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After eight-plus months of carrying twins and enduring a C-section, it’s safe to say my belly has been through the wringer. Since I struggled with pelvic pain for (pretty much) my entire pregnancy, I had tried a slew of belly bands in every attempt to find relief. Unfortunately, I found none of them to be comfortable for more than an hour — often, I found they were too tight, making it hard to move around. At times, even laughing or coughing would cause discomfort. TL;DR: All belly bands are not created equal, and I learned that the hard way (read: hundreds of dollars later).
Unfortunately, at eight weeks postpartum, the pelvic pain had not totally subsided. While I am now in pelvic floor physical therapy once a week, I know I could benefit from extra support while working at home and caring for my newborn twins.
With all this in mind, I was especially excited about the prospect of trying the Luxe Belly Wrap by Belly Bandit, which has built up a cult following over the years for its thoughtful design and compression capabilities. However, at $100, it’s definitely among the pricier — if not priciest — picks. Read on to view my thoughts on whether the Luxe Belly Wrap lived up to the hype and whether it’s worth the high price tag.
The Benefits of Belly Wrapping
The Luxe Belly Wrap by Belly Bandit offers a modern twist on the ancient technique of belly wrapping or binding, which was done postpartum to provide extra support for those who had just given birth (literally!). When you’re pregnant, the body grows, stretches, and changes drastically to make room for your baby (or, in my case, babies!). As such, muscles separate, and organs shift around. Post-birth, belly binding — also known as abdominal binding — can help with the healing process by supporting your back, pelvic floor, and abdominal muscles. It can also help minimize swelling and pain.
While belly binding is beneficial for vaginal births, it’s especially great for those who delivered via Cesarean — like yours truly — since the recovery is often longer. In fact, one study found that those who delivered via C-section and used abdominal binders experienced less pain and discomfort compared to those who had a C-section and did not implement belly binding into their postpartum recovery regimen. A 2021 study from the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics shared similar findings.
What We Love Most About Luxe Belly Wrap by Belly Bandit
Five Levels of Compression
Unlike the standard Original Belly Bandit Belly Wrap, the Luxe Belly Wrap offers five levels of targeted compression in order to best support your belly, waist, and hips. Not only will this help strengthen previously weakened core muscles from pregnancy, but it can also alleviate back pain and encourage better posture. Speaking of the latter, I’ve struggled with posture pre-pregnancy for nearly 20 years following a scoliosis diagnosis. I definitely noticed that the compression helped me sit up straighter while pecking away at my laptop for hours on end by providing proper support to my lower back and torso. Since I work from home — often from my bed, desk, or couch — I always try to be mindful of minimizing slouching, but the Luxe Belly Wrap by Belly Bandit did the work for me.
Designed for Women, by Women
Belly Bandit was co-founded by three sisters — Lori, Jodi, and Kari Caden. It all started when Lori was mistaken for a pregnant person…but she was actually recently postpartum. This inspired her and her sisters to dive into research to create the Original Belly Bandit Belly Wrap.
The Luxe Belly Bandit, however, was ten years in the making, and it boasts key features that separate it from its older sister. Not only is it taller (thus offering more coverage), it also uses the brand’s signature SecureStretch® performance performance fabric along with Stayput™ Technology, to help keep the wrap in place when on the go, which I appreciated. I wore it around the house as well as outdoors to walk my dog, and in both settings, the wrap barely — if ever — moved or rolled up or down (which I found to be an all too common problem in other belly wraps I’ve tried throughout pregnancy). I also loved that the wrap offered dual closures for maximum adjustability, ultimately ensuring a secure fit throughout the day (and night!). Additional thoughtful — and innovative — touches include body contouring panels for extra core and back support and an arched design to help minimize back bulge.
Also, despite the aforementioned five layers of targeted compression, I found the Luxe Belly Bandit to be quite stretchy. While other wraps I’ve tried felt very restricting, I was impressed by how the Luxe Belly Bandit seemed to move with me, as opposed to constricting me. Plus, thanks to its ultra-lightweight construction, it did not weigh me down. (Carrying two babies around is heavy enough!)
A Wide Array of Sizes to Ensure a Comfortable — Albeit Secure — Fit
The Luxe Belly Bandit comes in not one, but two different heights to offer complete belly coverage for a wide range of body types. The regular version is 11 inches tall in the front and 12 inches tall in the back, while the petite version is nine inches tall in the front and 10 inches tall in the back. It’s worth noting the petite version of the Luxe Belly Bandit pairs with the Belly Wrap Extender, which offers an additional nine inches of adjustability. This handy accessory won’t stretch out your belly band or compromise compression; rather, it comes in especially see
One thing to note: Upon first putting on my Luxe Belly Bandit, I found it to fit ultra-snug, like, almost to the point where it barely closed. But that’s totally okay — and normal! Per the company, “You want to have the length of the Velcro closure available so you can keep tightening your wrap as you recover and size down.” That said, I wore it for a few hours over a few days and noticed that as my swelling minimized, it fit more comfortably both over and under my clothes.
The Bottom Line
I’m not going to lie here. I severely underestimated the Luxe Belly Bandit — and I’ll admit I was wrong! My expectations were exceeded and compared to other belly wraps I tried pre- and post-pregnancy, this one takes the cake in terms of comfort, compression, and thoughtful, innovative design features. In my opinion, these key features alone make the Luxe Belly Bandit worth the high price point. The company recommends wearing the wrap during postpartum recovery, as soon as you’re comfortable, for a period of six to ten weeks. However, they also note that many folks opt to wear it even longer than that — and I plan on doing so, too.
