Bondage gear is designed to restrict a person's freedom as part of sex play. Bondage & BDSM gear ranges from mild items to extreme. The standard kinds of bondage gear include restraints, ropes, chains, cages, hand cuffs, wrist cuffs, ankle cuffs, thigh cuffs, waist belts, breast harnesses, chastities, gags, blindfolds, helmets, and full body devices. Closely related are discipline devices such as whips and paddles. Serious bondage fans often have elaborate custom made costumes, toys, gear, and furniture. Bondage gear can be made from a variety of materials, including cloth, velcro, rope, leather, wood, or metal.
In light bondage, a person is lightly restrained. This can include such things as tying a person up with silk or ropes or a simple blindfold. In light bondage, the person in bondage can normally escape from the bondage on their own. The purpose of light bondage is to give the sensation of giving up control.
In heavy bondage, a person is more seriously restrained. This can include ropes, chains, cuffs, leather, and all kinds of specialty gear. In heavy bondage, the person in bondage cannot normally escape on his or her own.
The person performing the bondage is called the dominant or dom. If the dominant is a woman, then she might be called a femme dom, dominatrix, or mistress. If the dominant is a man, then he might be called master. The person upon whom the bondage is performed is called a submissive, sub, or slave. A person who does both is called a switch.
S&M stands for sadism and masochism (sometimes called sado-masochism). B&D stands for bondage and discipline.
Before using bondage or BDSM toys, you should be familiar with bondage safety. People can and have died from bondage that went wrong. There are several excellent books that discuss bondage safety for beginners. It is strongly recommended that you read one before trying out bondage on your own. | 
