Binders

[Sidhe]

No, I am not talking about the plastic things you put paper in!
I am talking about chest binders!

I'm looking to invest in one. It's been a long time coming and I figure for the sake of my mental health I should finally cave and buy one. Unfortunately I'm completely out of my element and have no real idea where to start looking. Money isn't really an issue, I just don't know what company to look at? )':

So if anyone has any experience with chest binders, I would appreciate any advice/would love to hear about your experiences. 'Cause the last time I bound my chest I was sixteen years old and used ace bandages like a ninny.

 

[Vars]

Man you should've been around last month. I just gave away a bunch of them to a charity.

Anyway, I personally liked Underworks. But I've heard good things about gc2b.

 

[Daz]

If you look on sites such as Amazon and eBay you can usually find decent enough binders fairly cheap; like ~£25-35 rather than ~£50-60. So if you decide on a brand you like, look on Amazon/eBay to see if anyone is selling their old binder on there!

Also, if you think you might have to do exercise (even just stuff like walking) then instead of wearing a binder which will leave you breathless you can wear two sports bras, one on top of the other. It's cheaper than binders too- you can probably get two sports bras for £10. Not as effective, but sometimes necessary to actually breath.

 

[howl]

If you look on sites such as Amazon and eBay you can usually find decent enough binders fairly cheap; like ~£25-35 rather than ~£50-60. So if you decide on a brand you like, look on Amazon/eBay to see if anyone is selling their old binder on there!

Also, if you think you might have to do exercise (even just stuff like walking) then instead of wearing a binder which will leave you breathless you can wear two sports bras, one on top of the other. It's cheaper than binders too- you can probably get two sports bras for £10. Not as effective, but sometimes necessary to actually breath.

I know you mean well but most trans resources wouldn't recommend getting binders from amazon or ebay- it's hard to know exactly what you're getting and there's a reason why they're cheaper. Amazon/ebay binders are generally considered unsafe even if you've put in research into what materials and styles are safe, and etc.

I wouldn't double up on sports bras either- they're not meant to bind like binders do, and they're not meant to be doubled up on, which is what makes them dangerous as well.

Maybe they're not on the level of ace bandages or duct tape, which is really dangerous and you should never do (there's sadly a lot of people who can't wear binders or get top surgery, and who have broken ribs or misshapen ribcages because of unsafe binding) but they still carry a level of danger that safe binding with a binder shouldn't.

I'd discourage any kind of DIY binding or buying from sites/companies that aren't professional companies with some sort of high focus on making binders.

As for actual sites/businesses, gc2b and underworks were both mentioned earlier and are great options. Pretty sure last time I checked gc2b was only $30 for a half tank. gc2b transitional apparel

Underworks has a site specifically for transmasc people as well. Their prices vary a bit depending on the product but it's generally close to gc2b. FTM Chest Binders for Trans Men by Underworks

As for custom or more fashionable binders, shapeshiftersinc is the only company I know of that is confirmed to be totally safe, and they hand make them. They also do a wide variety of plus sizes, which is really cool. They have different options and some customization is more expensive, so the prices are about $45-50 Home
They also have a tumblr page you can check out with pictures of stuff they've sold and reviews by other people, and you can ask them questions too.

You might already know this, but just in case/for anyone else reading this thread, I'm going to mention it.

With every site, it's incredibly important you measure yourself how they tell you to and to get the correct size. The different sites will all have their own ways of measuring and sizing. Don't get one thats smaller to attempt to have a tighter bind, because it can and will mess up your ribs and/or lungs.

There's also safety precautions you have to take even when wearing the proper size. Binding will usually be safe if you follow all of them.

Don't wear it more than 8 hours and when you first get a binder, only wear it a few hours a day and build up to let your body get used to it. Don't do any activities like exercising in them, or anything that'll raise your heart rate a lot or have you need to breathe more (haunted house, roller coasters, etc). Don't sleep in them. A good idea is always to bring a sports bra along in a backpack or something if you're going to be in one place for longer than 8 hours, or even just in case your back/chest starts to hurt.

If you can get past some of the tumblry shit (like saying "stupid" is a slur,) Transgender Teen Survival Guide has a lot of good info on binding and safe practices all in one place.

 

[Daz]

I know you mean well but most trans resources wouldn't recommend getting binders from amazon or ebay- it's hard to know exactly what you're getting and there's a reason why they're cheaper. Amazon/ebay binders are generally considered unsafe even if you've put in research into what materials and styles are safe, and etc.

I wouldn't double up on sports bras either- they're not meant to bind like binders do, and they're not meant to be doubled up on, which is what makes them dangerous as well.

Maybe they're not on the level of ace bandages or duct tape, which is really dangerous and you should never do (there's sadly a lot of people who can't wear binders or get top surgery, and who have broken ribs or misshapen ribcages because of unsafe binding) but they still carry a level of danger that safe binding with a binder shouldn't.

I'd discourage any kind of DIY binding or buying from sites/companies that aren't professional companies with some sort of high focus on making binders.

As for actual sites/businesses, gc2b and underworks were both mentioned earlier and are great options. Pretty sure last time I checked gc2b was only $30 for a half tank. gc2b transitional apparel

Underworks has a site specifically for transmasc people as well. Their prices vary a bit depending on the product but it's generally close to gc2b. FTM Chest Binders for Trans Men by Underworks

As for custom or more fashionable binders, shapeshiftersinc is the only company I know of that is confirmed to be totally safe, and they hand make them. They also do a wide variety of plus sizes, which is really cool. They have different options and some customization is more expensive, so the prices are about $45-50 Home
They also have a tumblr page you can check out with pictures of stuff they've sold and reviews by other people, and you can ask them questions too.

