Review by Kim
Product name: Underworks Double Front Compression Shirt
Manufacturer’s website: http://ftm.underworks.com/
Chest Size at time of use: 38DDD (37″ under bust/45.5″ bust)
Comfort: 3.5/5
- It’s not ultra comfortable, but it’s not super uncomfortable for the most part either. Sometimes it hurt a little in the armpit, but it seemed to be dealt with when I adjusted myself some.
Effectiveness: 4/5
- You could still tell I had breasts, but not by more than an inch or inch and a half.
Discreetness: 5/5
- You don’t even notice it under a t-shirt.
Overall: 4/5
- It’s hard to get on, but once you do and mess with the arrangement of your breasts some, it goes a long way to flattening out a chest.
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: Underworks Double Front Compression Shirt: Darke
October 24, 2010
Preferred Name/Alias: Darke
Product name: Double Front Compression Shirt
Manufacturer’s website: http://ftm.underworks.com/
Cup size at time of use: 34 A
Ratings:
Comfort: 4/5
- In the beginning it seemed tight, but not uncomfortably so. After about two weeks of wearing it to school (but taking it off at night to sleep) I got used to the compression and it was actually quite nice. Now I feel uncomfortable without it, haha! However, I find that when I eat large amounts of food, or after I’ve gained a bit of weight, it takes more effort for me to breathe deeply (however I usually take shallow breaths anyway, so it might just be me).
Effectiveness: 3.5/5
- For the first six months that I’ve had it, it worked really well and I was completely flat, however at one point after that, someone accidentally put it into the dryer (it’s supposed to hang dry, even though it’s machine washable) and ever since then the material has felt looser and has lost some of it’s compression abilities. Now I have to double it up and use safety pins to keep it up for the compression and even then it looks like I have really small breasts when I wear semi-close fitting shirts.
Discreetness: 4.5/5
- I’ve made several new friends after I started to use this, and up until a month ago when we went swimming (and I had to use a normal swimsuit) they had thought I was completely flat naturally. I usually wear semi-baggy shirts, so it’s quite discreet then, but with slim-fitting shirts, ever since putting it in the dryer ruined the material, it’s shown a bit of bump. However, several times I’ve been called “sir” when I go into a cafe or restaurant and my friends speak for me (since my voice is so high pitched I can’t even pass as a prepubescent boy…).
Overall : 4/5
- It’s worked wonderfully for me for the past year and a half, and I’m only replacing it now because the material is too loose and sweat stained. (ew!)
Review: Underworks Double Front Compression Shirt: Griffin
October 23, 2010
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 997 Double-Front Compression Shirt: Dylan
October 23, 2009
Reviewed by Dylan
Product Name: Underworks 997 Double-Front Compression Shirt
Cup size at time of use: Ehn… Large? I wore an L in Champion sports bras… That’s like D something, right?
[Dys’ note: Champion’s sizing can be found here. Large fits some, but not all, D cups.]
Comfort: 5/5
- I wore Ace Bandages and had chaffed skin, bruised ribs, and lungs which would seize when I thought about wrapping the bandages around me. I tried neoprene back supports, but gave up on those after fluid-filled blisters started leaving scars on my torso. Finally, I wore two one-size-too-small bras one on top of the other, AND an underarmour shirt over that.
This binder is not only more comfortable, but 10 times more effective than anything I ever tried before. It’s tough to get into (I find that stepping into it, rather than pulling it over your head, works much better) but I can breathe normally and the lack of elastic bands under the chest makes it much more comfortable than even a regular sports bra.
Effectiveness: 4/5
- I discovered that one side of my chest is significantly larger than the other one. To remedy this, I still have to wear a sports bra on top of the binder (in correct size tho, so its not too tight). However, the first time I made it work, I couldn’t stop staring at myself in the mirror. I look like I have awesome strong pecs and there is nothing indicating anything more than that.
Discreetness: 5/5
- The shoulder straps are wide and the seams are nicely done so it does not cut into your skin or leave marks under your shirt. I wear relatively tight t-shirts and did not have any problems with it.
I can imagine tho that it would be somewhat visible if you were wearing a skin-tight, lighter shirt.
Overall: 5/5
- It’s a little awkward while bending over because it follows your body contours so closely and tends to hike up a little. I never had a problem of it rising too high to pull out of my pants or be uncomfortable, but you do have to keep it in check, especially if you’re moving about a lot.
I also did not experience a lot of problems with belly compression. It tucks your stomach in nicely, but it didn’t compress it uncomfortably – I did not have a problem polishing off a good-sized meal.
Review: Underworks Double Front Compression Shirt: Patrick
October 23, 2009
Reviewed by Patrick
Product Name: Double Front Compression Shirt
Cup size at time of use: 34DD
Ratings:
Comfort: 4/5
- It’s fairly easy to get on and off, but you have to struggle with it a bit. At first I tried to slip it over my head, but got my arms stuck, so I got it on by stepping into it an pulling it up. It is a couple of inches too long, so you can either double it over, let it bunch up, or tuck it into your pants with some effectiveness. It’s also easy to breathe in (most of the time).
Effectiveness: 4/5
- It gets me pretty flat–but you can still sort of tell there are little bumps there, but you’d have to look at my chest for a little while first. If you don’t position your chest right, it’ll kind of look like a mono-boob type thing.
Discreetness: 4/5
- Looks like an undershirt, and not a bra, if it peeks out from under my top shirt.
Overall: 4/5
Review: Underworks Double Front Compression Shirt: Kyle G.
October 23, 2009
Reviewed by Kyle G.
Product Name: Double Front Compression Shirt
Cup size at time of use: B (?)
Ratings:
Comfort: 3/5
- I had some trouble with running short of breath at times and some trouble eating without nausea. I had the longer version, so it also would roll up whenever it wanted and dig into my hips and stomach. Not the most comfortable feeling.
Effectiveness: 4/5
- It was good for a flat chest (and slightly flatter hips and rear) though, for me at least, it created odd bulges in my armpits from the breasts being pushed out to that area and the binder not quite catching all of the fat.
Discreetness: 4/5
- I often wore it with an undershirt over it to hide the line from the top hem, though it does kind of make it look like you’re just wearing an a-shirt. It annoyed me when I would wear tighter shirts, though with looser shirts, it’s fine.
Overall: 3/5
- Overall, it does what it’s supposed to with limited side effects, though the side effects it presents are rather uncomfortable.
Review: Underworks Double Front Compression Shirt: Nate
October 23, 2009
Reviewed by Nate
Product Name: Double Front Compression Shirt
Cup Size at Time of Use: I think large B
Ratings:
Comfort: 3/5
- The newer version is very stretchy and harder to breathe in than older ones.
Effectiveness: 2/5
- Barely made a difference. Better off with the Frog Bra.
Discreetness: 4/5
- Definitely sticks to you. The length is the biggest problem because it can show when it rolls up.
Overall: 3/5
- I would always advocate wearing Underarmour or a similar product underneath any Underworks binder to minimize chafing and also ease putting on and taking off the binder.
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