Review: Underworks Tri-Top Chest Binder: Anon

Reviewed by Anon

Product name: Tri-top Chest Binder (Underworks)

Manufacturer’s website: http://www.underworks.com/983.html

Chest size at time of use: 12C (Australian measurements) – around 32.5 inches I think.

Comfort: 3/5

• This is my first binder, so I have nothing but cotton sports bras to compare it to, but I’m not finding it very comfortable. When I first put it on it made my back ache and my breathing felt constricted, these both passed within a half-hour or so, and I expect were factors of being unused to wearing something this tight. The top stops at the base of my ribs, so doesn’t compress my stomach at all, which is good. My big problem is that some of my chest tissue has been pushed out of the arm-holes and I can’t seem to adjust myself in any way to stop this happening. This looks like under-arm fat, which isn’t nice, and the arm-holes themselves are digging quite uncomfortably into these rolls of tissue, bringing overall comfort down. I won’t be able to wear this every day, and I don’t think I’ll be able to wear it while doing anything very active, it cuts in too much. According to the measurements on the Underworks website I have the right size for me, so I think it’s just a factor of the design versus my chest.

Effectiveness: 5/5

• I don’t know how it will bear out over time, but brand new this is the flattest I’ve ever been since before puberty. Brilliant.

Discreetness: 4/5

• Under dark and/or loose-fitting shirts you can’t tell I’m wearing anything at all. In v-necks or open-necked button-downs the little bit that shows just looks like I’m wearing a tank or undershirt underneath. Under white/translucent shirts however, it can easily be seen, and it’s obvious that it only covers my chest. I don’t wear tight shirts, so the shape of it showing under tight shirts is not a problem for me.

Overall : 3.5/5

• This was really, really difficult to get on. I got a small, which was the correct size for me according to the sizing on the website, and once on it fits fine, but I had a LOT of difficulty getting it on over my shoulders. It was awkward and kept bunching painfully around my upper arms and getting stuck. I eventually managed to get it on without actually straining my shoulder, but I very nearly gave up. Definitely something to have a helper on hand for if you can, and not good for anyone who is prone to dislocating their shoulders or needs to get dressed quickly.
  It’s great for flattening my chest, but being so hard to get on (and I assume off, I haven’t tried that yet), and the way it cuts around my arms really brings the rating down IMO. I can’t wear this every day, I’ll keep it for the days when my need to be as flat as possible is stronger than my need to be physically comfortable.

Review: Peecock Products V-Neck Mid Length Binder: Diahonne

Review by Diahonne
Product name: V-Neck Mid Length Binder
Manufacturer’s website: http://www.peecockproducts.com
Price: $29.00 + shipping and handling
Cup & band size & chest measurements in inches at time of use: 40C or 42 chest

Comfort: 5/5

• Very comfortable, can go the whole day with it and completely forget I was binding. The bottom of the binder doesn’t dig in my sides or armpit. It’s like wearing a high compression bra. It has Velcro fasteners so putting it on is easier the over-the-head binders. I can eat as much as I want and there is no pressure on my stomach.

Effectiveness: 5/5

• I could never be flatter. No lumps, seamless binding effect.

Discreetness: 5/5

• You will never notice. I wear v-necks the majority of the time and you would just believe I was wearing an undershirt.

Overall : 5/5

• Product is incredible and never been happier. Easy to put on, comfortable, Binds incredibly flat with zero lumps, and unnoticeable. And I wear a normal compression shirt not because I want to be flatter its just because I have curves that like to come out over binders when no one asked for it. Which is good advice for the bigger guys. Before and After pics down below

Without Binder

With Binder

ETA: Check out a better before and after here and here, respectively.

