Bondage tape is a 2-to-3-inch-wide (51 to 76 mm) and 0.0051 in-thick (0.13-millimetre) strip of thin plastic material (PVC in most cases) that adheres only to itself, without any adhesive; it is typically intended to be used in erotic bondage. Since it does not stick to the hair or skin, a bottom can be tightly bound or gagged without causing harm when the tape is removed.[1]
Bondage tape is a versatile part of BDSM gear, and it's suited for beginners and for more experienced BDSM practitioners. It's safe and easy to use, and compared to bondage rope, one does not need to know any bondage knots to use it effectively.
Bondage tape can be used as:[2]
- blindfold
- mouth gag
- handcuffs
- whole body restraint
- body-to-furniture restraint
- lingerie
- breast bondage binding material, used as an alternative to rope when the breasts are small[3]
Some tape is thick enough that it can be unwound, unwrinkled and rewound for reuse, but usually it is simply and quickly removed by cutting it with blunt-tipped scissors.
If the tape is applied relatively flat on the body, the risk of losing circulation is minimal. Unless the top has sufficiently practiced with it, the tape can become easily twisted tight, becoming like plastic string and increasing the possibility of pinching and a loss of circulation.[citation needed]
This type of tape is also commonly used for stretching a body piercing.[4]