Entry-Level Straitjacket / Traditional Line

The Asylum
Adventurer

Name: The Asylum Adventurer
Brand: Straitjacket Struggles

Based on tradition.

The Asylum Adventurer is our take on the straitjacket people picture when they hear the word straitjacket: sleek black synthetic leather, traditional straps up the back, institutional-looking, and wonderfully complicated.

Find your size ↓ Read the story ↓

Two models wearing the Asylum Adventurer side by side, showing crossed front sleeves and rear straps.

Asylum Adventurer / traditional black straitjacket

01 / Familiar for a reason

It started with the first Straitjacket I could afford.

The first straitjacket I bought for myself was a version of this—an inexpensive black straitjacket you can still find all over eBay.

And honestly, there was a lot about it I liked. Look where we are today.

Despite all of its shortcomings, its most important feature was simple: it finally gave me an affordable way to actually experience a straitjacket.

So when I started working on the entry-level straitjacket project, I didn't want to get lost in the sea of nearly identical versions, but I also knew this was a good starting point.

One of the first surprising challenges was simply figuring out who actually made the thing. There were plenty of sellers, resellers and copies, but finding the original manufacturer took some work.

Once I did, the goal wasn't to replace everything that made the jacket recognizable. It was to start improving the things that bothered me about the one I already owned.

The Asylum Adventurer can still look like that familiar base product from across the room. Up close—and especially once you're wearing it—the differences start to matter.

It has become our version through a continuing process of testing, breaking things, making changes and finding the next thing that could be better.

It may look familiar.
We didn't leave it alone.

02 / What changed

The improvements are in the details.

The Asylum Adventurer has gone through the same process of samples, testing, corrections and continued improvement as the rest of our jackets—far beyond my original list of upgrades.

Reinforced where it matters

There are double layers of material through the shoulders, adding durability where the jacket sees some of its greatest loads.

Better straps

On the original jacket, the straps themselves were a weak point. Eyelets could begin tearing through the strap material under load. The current Adventurer uses Biothane-style strap material instead—exceptionally strong, durable, and intended to be one of the last parts of the jacket you have to worry about.

Cleaner, stronger construction

Stitching. Extra stitching. Rivet placement. More rivets. Hardware alignment. Finishing. These are the things we've repeatedly gone back to the manufacturer and asked to improve.

A size system we thought about

The original sizing wasn't as far from American expectations as the Experimentalist once was, but it still needed work. The Adventurer now follows the same size progression, so choosing between the two products is much more straightforward.

Rear view of the Asylum Adventurer showing its ladder of straps and buckles.

03 / Material choice

Traditional style. Modern material.

The Adventurer uses synthetic leather, which helps us keep the jacket approachable in both feel and price.

Some people may consider synthetic material a compromise made to keep the cost down. I don't.

For this kind of entry-level jacket, I think it offers an exceptional balance of appearance, feel, durability and price. It gives the Adventurer that sleek leather-like look without turning a first straitjacket into a several-hundred-dollar purchase.

That makes it very different from our canvas and real-leather Posey replicas, and that's intentional.

04 / Two answers to the same question

Traditional or experimental?

The Asylum Adventurer and Experimentalist started with the same goal: make an entry-level straitjacket we could be proud to sell for under $100.

The Asylum Adventurer

The traditional answer: black synthetic leather, familiar institutional styling, and the classic ladder of straps and buckles.

The Experimentalist

The contemporary answer: bold red-and-black styling, a softer visual personality, and its own take on the entry-level experience.

05 / Find your fit

Your shirt size is a good place to start.

The Asylum Adventurer is available in multiple sizes using our revised sizing system. If you don't have a tape measure handy, your normal shirt size should get you reasonably close. If you do have a tape measure, use the chart for the best starting point.

The goal is a close, comfortable fit with enough adjustment in the straps to properly secure the jacket.

Unsure? Ask me about fit ↗

Asylum Adventurer size chart

Finished jacket measurement	XS	S	M	L	XL	XXL	XXXL
Neck circumference	36	38	40	42	44	46	48
Chest / Bust	84	92	100	110	120	132	146
Waist	72	82	92	102	112	126	140
Hem / Bottom opening	84	92	100	110	120	134	150
Shoulder width	37	39	41	43.5	46	49	52
Back length	54	56	58.5	61	64	67.5	71
Sleeve length	82.5	85	87	89	91	93	95
Sleeve width / Bicep	32	34.5	37	39.5	42	45	48.5

Finished jacket measurements. Sleeves enclose the hands. Use your normal shirt size as a starting point, then compare measurements when possible.

06 / Made to be worn

Not a costume that happens to have buckles.

A good first straitjacket should do more than look convincing hanging on a wall. It should fit. It should photograph well. It should survive being struggled in. And, most importantly, it should make you want to get strapped into it again.

The Asylum Adventurer is the result of continuing to work toward that goal rather than accepting the first version that came out of the factory. And we're probably not finished. As people wear them, struggle in them and find new weak points, we'll keep learning. That's part of the fun.