For Who?: A Disgruntled Review of the For Them “Binder”
2.5 stars
Don’t get me wrong, the For Them product has many good features, but it cannot in good faith be called a binder.
Although the compression and security is real, this binder works like and creates the shape of a sports bra. It leaves you with a rounded, thick-chested appearance. It feels very held-in-place I can say that much, but it is hard to wear and does not do much to alleviate dysphoria. Were the binder exceedingly comfortable, or safe to be used for physical exertion, the shaping failure could be forgiven. But it is not. It compresses and seems to get tighter over time, from the second it's on to the moment before it's off, and without a doubt immediately and continuously enforces shallow breathing. Even as I sit typing this review, exerting nothing but brainpower, inhaling and exhaling regularly is a struggle. It takes effort. Maybe I got a size too small, but the size itself is not difficult to put on or take off; it doesn’t pinch. The material is nice and smooth, but I was skeptical as soon as I held it — it is over 60% spandex which contributes to this loose rounded shape and continual tightening sensation without actual flatness.
In terms of actually receiving the thing, it was a mild nightmare. I had high hopes for this binder when I followed an Instagram ad to order it in early May; I thought it might give me something to wear for the summer, even on its own. Somehow, my order never came through; it was never shipped; then it was out of stock; then it was out of color; and finally, the final week of August, when September starts in a week, I received this binder. The customer service was interesting during this time. They texted me back, but not with a lot of detail or regularity. And all I got for the three-month delay in receiving this hopeful investment venture was a binder in grey (when I originally ordered navy blue and then requested orange for their first offered replacement, which was out), and the promise of 10% off a future order. I wish this product was fulfilling enough that I wanted to get another. If the product was absolutely great, I wouldn’t even mention the company’s apparent organization struggles. However, it mostly leaves me feeling misunderstood.
After twenty minutes of sitting and wearing the For Them binder, I’ve been constantly aware of my breathing and my chest, and I still have a rounded hump there. What else can I say. I wish I could wear this as a compromise for activities or chill hanging out, because it definitely has more compression than your average sports bra, but it's so uncomfortable it’s making my back hurt just sitting at home. I’m not disappointed ,because throughout the months of not receiving it and upon a closer look at the promotional photoshoots, I got a pretty diminished-hope sense of how it would be.
If you want to have a smaller but still visibly rounded and prominent chest, and don’t mind feeling increasingly constricted, if you want to feel like you’re wearing a binder without the results of wearing one — maybe this product is for you. If you have genuine chest dysphoria and desire livability with a flat feel and appearance, don’t waste your time and money on a For Them binder. Primarily, it only reinforced my feeling that I desperately need to get top surgery so that I never have to wear a binder again.
I’m going to go take it off now. In further consideration, the most helpful thing this binder might do is give me even more increased back pain that leads my insurance to more smoothly cover a breast reduction. <3