The 12 Best Plus-Size Shapewear of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

It's safe to say that not all shapewear is created equally. Everyone has a different body size and shape, but the desire to have undergarments that fit well, provide coverage and lift or smooth lines is universal. On a search to find the best plus size shapewear, we tried over dozens of shapewear, in the form of bodysuits, shorts, corsets, and more. We also scoured the internet for the best-rated pieces, that had consumers flaunting their figures with pride. And while no one ever needs shapewear, we can all lean on a little helping hand at times when we want a little extra smoothing or lifting. We found the best shapewear for just about any occasion or need, from dainty compressive slip dresses to full-on waist-cinching shapers. Whatever you’re looking for, we found it (and tried it) first, here. 

Best Overall

Pinsy Shapewear Thong Bodysuit

Pinsy

What We Love: We could wear this on its own as a top.

What We Don’t Love: The bottom gusset is a little difficult to manage.

Yes, this shapewear is on the pricier side, but you do get more out of it than just waist-cinching capabilities. We loved how the bodysuit looked on its own with high waisted jeans and a blazer, rather than just underneath our garments — though it looks flawless that way, too. It is quite compressive, supportively hugging the mid section and giving us a bit of an hourglass figure. We found that it also smoothed our hip region, so that high-waisted pants fit a little more effortlessly. Overall, it gave us a more defined shape, which was even noticeable underneath other clothing. 

Despite being rather tight, it never left any markings on our skin. It also felt surprisingly comfortable, enabling us to wear it for an entire day. We weren’t fidgeting and adjusting the bodysuit constantly either. Perhaps the best part, however, is that it comes with a built-in powermesh bra, so that even bigger chested women can go braless in this bodysuit. And while there is an adjustable gusset at the bottom, we found it to be a little difficult to maneuver. Still, we prefer this over no gusset. 

Size range: Regular, long, S-3XL | Colors: 4 | Compression Level: 2

Best Budget

Assets by Spanx All-in-One Body Slimmer

Target

What We Love: The fabric doesn’t dig into your skin to create marks.

What We Don’t Love: The back of the bodysuit can be tricky if your butt is bigger than the allotted space.

Without skimping out on quality, Spanx offers an affordable open-bust, full coverage shapewear at Target that’s comparable to the main line of shapewear. At a compression level of one, it’s more of a lightweight shaper, ideal for spring and summer.

Full body shapewear can get itchy — fast. However, this fabric, made with nylon, cotton, and spandex, allows seams to disappear under your clothing without all day fidgeting. Thanks to the open-bust, you don’t have to find a size that fits both your chest and your belly. Shop by body size, then combine your own favorite bra for perfect coverage. For people with bigger butts, however, compression around the bottom can feel a bit tight. Offered in beige and black, its slip-on application is easy with the amount of stretch in the fabric.

Size range: S-3XL | Colors: 2 | Compression Level: 1

Best Splurge

Honeylove Cami Bodysuit

Honeylove

What We Love: It gives fantastic support on your tummy and bust.

What We Don’t Love: It cuts into thicker thighs a little uncomfortably.

We found this bodysuit to be the most agreeable across the board. Between a compression level of one and two, with decent tummy tucking capabilities and great chest support, it can be worn underneath just about anything, from formal dresses to office attire, because we felt it to be that comfortable and easy to hide. We loved how it made little bumps disappear like they were never there to begin with. Thanks to the near-invisible criss-cross bandaging around the waist, it also cinched in our bellies gently without constricting blood flow. On top of that, it comes with many adjustable features, like shoulder straps and a gusset — yes, that’s right, not only can you open and close the bottom for easy bathroom access, but adjust how tight you want it using the three different length options. It locks in like a bra clasp, with hook and eye, instead of buttons, so the piece remains securely closed no matter how much you move around. 

We did find it a little tight around the thigh, however. On our bigger bottoms, the leg openings dug ever-so-slightly into the flesh which only started to become uncomfortable after a few hours of wear. 

