I’ve long since lost track of how many kinks I have, and often find myself in kink stores (or online shopping), realizing that yes, I want that. And that, and that, and that. But then I inspect the items closer and my shopping list starts to shrink – this is leather, that is suede; and between my sensory disability, my frequently tight wallet, and being mostly-vegan, I try to buy vegan products as often as I can.
In my day-to-day life, this isn’t a big deal. It’s fairly easy to find vegan alternatives for everything from food to cosmetics to clothing these days!
In the fetish isle, though…..? Not quite so simple.
Once you’ve pushed past the five hundred rows of leather, you’re left with a couple small handfuls of…well…frequently things that either are rubbish quality, or they don’t look pretty, or both.
This has steadily been changing as more and more companies such as Stockroom have released vegan lines, and I love every time I see a new one pop up! Stockroom recently released two different vegan kink lines; their Vondage (synthetic leather) and their Silicone lines, and they are phenomenal. In this review, I’m comparing and contrasting why you should buy one line vs the other, in part two (scheduled for October 6) I will be reviewing the individual items that I have from each line.
Silicone Line
There isn’t much in this line yet; wrist and ankle cuffs, three gags (bit, ball, and bone), and a very large collar. There’s definitely room for it to grow – I’d love to see a smaller collar, a strap-on harness, maybe a hogtie and definitely a posture collar, for starts! But I digress.
The first things I noticed when unwrapping these is that they are substantial and they feel fantastic. The silicone is thick and silky (it feels like Tantus‘s Twist does and I’m swooning all over the place), it’s flexible, and it feels like you’re not going ANYwhere in them. All of the buckles are fitted with places to put locks (sold separately). They also have delightful attention to detail – there’s fake stitches built into the silicone’s design as if it was sewn together like the average bondage item would be.
This line is built for people who are larger; the collar fits necks that are 14 1/2″ – 20″, ankle cuffs fitting 6″ – 11″, wrists that are 5″ – 10″. My 6’8″ lover tends to have a hard time finding gear that fits his frame; these fit people larger than he is. Which is great! But if you’re built like me or smaller, double-check your measurements. I got the ankle cuffs but not the wrist ones; when I wear the ankle cuffs on my wrists, I have about an inch and a half more space than I’d prefer. That said, the way that the silicone doubles over on itself means that, even though the silicone has a bit of a give/stretch to it, I’m confident that it couldn’t stretch in a way that will make the cuff slip off, even though it’s a little large on me.
This line is made entirely from food grade silicone and metal (Nickel plating/Brass/Zinc/Steel), so they are exceptionally easy to clean it between partners or uses. I took this line with me to the dungeons at Dark Odyssey Summer Camp 1 when I threw a trans play party as I knew multiple people would be going in and out of them and I can thoroughly clean these to the proper degree in about a minute, so it was easy to pass them around without worrying what I may be passing with them.
Pros:
- Quick bondage that looks good and feels very secure
- Bondage that’s easy to escape (the silicone essentially jumps apart when you unhook it)
- Something that’s easy to clean quickly
- Comfortably fits folks with larger bodies
- Super comfortable
- Decently breathable
- Fairly affordable! Prices (currently) range from $30-48 USD
Cons:
- Those with small builds
- The cuffs/collar are a bit fiddly to get on, especially if using one hand
- Limited selection in this line
Vondage Line
The Vondage line is much better stocked! There are ankle and wrist cuffs, a collar, a bit and a ball gag, a muzzle (OH BOY I CANNOT WAIT TO TELL YOU MY FEELINGS ABOUT THIS. Suffice to say, I have found a strong new fetish), a hog tie, strap-on harness, cock ring, polyfleece-lined blindfold, and leash.
These feel very similar to thin leather, and I was a bit worried that I wouldn’t like them because of that. My initial thought was that they seemed thin, flimsy, like they wouldn’t support me, let alone properly restrain my larger, stronger playmates.
Well.
I was quite wrong.
And I am quite pleased about this.
You can grab the straps and stretch as hard as you can and pull in opposite directions, but the material barely warps at all. It holds up under mock tests and actual scene tests, too, which is what matters most.
The first couple times I used this line, it acted like a brand new red shirt and bled all over my lover’s skin, leaving him stained with this black/blue colouring that washed off easily enough, thankfully. Not a big deal in our case, but be on the lookout if you’re a person who would have to explain bondage stains!
Like the silicone line, the Vondage one is on the large side, though the sizes are not the same (collar fits 15″ – 20″, ankle cuffs are 6″ – 12.5″, wrist cuffs fit 5.5″ – 8″).
The Vondage line is made out of “vegan microfiber material”, which basically boils down to “fake leather” and can be cleaned with a damp wash cloth and hand soap (dry completely). It takes more time to clean than the silicone line, but no more than a real leather product would.
Like the silicone gear, the Vondage is equipped with locks on every buckle…there are many more buckles, though. The cuffs and collar are designed to wrap around itself several times (depending on your build), layering in a way that is slow and intense – the cuffs take me about a minute and a half each to put on or take off. So I’ve fallen in love with them for certain types of scenes; scenes where you want to draw out the tension and slowly amp up the intensity. Scenes with a lot of adrenaline and fear and rewards/punishments. But on the flip side, if you’re new to kink or being tied up, these might take a bit too long to be ideal for you. They are intense as well, though in a completely different way than the silicone ones.
Pros:
- Super hot for scenes with built-in adrenaline or for a feeling of being helpless (so many locks!)
- Great for those who like the look/feel of leather
- Different from the traditional style of cuffs/collar
- Affordable; prices ranging from $12-105 USD, most items under $34
- Comfortably fits larger bodies
- Surprisingly breathable; doesn’t build up sweat under the material
Cons:
- Slow to get on and off in emergencies
- Stains your skin for a bit
- Not ideal for smaller folx
Check out their Silicone and Vondage lines and pick up some goodies today!
————————————
Want more like this? Subscribe to my Patreon in order to ensure more quality content!
Notes:
- A kinky camping trip that I went to this summer ↩