheels, chains and dungeons once you\u2019ve got the basics down to a science.<\/p>\n<h2>Tip #2: Trust Your Partner<\/h2>\n<p>A typical bondage session consists of two \u2018players,\u2019 a top and a bottom.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/role-call-what-are-different-kinds-dominants-submissives\/\">Tops are the dominant partner<\/a>, the one who instigates and takes control of the session; bottoms are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/what-makes-a-good-submissive\/\">submissive<\/a> and generally on the receiving end of whatever the top has in mind. Players who like to swap from top to bottom either mid-session but more usually session by session, are known as switches.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you\u2019re a top, a bottom or a switch, being able to fully <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/importance-trust-bdsm\/\">trust your partner<\/a> at all times is paramount to successful bondage for the simple reason that this person is either going to tie you up, or let you tie them up, so playing with someone you know won\u2019t bend the rules half-way through will help you to relax and enjoy the game all the more.<\/p>\n<h2>Tip #3: Plan B<\/h2>\n<p>Those of us who\u2019ve seen Eurotrip \u2013 or indeed any other misleading bondage offerings that grace our screens from time to time \u2013 will be familiar with the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/deciding-hard-limits-safe-words\/\">idea of a safe word<\/a> but, due to the lighter nature of bondage this probably isn\u2019t necessary, unless you really want to err on the side of caution, which is absolutely never a bad idea.<\/p>\n<p>Whether you decide to use a safe word or not, things such as spare keys are an important part of your back-up plan, as nobody wants to have to call a locksmith to explain why they\u2019re chained half-naked to the bed post.<\/p>\n<h2>Tip #4: Remember It\u2019s a Game<\/h2>\n<p>If you\u2019re having a go at bondage you\u2019re presumably looking to have a little fun exploring something that you haven\u2019t tried before and it\u2019s important to remember that, as with all the good stuff that goes on in the bedroom, the top priority should be exactly that; having fun. You can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/fit-tied-7-new-role-play-ideas-incorporate-bondage\/\">explore a new persona through role playing<\/a> if that feels like a more comfortable way to let your freaky flag fly.<\/p>\n<p>Staying relaxed, going with the flow, being respectful to your partner and being prepared for the fact that everything might not go exactly according to plan will increase your chances of a successful introduction to the kinky club, adding an exciting edge to your sex life that will always keep your lover guessing.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Enjoy 15% off <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">LELO.com<\/a> with code <span style=\"color: #800080;\">VOLONTE15<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Listen to this article: If the word \u2018bondage\u2019 fills your mind\u2019s eye with shocking images of leather masks, uncomfortable looking spikes and being locked away in a dark cellar somewhere in central Europe, you, along with almost everybody in Hollywood it seems, have probably slightly misunderstood what bondage actually is. Bondage is the idea of enjoying sexual gratification through the act of being restrained. All that other stuff is BDSM (or Bondage and Discipline with Sadomasochism if you will) and, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":42403,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[918],"tags":[1215,909,575,637,99],"coauthors":[950,943],"class_list":["post-301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bdsm","tag-audio-article","tag-fact-checked-by-doctor","tag-kinky-sex","tag-sex-tips","tag-bondage"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.8.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Tips for Beginners Who Want to Explore Sexual Bondage<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With all the excitement of BDSM but slightly easier on the joints, bondage is fast becoming the new way for couples to get kinky.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/basics-bondage-beginners\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Tips for Beginners Who Want to Explore Sexual Bondage\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With all the excitement of BDSM but slightly easier on the joints, bondage is fast becoming the new way for couples to get kinky.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/basics-bondage-beginners\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Volont\u00e9\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LELO.Official\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2013-10-30T06:55:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-05T16:44:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/bondage-for-beginners.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"425\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Katy Thorn, Dr. Laurie Mintz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@Lelo_Official\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@Lelo_Official\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Katy Thorn, Dr. Laurie Mintz\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/basics-bondage-beginners\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/basics-bondage-beginners\/\",\"name\":\"Tips for Beginners Who Want to Explore Sexual Bondage\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/basics-bondage-beginners\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/basics-bondage-beginners\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/bondage-for-beginners.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2013-10-30T06:55:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-05T16:44:55+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/68fd3f91f3030cf2e5f30b74d1b3026d\"},\"description\":\"With all the excitement of BDSM but slightly easier on the joints, bondage is fast becoming the new way for couples to get kinky.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/basics-bondage-beginners\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/basics-bondage-beginners\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/basics-bondage-beginners\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/bondage-for-beginners.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/bondage-for-beginners.jpeg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":425,\"caption\":\"beginners bondage guide\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/basics-bondage-beginners\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Volonte\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Sex Tips &amp; 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