You might already know this, but just in case/for anyone else reading this thread, I'm going to mention it.

With every site, it's incredibly important you measure yourself how they tell you to and to get the correct size. The different sites will all have their own ways of measuring and sizing. Don't get one thats smaller to attempt to have a tighter bind, because it can and will mess up your ribs and/or lungs.

There's also safety precautions you have to take even when wearing the proper size. Binding will usually be safe if you follow all of them.

Don't wear it more than 8 hours and when you first get a binder, only wear it a few hours a day and build up to let your body get used to it. Don't do any activities like exercising in them, or anything that'll raise your heart rate a lot or have you need to breathe more (haunted house, roller coasters, etc). Don't sleep in them. A good idea is always to bring a sports bra along in a backpack or something if you're going to be in one place for longer than 8 hours, or even just in case your back/chest starts to hurt.

If you can get past some of the tumblry shit (like saying "stupid" is a slur,) Transgender Teen Survival Guide has a lot of good info on binding and safe practices all in one place.

Whilst I wouldn't recommend buying off Amazon/eBay without thorough research and being careful, I think it's a bit excessive to say never buy any binder off there. It's certainly preferred to buy from the professional companies such as gc2b, but geographical and financial restrictions (shipping can add another $10-20 to a purchase so gc2b binders are not so cheap if you live outside the US) don't always make that possible. If you really can't get a binder delivered to your location from a company like gc2b, then buying second hand (with thorough research) is your next best bet.

I only recommend it for exercise, because the alternatives are A- A binder, which you've already said is a definite bad idea, or B- A bra or single sports bra, which could trigger dysphoric feelings, especially when you're moving about during exercise. For daily life certainly don't use two sports bras, but for a short period of exercise it may be the best balance between physical safety and emotional well-being. I'd rather use double sports bras for an hour or two doing exercise than not exercise at all because I feel too shit doing it wearing a single sports bra.

I'm all for following the safety rules as much as possible. But you have to be realistic- many people aren't going to follow the rules because they just can't, for whatever reason. The best you can do is recommend the better of the alternatives: I'd rather someone get a binder off eBay/Amazon than use ace bandages, if buying from a professional company isn't possible. I suppose I should've made that more clear in my original post though, that what I recommended isn't supposed to be the ideal. You're advice is amazing, you did a really comprehensive job, and I don't disagree that people should endeavour to follow all your advice.

(Quick note: The op said money isn't an issue for them, but I'm considering other people who might read this thread for whom money is an issue in my responses.)

 

[howl]

Whilst I wouldn't recommend buying off Amazon/eBay without thorough research and being careful, I think it's a bit excessive to say never buy any binder off there. It's certainly preferred to buy from the professional companies such as gc2b, but geographical and financial restrictions (shipping can add another $10-20 to a purchase so gc2b binders are not so cheap if you live outside the US) don't always make that possible. If you really can't get a binder delivered to your location from a company like gc2b, then buying second hand (with thorough research) is your next best bet.

I only recommend it for exercise, because the alternatives are A- A binder, which you've already said is a definite bad idea, or B- A bra or single sports bra, which could trigger dysphoric feelings, especially when you're moving about during exercise. For daily life certainly don't use two sports bras, but for a short period of exercise it may be the best balance between physical safety and emotional well-being. I'd rather use double sports bras for an hour or two doing exercise than not exercise at all because I feel too shit doing it wearing a single sports bra.

I'm all for following the safety rules as much as possible. But you have to be realistic- many people aren't going to follow the rules because they just can't, for whatever reason. The best you can do is recommend the better of the alternatives: I'd rather someone get a binder off eBay/Amazon than use ace bandages, if buying from a professional company isn't possible. I suppose I should've made that more clear in my original post though, that what I recommended isn't supposed to be the ideal. You're advice is amazing, you did a really comprehensive job, and I don't disagree that people should endeavour to follow all your advice.

(Quick note: The op said money isn't an issue for them, but I'm considering other people who might read this thread for whom money is an issue in my responses.)

Yeah, if you put in enough research into materials and styles and look at reviews and etc, it's probably a lot safer than just buying a random binder on Amazon or eBay but I'd personally still be worried about how much fake stuff is on both the sites or improper sizing (because I know how often I've bough something and followed the sizing guide and it still didn't fit like I thought it would.)

I didn't even think of buying second hand! Which reminds me that binder giveaways are pretty popular on some sites like tumblr (usually people give them away after they get top surgery or grow out of smaller sizes), and there are even some sites dedicated to binder exchanges/giveaways. I don't know any trustworthy ones off the top of my head so anyone reading would have to search it out themselves.

I think I'd be too scared to wear more than one sports bra at the same time personally, but my ribs also get achey just from wearing just one too long, and I worry about my health easily anyways. xb

I do know it can be super hard for a lot of people dealing with dysphoria, but I've also heard stories of being unable to get top surgery because improper binding techniques messed people's ribs and possibly spines(?) up too much, and I can't imagine how much worse it is to find out you can't bind anymore or get surgery, ever. At the very least I think most of those were related to using bandages or wrong binder sizes/wearing binders too long, and I haven't heard any memorable stories about doubling up on sports bras, or I would've remembered them, loL. But I do think in general in good to be cautious about even normal binding, let alone any kind of DYI binding.