Bamboo bondage rope is something I have NEVER played with before, but is something I am exceptionally happy to have now tested. Initial testing has found bamboo bondage rope to be fucking delightful, both for myself as the bondage Top, and for my partner as the bottom. More details below.
I got offered a free sample of rope by my affiliate partner Twisted Monk. I’ve really liked the rope that I purchased from them in the past, and have been considering getting more in future, and then I got an opportunity to select a wee sample kit. Nearly in time for Christmas, so why the fuck not? I figured it would make a great present to myself.
I decided to order a kit of exotic bamboo rope I thought I could do quite a bit with. Very small, very simple, but able to do a range of different rope bondage scenes.
The free sample was only as much as one could get with 100 USD, so I went for a kit of two lengths of 20 ft, and two lengths of 10 ft. The idea behind this is to be able to do a hip harness with additional bondage on the wrists, or two minimalist leg ties, or maybe a chest harness if I added enough rope together.
Why Would I Choose Bamboo Rope?
Because bamboo rope is supposed to be super soft and silky, without actually being silk.Some say it’s even softer than silk. It’s also reputed to have anti-bacterial properties, making it a slightly more hygienic rope to play with. So it’s exotic, silky soft, and antibacterial….
Making it a fantastic bedroom rope.
I also got some Twisted Monk rope soap… I figured I might need to wash this rope regularly. For reasons.
Delivery
Delivery did actually take awhile. But… I did order close to Christmas, so that is very likely to have been a factor. I think it was roughly two weeks. The package arrived looking like any old standard package, nothing on it to indicate it had a naughty nature.
And here is the actual rope and rope care kit that I ordered! 😀
The Bamboo Rope Test
We ran through a “practice tying session” over clothes where I took pictures, and then had an actual rope scene with this new bamboo bondage rope. Mostly because playing with it was unexpectedly delicious, and we got a bit hot and bothered.
In the hand, this rope feels heavy and very soft. A hank of it feels quite floppy when you’re used to more rigid ropes like tossa jute or hemp, but the softness carries a feel of delicious sensual luxury.
The dye colour is AMAZING. It’s incredibly vivid, perfectly dyed, all the way through.
Much like the last rope I got from Twisted Monk, this rope comes nicely whipped with tight, professional bindings, keeping it intact and unlikely to unravel.
And then there’s the texture. It’s so incredibly smooth and silky to tie with! The friction is lowered, so that makes it a very fast rope to tie with.
There’s very little likelihood of friction burn, so I was able to tie very quickly and a bit roughly, with less concern than usual for potential abrasion or roughing up my partner’s skin. I had her run it as fast as she could over my forearm, and there was only a mild heat, making it a very safe rope in terms of potential friction burn or abrasion.
As I tied my partner, I very much enjoyed the experience, and so did she. We tested tying over skin and over clothing. She found a great deal of sensory enjoyment in running her fingers over each of the finished bands. She said “It felt like a gentle, sexy hug”.
One of the things that I found quite surprising was just how shiny it was, too. When you cluster bands together, as in the above photo, there’s a lot of reflection of sunlight. It wasn’t an especially bright day. And I’ve actually had to lower the saturation of the images because of just how bright the dye was. It’s damn good, very comparable to the nylon rope I reviewed previously.
I wondered if my model was getting the same degree of shininess from the rope as I was. Was it just the angle of the sunlight? Turns out nope. It was just as shiny from her point of view as well.
We did find that it sheds a few fibers as we tied. I’m uncertain as to whether that will persist; it is very new rope, so that’s not tremendously surprising. It may also be something that reduces with washing. That may be a “wait and see” thing.
I tested running vibrations through it with my Doxy. It’s not as good for transmitting vibration as say, jute or hemp, but it still works well.
The whole kit of four lengths definitely worked out much as I’d envisioned. Easily able to do a hip harness and then add some additional bondage to the wrists as well.
Durability
I don’t think I would describe this as a “hard wearing” rope. That’s not what it’s built for.
It’s very smooth, fast, and delicious to tie with, but it’s not going to last for years and years if I’m tying regularly with it. Let’s say I tied with it two to three times a week… I think I’d probably need to get a new kit in about two years. I expect it’s going to get looser and fuzzier over time, and begin to fray.
I would cheerfully describe this as the “lingerie of rope”. It looks and feels sexy as fuck, but you want to be a bit gentle with it.
Washing Your Bamboo Rope
After you’re done tying with it, you just take a small amount of rope soap, and handwash the rope in a bucket or basin with cold water. Agitate the rope in the water with your hands for awhile, squeeze out the soap and water, rinse under cold water, and you’re done.
I actually quite liked the rope soap. It’s a thin liquid with no scent, so it doesn’t leave the rope smelling of anything, and does a good job of sudsing it up.
I dried my rope under light tension in the garage to make sure it kept its shape, because that’s what I tend to do with natural fiber ropes.
That turned out to be a mistake when applied to bamboo rope, though.
It’s better to hang it in loose coils, and make sure when you wash it, you do so gently. I may have manhandled mine a bit more roughly than I needed to, and it actually lost some shape and got a bit looser.
Mistakes were made. Lessons were learned.
There’s no such thing as “too gently” when it comes to washing bamboo rope.
How I’d Choose To Use Bamboo Rope
After testing…
It’s exactly right for what I initially chose to get it for. Bedroom bondage play. In fact, it’s fucking amazing for that. If you’re playing in a sexual or sensual way, this is delightful.
In terms of shibari work, you can definitely still do that, but due to the softness and reduced friction, I wouldn’t necessarily expect friction bindings to work as well. You might want to add a hitch or two more than usual, or finish with a knot.
I wouldn’t use it for suspension, even partial suspension. It would probably work okay for tying wrists above the head, but the stresses involved in suspension are very likely to reduce the working lifespan of this rope considerably, and accelerate the fraying process.
That’s an educated guess of an opinion, but as a rope top handling it, I’m inclined to avoid that sort of wear and tear for this rope.
One thing I really do love about this rope is that the softness is very useful for tying over sensitive areas.
Not what you’re thinking, you delightful pervert you… although that’s true too! I tested it very successfully 😀
My model has sensitive shins, so tying over the lower legs is something I would normally be quite careful with. I’d add extra wraps to spread out the pressure, tie quite carefully and smoothly, etc.
With this rope, I could smoothly do a standard calf binding with no extra wraps and no extra effort into tying smoothly, because this rope is MADE for tying smoothly. She was incredibly comfortable.
Final Thoughts
I fucking loved playing with this rope, and so did my partner. She was very enthusiastic, and is looking forward to being tied in it again.
I’m happy with my current kit for bedroom ties; four lengths, two of twenty feet, and two of 10 feet.
When it wears out, I’m fully intending to replace it with yet more bamboo bondage rope, because I fucking love that boudoir feeling of it. It’s a very rich, sexy, luxurious feeling, and it’s a pleasure to tie with.
Speaking of boudoir, I should really use this stuff in a boudoir photoshoot sometime… that would be fun.
Would 100% recommend bamboo bondage rope for beginners, for sexy, sensual play in the bedroom, or for anyone who has sensitive skin and prefers a really nice, soft rope, which still has enough firmness and authority to add that delicious element of power play.
