Wow i havent been on this forum in a really suoer long time! A pal was asking me for some advice i didnt really have an answer for and it made me remember!
So I've already had top surgery and back when I did bind I had a very good tri top from underworks.
However I have recently made a friend who would like to bind, but theyre a student and paying rent and basically can't afford to pay more than 10 dollars, the less the better.
They're genderfluid and understand that for under 10 dollars they probably won't be able to go totally flat, but wants something that will do the best job possible for that price.
They would prefer clips or velcro if it's on the side of the binder (especially no velcro on the front)
But if you can vouch for it being a good binder they're totally open to pretty much anything.
We're also in Australia so something with little to no shipping costs would be preferred.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Yeah you can't really get a good safe binder for that little money. Binders with clips are super dangerous due to them not being able to stretch; which can cause your ribs to ache and bruise or fluid build up in your lungs.
Your friend should invest more money for a proper binder as it'll last them a year or two before the binder will become unwearable. If they really prefer a binder with velcro I used to use one from T Kingdom which bound ok but was only marginally better than a binder with clips as it used to make my ribs ache. I've since bought a GC2B binder which is the best binder you can find as it's completely painless to wear and designed specifically by and for AFAB's bodies.
Or you can get secondhand binders from many LGBT charities and groups.
If they are B cup at the largest, KT tape (You can get it at drug stores in the sport injury section) is relatively safe. I've heard of people that have broken ribs from cheap binders.
The only issue with KT tape is that it costs around $7 for 20 sheets, and I cut each sheet in half so you can bind 20 times with 1 pack.
Good binders aren't cheap. They wear out, too, eventually. I don't think I've seen a single one for the equivalent of under 10 AUD where I live, ever... even among the 'cheap and nasty' kinds. I would suggest saving up a bit longer and researching into the sizes... a lot of people find themselves buying more than one because guessing the right size for your body for the effect you want isn't easy.