Size: Small
Color: Black
Reason for purchase: I am FtM transgender and have to wear compression over my chest for 6 weeks following a mastectomy.
Shipping: Great. Ordered overnight shipping at roughly 4pm EST on 12/23, arrived at 1pm EST on 12/24.
Packaging: Discreet, simple FedEx box, nothing that would give away the contents.
Material: Same as the Tri-top (the binder I used pre-surgery). Sturdy, medical-feeling. I don't care if it's soft or not, but you should know that this is not soft or very breathable at all.
The Good: This thing definitely runs true to size and gives full compression over the whole chest. The clasps are easy to use. If you're switching from a post-surgical ACE bandage to this like me, you will feel about 1000x better. No aches or pains in my ribs or back. Have been sleeping in it fine. It was also the cheapest option I saw online for post-surgical vest--all others I saw were >$50--but is not a cheaply made product. It does its job, and it does it well.
The Bad: Since this binder is meant to compress the entire chest, the arm holes are much smaller than the Tri-top. This is good because it means that your whole chest is covered (unlike the Tri-top, where the outer parts of my pectorals weren't covered--not necessary for compression for only aesthetic purposes) but bad because the arm holes are much, much smaller than I was expecting. I've been getting some chafing under my armpits. My arms are not that big, so if you're really built, I'd keep that in mind. Secondly, the left seam is irritating one of the holes where a drain came out, and I've been wearing a gauze pad between the hole and the vest with some success. Thirdly, the binder constricts the entire torso, so if your gut is now bigger than your chest, even just by a little bit like mine is, you will feel a lot of pressure. I've been wearing mine with the bottom few clasps undone so my belly is free but my chest is still wrapped up, and that doesn't seem to affect the compression of the upper half at all, which is nice, but it leaves these weird flaps at the bottom that someone could feel through my shirt if they gave me a hug. It'd be nice to see a mid-length vest like this.
Overall: It's a binder--don't expect total comfort. The binding aspect is effective. It's everything you need, no bells or whistles, which I appreciate. I recommend this, especially for guys who got keyhole with liposuction who need compression for extended but temporary spans of time.
Haruki
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