Size range: XS-4XL | Colors: 5 | Compression Level: 1

Best Open-Bust

Lane Bryant Level 3 Contouring Open-Bust Thigh Shaper

Lane Bryant 

What We Love: The fabric of this shaper is very soft and comfortable.

What We Don’t Love: You have to take the entire thing off in order to use the bathroom.

Similar to the Spanx piece we mentioned earlier, the Lane Bryant Open Bust Thigh Shaper sits underneath the breasts, allowing you to wear your favorite bra instead of having one built-in. It does, however, add a tiny bit of fabric around the underboob to help give whatever bra you pair it with a little push — something we appreciated when we tested it. As a matter of fact, we appreciated a lot of things on this option, from the way it contoured our bodies, held everything in, and felt soft and comfortable. Compression at a level three typically comes with the compromise of being uncomfortable. But this moisture-wicking fabric didn’t have us feeling sticky or icky underneath. It even glided on quite easily. 

While it doesn’t come with an opening around the bottom, we found it shockingly easy to take on and off, which again, is rather uncommon for something this tight. The way it sculpted and smoothed our body underneath our clothes made us feel very appreciative and confident, otherwise. 

Size range: 14-36 | Colors: 2 | Compression Level: 3

Best Support

Miraclesuit Sexy Sheer Extra Firm Control Bodysuit

Miraclesuit

What We Love: The cup sizing is perfect, almost like your favorite bra.

What We Don’t Love: It’s a little difficult to slip in and out of.

Just to set your expectations right, this shapewear really does contour your body. We’re talking smoothed out bellies, rounded out rear, and cinched in waist. The toning capabilities truly impressed us, and it’s achieved through their very thick and firm material. Yes, the mega compression is a bit of a hassle to slip into and making sure its in the right place on your body takes some time. It was enough to turn some of us away from it, but others enjoyed how spectacularly toning it was once on. 

Something that really stood out to us here was how accurate the bra sizing was. On our editor who finds it very difficult to find shapewear that fits her DDs, this fit like a dream. She felt fully supported, with no gaping or constricting feeling around her chest. 

Size range: 32B-42DD | Colors: 2 | Compression Level: 3

Best Waist-Cincher

Squeem Firm Control Strapless Waist Cincher

Amazon

What We Love: It creates a very noticeable hourglass figure.

What We Don’t Love: You can see all the ripples of the corset from underneath a shirt.

Consider the occasion you hope to wear this waist-trainer-esque shapewear to, and shop accordingly. This tightens your midsection like it’s nothing to create an incredible hourglass figure. We loved how it looked underneath high waisted skirts and jeans. But you won’t be able to wear this with any bodycon garments because the many clasps and ripples down the front are far from seamless and therefore can be seen under tight clothing, it works great with flowy dresses that have a band around the middle. We did find that it’s a little long, especially on our short torsos, so the edges dug into our butt and hips a little uncomfortably. It’s also not meant for long or daily wear, but more for a wow-factor for special occasions.  

Size range: XXS-3XL | Colors: 2 | Compression Level: 3

Best Smoothing

FeelinGirl Shapewear

Amazon

What We Love: The size range goes up to 6X.

What We Don’t Love: It has a lacy trim and limited shade options.

A little bit smoothing, a little bit compressing, this bodysuit cinches your waist in all the right ways offering a mix of heavy and light compression through three layers of fabric on the body and a single layer on the thighs. This tummy control bodysuit follows the natural curves of your body, blurring any bumps and hiccups on your thighs, hips, and belly. It also has mesh on the legs to alleviate any potential discomfort in the pelvis area. This shapewear piece can sculpt your figure with its built-in hook and eye and zip corset. You can wear your own bra due to its open-bust construction, too.

The material on the trimming of this bodysuit is slightly more porous than the material from the rest of the bodysuit, which can fit a little tight through the leg area. A small zipper at the bottom allows you to use the bathroom without fully disrobing.

