Shapewear may help smooth undergarment lines and provide a feeling of added support for some individuals. While shapewear definitely isn’t necessary, if you feel more confident or supported wearing it, we’re all for helping you discover which options will work best for you.
In this article, we compare Skims, Spanx, and Honeylove, offering an overview of each brand and their products, so you can decide which one will work best for your needs.
Overview of the Best Shapewear
Shapewear may help cover undergarment lines and may provide a supportive, smoothing effect. The best shapewear typically offers a variety of sizes, with color options that match a wide range of skin tones.
Spanx
Modern shapewear is basically credited to the brand Spanx. Its founder Sara Blakely got inspired when she cut the feet off control-top pantyhose to smooth her undergarment lines. She developed the idea into an undergarment made of Spandex with a specific design to create a smooth, shapely appearance. She found that, if constructed the right way, it would lead to a smoothing effect, while also covering undergarment lines.
Skims
Skims is a competitor created by Kim Kardashian who call its products “solutionwear,” saying it gives “solutions for everybody.” The Skims line focuses on enhancing the body – as Kim says in interviews, “We don’t want to flatten anything. We still want everyone’s bodies to look like themselves and still not feel so restricted.”
Honeylove
Honeylove’s shapewear is called Sculptwear™. It was designed with stage performances in mind by a world-touring vocal performance artist, Betsie Larkin, who noted that shapewear wasn’t entirely working for her on the stage. She worked with a corsetry expert and an evening gown designer to create shapewear that improves posture, leads to a smoothing effect, and is resistant to rolling down. Honeylove also prioritizes the look of their shapewear, making it appear more like lingerie.
The cost of shapewear will vary depending on the brand and the specific item you purchase, however, in general, it can range from about $50 to well over $100.
Spanx vs Skims vs Honeylove: Comparing The Top 3 Shapewear Brands | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Where to buy | Spanx.com, Amazon, Spanx retail stores and department stores | Skims.com and Nordstrom | Honeylove.com |
| Types of shapewear | Bodysuits, mid-thighs, waist cinchers, footless + capris, panties, tanks + camis, slips | Bodysuits, panties, shorts, slips, waist trainer | Shorts, briefs, thongs, tanks |
| Other offerings? | Leggings, clothing, activewear, bras, panties, hosiery, menswear | Bras, underwear, loungewear, accessories | Leggings, bodysuits, pants, tanks, camis, bras, and panties |
| Special offers? | 10% off for email signup, $20 off for each friend referral | ❌ | ❌ |
| Pricing example | Suit Your Fancy Strapless Cupped Mid-Thigh Bodysuit $148 | Sculpting Bodysuit Mid Thigh $68 | The Original SuperPower Short bodysuit $89 |
| Shipping | Free | Free on orders of $75+ | Free |
| Plus sizes? | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Website |
Spanx
Spanx focuses on shapewear to use with various outfits. It’s been around the longest, so it has a great range of options to choose from. If you want shapewear on the bottom with your own bra on top, you can find that. Want a full bodysuit? You can find that. Want a piece that shows your cleavage? Spanx has it. And they sell a lot of items beyond undergarments that also shape and support your body.
Spanx’s full list of offerings include pants, leggings, skirts, swimwear, bras, panties and a whole lot of activewear. The range of products offered is something that sets Spanx apart.
Skims
Skims focuses on the body rather than the clothing, with the goal of offering options for every body type. The brand gives a lot of options, with selections beyond shapewear, including bras, underwear, loungewear and accessories. Their shapewear comes in medium, high and super high support levels, so you can pick what you need. This really sets the brand apart from others like Honeylove and Spanx. The brand continues to add new offerings to the product line, like Skim’s sculpting loungewear.
Honeylove
Honeylove has recently expanded its product line beyond shapewear. The brand offers shorts, a thong, and two types of briefs that all support and cover the midsection.
The brand also has a tank designed to lift and smooth on the top and middle, as well as absorbent leggings that are moisture-wicking. The pieces offer specific functions, from maximizing comfort to reducing undergarment lines. Many options include specially designed panels in the midsection to create just the right balance of compression and release. And the design is made so the waistband stays in place – rather than rolling down, to help improve posture.
A major difference, when compared to Spanx and Skims, is that Honeylove shapeware is designed to look a lot like lingerie.
Honeylove Shapewear Before and After
Curious how smoothing and supportive shapewear can be? Check out the following before and after pics from Honeylove shapewear customers to get a sense of how transformational their pieces can be.
Honeylove before and after: Boldness Tank
Honeylove before and after: SuperPower Shorts
Skims vs. Spanx vs. Honeylove: Which Shapewear Brand Is Best?
Skims, Spanx and Honeylove all give you the smoothing and supportive effect you may want from a piece of shapewear. They all offer the basic bodysuit design and have other options to choose from. In addition, they all carry a range of sizes and ship to your doorstep for free.