Review: Double T Air 7 Long Cut: Jordan

Review by Jordan

Product name: Double T (Double Company) Air 7 Long Cut (Slip-On/No Velcro)

Manufacturer’s website: en.mydouble.net

Chest size at time of use: 36 B

Comfort: 5/5

Effectiveness: 5/5

Discreetness: 4.5/5

Overall: 5 /5

• This binder is absolutely amazing.  I never thought I would ever say those words.  I actually enjoy wearing this!  Seriously, skip buying a binder because it’s cheaper in the short-run.  That’s what I did and I don’t regret trying it, but I know now that priority, for me, is COMFORT with my compression.  And to you other guys: Don’t lower your standards on a binder!  There is one for you and this is it.  The Air 7 is a little pricey.  90 bucks.  I felt a little guilty spending the money on this… until I received it.  Well done!  It came folded in it’s own little Double Company, screen-printed, nice zip-close bag.  Seriously, when I ordered this, I thought I was going to have to mail it back because it was going to be some cheap-ass material that’s scratchy.  I was so wrong.  It fits like a tank top, which I previously used to wear under all my shirts.  It’s SO soft, the back is like a mesh, but not like a rough, cheap mesh or a flimsy, basketball shorts mesh.  It’s tough, but it’s soft.  The material is stretchy, but takes a bit of strength to stretch by hand, similar to the Underworks material, in that way ONLY.  When I put a shirt on over this, I absolutely love the way it feels on my skin.  Let me repeat that:  It feels GREAT with a shirt over it!  So cool/icey feeling on the skin.  It’s wonderful.  Oh, and it doesn’t have any kind of ODOR to the fabric.  I recently tried to buy an UnderArmour shirt and really liked the way it felt, but there is virtually no compression in that material.  This Air 7 is a similar material, super soft, yet thicker.  This does NOT roll up, contort, anything.  It’s so refreshing to know that there are people in the world that understand what makes a great binder.  Taiwan, apparently, is in on the secret.  I absolutely know I will buy another one of these.
• Also, WARNING!
  IMPORTANT!
  Get your REAL size!  Seriously, if you know your Cup/Band size, use that.  If not, measure yourself.  Do not attempt to get this thinking you will have to buy it smaller because you want to be really flat.  It is a binder.  A REAL ONE.  So, feel completely secure in buying your size.  That’s all.
• I hope you all felt my excitement in reading this.  Also, the only reason I gave this a 4.5/5 in discreetness is because, for me, the fabric could always be thinner, but also I’m just leaving a little room for improvement in case some super miracle fabric comes along.  Other than that, this thing is PERFECT.  I have nothing negative to say about it.

Review: Underworks 997 Double Front Compression Shirt: Adio

Review by Adio

Product name:  Underworks 997 Double Front Compression Shirt

Manufacturer’s website:  http://ftm.underworks.com/

Chest size at time of use: D

Comfort: 4/5

• It isn’t as comfortable as a bra or undershirt, but I’ve gotten used it.

Effectiveness: 5/5

• I position my chest downward and out slightly. This gets me very flat and has minimal uniboob/bump.  The length also helps with my hips and stomach.

Discreetness: 5/5

• I’ve had multiple people touch my chest, back, and sides without knowing I’m wearing a binder.  Because it’s so long, it can be tucked into pants like an undershirt.  There is no line across the back to make it look like a bra.

Overall : 5/5

• I’ve been binding for over 6 years with this same type of binder.  I wouldn’t keep buying them if they didn’t work for me. My chest has gotten smaller over the years (weight loss, breakdown from binding/T), but even when I was heavier, it still worked great. I would recommend this binder to every trans man, no matter what size.

Review: T-Kingdom M1500: Dysperdis

Reviewed by Dysperdis

Product name: T-Kingdom M1500

Manufacturer’s website: http://www.t-kingdom.com/

Cup size at time of use: 34 C

Comfort: 4.5/5

• It’s made of lycra and cotton, which means it’s soft– it feels a lot like a snug sports bra. There was a little bit of abdominal pressure, especially after eating, though it resulted in minor discomfort at worst.

Effectiveness: 5/5

• There were small lumps left, but they didn’t look out of place. While I’d have loved it if I ended up flatter, there was no more give left to my chest– it’s about as good as I’m going to get without surgery.

Discreetness: 4.5/5

• Remember how I said it’s made of cotton and lycra? The result is that it actually looks like a cotton tank top or undershirt. It’s a little bulky, but even that seems to come from the double-sided design more than anything else– it’s reversible, light blue on one side and white one the other– and will not look out of place even when it is highly visible.

