The Classic Bed Bondage sex position is one of the first bondage positions couples explore as soon as they take home a pair of cuffs - and that's because it's so simple and accessible!
To get into this sex position, the bound person should lie flat on their back with their head near the headboard of a bed. The unbound partner will then use a restraint of some type (cuffs are pictured, but any type of restraint including rope or bondage tape could be used) to restrain the bound person's hands above their head to the headboard above them. The unbound partner is then free to come and go as they please* while the restrained person is bound to the bed.
A heavier bondage version of the Classic Bed Bondage position is the Spread Eagle Position, which uses four bondage points and aims to spread the limbs out as far as possible.
*A person in bondage should never be left alone. While the unbound partner can easily move around the room and reposition themselves, they should not leave the bound partner alone in the room at any time.
More About Classic Bed Bondage Sex Position
The Classic Bed Bondage position is one of the first bondage positions that most couples explore. Because it takes place in a familiar space (your bed!) and only requires a single, entry-level item (a single pair of cuffs!), the Classic Bed Bondage position makes bondage seem less threatening than some of the other bondage positions out there (we're looking at you, Hogtie!)
The simple addition of cuffs for the wrists also means that it can be modified to fit the couple. If you and your partner primarily enjoy oral sex, the Classic Bed Bondage position can fit right in. If you and your partner are vaginal sex fiends, the Classic Bed Bondage position fits in there too! If you and your partner simply love cuddle sessions while frotting and watching porn together, the Classic Bed Bondage position can fit in there too.
The simplicity of the Classic Bed Bondage position means that it can meet a couple where they're already at and while doing the things they already love. With a minimal investment (just the cost of the cuffs!), this can be one of the most seamless ways to add bondage into the bedroom for the first time. (And, when you're experienced, it's a simple, no fuss way to add bondage without needing to dig into the bondage toybox!)
Challenges With the Bed Bondage Sex Position
The biggest hurdle most couples will face is their choice of bed frame. As pictured, this bondage sex position requires a headboard with designs that could function as bondage points. As design trends move away from the column-based headboard, however, many couples may find themselves without a headboard that offers this functionality.
All is not lost! There are quite a few ways to pull off the spirit of this position without the metal bed frame:
- The Under-the-Bed Restraint system uses a webbing of straps under the mattress. These straps come up from underneath the mattress, using your body weight on top of the mattress to keep them in place. This can be used to fasten the hands to the bed. The Liberator Black Label Wedge includes bondage points on either side of the sex furniture. Simply use the Wedge as a pillow and take advantage of the cuffs being right there. (The Assisted Queen offers an easy visual to understand this.)
- A spreader bar could be laid underneath a pillow with ends of the spreader bar sticking out near the hands of the bound person, where cuffs could be attached.
- If your bed frame has feet but no headboard, tethers or chains can use the feet as a bondage point - and lead up to the wrist cuffs on the bed to attach the bound partner.
- The wrists can simply be held up above the head and fastened together with standard bondage cuffs. There's no reason you have to attach them to any household bondage point.
Bed Bondage and Accessibility
Because this bondage sex position takes place on your already-familiar bed and simply requires a limb (or two) raised above the head, this is one of the most accessible bondage positions for people with chronic pain or disabilities. Any aids that are normally used to make the bed more comfortable are welcome within this position including heating pads, sex furniture, bolsters, nasal cannulas, and more.
Bound partners with partial or complete paralysis may also find the Classic Bed Bondage position to be approachable. The bound partner can simply lie back on their familiar bed and participate in ways that are most comfortable to them. This may be especially helpful for people who are paralyzed or those who are with a new or unfamiliar lover. Their usual adaptive bed assistance products can make it easier to get into the bed safely and comfortably with less assistance from an unfamiliar person.
Anyone who lives with chronic illness or chronic pain may also appreciate the Classic Bed Bondage position. The soft surface of the bed partnered with the need for minimal movement can allow someone who mentally wants to enjoy intimacy - but is in physical pain - to use the pain-relief aids they need in order to enjoy themselves. Heating pads, TENS units, medical vibration devices, cooling pads, compression devices, and more can all be worn while lying bound in this position. Both partners can simply avoid disturbing the pain relief device (like they'd want to do anyway!) while still enjoying the position.
Remember: for whatever reason, you do not have to raise both hands to the top of the bed for the Classic Bed Bondage position. You can simply restrain one hand. If shoulder mobility or your body finds discomfort in the overhead position, a set of tethers means you can move the hands almost anywhere near the top half of the bed while still maintaining the bound position.
And if that doesn't work, consider scrapping the bed-based bondage point all-together! The wrists can be bound to one another while lying on top of the bound person's abdomen, or they can simply be held at the side for mental bondage with cuffs encircling the wrists for additional sensation.
Because this bondage position is so versatile, it can work for a huge range of coupled activities. If you prefer your bondage to be non-sexual, no sexual activity is required. If your partner is soothed by bondage while cuddling or doing other activities, you both can simply cuddle and watch TV.
It's also fantastic for activities that focus on the bound partner because it leaves the unbound partner with full movement while the bound partner's lower body is fully available and mobile. Cock worship, pussy worship, orgasm denial, edging, or orgasm torture all pair well with this position. The unbound partner can also use a sex toy on the bound partner to provide an orgasm.
Although it's located on top of your bed, we do not recommend sleeping in the Classic Bed Bondage position. Keeping the hands above the head for long periods of time will become uncomfortable, it may be possible to attempt to roll in their sleep and accidentally pull a shoulder muscle.