Size range: XS-6XL | Colors: 5 | Compression Level: 2

Best Sculpting

Honeylove SuperPower Short

Honeylove

What We Love: We looked expertly sculpted in this piece.

What We Don’t Love: The boning on the sides digs in a little.

These shorts truly sculpt the body. It has boning on the sides, which shaved our hips a bit, and criss-cross bandaging around the stomach to cinch our waist, like the bodysuit we mentioned before. The material (which you can also find in briefs and thong versions, too) starts at the thigh and comes all the way up to your breasts, so we were able to get a seamless contouring effect in all the places where it mattered. We also found the mesh portions to be extremely strong on our legs, despite looking deceivingly sheer. Any kind of hip dips or dimples were immediately blurred out. When we put our clothing over it, it looked as though we were expertly sculpted by an Italian artist from the Renaissance, but we did find it a little uncomfortable after several hours of wear. The boning on the sides in particular began to dig into the skin — nothing that was unmanageable, but something worth pointing out. 

Size range: XS-3Xl | Colors: 6 | Compression Level: 3

Best Shorts

Shapermint High-Waisted Shaper Shorts

Amazon

What We Love: The shorts prevent chafing on the thighs.

What We Don’t Love: The silicone strap leaves some markings on the skin.

If you want to keep your upper body free, try compressive shorts that leave your chest and shoulders bare. We found these shorts to be a little gentler on the body, as they have more of a smoothing effect rather than a contouring one, like the Honeylove SuperPower shorts. We could slide these on like any other biker shorts, and they remain in place throughout the whole day, thanks to the silicone strip at the waist. It never itched or tugged in any way, but we did notice some markings on the skin once we took the shorts off. 

The breathable fabric is comfortable for all-day and everyday wear, and we could wear them underneath tight jeans as well.

Size range: | Colors:  | Compression Level: 1

Best Slip

Torrid SLIP DRESS

Torrid

What We Love: It sits neatly under bodycon dresses.

What We Don’t Love: The slip is only offered in one color.

While black is one of the most universal colors for a slip, we love this piece so much that we would want it in every shade imaginable. For any tight dresses that show off your figure, Torrid's Smoothing Slip dress is the one to grab to complement the look. The lightweight, silky-soft fabric appears invisible under your garments and the medium compression allows you to move comfortably without sacrificing the shaping characteristics. Spaghetti straps, which by the way, are adjustable in length, ensure this slip will slide under almost any dress, including slinky, summer styles. 

Size range: M-6XL | Colors: 1 | Compression Level: 2

Best Leggings

Yummie Rachel Shaping Legging

Yummie

What We Love: The cotton material gives your legs a comforting hug.

What We Don’t Love: It has no pockets, sorry.

Your favorite leggings just got a huge upgrade. The Yummie shaping leggings come with 360 degree shaping, a tasteful hug around the waist, and butt lifting technology. Perfect for running errands or lounging at home on the couch, the cotton-based fabric combines comfort with style. Dubbed the "everyday shaping legging" on the Yummie site, these pants are the happy medium of stretch and compression. The nine colors range from goes-with-everything black to gray to a deep forest green, an option for every outfit. Since you can wear these like any other leggings, no one will be any wiser that you are wearing shapewear. We just wish these came with pockets for extra convenience.

Size range: XS-3XL | Colors: 9 | Compression Level: 1

Best Top

Maidenform Shapewear Camisole

Amazon

What We Love: It's longer than your average camisole and has detachable straps.

What We Don’t Love: It’s hand wash only.

Maidenform has a plethora of shapewear, but this camisole — which can only be hand washed FYI — may be their niftiest number. The straps can be adjusted to create a criss-cross back for special tops. Not to mention, the camisole has a seam below the bust, which divides the built-in bra from the added tummy control on the bottom half of the top. The longer length makes sure this shapewear will stay tucked into pants and skirts.