Overall : 4.5/5

• Seriously, I love this thing. All that’s left is to see how durable it is, but I have high hopes.
• This binder is NOT currently available in sizes smaller than Medium.

 

Review: Underworks Extreme Compression Vest: Greg

Reviewed by Greg

Product name: 988 tank top extreme compression vest

manufacturer website: http://ftm.underworks.com/

Cup size at time of use: B or C

Comfort: 4/5

• The under-stitching has a tendency to rub kind of hard, but overall its a very nice feeling. Wouldn’t recommend sleeping in it.

Effectiveness: 5/5

• I am completely flat chested with this shirt on.

Discreetness: 4/5

• I wouldn’t wear it with v-necks since the fabric doesn’t exactly feel like cotton, since it is spandex. Otherwise you cannot tell you have a compression vest on, looks like a regular t shit.

Overall: 4.5/5

• I say [four and a] half because the price for one single item is pretty high, but then again having my dignity and self image restored to normal is priceless. This shirt works for extreme gynecomastia.

 

Review: Underworks Double Front Compression Shirt: Griffin

Reviewed by Griffin

Product Name: Double Front Compression Shirt (underworks 997)

Manufacturer’s website: http://ftm.underworks.com/

Cup size at time of use: 42G

Comfort: 3

• It is way too long. I’m 5’8″ and it would constantly roll up and constrict my hip/thigh area a great deal. The site mentions that it was made longer as an improvement, but I can’t imagine why. It’s very difficult to manage the length when wearing pants or shorts, but I noticed that when I put it on first, it ends almost mid-thigh.
  Doubling it over for me just compresses the stomach more and is very uncomfortable.
  Getting it on/off is pretty easy. It can dig in a bit at the shoulders, though this could be just me.

Effectiveness: 5

• At my chest size, it’s the best so far. It’s very difficult to find a product that will work for me and this does work pretty well — that’s why I still use it!
  I sometimes wear a GC2 or Champion thin binder/athletic shirt *OVER* the underworks binder to smooth out imperfections and to hide the top shoulder seams.

Discreetness: 5

• The armholes can be a bit low, but it just looks like underarm fat (which it is). Not flattering, but doesn’t look unnatural. On the other hand, because it is so long, it is easy to ride up.
  The area over my heart tends to poof out, almost like a shirt that has a neck stretched way out. It looks odd in solid polo shirts (which I have to wear at work), but looks okay under button-ups. With T-shirts it’s the most noticeable, but a thin binder on top smooths it out mostly.

Overall: 4

• It’s a great binder, but a bit long. Until something better suited to large-chested guys comes around, this will be one of the best solutions out there.
  If you are large-chested, I HIGHLY recommend wearing a Champion, Nike, Underarmor etc athletic shirt or a thin binder (I’ve used GC2) with the binder to add compression and smooth out bulges.

 

Review: Underworks Tri-Top: chiaroscuro13

Reviewed by chiaroscuro13

Product Name: Tri-Top (983)

Manufacturer’s website: http://ftm.underworks.com/

Cup size at time of use: A approx.

Comfort: 4

• This binder is so non-restrictive and casual in appearance,I wear mine like a second skin day and night.
  Repetitive arm motions can cause the straps to rub into the shoulder when this product is still new. Very tight in the beginning.
  Free range of motion.

Effectiveness: 5

• Like it’s predecessor–the double front compression top–this product efficiently binds and stops motion transfers of the chest area. One can really get the sense that they no longer have breasts. The magic is in the third binding layer. In addition to utilizing three layers to bind, the extra layer exclusive to the tri-top, delineates the breast form. This product essentially levels your chest. I find that although I’m not overly bound down, I appear to be much flatter and appear naturally male in my torso.
  Make sure to recognize the inside from the outside of this product. Due to where the straps lie on the shoulders, there can accumulate a raw spot if the binder is not worn properly.

