(disclaimer: I'm a trans woman who has never used a chest binder)

I've heard good things about tomboyx as a brand - though I think they can be pricey.

here's a cute, introductory comic about binding:

https://www.ohjoysextoy.com/binders-jey-pawlik/

I think the most important parts from the comic I want to highlight are:

• binding can be a health risk, and it's important to never bind more than 8 - 12 hours at a time
• when binding, make sure to stretch every couple hours
• to have at least one day a week in which you don't bind at all
• to never bind using tape, bandages, plastic wrap, etc.
• make sure the binder you wear is not too small and not compressing too much

I don't know much about the health risks and mitigation strategies for binding, so I recommend doing a lot of research up-front.

Much luck!

Hi! Transmasc enby here who has a little experience maybe.

The first binder I got was the Ultimate Chest Binder from Underworks (https://www.underworks.com/ultimate-chest-binder-tank), I liked them because I'm overweight and they also compressed my stomach a bit and my butt and hips to make me look less curvy. But recently shipping has gotten prohibitively expensive from America (I'm Aussie), so I had to switch.

My friend got me the long chest binder from Sock Drawer Hero (https://sockdrawerheroes.com/collections/binders/products/sdh-chest-binder-long), it's super comfortable and soft feeling material, it only binds the chest but it does an amazing job at it, I'm really happy with it personally.

Hope this helps!

Trans guy here. I haven't had to bind in a while (top surgery), but I wore binders from gc2b for years. I always found them pretty comfortable (as comfortable as a binder is going to get, anyway), and liked that they came in a bunch of different colors, including multiple skin shades. It's also trans owned, if that's important to you.

In terms of what to look for:

• It's really worth it to get a binder from a reputable brand. I wore a cheap Amazon binder for a few months and it was painful, I really don't recommend it.
• Shape can matter for comfort. I preferred a half tank style because I wanted as little extra fabric as possible (I'm a sweaty guy), but a full tank style can be less dysphoric because it looks less like wearing a bra. Same with racerback or full back styles.
• It's useful to have a few different colors. White and nude are both useful when trying to hide the binder under certain types of shirts, black or colors will hide their age better. Shape can also matter here - do you wear crop tops? You'll want at least one half tank. Tank tops? A racerback will show less under those thin straps.
• A compression bra might be more comfortable when working out, even if it's less good for binding.

I don't know your friend, but if they're just getting one binder to try it out, I'd recommend a half tank in a nude color that best matches the skin tone on their chest. That's going to be the most versatile under the most clothing. If they like binding, they can pick up more binders once they know more of what they're looking for.

Putting on a binder for the first time was life changing for me. I nearly cried from how good it felt to look in a mirror and see a flat(ter) chest. Best wishes for your friend!!

P.S. You can use tape for binding, but you shouldn't wrap your chest up in tape. The safe way to do it is to use a couple strips to "pull" your chest tissue into a more comfortable shape. There's tutorials online for this. You have to use skin safe tape - the kind athletes use for muscle injuries is available at most drug stores. (This works best if your chest is relatively small – mine was too big for this.)