Best for Affordability
The prices vary greatly by the item you choose, which make them hard to compare. In general, Skims and Honeylove tend to be more competitively priced than Spanx.
For a body suit that gives coverage in the middle and thighs (plus top for Spanx and Skims), Skims tends to have the best pricing. Honeylove’s shapewear costs a bit more, but is still a good value for its lingerie appearance. Spanx generally offers the largest selection of shapewear, but comes with the highest price tag.
Best for Leak- Proof Option
While certain garments from Spanx, Skims and Honeylove are made from absorptive materials, none are specifically designed to be leak-proof, except for Honeylove’s leggings, which feature a super absorbent inner gusset and sheer-proof fabric.
If you’re looking specifically for undergarments that are ultra leak-proof, however, we recommend checking out Modibodi and RubyLove, both of which specialize in period-proof panties.
Comparing Bodysuits – Our Experience Testing All Three Brands
In our opinion, one of the most important shapewear items is the bodysuit, which all three brands offer. The bodysuit is probably the best shapewear for tummy support and smoothing. And all three brands, Honeylove, Skims and Spanx, have different strong points.
Members of our team extensively tested all three brands’ bodysuits, noting appearance, construction, accessibility, and overall quality. Here are our top picks based on each category:
Honeylove: Best for Appearance and Construction
Honeylove’s signature bodysuit is the “Cami,” which is more expensive than what you’ll get from Spanx and Skims (we typically see it priced around $84. But, it’s also the most stylish, and actually looks and feels pretty great. In addition, it’s supportive enough to wear without a bra, if you so choose.
Members of the team found Honeylove’s bodysuit to be high quality and supportive, with an understated elegant appearance. Team members noted that:
- It felt soft against the skin
- It looked high quality and flexibly adapted to different movements
- It felt supportive and comfortable to wear
Skims: Best Overall
Skim’s closest comparison is their sculpting bodysuit with snaps. It’s less expensive than Honeylove’s bodysuit, at only $62. And while the styling isn’t as exciting as Honeylove’s, it still doesn’t look all that bad, and it’s supportive enough to wear without a bra.
Team members noted that:
- It was comfortable to wear
- Styling was simple, but wasn’t as nice as Honeylove’s bodysuit
- Quality felt like a good middle-ground for the price point
Spanx: Best for Convenience
Spanx has a number of bodysuits, which are supportive enough to wear without a bra if you so choose, You can find their “Assets” collection at Target for around $38. And the fact that you can probably just walk into your nearby target and pick it up is an advantage over Skims and Honeylove. However, the styling isn’t anywhere near as good as the competition.
Team members noted that:
- It was very easy to find and purchase in person- a bit more so compared to the other brands
- Some found the fit wasn’t quite right, especially for those with shorter torsos
- Most found the bodysuit to be comfortable to wear
The Bottom Line: Skims vs. Spanx vs. Honeylove
All three shapewear brands make it easy to buy from home and have shipped to your door. But, if you’d rather try a piece on before deciding whether to buy it, Spanx and Skims may work better for you since you can find them in department and retail stores. All three brands offer money-back return policies as well, enabling you to try on in the comfort of your home without too much hassle.
Spanx and Skims give you a much better selection and a much bigger product line than Honeylove. So, if you want a basic bodysuit, any brand could work. But, if you want more options, including clothing beyond undergarments, Spanx and Skims may be better bets. If you’re looking for more of a lingerie style, Honeylove is your best option. Between Spanx and Skims, Spanx seems to have more of a focus on outfits while Skims focus is the shape and enhancement of the body.
Related reading: Honeylove vs. Shapermint- Which Shapewear Brand Is Best?
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the best shapewear on the market today?
There are plenty of options when it comes to quality shapewear, including Honeylove, Skims, Spanx, and more. Each person will have their own opinion on which brand may work best for them. When purchasing shapewear, consider cost and overall fabric quality, as well as sizes and color options available.
How do you go to the bathroom wearing shapewear?
Many shapewear options offer an open gusset, making trips to the bathroom easy.
Should you wear shapewear to bed?
In general, it’s not advisable to sleep in shapewear as it may cause acid reflux, impact breathing, and more.
Methodology
We conduct extensive research to evaluate the pricing, effectiveness, accessibility, overall quality, and user experience of each product we review. This also included examining and comparing them to several alternatives.
| Review Process | Key Metrics | Weighting |
|---|---|---|
| Purchase online | – ease to complete intake form – affordability – upfront commitment or subscription required? – money back guarantee or refund policy? | 1 |
| Shipping + unboxing | – shipping cost – time from order to treatment delivery – sustainable packaging | 1 |
| Testing + journal for 1-3 months | – ease of use – transition into habitual use – taste / smell / feel / pain | 1.5 |
| Results after 3 months of use | – efficacy / results – ease of forming a health habit – requires additional purchae? – responsive customer support – willingness to recommend to a friend | 1.5 |
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