binder vs. ace bandages

[Everyone]

I've been using ace bandages, and there are a few things I don't like about them that I'm hoping binders will be different about.

does a binder give you a lot of cleavage? and is it less hard on your rib cage?

But my main question is, does it make your chest look completely flat? With ace bandages, if I wear a tight shirt or the wind blows the T-shirt close to my body, it looks like I have tiny boobs, instead of none. Will a binder still have that effect?

[rexgsd]

well i use a triptop now, and if i wear a tight shirt or something, i kinda feel like you can see something slightly, and i mean it wont flatten it absolutely completely, but definitely the best it will get until actually surgery. also, it depends on the individual person and what size their chest is, and what size/model binder they use, etc.

i used ace bandages before, and those were really good on getting me flat cause i did it tight. but thats about the only good part. it falls down all the time, uncomfortable too sometimes, etc. the binder makes the flattness actually smooth too, so you won't see the edges of the ace bandages and other unsmoothness you see with an ace bandage. also, definitely easier on the ribcage than the ace, at least in my experience.

definitely a good investment if you have the opportunity to get a binder. believe me, you will not miss the lumpiness and falling down of the ace bandages

[Miniar]

Nothing will ever flatten it "completely" other than removing the tissue. But most binders will shape the chest so that the "boob" factor is less apparent.
I look terribly "barrel chested" in my binder but that's okay, hubby's even more barrel chested than me even then.

[Nygeel]

I attempted to use ace bandages last night (mostly for my own entertainment). I used 3 rolls of bandages. They wouldn't stay in place and wouldn't hold me down at all so I think that most binders are better than bandages. It even made me question why anybody would want to use bandages.

ANYWAYS! Binding with a tri-top or 997 from underworks usually leads to some lumpage but it makes your chest look more like pecs than "boobs." The 997 also is long so your chest will blend in/smooth out with the rest of your body.

[Everyone]

I attempted to use ace bandages last night (mostly for my own entertainment). I used 3 rolls of bandages. They wouldn't stay in place and wouldn't hold me down at all so I think that most binders are better than bandages. It even made me question why anybody would want to use bandages.

ANYWAYS! Binding with a tri-top or 997 from underworks usually leads to some lumpage but it makes your chest look more like pecs than "boobs." The 997 also is long so your chest will blend in/smooth out with the rest of your body.

oh wow it only takes one roll of ace bandages for me. lol but it helps to use saftey pins for the bandages. I'm looking into getting the tri-top, cause someone else said it got them really flat. :]

[Eosophoros]

Um... I hate aces, and they hate me. That having been said, they're all I've got for now, and I've been using them for a few years so we've come to a few agreements along the way.
With aces, it's often more comfortable if you bind over a tank top - they cut into your moobs less. Also, if you're at all comfortable with it, wearing a tight sports bra over them decreases the visibility of the bandages and makes things flatter overall. Binding top-to-bottom is a lot more efficient than anything else, and when I do that I usually only need one roll.
I'm looking into the Tri-Top also. I've heard some really great things about it from my friends - the most common complaint I get is that it rolls up from the bottom, but that's live-able with for me.

[kyril]

I used ace bandages when I was binding as a teenager - they didn't work well at all. Lumpy, obvious, unstable, cut into my sides just like a bra...figured I might as well just wear a bra.

That being said, I found one way to wear them that was actually not bad, which was sort of in a Figure-8 pattern forming an X-shape over my chest and looping around my shoulders/arms. I got a flat sternum and smooth back that way - the bulges were under my armpits. But it only worked when I was quite small, and it was still sort of lumpy, and I'm not sure I could replicate it well enough to demonstrate anymore.

[Everyone]

Um... I hate aces, and they hate me. That having been said, they're all I've got for now, and I've been using them for a few years so we've come to a few agreements along the way.
With aces, it's often more comfortable if you bind over a tank top - they cut into your moobs less. Also, if you're at all comfortable with it, wearing a tight sports bra over them decreases the visibility of the bandages and makes things flatter overall. Binding top-to-bottom is a lot more efficient than anything else, and when I do that I usually only need one roll.
I'm looking into the Tri-Top also. I've heard some really great things about it from my friends - the most common complaint I get is that it rolls up from the bottom, but that's live-able with for me.

It sounds like we're in the same situation. :] When I was 13 I started wearing ace bandages occasionally, but when I wore them to school once they slipped down constantly and hurt my ribs too much, and they effected my appetite. But now that it's been a couple of years, my body got used to it, and I started using safety pins to keep them up, so now they aren't that bad. Maybe if you tap the bottom of the binder to your skin with medical tape it won't roll up though. =)

[Shang]

I used ace bandages once or twice, but it was mainly for cosplay.  My mom even showed me how to do it, which was awesome.  She managed to help me make the bandages work, they didn't fall off and they flattened just enough to make my chest passable, or as passable as DDs can get.  I'd love to get a binder, but I have to go in to see the docs because they're just too tender to the touch and it's been going on for several months (hopefully, if they can't do anything, I can score free breast reduction or removal XD).

[gilligan]

I tried ace bandages once, but either the 4" width was too narrow, or my moobs are just way too big (DD cup). I couldn't figure out how to get that to work. so needless to say, i haven't binded since, mainly because i don't have a job to afford a binder. i should have enough money soon.

[emil]

any short model binder that is your size will be a million times more comfortable and give you better results than ace bandage. no doubt about that. i have tiny boobs and ace bandage did flatten them to nothing but it was a hassle. a binder you will just slip on and you'll be able to breathe, wiggle, jump, run, ride a bike,,,,well worth the investment.

[Nygeel]

I tried to use bandages again today with no luck. Used 4 bandages, 2 were 4 inches wide, 1 was 3 inches wide, one was 2 inches wide (could be wrong). It barely covered everything and wouldn't stay in place. One bandage was self-adhesive the others were "old" kind. A sports bra could do better.

For those without money big brother binder or transcircle might be able to help you get a binder for little to no cost.

[Kentrie]

I'm like a B so when I use an Ace Bandage it works pretty well, It's not tight at all and I can breathe normal.

[DylanAugusten]

I think I used an Ace bandage once to bind in public before deciding to just get a binder. They're by-far the superior idea for flattening the chesticles. I got the 983 and 997 from underworks and they both have their benefits. Regularly I wear the 983 (tri top) but whenever I'm wearing tighter pants than usual I go with the 997 cos it also helps create a straighter line from my chest to hips eliminating my curves but that means dealing more with the rolling up problem.

[Fie]

Ace can be dangerous, so be careful with it! I would always suggest a binder over ace. At walmart you can buy "curve binders" for women to shape their stomachs and stuff, these work well if you put them over your chest. These are like 20-30 bucks and way less of a chance of the ace rolling and cutting into you >_< (my other trans friend used ace and ended up getting severely bruised and cut because it rolled. Ace is made to get tighter every time it stretches, so it'll start to creep up on you.)

[Kentrie]

My Ace stretches, I can breathe perfect.