We do find that it compresses the chest area as well. If you wish to suppress your breasts, then this is an added bonus. However, if you want them to be perky and lifted, you might want to check out another option. 

Size range: S-3XL | Colors: 3 | Compression Level: 1

Our Testing Process

After researching the top-rated shapewear, we handpicked 30 of the most well-rated items, and shipped them to our team of beauty experts and editors. Each piece was worn by two to six women with different body types over the span of six weeks, who rated them based on comfort, compression level (one to three), ease of wear, and visual results. We even paid attention to how easy it was to use the bathroom, and whether or not the shapewear came with any clasps at the crotch. We also looked into some highly-rated products that caught our eye. Once the data was collected, we picked the 13 best plus size shapewear that outperformed the others, and wrote about our experiences in this article.

What to Keep in Mind

Fabrics

There's no perfect way to shop for shapewear, but there are a few components to keep in mind in order to pick the best one for you. Comfort and smoothing are key, says Cami Raymond, Senior Design Director at Ruby Ribbon. Innovations in compression, fabric, and design ensure these pieces are comfortable yet give you the silhouette you seek. The material that provides that stretch you’re looking for is elastane (otherwise known as spandex) and can be found in all shapewear. Stylist Lara Betiku then looks for added comfort from nylon or cotton, which feels more forgiving on the skin. The Shapermint high Waisted Body Shaper Shorts, for example, is composed of 90 percent nylon and ten percent spandex, which come together to create a stretchiness and softness in the skin-tight fabric.

Compression

Luckily the eras of too tight shapewear that you can't wait to peel off the second you get home are behind you. We categorized each shapewear into compression levels one, two, and three, with one being least compressive and three being most tight. The compression level you opt for will depend on your body, needs, and occasion. Betiku likes to wear shapewear underneath “less forgiving clothing, like a fitted or satin dress”. In this case, the Torrid Seamless 360 Smoothing Slip Dress  or Honeylove SuperPower Short are great options. “The aim of shapewear is to create a more contoured or streamlined shape” that simply enhances your natural shape, states Betiku, so find a compression level that works with your body, instead of changing it completely. Some days, you may be looking for more stretch or comfort and should opt for light to medium compression. While others may require medium to high coverage and compression to provide the smoothing and shape you're after.

Your Questions, Answered

How do I know what the right size is for me?

Ultimately, it will come down to your measurements as well as what type of undergarments work best with your favorite pieces of clothing. "You should take into consideration what type of garment you are wearing," Raymonds says. "Does it have a low-cut neckline or a cutaway or racerback? Always choose your normal size to start with."  Sapna Palep, CEO of luxury lingerie brand Journelle, advises not to to size down in hopes of extra shaping. “Too tight shapewear can create problems and extreme discomfort and can give you a ‘stuffed sausage’ look,” she says. 

With the goal of a shapewear purchase, use your typical clothing size as a baseline to guide the shopping experience (especially when shopping online). "Shapewear should smooth, shape, or sculpt your body in a way that conforms and moves with your body. Modern shapewear does not have to squeeze you," Raymond reminds Instyle.

Is it better to size up or down in shapewear?

You should neither size up nor down when it comes to shapewear. These garments are already built with compression in mind, and sizing down will only feel too tight and uncomfortable on you. Raymond reminds us that it's important not to compromise comfort for compression.

Why Shop With Us

Bianca Kratky is a commerce writer at InStyle with over two years of experience covering fashion and beauty products. Arielle Bines is a freelance writer, focused on fashion, beauty, diversity and inclusion. Before writing this article, over 30 pieces of shapewear were tested on 22 staff members with different body types. By testing various garments over the course of six weeks, our personal insights were gathered and combined to deliver a list of the top-performing shapewear. Then, with the help of body-positive content creators Lara Betiku, as well as founder of lingerie brand Journelle, Sapna Palep, and Senior Design Director at Ruby Ribbon, Cami Raymond,  we were able to offer the best insights on how to shop for shapewear, what materials to look out for, and how best to style.

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