Tying with soft restraints

Wrap the soft restraint twice round both limbs and once between them, then finish with a bow rather than a pulled knot.

How it is done

This is the robe belt, the soft scarf, the purpose-made padded cuff — anything wide and soft. Width is the entire safety argument: a wide band spreads the load, a narrow cord concentrates it onto one line of skin, and that is why a phone cable, a shoelace or a bootlace is not a substitute for any of this. Two wraps round the pair, one wrap between them, and finish with a bow. A bow, not a knot, because soft fabric under load welds itself shut and then you are cutting up somebody's dressing gown at the worst possible moment.

What goes wrong with this one

Soft fabric tightens as it is pulled against and does not loosen back off — check it again a minute after it goes on, not only at the moment you tie it.