.jpg "5 Best Tummy-Control Underwear, Tested by Glamour Editors")
Wirarpa High-Waist Panties, $20: These soft cotton briefs offer gentle compression through a wide, double-layered waistband and come in an especially broad size range. Our tester found them comfortable and supportive enough for all-day wear, though they don’t provide as much shaping as most of our top picks.
Miraclesuit Instant Tummy Tuck Extra Firm Brief, $53: One of the firmest styles we tested, this brief uses double front panels and crisscross seaming to noticeably smooth and cinch the midsection. Griggs found the shaping immediate, especially under jeans and workwear, but the thicker fabric and leg openings became less comfortable over time.
Shapermint Essentials All Day Every Day High-Waisted Shaper Thong, $23: This ultra-high-rise thong smooths nearly the entire midsection and creates a more defined waist. The tradeoff is that it takes some effort to pull on and can extend above waistbands or meet the bra line on shorter torsos.
Frequently asked questions
How does tummy-control underwear work?
“Depending on the style, tummy-control underwear can contour and support the booty, plus shape and smooth the waist and tummy areas of the body,” says Gabrielle Richards, brand director of Shapermint. Lighter-control undies are excellent at acting as a base layer for clothes to seamlessly glide over for a more streamlined appearance, says Jane Newman, the chief design officer for Hanes Brands. Styles with ultrafirm control flatten the waist under clingier, more tightly fitted clothing. Your basic undies can do none of these things.
Tummy-control underwear should feel snug and supportive without digging in, rolling down, or restricting your movement. Start with your usual underwear or pants size and check the brand’s size chart, measuring your waist and hips if needed. Don’t size down for extra compression—a too-tight pair is more likely to pinch, bunch, or become uncomfortable over time.
What to look for in tummy-control underwear
How you shop for tummy-control underwear depends on how much support you want and what you plan to wear it under. Styles include briefs, thongs, shaping shorts, and bodysuits, with different rises, leg lengths, and features like butt lifting or waist cinching. Richards breaks compression into three main levels:
Low compression (smoothing): Best for everyday wear, light-control briefs and thongs gently smooth the stomach and hips while remaining comfortable under jeans, leggings, and other fitted clothes.
Medium compression (shape-enhancing): This in-between level offers more noticeable contouring and support while still allowing enough stretch and flexibility for hours of wear.
High compression (sculpting): Firmer styles provide the most waist and stomach shaping and can be useful under more fitted or structured special-occasion looks. High-waist briefs, shorts, thongs, and bodysuits are common options.
To find the best tummy-control underwear, we researched top-rated styles from major retailers and analyzed user reviews to narrow down more than 20 options. Over six weeks, Glamour editors and contributors tested each pair for material quality, fit, compression, smoothing, and overall comfort under a range of clothing.
Testers wore each style for hours at a time, assessing support and shaping as they moved through daily activities—walking, sitting, climbing stairs, running errands, and light exercise. We paid close attention to whether the underwear stayed in place without rolling, digging in, or requiring frequent adjustment, as well as how comfortable it felt over time. We also evaluated breathability, moisture control, visibility under clothing, ease of getting on and off, construction quality, price, and size and color range.
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