Hello peeps, I am ftm/genderqueer and I am looking for a chest binder to help me feel more comfortable in my skin, but I can't seem to find any. Do you guys have any websites that seem to fit well, or stores you can go to? If it helps, I live in the States. :icon_bigg Thanks!
Underworks (FTM Chest Binders for Trans Men by Underworks) and gc2b (https://www.gc2b.co/) are really good! Some LesLoveBoat binders (LOVE BOAT Chest Binder www.lesloveboat.com/shop - Love Boat Shop) are really good too (but some of them aren't as great).
www.discriminant.inc sell chest binders. There's a shipping fee of $6 in the US and $10 internationally. Short binder with removable straps: $10.99 Short binder with normal straps: $10.99 Tank binder: $13.99 Swim binder and compression shorts: $24.99 Each found in the ins section, a lot cheaper than other places with equally good reviews.
I second what Jesse said; which are the three top dogs in the binding world. Avoid places like ebay or places that sell those cheap $10 binders. Those aren't safe, and you can easily hurt yourself with them.
All of the above, I highly reccomend gc2b, that's where mine is from and it's great. I think they run a little small but they do refunds and theyre really cool about making sure you get a size that's safe and fits. The packages are generic and say nothing about binding, too, so if youre not out your parents won't see it and know.
If you can't afford one, there are a lot of resources for binders too; I got my first (and only) binder by emailing in to a blog I was following at the time... they were having a binder giveaway and I managed to snag one in my size. Just google "ftm binder" and spend some quality time just clicking through pages and I'm sure you can find not just the online ones but clothing swaps in your area that would let you pick up binders from people who no longer need them.
i just got my first chest binder from gc2b and I love it. I'm probably going to get another one from underworks soon and saw that the ones from underworks are machine washable, while the one I got from gc2b is hand wash only, which is not ideal for someone as busy/lazy as me hahah! Good luck finding one that works for you!
That doesn't sound safe to me. Professionally made binders are purposefully made to be breathable and stretchy so they can provide compression without damaging your ribs or making it difficult for you to breathe. Tensions bands aren't made to be breathable and would probably provide too much compression without enough stretch, which could make it difficult to breathe or crack a rib.
As an update, I got the binder from underworks so I now have one of each and definitely prefer my gc2b binder, even if it is more of a pain to wash. The underworks one is made of slightly different material and seems pretty rough on my skin, it is also less comfortable around my waist when sitting down, my gc2b one i barely even notice I'm wearing it.