Discreetness: 5

• I have no reservations about wearing this product to every occasion. The seams are barely visible and virtually invisible under any type of clothing because they taper off.
  Since this binder is not a full shirt, roll-up is inevitable. Sewing a longer strip of fabric to complete the shirt is an option but not necessary. Although this roll-up can be annoying, it is not overly noticeable and can be easily and discreetly fixed by a casual smooth.
  Looks like an A-shirt under white shirts.

Overall: 5

• It has been said, and I agree in all my experiences, the TRI-TOP is THE BEST BINDER ON THE MARKET. We’re talking overall coverage, delineation and versatility.
  Things to note: The three layers of binding only occur in the front. The back is one sheer layer of spandex nylon so it releases heat effectually.
  No need to wear anything under this product.
  I Recommend ordering your exact bust size. The three binding layers are designed to work with the actual size of the binder it’s self. At 32″ I found the x-small to be more beneficial in the long run.
  This product is durable. After over two years with the same product with constant wear, there have been no holes, tears or unravelling.
  Always wash in cold water, it preserves the binder’s ability to bind. Using hot water does not shrink it to fit later on in it’s life, it only weakens it.
  Best way to put on/take off is over the head because it reduces stretching or possibility of tearing.

 

Review: Underworks Tri-Top: Nathan

Reviewed by Nathan

Product Name: Tri-top Chest Binder Style 983

Manufacturer’s website: http://www.underworks.com/ftm

Cup size at time of use: 40 C

Comfort: 3

• Product is best worn with a shirt underneath it to protect your underarms from being rubbed. I wear an off-brand underarmour style t-shirt for ease of putting the binder on and for comfort.

Effectiveness: 5

• This does not give a completely flat chest although I have noticed that in some button down shirts my chest looks too flat compared to my physical size. Larger men often have larger chests and this binder took me from being gender in question to being harassed for not belonging when in the women\’s restroom (on the few unfortunate times I have been forced to use it). It removed any question of my gender in all public places.

Discreetness: 4

• The top rides too high to be worn without a t-shirt over the top. There is a little bit of bubbling at the top which is fine in nearly every circumstance but made me a little self conscious at water parks and swimming pools where your shirt hugs tight when wet.

Overall: 4

• Again this product did not make me completely flat as I am a larger guy. I ordered according to the sizing suggestions and think I could go a size down for a flatter affect. I absolutely plan on buying this in the future even though there are some negative aspects. I was also pleased with the price for the effect.

 

Review: T-Kingdom M801 Breast Binder: Cody Jess

Reviewed by Cody Jess

Product Name: T-Kingdom Model 801 Breast Binder

Manufacturer’s website: http://www.t-kingdom.com

Cup size at time of use: 34/36C (between sizes depending on weight)

Comfort: 3

• There’s a moment of discomfort when you first zip it up, but once you’re adjusted it’s fine. After a couple hours, I find myself resisting the urge to pull it down, because it bites into the ribcage a little at the bottom (the same way a sports bra can cut in at the bottom when it’s a little too small) but taking off a few excess pounds would solve that. It also bites a little (not right under the arms) at the front of the arm-holes, especially if you have a tendency to slouch. I think the longer, shirt-like ones would be more comfortable and easier to wear.

Effectiveness: 5

• Not flat as a board, but flat like chest muscles. If you’re wearing it just a little too small like I am, it binds exceptionally well, but does push out under the arms and at the top of the stomach. Just like compressing any other part of your body would make the stuff around it ‘pop out’ a little.

Discreetness: 4

• You can’t tell there’s anything under there unless you’re really looking, but if you don’t layer (at least one good undershirt) the top where the zipper is pops out away from the chest, the zipper line itself shows, and the bulges right under and around the armholes as well as around the bottom (om stomach, sides, and back) would be noticeable. Go for a good undershirt, and if it’s being worn under a t-shirt, consider two undershirts to smooth out all the lines.

Overall: 4

• It’s deceptively thin and small, but holds well and still breathes. For someone used to binding with an ace bandage, or a back brace, it’s a godsend. A little expensive, I guess? But it works. I’ll be buying a couple of other models from t-kingdom, and will recommend them to my brothers.