This blog post is brought to you in partnership with Bandelettes. Like me, Bandelettes agree that people of all sizes should get to enjoy as many fashion opportunities as possible free from chub rub. The words and opinions are all mine.
Ever since I learned there was something one could do to prevent chub rub while wearing dresses I have become somewhat of a magpie about remedies and prevention strategies. I have a whole round-up post about the causes and myriad prevention strategies for thigh chafing.
Bandelettes are a strategy that doesn’t involve creams, lotions or reapplication. They are bands of stretchy lace 6″ long and silicone grippers that fit on your thighs where the chafe is most egregious and prevent the rubbing.
I was a bit dubious at first, having been wildly disappointed by thigh high stockings in the past where the silicone gripper was meant to keep them up and failed horribly. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how well Bandelettes performed!
You order Bandelettes based on the measurements of one thigh. You just take a tape measure and wrap it where your thighs are the chaffiest (where the Bandelettes will go) and send that into the wonderful women in Staten Island who captain this endeavor. Bands come in 5 sizes – A – 21-22″, B-23-24″, C – 25-26″, D-27-28″ and E – 29-30″. They also are ready to sell size F – 31-32″ but with different lace pattern not as shown on pictures.
My thigh is about 29 inches. so technically I’m an E, though they sent me the D and that actually fit me really well. And everyone wears their fat differently (never forget the myriad of body diversity within size fat), and everyone, even skinny folks, can succumb to thigh chafing.
I got my test pair last weekend when we had a freak late Spring heat wave.
Bandelettes are light–like tiny pieces of lingerie for your thighs. And they are actually pretty sexy. The beige ones are only a slight bit darker than my very pale thighs, but I think the black ones would look like cute lingerie peeking out from under a mini skirt or short shorts.
Imagine how hot this would look with a fat, round ass.
My tender, chafe free thighs are scared to try new things, so I started with just a trip to the store. I put them on and adjusted them to the biggest part of my thigh, using the fat at the top of my inner thigh to hold onto the lace. They fit snugly there and were really comfortable. It didn’t feel like “nothing,” I was always aware that they were on me, but it was kind of like underwear on my thighs and not uncomfortable.
It felt much more free than wearing bike shorts, thigh shapers or even leggings. After walking to the store, I hung out in them for the rest of my evening and they felt fine, they never bothered me.
The ultimate test was the next day when I wore them to the beach. They lasted the whole day, through sweat and walking a really long way and held up great. I was a little nervous at one point that they might shift around but they never did. I’m sold on Bandelettes!
The packaging warns against wearing them over lotions or other creams because it could degrade the silicone. Hand wash, etc…
Bandelettes are so tiny they could easily fold up and tuck into your purse. They weigh less than my tiny travel body glide (my go-to clear chub rub prevention cream) and don’t melt in hot weather, which is why I took them to the beach!
At $14.99 Bandelettes are a bargain. Literally a third of the cost of a good pair of thigh shapers, and just a bit more than a tube of body glide.
Bandelettes also rule because, if you’re in a sexy situation, having some pieces of lace on your thighs is a lot sexier for spontaneous sexy times than having to excuse yourself to wriggle out of a pair of compression thigh shapers (how many times have I hastily shoved those in the bathroom of a queer bar, praying we weren’t going to walk very far).
I only wish there was a more gender-neutral version of Bandelettes, because as we know, chub rub affects all gender presentations!
I highly recommend adding Bandelettes to your summer arsenal! I’ve added them to my tips for preventing thigh chafing post, along with a great new natural remedy I picked up from another fat femme friend!
These are so awesome! I just bought two more pairs and so glad they are a little wider now – perfect! And in red lace! Plus the “gender neutral” option (aka , no lace). What a great product.
Just went to the bandelettes website after reading this post, and thought you’d be happy to know they now have them available in unisex style. Still not sure whether I’m going to get them, but they’re currently top of my list 🙂
I know this post is old, but they now make simple fabric bandalettes for those who prefer gender neutral. 🙂
I will be trying these for sure. The only other thing I have found that really works it’s cleaning your inner thighs with rubbing alcohol. This has worked great for me but if you have to hike through water and get it on your thighs the effect disappears. So these would be great.
I love them x
Bevin,
Thank you so much for your review! After reading I decided to buy some. Funny enough, I actually had an idea similar to this but had no idea how to execute it. I’m quite happy with my Bandlettes. I wore them out to an event last night – Toronto’s “Butch/Femme Salon” – under my dress. They were more comfortable that I imagined and no chub-rub issues. I was so excited by them (they look quite sexy too), I started telling friends about them and everyone wants to know where I got them. I also discovered a bonus – not only do they look sexy, they feel quite sexy if someone touches your thigh!
Glad I ordered a pair in each colour. And they ship to Canada! I also order slightly smaller than my measurement and they were not too tight. I could appreciate it they were a little wider to cover another 1/2-1″ of thigh.
Wish i could get access to this “Bodyglide” that you and others have posted about. If i make it across the boarder, where can I buy that?
Thanks again!
Tara
Tara,
You can find Body Glide at a running store in Canada, likely Running Room or Boutique Courir. I saw the glide targeted to chub rub at a (now closed) store in Montreal, but I would be surprised if it was not offered in like stores elsewhere.
Good luck!
Lady H,
Thanks for posting that. Will you let us know if it works wearing two pairs together (to lengthen/cover more area) once you get them? I’ve tried just about everything over the years – girdles, wrapping ace bandages/cutting leggings apart, creams – you name it. It would be nice if they came in longer lengths, but until they do, I’m ok with wearing 2 pairs together to avoid biker shorts in the hot summer.
Thanks!
Thanks to your review I bought some immediately! I’m really excited whenever a new chub rub solution comes up. Sadly I’m pretty mixed on them and thought your readers might benefit from my experience.
I carry a lot of fat on my upper thighs so I got the biggest size and I think they’re generously sized: on the size chart I was an inch or two bigger than the size I ordered and they went on me fine and aren’t at all tight. The trouble is, they just don’t seem to cover enough of my thigh. The very tops of my thighs rub together when I wear them, but if I pull them all the way up to basically my ladyparts and try to walk the bottoms of them catch and start to roll up, and even if they didn’t I still have parts of my thigh touching at the bottom when they’re cover the tops of my thighs. I live in hot hot Phoenix so chub rub is super easy to succumb to and I just haven’t been able to risk wearing these out of the house.
On the plus side, I have enjoying wearing them around the house when I don’t want to waste Bodyglide on such light activity but still feel like my thighs are too sticky to leave bare. My girlfriend has basically dragged me into the bedroom both times I’ve worn them around here—they’re gorgeous and I definitely enjoyed seeing her wildly appreciative looks when I wore them and to me they are as sexy as thigh highs without having the worry about having a run in the nylon!
I’m looking forward to giving the size F a shot and hoping they make them slightly longer in that size. So it was a little expensive for me just to have something to wear in the house but I think they’re lovely. One last issue, though: they seem to be fraying at the edges already and I haven’t worn them more than a handful of times for short amounts. I wonder if they’d hold up if I could wear them all day out of the house?
You are awesome! This is the first post I’ve read, but I love your tone AND your review. I’m going to check out your other chub rub stuff, too. Thanks!
These look AMAZING. I just bought a pair and am sharing this blog post with all of my friends (although most of them read queerfatfemme religiously, so they’ve probs already seen it).
thank you! I’ve been looking for something like this for a long time!